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University of Melbourne
The University is obliged to ensure that the information students need to plan their courses is accurate, timely and generally available. Much of this information is provided through this University Handbook and the Student Diary which is provided upon enrolment. In turn, students have responsibilities that include the following:
Faculty offices carry out the general academic administration of the University. You plan your course, enrol in subjects, change your subjects, change your address, talk to an advisor etc., at a faculty office.
Academic departments, grouped within the faculties, carry out the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs. Departments offer the subjects you study, organise lectures, practical classes and tutorials, and conduct your assessment.
The Student Administration Office collects your fees, issues students cards, organises examinations and notifies you of your results.
The University offers Melbourne Scholarships - Australia's largest and most comprehensive scholarship package - designed to attract outstanding national and international students to the University; to support students from 'equity' groups; and to assist currently enrolled students who wish to travel and study overseas.
Melbourne Scholarships for school leavers:
For the nation's highest achieving students.
For students with excellent academic results and demonstrated outstanding leadership, academic-related achievement or community service.
For students who, during Year 12, resided and studied in a designated rural area and who achieve excellent academic results.
For students from government designated equity groups with excellent academic results.
Melbourne Scholarships for currently enrolled students:
For currently enrolled University of Melbourne students who undertake part of their degree overseas in a recognised program.
For high achieving students to undertake their honours year or, where an honours year is not part of the degree program, the final two years of their undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne.
For outstanding students from around the world commencing undergraduate studies at the University.
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Some faculties operate different academic year dates. Where applicable, these will be published on notice boards.
Enrolment for new students takes place at the beginning of the academic year in February. The letter offering you a place at the University will specify the date by which you must enrol and where to go to enrol. The first day of new student enrolment is referred to as Welcome Day. In 1998 Welcome Day is Friday 23 January. The purpose of Welcome day is to:
While some students may complete their enrolment during Welcome Day (fixed courses) a majority of students make an appointment to return to the University on another day to discuss their subject options with a course advisor prior to finally enrolling. Contact your faculty office if you have any questions about enrolment procedures.
If you are offered mid-year entry into a course, you will be provided with course advice before you are required to complete your enrolment. You will also be offered a special mid-year entry orientation program.
Continuing students receive advice on when to enrol around the same time they receive their statement of results. It is anticipated that re-enrolment by mail will be the preferred enrolment method for continuing students.
Credit for studies already completed at tertiary level will be granted if any of your previous studies are:
In some courses you may qualify for credit for experience relevant to a course.
Faculties specify the maximum credit allowable, but will always try to give eligible students maximum credit for previous relevant study. Each faculty publishes Faculty Credit Guidelines and will ensure that credit is awarded at the time of enrolment.
Contact your faculty for further advice.
With the approval of your faculty you may enrol in subjects that are additional to, and credited towards your course of study. Completion of additional subjects may result in you completing more than the minimum requirements for your degree or diploma. If your 'above-load' subjects are approved by your faculty as contributing towards your award course, then you will incur a HECS liability for each additional subject you undertake. See also Community Access Program below.
If you would like to take a subject that is not available as a subject within your degree course, it may be possible to take such a subject through the University's Community Access Program. An up-front fee, based upon the points value of the subject, will be charged for CAP enrolment. Most undergraduate and some postgraduate subjects are available through the program. You can either take the subject as an assessed (i.e. complete all assessment and have the subject appear on your academic transcript) or non-assessed (attend lectures only) subject. However subjects with a significant practical component (such as languages or laboratory based subjects) are only available as assessed subjects. You will require the approval of your faculty to undertake subjects through this program in addition to normal degree requirements.
For more information you should contact your faculty office or the Information Centre on Swanston Street.
In exceptional circumstances, the University Council can suspend subjects and change the content of a subject. Subjects with small enrolments (less than eight to ten students) may also be cancelled by Council. Students should note that if it becomes necessary to change subject details the changes will be notified by announcements on official notice-boards before the semester begins. The changes will be incorporated in the version of this Handbook appearing on the WWW http://www.unimelb.edu.au/HB/
Faculties and departments may indicate prescribed reading for particular subjects in this Handbook. However, you will be given a more comprehensive booklist for each subject at the beginning of teaching in the subject. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not purchase books until you receive advice from lecturing staff in the departments.
Subject timetables are available from faculty offices and from relevant departments, during Orientation Week.
If you have any enquiries about booklists or timetables, you should contact the relevant department or faculty.
The workload of many undergraduate courses is represented using a points system. The normal maximum workload allowed for each year of a course is 100 points.
Where this system applies, each subject has a points value which reflects the overall study time a student is expected to apportion to that subject. Overall study time includes class contact time of all kinds and private study time. As class time varies between different subjects and subject areas, there is no simple relationship between points values for subjects, and the number of hours involved in class contact or independent study.
