Terms & Conditions

Introduction

Brunel University of London (the “University”) offers a range of short courses, delivered either online or at its Uxbridge campus. Unless accreditation is specifically stated, these short courses are not formally accredited, whether by the University or otherwise, and may not be used (in whole or in part) to satisfy the requirements for the award of any degree or diploma by Brunel University London. All short courses require advance online booking and full payment, with places allocated on a first-come-first-served basis once payment is received. A contract is formed once full payment has been received and a booking and payment confirmation email is issued by the University. The University reserves the right to make changes or cancellations where necessary. Prospective participants are encouraged to join the mailing list for updates but should note that this does not guarantee a place. International students should be aware of specific eligibility requirements. For details on booking terms and conditions, please refer to the information below or contact the short courses team at skillsdevelopment@brunel.ac.uk.

Short Courses at Brunel University of London: Booking, Terms & Conditions

Booking and Attendance

Location: Short courses are held online by Brunel University of London, or in-person at its Uxbridge campus.
Booking: All courses must be pre-booked. Bookings are made online via https://shortcourses.brunel.ac.uk/
First-Come, First-Served: Places are usually allocated in order of reserving and booking.
Payment: Full payment is required at the time of booking. Part payments for select days are not possible. Where payment is by invoice, full payment must be received at least 10 days before the course start date. If the invoice is not paid by the deadline, the participant will not receive joining instructions and the University may cancel the booking.
Fees: Course fees are listed on each course page at the time of booking.
Booking Window: Bookings remain open until the start date of the course, unless the course sells out. For late bookings a confirmation email will be sent as soon as the order has been processed.
Confirmation: A welcome email with joining instructions will be sent one week before the course starts. Participants are responsible for ensuring that the University is provided with a correct email address. Failure to receive the welcome email does not give right to a refund.
Waiting List: If a course sells out, a waiting list will operate. Joining the waiting list does not guarantee a place.
Mailing List: To receive advance notice of new course dates, join our mailing list by contacting skillsdevelopment@brunel.ac.uk Registering interest does not guarantee a place.
Course Changes: Course details may occasionally change due to circumstances beyond our control. Always check our website for the latest information.

Refund and Exchange Policy

Refunds:

Only granted in exceptional circumstances and must be requested no less than one month before the course starts. Exceptional circumstances include:
- Serious illness or injury (medical documentation required)
- Bereavement of an immediate family member
- Other unforeseen emergencies deemed valid by the University.

Refund requests must be submitted in writing with supporting evidence.

The decision to grant a refund under exceptional circumstances is at the sole discretion of the University.

No refunds once a course has started.
If a student cannot attend and there is a waiting list, a refund may be possible if their place is filled. For the avoidance of doubt, the University is under no obligation to fill a place.
Refunds are processed after the replacement student’s fee is received and may take up to three weeks.
If the University cancels a course, fees are normally refunded in full within three weeks. For on campus courses, the University is not responsible for any travel, accommodation or other costs incurred.

Exchanges/Transfers:

Booked places can be transferred to another named individual (except for courses requiring an application).
Switching to another course is allowed if requested at least one month before the course starts.
After a course has started, deferral to another course is only possible within the first week and subject to availability.
If transferring to a course with higher fees, the difference must be paid; no refund is given if the new course is cheaper.
Courses requiring an application process require a new application for transfers or deferrals.

General Terms

Entry: The University reserves the right to refuse entry in line with its policies available at Policies and documents | Brunel University of London
Facilities: Short course students do not receive a University Identity Card or access to library/study facilities.
Attendance Letters: Available on request.
Attendance: Monitored, but attendance at individual sessions is at the student’s discretion.
Non-attendance: No refunds for non-attendance unless in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances include:
- Serious illness or injury (medical documentation required)
- Bereavement of an immediate family member
- Other unforeseen emergencies deemed valid by the University.
  Refund requests must be submitted in writing with supporting evidence. The decision to grant a refund under exceptional circumstances is at the sole discretion of the University.
Online Courses: Students are responsible for ensuring adequate internet access. No refunds for technical failures at home.

Waiting Lists

Indicate interest but do not guarantee a place.
If a place becomes available, those on the waiting list will be contacted by email and must respond within the timeframe stated in the email. The waiting list will only be used to provide the participant with information about the course they are registered for.

