Glossary of words

This glossary describes terminology in use at the University of Sydney.

Select a letter to display all entries that begin with that letter.

Academic year or academic cycle

The time during the year when we teach. In Australian universities, this is generally from February to November. The academic year is broken into two semesters.

Admission

Undergraduate admission to most courses is based on performance in the HSC with applicants ranked on the basis of their UAI. Other criteria such as a portfolio, interview, audition, or results in standard tests may also be taken into account for certain courses. An applicant who receives an offer of admission to a course may apply to defer enrolment in that course for a semester or a year.

Advanced standing

Credit given for previous studies (usually from TAFE or another university) which shortens the length of your studies at Sydney. (See also credit.)

Assumed knowledge

For some units of study, a student is assumed to have passed a relevant subject at the HSC and this is called assumed knowledge. While students are generally advised against taking a unit of study for which they do not have the assumed knowledge, they are not prevented from enrolling in the unit of study. (See also Prerequisite.)

Attendance mode

Refers to whether a unit of study is taken by the student internally (i.e. by attending classes at a campus of the University) or externally (i.e. remotely by correspondence or other distance education means).

Bachelor's Degree

The highest undergraduate award offered at the University of Sydney. A bachelor’s degree course normally requires three or four years of full-time study (or the part-time equivalent).

Cadigal Program

The Cadigal Program is a University wide access and support scheme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Campus

The grounds on which the University is situated. There are nine main campuses of the University of Sydney: Camperdown, Darlington, Camden (Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources and Veterinary Science), the Conservatorium (Conservatorium of Music), Cumberland (Health Sciences), Mallett Street (Nursing & Midwifery), Rozelle (Sydney College of the Arts), St James (Law), and Surry Hills (Dentistry).

Census date

The census date is the date by which all your enrolment requirements must be finalised.

The dates for each semester

31 March – units of study offered for the full duration of the February semester.
31 August – units of study offered for the full duration of the July semester

Units of study offered in non-standard semesters (such as Summer or Winter School) employ census dates which may vary significantly from those mentioned above. If you are enrolling in any units offered in non-standard semesters ensure you are aware of the census dates relevant to those units.

Census dates may vary. It is your responsibility to identify the census date for your unit of study.

Chancellor

The non-executive head of the University. An honorary position, the Chancellor chairs meetings of the University’s governing body, the Senate, and presides over graduation ceremonies amongst other duties.

Commonwealth supported student

Most of the students who study at the University of Sydney are Commonwealth supported. These students have most of the cost of their education paid by the government but must also contribute towards this cost themselves (their student contribution).

Corequisite

A unit of study which must be taken in the same semester or year as a given unit of study (unless it has already been completed). These are determined by the faculty or board of studies concerned and published in the faculty handbook.

Course

A confusing term! Strictly speaking, it's the degree program in which you are enrolled.

Combined course

A course which leads to two awards. For example the Arts/Law course leads to the separate awards of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws.

Course alias
A unique five character alpha-numeric code which identifies a university course.

Credit

Students admitted to a course at the University may be granted advanced standing based on previous attainment in another course at the University, or at another institution. The credit points granted count as credit towards the course.

Specified credit
The recognition of previously completed studies as directly equivalent to units of study.

Non-specified credit
A 'block credit' for a specified number of credit points at a particular level. These credit points may be in a particular subject area but are not linked to a specific unit of study.

Credit Points

Credit points are a measure of value which indicate the contribution each unit of study provides towards meeting course completion requirements stated as a total credit point value. Each unit of study will have a credit point value assigned to it, which will usually be 6, or within the range 3 to 24.

Dean

The head of a faculty or the principal or director of a college (such as the Conservatorium of Music or the Sydney College of Arts).

Deferment

An applicant who receives an offer of admission to a course may apply to defer enrolment in that course for one semester or one academic cycle.

Degree

A university qualification, such as Bachelor's degree, Master's degree or PhD.

Department

A department is the academic unit which is responsible for teaching and examining a unit of study. It may be called a school, a department, a centre or a unit within the University.

Diploma

A two-year undergraduate qualification (Bachelor's degrees take three years of study), sometimes available as an Associate Diploma or Advanced Diploma. Not all faculties offer diplomas.

Domestic fee-paying student

The Commonwealth Government has abolished all full fee-paying places from 2009. Domestic students may apply for a Commonwealth Supported Place

Domestic student

A domestic student is either an Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident. New Zealand citizens are required to pay their HECS upfront.

Elective

A unit which you can do within a degree, usually an option within a course. Electives allow more detailed study of a particular subject.

Faculty

A faculty, consisting mainly of academic staff members and headed by a dean, is a formal part of the University’s academic governance structure, responsible for all matters concerning the courses that it supervises.

Fee-HELP Loan

Postgraduate students who are Australian citizens or holders of a Permanent Humanitarian Visa can gain assistance in paying their fees through the Commonwealth Government’s Fee-HELP program. There is a $81,600 limit ($102,00 for students studying dentistry, medicine or veterinary science) to the amount students can borrow through Fee-HELP.

