University of Tasmania, Australia

When you begin to look into university study, you may feel like you’re encountering a whole new language. Don’t be put off – here’s a list of some commonly used words and terms.

Articulation:students can receive credit for previous study towards the new qualification they are obtaining. For example, a student can articulate from a Graduate Diploma of Business Administration to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and count completed subjects towards the new qualification*.

*Some restrictions on subjects, and how many you can articulate, may apply.

Bachelor Degree: a qualification awarded at university after completion of an Undergraduate course of at least three years (full-time): e.g. Bachelor of Business.

Campus: the university study centre where you undertake your lectures, seminars and tutorials. UTAS has three campuses in Tasmania: Sandy Bay (Hobart), Newnham (Launceston) and Cradle Coast (Burnie).

Census Date: the date by which your enrolment and all administrative details for each unit of study must be finalised in each semester. Students can change units and enrolment information before this date but will be liable for unit fees after the census date.

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP): universities and institutions offering higher education courses may offer domestic students either a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) or a fee-paying place. CSPs may only be offered to: Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, holders of an Australian permanent visa, or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.

Course: a program of study leading to an award: e.g. the Master of Business Administration or Bachelor of Business. All courses are made up of individual units.

Deferral: a process where a student, offered a place in a program, chooses to defer their starting date until a later semester/year.

Distance/Flexible Delivery: referring to the way in which a unit is taught (may include lectures, distance education, video conferencing, use of the internet, on-campus or state-wide weekends, summer school or winter school).

Enabling and Supporting Programs: a group of units which can assist in meeting university prerequisites and build skills before, and during, university study. You may wish to research these if you have some apprehension about going to university to ensure you get the best support possible.

Elective: a unit which counts towards the requirements of a course, but which is not specified and may be chosen by the student.

Faculty: a formal academic body responsible for the administration of allocated courses, with membership largely comprised of the teaching staff of schools assigned to the faculty. UTAS has six faculties – Arts; Business; Education; Health Science; Law; and Science, Engineering & Technology.

FEE-HELP: eligible domestic students are able to defer their tuition fees for Full Fee places by accessing FEE-HELP. For more information, please refer to the Australian Government’s Going to Uni website.

Graduate: a person who has completed the requirements of a course and has been admitted to a degree.

HECS: the Australian Government provides funding to UTAS to assist with education costs while a student is studying in a Commonwealth Supported Place. HECS is the student’s contribution towards their education costs and they can defer their tuition fees through HECS. For more information, please refer to the Australian Government’s Going to Uni website.

Major/s: an area of specialisation continued for the duration of your degree. Students undertake more units related to their major/s than for other areas of study.

Postgraduate (study): further study for a higher qualification following the successful completion of a Bachelor degree: e.g. Graduate Certificate, Diploma or Masters. Postgraduate study can be undertaken by coursework or research. The Faculty of Business will accept mature-age students with work experience into many of its Postgraduate coursework programs without an Undergraduate degree.

Prerequisite: a unit, level of study or other requirement which must be successfully completed before commencing a course or before undertaking a later unit: e.g. to be accepted into the Bachelor of Economics, students need to have successfully undertaken a Year 11/12 Maths Applied, or higher.

Semester: a formal university teaching period. There are two main semesters, each comprising 13 weeks of teaching: semester 1 runs from late February to the end of May; semester 2 runs from mid July to mid October. The Faculty of Business also runs summer, winter and spring semesters for many courses.

Undergraduate (study): study undertaken in order to gain an Associate degree or Bachelor degree. This is normally the first degree a student will undertake if they have not been to university before.

Unit: a set of lectures, seminars or tutorials on a particular topic, and the associated assessment. Each unit has a specific code (e.g. BMA101 Introduction to Management) and a percentage weighting (e.g. 12.5%).

Weighting: UTAS uses a percentage point weighting system for its units to determine student contribution amounts. E.g.: Undergraduate degrees – a full-time enrolment for one year is 100% weight. Most semester-long units are weighted at 12.5% each, and a full-time enrolment usually consists of 4 x 12.5% units in each semester. Postgraduate degrees – a full-time enrolment is also 100% weight and units are also weighted at 12.5%, however many Postgraduate students only complete part-time study.