You should check the relevant faculty course entry information in this Handbook for workload details which apply to studies of interest to you. If you are a full-time student, you should make sure that the subjects you have chosen to do for a particular year level add up to not less than 100 points.
Once you have enrolled you are expected to attend all classes (lectures, tutorials, practical work etc.), and submit all set assignments. If you do not meet these conditions, you may be excluded from examinations in the subject concerned.
It is important, therefore, to keep informed of the requirements of each subject you undertake. Make sure that you obtain all programs, instructions and guidelines issued by staff.
How your work is assessed depends on the course and subjects you are taking. Generally, assessment is made on the basis of assignments, essays, tutorial work and practical work. There may also be formal written examinations at the end of each semester or at the end of the academic year.
Methods of assessment in individual subjects are included in the subject descriptions provided by faculties later in this Handbook. At the end of each semester, your final results will be made available through the:
There is a standard grading system for all subjects studied at the University. These are the grades and corresponding ranges of marks:
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Students who wish to take a subject which is only offered at another university (for example, Spanish which is only offered at La Trobe University) may be able to enrol in their chosen subject on a complementary course basis. You can find out more about cross institutional enrolments from your faculty office.
If you wish to undertake study in one area of the Humanities or Social Sciences, but do not wish to complete a three year Bachelor of Arts degree, you may apply to take a Diploma in Arts. To be eligible to apply for the Diploma, you need to have been admitted to a degree course at the University of Melbourne. The concurrent Diploma in Arts can not be taken on its own; it must be taken in conjunction with a bachelor degree and not on its own. The Diploma normally consists of a three year sequence in an approved Arts area of study (Psychology, Languages and Planning and Design are not available in the Diploma) and adds one year to the duration of your degree course. The Diploma may only be awarded on the successful completion of your bachelor degree course.
More information on the Diploma in Arts can be obtained from the Faculty of Arts Office, see also the Diploma in Arts section of this Handbook.
As part of the University's commitment to the study of languages, the Faculty of Arts offers a concurrent Diploma in Modern Languages to students wishing to study a language together with an undergraduate degree course. Students complete a three year study of a language in a sequence approved by their home faculty and the relevant language department. The diploma will normally add one year to the duration of the student's main degree.
More information on the Diploma in Modern Languages can be obtained from the Faculty of Arts Office, see also the Diploma in Modern Languages section of this Handbook.
If you have already had musical training and wish to continue that training while pursuing a degree in another area you can now undertake the Diploma in Music (Practical). The Diploma adds one year to the total duration of your main degree course and can only be awarded on the successful completion of your main degree.
The course comprises a three-year sequence of study in music, alongside your existing degree studies. At the conclusion of the course, you should have acquired practical abilities that compare with the end of the second year of the Bachelor of Music course and have a basic understanding of the historical and theoretical knowledge that forms part of advanced musical training.
Selection into the Diploma of Music (Prac.) will be based on your performance in a 20-minute audition on your practical instrument and a one-hour musicianship test.
As part of its commitment to internationalisation, the University encourages its students to undertake studies at selected international universities. To foster overseas study the University has established a scholarship program - Melbourne Abroad Scholarships - available to enrolled students of the University.
You may be interested in participating in one of the many exchange programs with overseas universities organised by the University's International Centre. The University of Melbourne has exchange agreements with institutions in the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Sweden and many other countries. Exchanges can be arranged for both single degree and combined course students, for one or two semesters, and you are able to apply in both the second or third-year level of your course. You must act early as applications are normally required two semesters before you intend to go on exchange.
You will normally receive credit (up to 100 points or one full year) for the study you do on exchange. This means that in most cases you can still complete your degree in the normal time.
In some cases it is also possible to receive credit for studies taken at a university overseas with which the University does not have a formal exchange agreement.
In order to receive credit for study you take overseas you must negotiate a credit agreement with your faculty office before commencing your studies at the host university. You will need full details of the subjects you will take overseas (assessment, subject content and contact hours), and details of the university at which you wish to study.
If you are interested in applying for an exchange program, you should make an appointment at your faculty office to speak with the student advisor responsible for exchange students. You can also get information and application forms from the International Centre which is located in the John Smyth Building off Swanston Street.
Students who are re-enrolling in courses where there is a significant choice in subjects to be undertaken must submit in September of each year a course plan for the following year. Students who then pass all their subjects may complete their re-enrolment by mail. Students who do not pass all their subjects may be required to re-plan their courses. Course advisors are available to assist with subject selection and completion of course plan forms.
Not all re-enrolling students, however, are required to submit a course plan. Students who are re-enrolling in prescribed courses, that is, courses with set subjects, and who pass all their subjects in the previous year, will automatically be issued, in mid-December, an authorised enrolment form for the following year. They can then complete their re-enrolment by mail.
