If you copy part of a sentence or quantities of sentences, word for word from the internet, a book, magazine, course notes or anywhere else this is considered to be plagiarism.


Plagiarism is considered by most credible academics around the world to be unacceptable; and for this reason ACS cannot issue a formal pass and qualification to anyone who practices plagiarism.


Incidents of plagiarism have damaged the reputations of some colleges and universities. ACS has established a very good academic reputation in part because of the fact that we do not tolerate plagiarism.


Bearing this in mind; it is in the interest of our graduates that we take a firm stand against plagiarism. The value of the studies you pursue, and the qualification you and other students attain, is dependant upon an anti plagiarism policy.


Plagiarism is easily detected by tutors marking papers, through the use of web searches; changes in writing style and tone and depth of technical content.


  • If plagiarism is detected in any work by a student, the incident will be noted on the student’s records. They may be asked to rewrite and resubmit their work.
  • When deciding the final result for a course or module, we always take into account more than just the performance in an exam. Any student found to have plagiarized will be closely monitored to ensure compliance before being given a pass.
  • If a student continues to plagiarise after being warned, they are not going to learn as much as they otherwise would from the course, and as a result it is inappropriate to give them a pass.



Why Plagiarism is such an issue
Some colleges may accept some degree of plagiarism; more so in some countries than others. This may be due to a cultural attitude, or perhaps just an ignorance of the problem.
  • Copying work does not enhance learning in the same way as reinterpreting researched information derived from a variety of different sources. It is important for a student to clearly understand the difference between plagiarism and research.
  • Plagiarism is not accepted though in the most respected academic circles around the world. If you practice plagiarism, you will potentially devalue your potential for career development in the future.
  • If you plagiarize work when you are a student; you will be developing a bad habit, that may be difficult to break later in your career.
  • Plagiarism is illegal in some countries, and can attract heavy fines or legal action.