Mailing Lists

If the participant wishes to be informed about upcoming courses, please contact skillsdevelopment@brunel.ac.uk to join the mailing list for updates on upcoming courses and other courses of interest. The participant can amend or opt out of any future mailings by emailing skillsdevelopment@brunel.ac.uk and changing their preferences.
Mailing list registration does not guarantee a course place.

Course Cancellation

Courses may be cancelled or postponed if minimum numbers are not met. In such cases, a full refund or transfer to another course (subject to availability) will be offered.
Notice of cancellation will be given by email at least one week before the start date.
If a course is affected by events beyond the University’s reasonable control (including but not limited to staff industrial action, severe weather, pandemic) efforts will be made to rearrange sessions. If not possible, a pro-rata refund may be available at the University’s discretion.
In the event of tutor illness, sessions may be cancelled or rearranged.

Course Changes

Tutors, dates, and times may change before or after booking where necessary. If changes prevent attendance, a full refund will be offered.

International Students

In-person short courses are not suitable for international applicants requiring a visa.

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Save for any liability which cannot be excluded by law (such as death for personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud), the University’s total liability for any claim relating to a short course is limited to the course fee paid for the course.

Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Statement

Purpose and Scope

This statement outlines the ownership, permitted use, and sharing of course materials made available through the Brunel University of London Short Courses Platform (https://shortcourses.brunel.ac.uk).

It applies to all staff involved in developing, delivering, or supporting learning materials, and to all students enrolled on short courses, distance programmes, or blended-learning modules delivered wholly or partly via this platform.

A. COPYRIGHT AND IP STATEMENT FOR SHORT COURSE STUDENTS

1. Ownership of Course Materials

All materials available through the Brunel University of London Short Courses Platform — including course notes, slides, videos, readings, datasets, assessments, and interactive media (“Course Content”) — are protected by copyright under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA) as amended.

Unless otherwise stated, Brunel University of London owns the copyright in these materials or uses them under licence from third-party rights holders.

Some materials are made available under specific licences or under open licences (such as Creative Commons). Licence details and usage restrictions are indicated within the course platform or alongside the content.

2. Use of Course Materials by Students

Registered students are granted a limited, non-exclusive licence to access and use Course Content solely for personal, non-commercial educational use.

You may:

access and download Course Content made available within the platform for your own study;
quote limited extracts for criticism, review, or academic discussion under the CDPA “fair dealing” exceptions;
retain copies of materials provided for the duration of your studies and for personal reference afterwards.

You may not:

reproduce, share, upload, or redistribute Course Content outside the learning platform;
use Course Content for teaching, training, or commercial activity;
modify, adapt or create derivative works from Course Content without explicit written permission from Brunel University of London;
remove or obscure copyright notices or licence statements.
circumvent digital rights management or access restrictions applied to the platform.

Unauthorised sharing or use may constitute copyright infringement and breach of University regulations and could lead to disciplinary or legal action.

3. Intellectual Property in Student Work and Contributions

Students retain copyright in their original work (e.g. assignments, posts, projects) unless otherwise agreed in writing. By submitting work to the platform, you grant Brunel University of London a non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce and display contributions for course delivery, assessment and feedback, internal review and quality assurance purposes.

4. Respect for Third Party Intellectual Property

Participants are required to respect the intellectual property rights of others and to comply with Brunel University of London policies on academic integrity, plagiarism, and copyright compliance.

B. STAFF GUIDANCE: PERMISSIBLE USE FOR SHORT COURSE DELIVERY

To ensure lawful use of copyright materials for short courses, staff should follow these principles:

1. General Principles

Provide access through secure, authenticated systems (e.g. VLE or short courses portal).
Ensure that any third party materials used are covered under an appropriate licence.
Seek advice where necessary on copyright and licensing matters from Brunel University of London Library: copyright@brunel.ac.uk
Staff and students should not upload materials to open websites, social media, or public repositories without prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Where possible, use materials and Open Educational Resources (OER) made available under open licences, e.g. Creative Commons CC-BY.

2. Fair Dealing and Exceptions

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended), Section 32, limited copying for illustration for instruction, quotation, or criticism and review is allowed, provided that:

the amount copied is fair and proportionate under the fair dealing provision;
the purpose is non-commercial;
the source is fully acknowledged.

3. Support and Further Information

When in doubt, before sharing materials, seek advice from Open Research and Rights, Library: copyright@brunel.ac.uk.

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