![[ Contents ]](http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/images/nav/contents.gif){kind=small}
![[ Search ]](http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/images/nav/search.gif){kind=small}
![[ Changes ]](http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/images/nav/changes.gif){kind=small}
![[ Glossary ]](http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/images/nav/glossary.gif){kind=small}
![[ Index ]](http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/images/nav/index.gif){kind=small}
![[ More Info ]](http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/images/nav/moreinfo.gif){kind=small}
![[ Murdoch ]](http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/images/nav/murdoch.gif){kind=small}
Handbook 2008 |
 |
 |
Study at Murdoch: A General Guide
University study is based on enrolment in units taken in distinct unit offerings, or enrolment options. A unit offering consists of a Location (for example, Murdoch campus), a Teaching Period (for example, S1 (the standard Semester 1 teaching period)) and a Unit Class or mode of study (for example, D (internal)). Many unit offerings are for a standard semester or trimester, some offerings are over two semesters, and others are in non-standard teaching periods.
The offerings applicable to each unit are shown in the Units section of this Handbook.
Note that the University does change unit offerings in response to enrolment and administrative needs, and students should use the online Handbook to obtain the most up-to-date information.
It is students’ responsibility to enrol in accordance with the degree regulations, requirements of their course/major and official deadlines.
A Teaching Period is the period of time spent in teaching and assessing a particular unit offering. Each teaching period is uniquely identified by a code.
Most unit offerings are in standard teaching periods, and there are also a number of non-standard teaching periods. All standard teaching periods are as follows:
Standard Semesters: 12 teaching weeks followed by two weeks of assessment
Standard Summer and Winter terms: six teaching weeks followed by one week of assessment
Standard Full/Straddle Years: two consecutive standard semesters
Standard Trimesters: 13 teaching weeks followed by one week of assessment
A list of all teaching periods can be seen at the beginning of the Units section of this Handbook.
Some units assume a particular level of understanding before students can commence study; typically this is satisfied by completion of other (prerequisite) units. Where a unit has prerequisites, enrolment in the unit will require a student to have satisfied the prerequisites (or equivalents elsewhere) before enrolling. Only the Program Chair of the course offering the unit can waive a prerequisite.
A student is not permitted to enrol in more than 14 points in a semester, nor more than 12 points externally in a year, unless approval has been obtained via the Faculty Student Administration and Program Chair. Generally a student needs a good academic record to cope with an enrolment overload.
Students can enrol online in an internal offering of a unit up to the end of the second week of the teaching period. The application may be refused if the Unit Coordinator believes the enrolment will disrupt teaching in the unit, otherwise disadvantage students already enrolled in the unit, or might be academically disadvantageous to the student. Enrolment after the closing date requires special approval and students should contact the Faculty Student Administration.
Students can enrol in an external offering of an S1 or Y offering of a unit until 5.00pm on Friday of the first week of Semester 1; the deadline for all other teaching periods is the Friday before the teaching period starts. However, delays in receiving unit materials are likely to be experienced if a student enrols later than two weeks before the start of the teaching period. Enrolment after the closing date requires special approval, and students should contact the Faculty Student Administration.
A student who has failed a unit normally may take it a second time. Third attempts will be granted only in special circumstances, and require the approval of the Program Chair of the course offering the unit. A student who has failed a unit three times shall not be permitted to enrol in it again, unless the President of Academic Council grants special approval.
Students enrolled at the Murdoch Campus are permitted to enrol in units at the Rockingham and Peel Campuses, where places are available.
Core units must be offered each year, and at least once during each course offering where courses are of less than one year’s duration. Elective units must be offered at least each alternate year. A sufficient number of Specified Electives must be offered in any course cycle to provide full-time students with a range of units from which to select.
The teaching timetable is prepared in accordance with the Teaching Timetable Policy with the aim of meeting, as far as possible, the needs of students and academic staff.
Classes are normally scheduled Monday to Friday, between 8.30am and 8.30pm.
To allow students to plan their enrolment, the final timetable is published before enrolments commence. The Semester 2 timetable is published in draft form prior to enrolments commencing, and will be finalised during Semester 1.
Amendments to the timetable will only be made when it is essential: for example, if there is a clash with another required unit, if a lecturer is unavailable, or if a room is unavailable or unsuitable.
Murdoch University strives to offer a degree of flexibility in its courses. Unfortunately, it may not be possible to schedule all possible combinations of units when constructing the timetable. Core units and specified electives are a priority in the timetabling process. Students are accordingly advised to select non-specified electives that fit with their core timetable. Students may also wish to consider selecting non-specified electives that are available in external mode or on Lectopia, if a clash affects only a portion of the total lecture time.
The teaching timetable can be seen online at:
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/timetables/teaching/
Students need to register for their tutorials, laboratories and workshops through MyInfo at the beginning of the year. Tutorials for most units start in the first week of the teaching period.
