Personal Development Module: Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions about the Personal Development Module, you should check this webpage first as your question is likely to be covered here.

If you are still unsure of the answer to your question, please address all PDM queries to economics dot ugoffice at warwick dot ac dot uk and make sure to include your name, Warwick ID number and course of study.

Q: Why does the Department have a Personal Development Module?

The Department introduced a Personal Development Module in order to address specific areas for improvement as identified by employers, and former and current students. These include academic writing, plagiarism and data analysis. The module has been designed to develop skills, enhance employability and broaden students’ education in Economics.

Q: What skills can I expect to gain from the completion of this module?

Skills that you can expect to gain from completion of the module include but are not limited to: academic writing; avoiding plagiarism; data analysis; the interpretation and the application of economics to real-world situations.

Q: What is the HEAR record?

The HEAR is issued as an electronic document and gives undergraduate students a fuller record of their achievements whilst at university. It includes information about achievements such as volunteering and prizes awarded as well as information about module marks and the Degree Classification awarded. It is hoped that this additional information will prove useful to both graduates entering the job market and to employers.

Further information about HEAR can be found here.

Q: How many briefings do I need to complete on the Economic Briefings Project to obtain credit?

There are 3 submission deadlines for the Economics Briefings Project. You must pass 2 briefings throughout the year to pass this element of PDM.

Q: Which careers events count towards PDM?

All careers events which are bookable via MyAdvantage will count towards the Personal Development Module. They are worth 10 credits each. Also, any offered by the Department will be included.

Q: When will credit for activities appear on my PDM results page?

Credit for completed activities will be uploaded at the end of each term. You will receive an email to inform you when credits have been updated. For example, if you attended a careers event in Term 1, this will be uploaded at the end of term and should appear on your PDM progress report page by the beginning of Term 2.

Q: Why is a career activity that I completed or attended not appearing on my PDM results page?

This could be one of several reasons:

- The event was organised by an employer and was not booked via MyAdvantage

- The data has not yet been uploaded for that term’s activities (credit for careers events are added at the end of the term in which they were completed)

- You did not book for the event on MyAdvantage

Please contact economics.ugoffice@warwick.ac.uk if you think a mistake has been made on your record.

Q: Do events organised by employers or student societies count towards the PDM?

Only careers events and activities delivered by Student Opportunity and the Department of Economics will count towards the Personal Development Module. This only includes events booked through MyAdvantage.

Although we recognise the merit in you attending events organised externally and by student societies, we are unable to grant credit for the Personal Development Module. This is because attendance at these events is not monitored by the Department. We would, however, encourage you to attend any event which you feel will be beneficial to your personal and career development.

Q: Can I still pass the PDM if I have gained enough credit from optional activities but have not completed a compulsory activity?

No. You must attend/ pass all compulsory activities in order to pass the Personal Development Module.

Q: How many Mentor Meetings do I need to attend to pass that component of the PDM?

You are required to have attended at least 3 mentor meetings across the year to pass this element of the Personal Development Module.

Q: Is registering to attend an event enough to obtain the credit for this activity?

No. As well as registering for the event, you also need to attend the entire event.

If you leave an event unreasonably early, the Department has the right to not award you the credits for the event.

Q: I can’t attend an optional activity because I have a seminar/lecture; what should I do?

You should aim to attend optional activities which do not clash with lectures or seminars in the first instance. However, there will inevitably be occasions where it has not been possible to avoid clashes with the undergraduate timetable due to guest speaker availability. We do not encourage you to miss seminars or lectures to attend an optional PDM activity.

Q: What is the mitigating circumstances policy for the Personal Development module?

Extenuating or mitigating circumstances are those unpredictable events which have had a detrimental effect on your study. Such circumstances can be short or long term and would include (but are not limited to) serious illness, death of someone close, being the victim of crime, family difficulties and financial hardship. In addition, sudden, unexpected changes in family circumstances might affect your ability to make academic progress as a consequence of their demonstrable emotional impact upon you and may also be considered as mitigation.

The Department and the University are fully supportive of students in difficult circumstances and want to assist if possible. People to talk to would be your Personal Tutor, your Year Tutor Fatih Kansoy and Senior Tutor Amira Elasra. Tina MacSkimming is the Department’s Student Wellbeing and Progression Officer based in the Undergraduate Office and you can meet with Tina in a confidential environment to discuss circumstances affecting you or your studies. Other members of academic staff are also available within the Department and across the University, such as the University Senior Tutor. There are also a variety of pastoral support services and guidance across the University including the Students' Union https://www.warwicksu.com/, or a member of staff in the Wellbeing team https://warwick.ac.uk/services/wss/. They will be able to offer you initial, informal advice and you can continue to meet with them if required.

For your circumstances to be considered as mitigating by the Department, they must be conveyed formally to the Department. As the outcome of the Personal Development Module is recorded on your official University Transcript (HEAR), we hold a PDM Exam Board. The Department expects that you will discuss any mitigating circumstances before the PDM Exam Board meets, so that they may be considered in good time. You should be aware that, in the event you feel you need to appeal the outcome of the PDM Exam Board, offering extenuating or mitigating circumstances at that point will need to be accompanied by a good reason why you withheld the information earlier. Without wanting to invade your privacy, the University does expect that you bring such circumstances to the Department's attention in a timely manner, despite the discomfort you might feel in so doing. Failure to disclose such circumstances at a time when you could have done so may subsequently be problematic. The Department will do all it can to support you in difficult situations.

Absence from any PDM activity normally means a mark of zero in that activity. However, with mitigation the following considerations can be made for activities:

To be considered for an extension you must submit medical evidence or additional documentation that will be looked at by Tina MacSkimming or Inga Turner our, Student Wellbeing and Progression Officers. All submissions must be made through Tabula’s Personal Circumstances portal.

Where no allowance can be made, students are expected to attend a later activity during that academic term. Multiple activities are available each term giving students the opportunity to gain this point. We would strongly advise that you plan your time well and do not leave it too late to meet this requirement.

Q: When will the Personal Development Module show on my HEAR record?

A: Upon successful completion of the Personal Development Module, the module will appear on your HEAR record during the summer vacation before the beginning of your second year.

Q: What is the HEAR record?

A: The HEAR is issued as an electronic document and gives undergraduate students a fuller record of their achievements whilst at university. It includes information about achievements such as volunteering and prizes awarded as well as information about module marks and the Degree Classification awarded. It is hoped that this additional information will prove useful to both graduates entering the job market and to employers.

Further information about HEAR can be found here.