Glossary: A - E
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This glossary provides a general definition of terms commonly used at UNSW and is intended as a guide only.
An indication of a student’s current progress toward completion of a program. At the end of each semester an Academic Standing is assigned. This is calculated according to the proportion of load passed (undergraduate students), or cumulative number of failures (postgraduate students). Academic Standing is also calculated at the career level (i.e undergraduate/postgraduate), not at the program level.
An unofficial record of a student's academic history. It includes details of the program, enrolled courses, results, summary assessment statistics, academic standing, advanced standing and awards obtained at UNSW.
An official record of a student's full enrolment history, results, awards and official prizes obtained at UNSW.
Advanced Standing, sometimes referred to as Credit Transfer or Recognition of Prior Learning. At undergraduate level it is recognition of prior study at a University or TAFE. At postgraduate level it is recognition of either prior postgraduate study in a university, or relevant professional experience.
Courses that meet a program's requirements are assigned an allocation rule according to academic type; i.e. CC core course, PE prescribed elective. A course can, in principle, be assigned to more than one course allocation rule.
A sequence of programs comprising Graduate Certificate and/or Graduate Diploma and /or Masters programs in which the requirements for completion of early programs in the sequence are embedded within the requirements for subsequent programs. This allows students to enrol initially in an early stage of the sequence (Grad Cert or Grad Dip) and subsequently ‘add on ‘ further courses to complete a higher level program without loss of credit.
The process of evaluating learning outcomes, as reflected in the quality of a student's submitted work, relative to the standard expected. Examples of types of assessment tasks include assignments and written and oral examination responses.
The level of knowledge known to facilitate understanding of the study material, but which is not a requirement for entry.
The AHEGS is provided by Australian higher education institutions to graduating students on completion of the requirements for a particular higher education award. It provides a description of the nature, level, context and status of studies that were pursued by the individual named. Its purpose is to assist in both national and international recognition of Australian qualifications and to promote international mobility and professional recognition of graduates.
A degree, diploma or certificate obtained on graduation from a program. It recognises successful completion of that program and carries the official seal of the University.
The formal award received on successful completion of an undergraduate university degree program, ordinarily of three or more year’s duration. Bachelor degrees provide initial preparation for professional careers and postgraduate study.
The fixed, minimum program content required to permit award of a degree, i.e. major(s) and associated disciplinary studies.
See also Depth, Disciplinary Core, Green Zone.
See also Depth, Disciplinary Core, Green Zone.
An institutional requirement of an undergraduate academic program. In single degree programs the breadth and maturity learning outcomes are generally attained through the general education and free elective components which complement discipline specific, or depth, learning requirements. Concurrent degree program students meet breadth and maturity outcomes for one award through completion of their concurrent award.
See Green Zone.
See Green Zone.
The location where a program or course is taught. UNSW has several campuses including the main campus at Kensington, the College of Fine Arts (COFA) campus in Paddington, and UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA).
A core course taken toward the end of a program which is designed to draw together the various education strands. It is an opportunity for students to demonstrate that they have achieved the specified learning goals. Typically, capstone activities will incorporate a research project or examination which encourages students to consider the broader context of their discipline.
See course.
See course.
Refers to a student's academic level. UNSW has the following careers: Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Research and Non-award.
A component of a course available in a particular teaching period. Examples of classes include lectures, seminars, tutorials and laboratories. Students enrol in a course by selecting associated classes from the schedule.
Refers to courses in the same or related discipline or specialisation.
See Double Major.
See Dual Award.
A higher education place for which the Commonwealth makes a contribution towards the cost of a student's education. Students pay a student contribution amount which varies depending on courses undertaken.
See Dual Award.
A compulsory course within a program that must be satisfactorily completed to meet the requirements of the program. Foundation and Capstone courses are examples of core courses.
See Course.
See Course.
A course which must be completed successfully before, or studied concurrently with, the course for which it is prescribed.
Otherwise known as a subject, a course is an individual study unit offered within a program with a specific unit of credit weighting (for example, MATH1131 - Mathematics 1A , 6UoC). Components of a course may include lectures, tutorials or laboratory classes.
Students enrol in many courses to make up their program of study, some of which may be core courses (compulsory) or elective courses (where students are given a choice of courses).
UNSW courses codes are made up of a four-character alphabetic prefix, identifying the School or unit administering the course, and a four-digit numeric suffix e.g. ECON1101 - Microeconomics 1.
Students enrol in many courses to make up their program of study, some of which may be core courses (compulsory) or elective courses (where students are given a choice of courses).
UNSW courses codes are made up of a four-character alphabetic prefix, identifying the School or unit administering the course, and a four-digit numeric suffix e.g. ECON1101 - Microeconomics 1.
The School (or Faculty) responsible for the planning, resourcing and delivery of a course, including teaching resources and arrangements, and administrative arrangements including publication of course information, teaching delivery, including LMS supported delivery, assessment and quality.
In practice the Course Authority may delegate some responsibilities to nominated staff, including teaching staff. In the absence of this role, authority is referred to the Head of School offering the course.