Students in an undergraduate bachelor degree are required to take a Foundation unit in their first semester of enrolment.
Foundation units assist in the development of a range of skills particularly useful for new students in their transition into university studies. For more information, see Bachelor Studies: a General Guide.
These units comprise advanced study in particular areas, and the range of topics available (if any) varies from year to year. Details of topics on offer can be seen in the Units section of the online Handbook.
An Independent Study Contract (ISC) permits a student to study a topic or subject that is not available as a unit, and to obtain credit points for this. ISCs differ from formal units in that they are based on individual study rather than formal classes.
The student is responsible for the selection of the topic and for the organisation of the contract. The contract is a formal agreement between the student and the supervisor, specifying the material to be studied and the methods by which it will be assessed. A student undertaking a contract will be required to work closely with the supervisor.
The Dean of School must approve all contracts. Students must submit their applications via the Faculty Student Administration on the standard form. Applications should be submitted at latest by the first day of the teaching period in which the contract is to be undertaken, but it is preferable to apply at least several weeks in advance.
The Independent Study Contracts policy is available at
https://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/policies/independentstudy.html
Most students (excluding Honours and Research) are expected to change their unit enrolments through MyInfo.
The IT Service Desk can help with any difficulty in working through MyInfo.
Students who require assistance in unit selection or other academic issues should contact the Faculty Student Administration.
To change unit enrolments, Honours students should contact the Faculty Student Administration for assistance, and Research students should contact the Graduate Centre.
For any other questions, students should visit Ask the Oracle at
http://www.oss.murdoch.edu.au/asktheoracle/
For semester-based units, withdrawals are recorded on the student’s academic transcript as follows
For units that are offered in other teaching periods, census and withdrawal dates will apply as relevant to the teaching period. Details of census and withdrawal dates for all units are posted in the online Handbook.
Australian students in receipt of Government support need to keep in mind their obligations to remain enrolled in at least the minimum number of required credit points.
International students must maintain a full-time enrolment at all times as a condition of their student visa. If an international student cannot enrol full-time, they must apply for permission from Murdoch International to under load — permission may be granted in exceptional circumstances.
Students can apply to have unit outcomes amended from Fail or Withdrawn to Withdrawn with or without Load; re-crediting of their Student Learning Entitlement; and remission of their HELP or tuition fee liabilities.
A student can only be assessed for retrospective withdrawal and re-crediting and remission if they:
have not completed the requirements for the unit of study (a Fail grade means that the student has not completed the requirement);
applied in writing within the deadlines;
met the special circumstances requirements; and
have withdrawn from the unit, received a Fail grade, or been awarded Deferred Assessment and are subsequently unable to complete the unit.
Special circumstances:
are beyond the student’s control;
do not make their full impact on the student until on, or after, the census date; and
make it impracticable for the student to complete the requirements for the unit during the period in which the student undertook, or was to undertake, the unit. This includes any additional time that may be granted the student.
Special circumstances might arise from medical, family, personal, employment or course-related reasons.
Application for retrospective withdrawal for units undertaken since 1 January 2006 must be made in writing to the Manager, Enrolments and Fees, within 12 months of the withdrawal date or, if the student has not withdrawn, within 12 months of the end of the period of study in which the unit was, or was to be, undertaken. Where a student has been granted permission to defer completion of their studies, the twelve-month period applies from the end of the extended period. The Manager, Enrolments and Fees, has discretion to waive this requirement if he or she is satisfied that the application could not be made within the time limits.
The application should include independent supporting documentation to support the personal statements and claims. Depending on the nature of the special circumstances, the supporting documentation can include statements from doctors, counsellors, or employers. Supporting documentation should indicate: that the student’s circumstances were beyond their control; that the circumstances did not make their full impact on the student until on or after the census date for the unit; when it became apparent after the census date that the student could not continue with their study; or how the student’s circumstances prevented them from withdrawing from their study before the census date. Medical certificates or letters should include the medical provider number. Evidence of death can include death notice, newspaper extracts, or letters from counsellors, funeral directors and doctors.
Students will be asked to supply additional information if insufficient documentation is provided to allow a decision to be made. If a student does not respond to such requests in the time specified the application will be deemed to have lapsed.
Students seeking to enrol in units at other universities for credit towards their degree must obtain prior approval via the Faculty Student Administration. They must still complete at least 24 points of Murdoch University Part II units in order to be awarded an ordinary bachelor degree with a points value greater than 24, and at least 18 such points for an honours bachelor degree.
Notwithstanding the number of exemptions which a student is granted from the requirements of their major, a student must complete at least 12 points of Murdoch University Part II units from the requirements of the major in which the student is graduating, or from related units determined by the Program Chair.
Arrangements have been made with Curtin University of Technology, Edith Cowan University and the University of Western Australia for access to many of their units for credit towards Murdoch courses.
Students must provide the Office of Central Student Administration with evidence of their enrolment at the other university, after which the units will be entered onto their student record at Murdoch.
