When students are looking in to university study, they often come across
words or terms they are unfamiliar with. So, here are a few of the more commonly
used terms to help students understand what is being talked about!
| Associate Degree |
An associate degree is generally a two-year qualification that is
made up of two-thirds of a bachelor degree, and may be offered by both TAFEs and universities. Students often use this as a stepping stone to
the full Bachelor Degree. |
| Assumed knowledge |
Refers to subjects the university recommends or prefers a student to
have studied at school before starting the course. |
| ATAR |
Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank - the figure used by UAC and
VTAC to calculate the entrance ranking for a university course. |
| Bachelor Degree |
The award/qualification a student gains when they have completed
studies in an undergraduate course, which takes between 3 or 4 years of
full-time study. This is the traditional starting point of a university
qualification. |
| Bridging Course |
An introductory course to help students achieve the preferred entry
level to a degree, e.g. a bridging maths course for students who do not
have the preferred maths but need it to access a course. |
| Census Date |
The last day a student can withdraw from their university course and
not owe fees. |
| Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) |
A student's enrolment in a university degree for which the
Commonwealth government makes a contribution towards the cost of that
student's education (formerly known as a HECS place). |
| Credit |
If a student has previously studied - perhaps at TAFE - and has
Recognised Prior Learning (RPL), the student may be able to receive
credit for a subject or subjects in their course. Also often referred to
as Advanced Standing. |
| Double degree |
A student can choose to complete a double degree - this integrates
studies in two degrees resulting in an award of two degrees, usually
after a minimum of 4 years of study. Often also referred to as Combined
Degrees. |
| Defer |
A student may choose to delay starting their course. Deferring an
offer of a place might mean delaying for 6, 12, 18 or 24 months.
Deferment ensures the student is guaranteed their place in their
selected course. |
| Elective |
A subject that is not core to the degree and is often from another
faculty, e.g. a commerce student might choose psychology (from the Arts
Faculty) as an elective. |
| Faculty |
A department within a university devoted to a particular area of
study - so, Faculty of Arts or Faculty of Science. |
| FEE-HELP |
An Australian Government loan scheme that assists eligible students
(not CSP) to pay all or part of their tuition fees. |
| HECS-HELP |
An Australian Government loan scheme that assists students with a CSP place to pay their
contribution. Students may choose to pay their fees upfront and receive
a 10% discount, or choose to defer payment via the HECS-HELP loan scheme. |
| Honours |
Many Bachelor degrees offer a fourth (or extra) year - called an Honours year.
The Honours year allows students to further focus on a particular an
area of interest. The Honours year can either be integrated into a
4-year Bachelor degree or be offered as a separate year after completion
of a 3-year Bachelor degree. |
| Lecture |
A period of teaching given by a lecturer to a large group of
students in a lecture theatre; can often be as many as 300 students in a
lecture. |
| Major study |
An area within a course that allows in-depth study in a particular
field. More than one major may be allowed in some courses. |
| Minor study |
A grouping of subjects allowing a broader understanding of a few
subjects, with less emphasis on in-depth study. |
| OP |
Your Overall Position (OP) is a Queensland statewide rank based on
overall achievement in approved subjects. It is used for the purpose of
allocating tertiary education places. |
| Prerequisite |
A set of conditions - usually a completion of a subject - that must
be met before enrolment in a subject or course is allowed. |
| QTAC |
Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) - all students wishing to study
at universities in Queensland must apply online through QTAC. |
| Transcript |
This is the university academic record each student receives, like a
school report. |
| Tutorial |
A period of teaching given to a small group of students - involving
discussion and participation. |
| UAC |
Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) - all students wishing to study
at universities in ACT and NSW must apply online through UAC. |
| Undergraduate |
A student studying at university for a first level degree, e.g. a
Bachelor degree. |
| VET-FEE HELP |
An Australian Government loan scheme for students undertaking higher
level Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses. This applies to
Diploma (and some Certificate IV) level courses. For some students, 20% loan fee applies. |
| VTAC |
Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) - all students wishing
to study at universities Victoria must apply online through VTAC. |
| Workplace learning |
Practical training in a workplace, such as internships or practical
work experience. This is a hands-on experience - some universities call
it Industry Based Learning or Work Integrated Learning. |