In practice the Course Authority may delegate some responsibilities to nominated staff, including teaching staff. In the absence of this role, authority is referred to the Head of School offering the course.
See Level.
In principle a course may satisfy more than one of the rules associated with a single program, including its related streams. If a course is shared between rules it can count only once toward overall UOC requirements (in contrast to double-counting between concurrent programs). Not all rules may share courses; for example, a required course in a major cannot also fulfil free elective requirements for the program.
See also Double Counting.
See also Double Counting.
A mode of study largely, or wholly, constituted of courses involving directed learning, including face-to-face class instruction, online learning, distance learning, or combinations of these. It is a term commonly used with regard to undergraduate and postgraduate study. The other mode of postgraduate study is research.
See Advanced Standing.
Refers to courses a student may take in a different Faculty to the one in which their program is based. Program Authorities may limit the number or type of cross-Faculty courses a student may take.
Where a student undertakes study at one institution while formally enrolled at another. For example, a UNSW student enrols at another Australian tertiary institution for credit towards his/her award at UNSW, or a student enrolled at another university completes a UNSW course for credit towards his/her award at the home institution.
An official agreement which allows successful applicants to delay commencement of a tertiary program, usually for the period of one year.
A formal award or qualification awarded on completion of a Bachelor, Masters or Doctoral program of study (eg Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Arts, or PhD).
See Award.
See Award.
The fundamental component of an undergraduate academic program. Discipline-specific learning, or depth, requirements are generally embedded in core courses, majors, associated disciplinary or contextual studies, and other essential learning experiences such as industrial training. These requirements complement breadth and maturity learning requirements.
See also Breadth, Disciplinary Core, Blue Zone.
See also Breadth, Disciplinary Core, Blue Zone.
Specified courses in a specialised area of study that must be satisfactorily completed to meet the depth requirements of the program.
See also Blue Zone.
See also Blue Zone.
Related courses offered by a School or Department which form part of the same study area. Many programs require students to specialise in a particular study area, for example, Accounting, Civil Engineering or English.
Also see specialisation.
Also see specialisation.
A postgraduate research program where students independently research a specific topic under the guidance of a supervisor to produce a thesis. For a doctorate, considerably more original work is required than for a Masters by Research program. Students should note that in some Faculties, coursework may also be prescribed.
A student who is an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen or holder of an Australian permanent visa. Domestic students may be offered a place as either a Commonwealth supported student or a fee paying student.
A course that forms part of the disciplinary core requirements for two separate programs and can be counted towards both set of rules and contribute fully to the overall UOC requirements of both programs. There is a limit to the number of UOC that may be double-counted, which is either zero (if both programs have 96UOC of disciplinary core), or 24UOC (otherwise). Once the double-counting limit is reached further courses from the elective part of the disciplinary core of either program will need to be undertaken to make up the required UOC.
See also Course Sharing.
See also Course Sharing.
The concurrent study of two (or more) disciplines as a single award. One testamur is awarded on graduation. Unlike combined degree (or Dual Award) programs, double degree program rules do not allow for the award of a single degree for each discipline area studied.
A major studied in conjunction with another major in a Program. The two majors can be from two Faculties, provided they are approved,
In combined degree programs students typically undertake a major in each program.
In combined degree programs students typically undertake a major in each program.
The concurrent study of two different programs leading to two awards. Two testamurs are awarded at graduation. An example is the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws program.
A measure of the study load for a year, of a student undertaking a program on a full-time basis.
Coursework degree programs have three main categories of elective: General Education elective courses that are taken to satisfy the University’s General Education requirement; Free Electives are courses that can be selected from a large range of offerings, often any non-General Education course, but possibly limited to courses offered by specified faculties, or in specified subject areas and; Prescribed Elective courses where the program specifies that a student must select electives from a specified list of courses.
General Education and Free electives in part satisfy the breadth requirement of programs. Prescribed electives typically form part of, or complement the depth requirement.
Prescribed electives are typically specified as lists of courses that students select from to complete the requirement. All categories of elective may be specified in terms of general rules (eg 24UoC; 12UoC at Level 2) rather than individual courses.
Note that any individual course may be specified as a core course in one program and as an elective in another.
See Core Course, Course, Program.
General Education and Free electives in part satisfy the breadth requirement of programs. Prescribed electives typically form part of, or complement the depth requirement.
Prescribed electives are typically specified as lists of courses that students select from to complete the requirement. All categories of elective may be specified in terms of general rules (eg 24UoC; 12UoC at Level 2) rather than individual courses.
Note that any individual course may be specified as a core course in one program and as an elective in another.
See Core Course, Course, Program.
A specific time to enrol, within the enrolment period, allocated to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Enrolment Appointments are sometimes used to give prioritised and equitable enrolment access to particular groups, usually later year students.
The person responsible to the Course Authority for determining a provisional mark for students enrolled in a course or courses. A Course Convenor is always an Examiner.
Exclusions are courses students are excluded from taking, generally because they have content in common with courses for which the student has previously been granted credit.
Study Levels
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