Students who fail a subject or wish to alter their course plans should contact their faculty office for advice. Before you enrol, we strongly suggest that you examine carefully the course information in this Handbook so that you are familiar with the course structures and subjects in which you are interested.
It is possible to defer commencing a course until the following year. However, you must apply in writing to your faculty prior to the date set for enrolment. Deferment may not be granted for students intending to undertake tertiary studies elsewhere.
Leave of absence from your studies can be sought in the event of health, financial and personal difficulties, or for other good reason. Faculties normally grant up to 12 months leave if a student has good reason to be absent from studies and if academic performance is of a standard sufficient to warrant a place in the course being reserved.
Leave is granted on the condition that students undertake to inform the faculty office of their intentions to resume their course, one month before the end of the period of leave. Failure to do this is interpreted as termination of the course. For more information, you should read your faculty entry or contact your faculty office.
Your enrolment will be terminated if you have not re-enrolled or been granted an extension of deferment/leave of absence before first semester begins.
If your enrolment is terminated, you must then re-apply to the relevant faculty and be considered for selection into courses in competition with other students who are applying at that time. There is no guarantee of re-selection in such circumstances.
If you are in any doubt then you should contact your faculty office.
Ask for help...
Many students have difficulty in one or more subjects for a variety of reasons. If you find yourself in trouble it may be helpful to discuss your problem with a student advisor at your faculty office. You should always feel free to ask for assistance with any problem affecting your study.
Some students need extra help with their studies. Often difficulties are associated with study methods and techniques, or keeping up with assignments, writing essays, managing time and coping with exam nerves. The Learning Skills Centre at 260 Faraday Street, Carlton, can help students with these and any other study-related problems. You can drop in for a chat, make an appointment for an individual consultation, or meet with groups of students with similar problems. All consultations are free and confidential.
If a situation beyond your control is affecting your studies, you should apply for 'Special Consideration'. The reasons for applying for Special Consideration are many - if you are not sure whether you should apply, please consult your faculty office.
Special Consideration is not given because of timetable clashes in lectures, seminars, tutorials or other work. It is your responsibility to ensure that there are no timetable clashes when you plan your subjects at the beginning of each year.
If you apply for Special Consideration the details of your situation will be regarded in strictest confidence. Your subject coordinators, however, will be informed of your situation so that they are able to take this into account in the processing of your final result. You may be granted an extension for a piece of assessment, allowed to resit an exam, excused from a component of assessment or given other consideration as appropriate. On the other hand, there may be no action taken.
Application forms for Special Consideration (and Guidelines), are available from your faculty office. You should submit a form as soon as possible - and no later than three days after the relevant piece of assessment (including an examination) was due.
The University of Melbourne delivers a wide range of services which aim to provide all students with the best possible opportunities for enjoying and exploring the many different aspects of University life. Services offered through the central University, Faculties, and Student Associations at various campuses include, for example, health and counselling, sports and recreation, child care, equity programs financial, housing and employment support, careers advice, computing services, student societies, legal services and many others. Further information about the complete range of services available and how to access them is provided to students at enrolment. If you need further information before enrolment, contact Student Support Services on ph. 9344 6550, or the Student Union Contact Office on ph. 9344 6546.
There are some situations where students who have not passed, or otherwise satisfied subject examiners, may be offered supplementary assessment. This assessment is usually in the form of a written examination held in the February of the following year although it may be organised at any time of the year.
Supplementary assessment is only available to students who have been deemed eligible for Special Consideration, unless a faculty has published details of other grounds on which it may be available.
'Unsatisfactory Progress' is a term used to describe performance which is not up to the academic standard determined by the faculty.
Students whose results are not up to a required academic standard, may receive a letter requesting them to appear before a Faculty Progress Committee to discuss their results and any problems that may have affected results. The focus of the Progress Committee is positive. Its main concern is to look at the options available to enable a student to progress at a satisfactory rate. However, in some circumstances, faculties may recommend to the Academic Board that a student's enrolment be terminated because of poor academic progress.
Some faculties also offer what they call a 'Student At Risk Program' in the first semester, in which students' results are monitored so that any student considered at risk of failing may be given extra assistance. If you are having trouble or are concerned with your progress, please make an appointment to see a student advisor in your faculty office.
Under the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), you are required to pay part of the cost of your higher education. Your HECS payments are calculated on your study load for a semester. If you undertake more or less than a full-time study load, you will be charged the proportionate HECS contribution. The only students who are exempt from HECS are Australian and overseas students who pay course fees or those assisted under foreign aid programs.
