Two Midland universities have been criticised by students over moves to allow them to graduate without taking their final exams.

The universities of Birmingham and Aston both plan to pass undergraduates whose exams have been cancelled due to industrial action based on marks already obtained and performance to date. But students are concerned that they will end up with a "devalued" degree that will be questioned by employers.

Asim Shabbir, who is in his final year at Aston University studying a BsC combined honours degree in politics and sociology, has had two exams cancelled.

The 28-year-old mature student, from Small Heath, said most of his peers were unhappy about the prospect of getting pushed through their finals without doing the work.

"Most of them want to be assessed on the work they do. A situation like that devalues your degree.

"People are worried that one day they will enter employment and there is a situation where people have had their degree made up by the university."

Mr Shabbir claimed students could face a life-long legacy as a result of the ongoing industrial action.

"Most people are only going to do one degree in their life. You can only get it right once. They need to resolve this as quickly as possible and allow students to get on with it.

"I want to sit my exams. I don't want to have a mark given to me. I want my exam to be put on and I want to get the mark I deserve, not one that has been made up."

But Birmingham University claimed there was no reason why some students should not be awarded their degree if their final exam was cancelled.

Head of communications Sue Primmer said: "A single exam is only one out of a pattern. We will have their other marks. Our intention is we would want to graduate as many students as we can with a classified degree.

"If they miss a single exam, that will be based on their past performance and everything we know about them to date."

She added: "We will not compromise on quality. Anything that does happen is happening to the guidelines of preserving quality."

Aston University yesterday issued fresh guidance to students which states: "In cases where not all, but sufficient, exam marks are available, final-year examination boards will recommend a classified degree on the basis of the marks that are available, subject to the requirements of professional and accrediting bodies."

The university added students would have a chance to resit an exam later if a degree was awarded based on incomplete marks.

Aston University's secretary registrar David Packham said: "What we will do is make sure as far as possible that those students who would have graduated this summer will be able to graduate. We think we will be able to do that."

But he warned: "We will get past a date fairly soon where you can't set the exam other than in September."

Mr Shabbir maintained the on-going dispute was creating an climate of uncertainty at a time when students least needed it.

"I found out a couple of days before my first cancelled exam and on the day of my second exam," he said.

"I went into the exam room and I was given a written statement read out in the exam hall. Students have a lot of exams to revise for, but they don't know what is on and what isn't." ..SUPL: