Handbook 2007

Glossary

More detailed information on many of these topics can be found in the Study at Murdoch section. Also see the New Students 'Terminology, Glossary and University Speak' page.

Academic Organisational Unit

The basic administrative groups of academic and supporting general staff that are responsible for teaching and the conduct of research. These units are generally called Schools.

Accreditation

See Advanced Standing.

Advanced Standing

Advanced Standing is the award of credit and/or exemption from components of a Murdoch University course on the basis of studies undertaken at another recognised institution. More...

Assessment

The means by which students’ progress or achievement in a unit is evaluated. This can include assessment methods such as diagnostic assessment, assignments, examinations, project work, seminar papers and tutorial participation. More...

Attendance Mode

The student’s mode of attendance is designated as either internal or external. This is nominated by students on a semester basis to reflect the method a student will access the various units in which they are enrolled.

Award

An award is granted to a student who has completed the requirements of the course in which they were enrolled. All degrees, certificates and diplomas awarded by the University are awards. The award applicable to each course can be seen in the Course description.

CAN

Commonwealth Assistance Notice: a notice that provides information about a student’s enrolment and use of Commonwealth assistance.

Certificate (Graduate/Postgraduate)

A graduate certificate involves study in an area different from that of your first degree and is usually at undergraduate level.

A postgraduate certificate involves further studies in the same area as your first degree, at a more advanced level.

More...

CHESSN

Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number: the unique identifier for each student who accesses Commonwealth assistance for higher education.

Core Unit

See Unit.

Course

A combination of coherent units approved by Academic Council that leads to a particular qualification. The requirements of an undergraduate course include the requirements of the qualification plus the requirements of the major.

In the case of double degrees, a course may lead to more than one qualification.

In the case of all postgraduate courses, the course and the qualification are equivalent.

More...

Course Structure

The total requirements of a course.

Credit

See Advanced Standing.

Credit Points

Informally referred to as ‘points’, these are the value attached to each unit that can be applied towards completion of a course or minor. Usually 72 points are required for a three-year undergraduate degree. Units normally have a value of three or four points. More...

Diploma (Graduate/Postgraduate)

A graduate diploma involves study in an area different from that of your first degree and is usually at undergraduate level.

A postgraduate diploma involves further studies in the same area as your first degree, at a more advanced level.

More...

Division

The University’s academic organisation is based on multidisciplinary Divisions. The three academic Divisions are:

Arts

Health Sciences

Science and Engineering.

Divisions are composed of academic organisational units, commonly referred to as Schools.

Double Major

Two separately approved majors undertaken while the student is enrolled in a single course. Where the majors lead to different awards, the qualification that appears on the testamur is the course in which the student is enrolled plus any majors. The requirements of the course in which the student is enrolled and the requirements of each major must be completed. More...

Elective Unit

See Unit.

Enrolment Mode

See Unit Class.

Enrolment Option

A combination of Location (for example, ‘Murdoch’ for Murdoch campus), Teaching Period (for example, ‘S1’ for Semester 1) and Unit Class (for example, ‘X’ for external), which together indicate the availability of a unit. This may also be referred to as unit offering. Enrolment options for each available unit can be seen in the Units section.

Exemption

See Advanced Standing.

External Study

The University provides educational resources for students who wish to pursue their education without attending a campus. More...

Foundation Unit

The primary purpose of University Foundation units is to enable students new to university study to develop a range of generic learning skills, providing a foundation for subsequent university study. They have a value of 3 credit points. Undergraduate students are required to take a Foundation unit in their first semester of study. More...

Full-time Study

Unit enrolments which total 9 or more credit points in a semester. More...

General Elective Unit

See Unit.

Graduate Attributes

Graduate Attributes are the generic skills and attitudes that all undergraduate students are expected to develop during their studies. Murdoch University has adopted a set of nine Graduate Attributes that are further divided into sub-attributes. These Attributes reflect the vision of the University and are considered important for enhancing lifelong learning, social awareness and employability in its graduates. More...

HELP

Higher Education Loan Programme: a loan program to help eligible students pay student contribution, tuition fees and overseas study expenses. More...

Independent Study Contract

A unit of independent study on a topic or subject that is not available as a structured unit within the University, or any other institution, for which credit toward a degree may be obtained. More...

Intermediate Award

Students undertaking a postgraduate course that is part of a suite of courses, for example Master’s, Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate, may elect also to be awarded the lower-level qualifications on completion of the highest-level qualification. More...

Intermission

An approved break in enrolment where the student’s place in the course is guaranteed provided they resume studies at the end of the period of intermission. May also be referred to as ‘suspension’. More...

Location

Courses and units are offered at Murdoch campus, Peel Education and TAFE campus and Rockingham campus, plus other locations through partnerships with Australian tertiary education providers and selected overseas institutions. Locations applicable to each course and unit can be seen in the Courses and Units sections.

Major

In undergraduate-level courses, a major is a grouping of academically-coherent units approved by Academic Council, generally prescribing at least 24 Part II points and at most 12 Part I points. Majors replaced programmes from 2002.

Available majors are shown in the Courses section. More...

Minor

In undergraduate-level courses, a minor is a set of prescribed, academically-coherent units that requires completion of fewer points than a complete major.

Where units can be counted towards the requirements of both a major and a minor, or two minors, there are commonality provisions that must be followed.

Available minors are in the Minors section. More...

Online Study

Using the Internet for teaching and learning.

Part I

Usually occupies the first academic year of undergraduate studies, though it may be taken over a longer period of time. It is designed to prepare students for Part II studies and to allow them to develop their interests before finally deciding their course of study. More...

Part II

Follows the completion of Part I, and normally covers the second and subsequent academic years of the first degree, including the honours year. More...

Part-time Study

Enrolment in units which total fewer than 9 points in a semester. More...

Points

See Credit Points.

Postgraduate Student

Postgraduate student means a student enrolled in a doctoral, master’s, postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate course. A research postgraduate is a student enrolled in a doctorate by research or master’s by research. More...

Prerequisite

A requirement which a student must have satisfied in order to be allowed to enrol in a unit, for example a pass in another unit (unless already passed as an equivalent unit at another institution), enrolment in a specified major, completion of Part I. Not all units have prerequisites. Only the Program Chair of the course or major offering the unit can waive its prerequisites. The prerequisites applicable to each unit can be seen in the Units section. More...

Program of Study

An individual student’s approved total unit selection to meet the requirements of their course. This term is mainly used in the context of (post)graduate-level courses, where students are required to have their individual total unit selections approved, for example, an Honours program of study. (Majors were previously known as programs).

A Program of Study is also the major document required of research students for the approval of their thesis plan by the University.

Qualification

The title of the degree granted to a student who has completed the requirements of their chosen course.

Quota

A limit placed on the number of enrolments in a unit or a restriction as to the cohort of students eligible to enrol in a unit.

To be recognised as being subject to quota, a rationale must be provided to Academic Council outlining the reason for restriction and the criteria for assessment of admission to the unit. Units subject to quota are recorded as such in the Units section.

Required Unit

A unit within a course structure which students must complete in order to fulfil the requirements of a particular course or major. These are normally core units and specified elective units. Also see Unit.

Restriction of a Course or Major

Enrolment is restricted in a course/major that has a minimum of 12 points of core units subject to quota at Part II. Students must apply for transfer into these courses and majors. More...

Restricted Elective Unit

See Unit.

School

A title given to Academic Organisational Units within the University.

Semester

A specified period of time during which the major teaching activity takes place. There are two semesters in each academic year. Each semester includes 12 teaching weeks and a final two-week assessment period. See the Principal Dates calendar, and the list of teaching periods.

Special Topic

A unit that comprises study, sometimes at an advanced level, in a particular topic that varies from year to year. The Special Topic enables students to study topics that may not be offered each year, or which are being offered on a pilot basis for a possible future unit. More...

Specialisation

A group of academically coherent units within a postgraduate-level course, where the points value of the core units within that group is greater than 50 per cent of the total points required to complete the course. Specialisations are recorded on academic transcripts. Also referred to as ‘graduate specialisation’.

Specified Elective Unit

See Unit.

Suspension

See Intermission.

Teaching Period

The part of the year in which a unit is offered, lasting from the first day of instruction to the final day of assessment. Common teaching periods are:

S1 = Semester 1 (Feb–Jun)

S2 = Semester 2 (Aug–Nov)

Y = Full year (S1 then S2)

H = Straddle Year (S2 then S1)

U = Summer term (Dec–Feb)

W = Winter term (Jun–Aug)

T1 = Trimester 1 (Jan–Apr)

T2 = Trimester 2 (Apr–Aug)

T3 = Trimester 3 (Aug–Nov)

More...

Trimester

Refers to the organisation of the teaching year in three teaching periods. Each trimester includes 12 teaching weeks and a final one-week assessment period. See the Principal Dates calendar, and the list of teaching periods.

Unit

The basic component of study, normally completed over a period of one semester or trimester. A combination of required units (i.e. core units plus specified elective units plus restricted elective units) and general elective units make up a course, major, minor or specialisation. More...

A core unit is a compulsory unit in an approved major, minor, course or specialisation.

A specified elective unit is a compulsory elective unit in an approved major, minor, course or specialisation. A student is required to select a set number of specified elective units from an approved list.

A restricted elective unit is a compulsory elective unit in an Engineering major. A student is required to select a set number of restricted elective units from an approved list.

A general elective unit is a unit of a student’s free choice.

More...

Unit Class

Refers to the mode of study in which a unit is available. The modes of study currently in use are internal (unit class code is ‘D’) and external (unit class code is ‘X’). Also see Enrolment Option.

Unit Code

To identify the various units offered by this University, each unit is designated by triple alpha plus triple numeric code (for example, VET340). The triple alpha code is aligned with a broad discipline area, while the first digit indicates the level of study. More...

Unit Set

Used to define a path of study undertaken to ensure the satisfactory progression through and completion of a student’s course attempt: for example, a major in Accounting or a specialisation in Clinical Psychology. More...