As a condition of their student visa international students cannot study at another institution without permission from Murdoch International.
Cross-institutional enrolments for international students must be approved by Murdoch International Student Support, as part of the compliance requirements under the ESOS Act, 2001; this must occur before the enrolment is processed by the other institution.
Up until 2004, results in units at other universities were normally recorded as an Ungraded Pass or Fail on the Murdoch transcript, due to the wide variance in grading systems used by different universities. The exception to this was where the unit was a required unit and was taken at a university that used the same grading system as Murdoch. From 2004 the Murdoch grade may still be an Ungraded Pass or Fail but the result awarded by the other university and the name of that university will be added to the unit title. Students should use the academic transcript from the other university as the full record of their enrolment at that institution.
Students enrolled in degree courses may study for a semester, or an academic year, at a university overseas for credit towards their Murdoch University degree. Limited opportunities are also available for postgraduate students. Students are advised to begin planning for their Study Abroad experience during their first year of study, as it is easier to obtain credit for units other than core units and specified electives.
To be eligible to study abroad, students should have completed at least one year of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) at a tertiary institution of which at least 12 points must be from Murdoch University, have a minimum of a Credit academic average and be good ambassadors for the University.
In 2008 there will be several Study Abroad travel bursaries to assist successful candidates. Travel bursaries are awarded competitively, based on sound academic performance and the ability of candidates, in the opinion of the committee, to both represent and promote the Study Abroad program and Murdoch University overseas. Commonwealth-supported students may apply to obtain an OS-LOAN of up to $5299 per six-month period (for a maximum of two periods). A 20 per cent loan fee is applied to the loan, which is similar to HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP loans. Further information is available from the Study Abroad Advisor in Murdoch International.
These agreements are open to all Murdoch students.
Kansai Gadai University, Japan
University of Hong Kong
Yonsei University, Korea (an average of 65% is needed)
University of Applied Sciences, Weiner Neustadt
Fachhochschule Salzburg
Algoma University, Ontario
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia (School of Contemporary Art and Film Studies not available to Exchange students)
University of Victoria, British Columbia (Law and Business not available to Exchange students)
University of Waterloo, Ontario
Aalborg University
University of Southern Denmark, Odense
University of Turku/Abo
Fachhochschule Bonn Rhein Sieg
Fachhochschule Coburg
Fachhochschule Luebeck
Fachhochschule Wolfenbuettel
Furtwangen University
Flensburg University
University of Siegen
University of Limerick
University of Dundee
Jonkoping University
Lund University (Law students need to have completed two years prior law study)
Uppsala University (limited Law places available)
Vaxjo University
University of Applied Sciences, North Western Switzerland
University of East Anglia
Lancaster University
Nottingham Trent (School of Arts and Cultural Studies only; if only for one semester it must be September to December)
Hull University
American University, Washington DC
Binghamton University, New York State
Boston College
Ithaca College, New York State
Purdue University (GPA requirement of 3.0)
San Diego State University (GPA requirement of 2.5)
St Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Miami
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Northern Arizona
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
ACICIS was established as a non-profit organisation in 1994 to develop and coordinate high-quality, semester-long study programs at Indonesian partner universities, for Australian university students. Hosted by Murdoch University, ACICIS includes as members most of Australia’s leading institutions in the field of Indonesian studies. National collaboration enables ACICIS to draw on expertise across all Australian universities and maximise efficiency in organising in-country study.
ACICIS has become the largest consortium of its kind in Australia, and possibly the world’s leading provider of access for foreigners to study at Indonesian universities. Students graduate amongst Australia’s best speakers of Indonesian. A range of study options have been developed in Indonesia, and a unique support network is provided for students and others who wish to experience living and studying in Indonesia. All students are welcome.
http://www.acicis.murdoch.edu.au/
An exchange program through which students can attend CIEE Study Centres around the world: Belgium, China, Costa Rica, The Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Each Study Centre has a Council-appointed Resident Director who manages the program, which is generally an enclave program for predominantly American students.
Classes are usually conducted in English although some Study Centres do have language prerequisites. Students pay Murdoch University fees and well as the CIEE Program fee. Classes do credit back to the student’s Murdoch degree, but mostly as general electives.
Language Year in Asia, Chinese Studies
Zhejiang University, China
Language Year in Asia, Japanese Studies
Himeji Dokkyo University, Japan
Mukogawa Women’s University
Ryukoku University, Japan
Seikei University, Japan
Language Year in Asia, South–East Asian Studies
Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
Universitas Muhammadiyah, East Java
Master of Business Administration
Shanghai University, People’s Republic of China
Politics
City University of Hong Kong
Science and Engineering
FH Furtwangen, Germany
FH Koblenz, Germany
Technical University Darmstadt, Germany
Students interested in spending a semester or a year abroad should contact the Study Abroad Advisor in Murdoch International for information and application forms.