Students who commence a course after January 1997 pay a higher HECS charge, with the basis of the HECS charge being determined by the 'discipline area' into which a subject falls and the proportion of your course of study which is taken up by the subject.
Full details of HECS charges will be available upon enrolment.
Each semester you will receive a statement of your enrolment from the Student Administration Office. You must check this statement and make sure that it is correct. The semester statement is used to calculate your Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) liability for the semester. If you fail to correct any error in this statement, it is likely that you will be charged more for your studies than you should.
You can pay your HECS charge up-front at enrolment/re-enrolment for first semester and in July for second semester, with a 25 per cent discount, or defer your payment and pay through the taxation system when you earn above a set taxable income once you join the workforce.
If you have questions about HECS liability and HECS payment you should contact the Student Administration Office, First Floor, Raymond Priestley Building. Student Financial Aid, Ground Floor, Baldwin Spencer Building, can also provide information and advice about the different ways to pay HECS.
New Zealand citizens who enrol in new courses after 1996 are required to pay HECS up-front and do not qualify for the discount.
You are required to pay an Amenities and Services Fee at enrolment. This fee finances the activities of the Student Union, the Sports and Physical Recreation Centre and the Postgraduate Association. It also covers some aspects of child care and student insurance.
A Late Enrolment Fee is levied on students who do not complete their re-enrolment by the prescribed date - Wednesday 14 January 1998 - for the 1998 academic year. Students commencing studies in a new course have five working days from the date authorised for enrolment. Failure to complete enrolment by the deadline will attract a penalty of $60.
Students whose enrolments have been terminated may apply to be reinstated. If your application is successful, your enrolment will be reinstated upon payment of a $100 non-refundable Reinstatement Fee. Please note that these penalties are currently under review.
For further information, please contact Student Administration.
You are able to get a refund of fees if you withdraw from a course, and possibly if you withdraw from individual subjects, if you do so before 31 March or 31 August. These are dates on which the University is required to report on student load. All questions regarding the reimbursement of fees (both HECS and the Amenities and Services Fee) should be directed to the Student Administration Office, First Floor, Raymond Priestley Building.
Should you need help to meet fees or living costs, you could consider applying for assistance through the AUSTUDY Scheme or for a student loan. The AUSTUDY Scheme provides assistance to full-time students in approved courses. Awards are subject to a means test and satisfactory academic progress.
You are advised to go to the Student Financial Aid Office in the first instance, where staff will discuss your situation and options. They are experts on students' financial difficulties, and can advise on AUSTUDY, obtaining loans, bursaries, unemployment benefits, budgeting etc.
Once you are further advanced in your course, there may be scholarships and prizes for which you are eligible. They are generally awarded on the basis of academic excellence in certain subjects, and often contain some financial reward.
You should contact your faculty or the Scholarships Office for further advice.
Your eligibility for AUSTUDY is determined on a semester basis. To be eligible for AUSTUDY your HECS load must normally be at least 0.375 in each semester. If your HECS load is above this limit, you are classified as 'full-time' by AUSTUDY. It is not sufficient that your HECS load average 0.375 or above over a full year. For example, a first semester load of 0.3 and a second semester load of 0.7 would result in the student being ineligible for AUSTUDY in semester 1, on the basis of the 'part-time' workload in that semester. (Note: A semester HECS load of 0.375 usually equates to 37.5 points. An annual HECS load of 1.00 usually equates to 100 points).
Your HECS load is shown on your Enrolment Form.
If your HECS load falls below 0.375, you will normally cease to be eligible for AUSTUDY and may incur overpayment necessitating repayment to the Australian Government. To avoid this situation, we encourage you to clarify your course load with a faculty course advisor when selecting subjects and enrolling, or whenever you change the subjects in which you are enrolled.
In certain circumstances students may retain AUSTUDY eligibility despite having a semester HECS load which falls below 0.375. For further information contact Student Financial Aid in the Student Advisory Service, Ground Floor, Baldwin Spencer Building, or a faculty course advisor.
If you feel that you have made a wrong choice of course or subjects, or if some personal circumstances cause you to reconsider your enrolment, you should contact your faculty office immediately.
It is possible to change subjects in which you have enrolled, but you must do so within certain time limits. You should be aware of these time limits and the correct procedures for changing subjects, so that your academic record is not adversely affected.
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If you withdraw from a subject by the HECS census date, you will not be charged HECS for the subject in that semester. In 1998, the HECS census dates are:
After this time you will be charged HECS for the subject in that semester.
If you wish to transfer from one course to another within the University, or to resume a course, you may apply using an Internal Transfer form which is available from all Faculty Offices, or from the Enquiry Office, Ground Floor, Raymond Priestley Building.
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Status: Official 1998 Last Modified: Tuesday October 21 17:08 SGML to HTML Conversion: Information Technology Services Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email Enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au