Graduate entry degree

A bachelor’s, or undergraduate degree, that requires another undergraduate degree as a prerequisite of entry. Examples of graduate entry degrees at the University of Sydney include the Bachelor of Dentistry, Bachelor of Laws (graduate entry) and the University of Sydney Medical Program.

HECS-HELP loan

Commonwealth-supported students who are Australian citizens or holders of a Permanent Humanitarian Visa can choose to pay their contributions upfront or obtain a HECS-HELP loan from the Commonwealth. A HECS-HELP loan is repaid through the tax system once the student is working and their income reaches a threshold (currently $39,824). Students who choose to pay their student contribution upfront receive a 20 per cent discount. The student’s contribution is calculated twice a year (before each semester).

Honours

Some degrees may be completed ‘with honours’. This may involve either the completion of a separate honours year or additional work in the later years of the course. Honours are awarded in a class (Class 1, Class II, Class III) and sometimes there are two divisions within Class II.

International student

An international student is required to hold a student visa to study in Australia and may be liable for international tuition fees. Any student who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident of Australia is an international student. New Zealand citizens are not classified as international students, but have a special category under HECS that does not permit them to defer their HECS liability.

Major

A major is a defined program of study, generally comprising specified units of study from later stages of the award course. Students select and transfer between majors according to their selection of units of study. One or more majors may be prescribed in order to satisfy course requirements. (See also Award Course, Minor and Stream)

Mature-age

At Sydney Uni, this means that you will be 21 years or older on 1 March of the year in which you want to study, and have not completed the high school qualifications you would normally need to gain entry.

Minor

A minor is a defined program of study, generally comprising units of study from later stages of the award course and requiring a smaller number of credit points than a major.

MyUni

MyUni is a personalised space for students on the University’s website. MyUni delivers information and services directly through a central location, while also allowing users to customise certain information. Students are able to access services such as exam seat numbers, results, timetables and enrolment variations, and e-learning software such as Blackboard and WebCT.

Orientation

The University of Sydney Welcome Orientation and Transition (SWOT) Program, at the Camperdown and Darlington campuses, provides a free, integrated program of lectures and activities to assist students with the transition to university. SWOT helps students develop the academic skills required at university and introduces them to the University Library, Computer Access Centres and student support services. Faculty and departmental ‘welcomes’ and first-year support activities are an important part of the support provided for new students. SWOT is held in parallel with the University of Sydney Union O-Week, which provides tours, games and entertainment and the opportunity to join student clubs and societies. For more information visit www.swot.usyd.edu.au. Ongoing first-year support is provided within faculties and central student support services. Orientation and first-year support programs also take place on other campuses.

Postgraduate

A term used to describe a course leading to an award such as graduate diploma, master’s degree or PhD, which usually requires prior completion of a relevant undergraduate degree (or diploma) course. A ‘postgraduate’ is a student enrolled in such a course.

Prerequisite

A prerequisite is a unit of study that is required to be successfully completed before another unit can be attempted.

Program

Your units of study are the building blocks in your program. To earn your degree, you need to have completed certain units of study. The way these are put together for your degree is called your 'program'.

School

At the University of Sydney, this can mean the same thing as a department, or a few departments grouped together.

Scholarships

Scholarships are financial or other forms of support made available to assist Australian and international students to pursue their studies at the University. When a student’s means are a criterion, scholarships are sometimes called bursaries.

Semester

A semester is an academic teaching period and is usually 14 weeks in duration. There are two semesters in each academic year.

Senate

The Senate is the governing body of the University.

Session

A session is a defined teaching period of the University. The two major sessions are called semesters.

Stream

A defined award course, which requires the completion of set units of study as specified by the course rules for the particular stream, in addition to the core program specified by the course rules. A stream will appear with the award course name on testamurs, e.g. Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering (Construction Management).

Student ID card

All students who enrol are issued with an identification card. The card includes the student’s name, their ID number, photograph, the course code, and a barcode for borrowing from the library.

Student Learning Entitlement (SLE)

All Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and holders of a permanent visa are allocated a Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). This is measured in equivalent full time student load (EFTSL), which is the proportion of a full time load that a unit of study represents. Your higher education provider sets an EFTSL value for each unit of study it offers. To be Commonwealth supported for a unit, you must have enough SLE to cover the EFTSL value of that unit.


Tertiary Study

Tertiary studies includes associate diploma, diploma, advanced diploma or degree-level studies undertaken in Australian or equivalent study overseas

UAC

The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) receives and processes applications for admission to undergraduate courses at recognised universities in NSW and the ACT. Most local undergraduates apply through the Universities Admission Centre (UAC).

Undergraduate

A term used to describe a course leading to a diploma or bachelor’s degree. An ‘undergraduate’ is a student enrolled in such a course.

Unit of study (UoS)

A unit of study is the smallest stand-alone component of a student’s course that is recordable on a student’s transcript.

Unit of study level

Units of study are divided into Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Honours, Year 5 and Year 6. Junior units of study usually act as prerequisites for intermediate and senior units of study. Most majors consist of 32 Senior credit points in a subject area.

University medal

A faculty may recommend the award of a University medal to students qualified for the award of an undergraduate Honours degree, whose academic performance is judged to be outstanding.

Vice-Chancellor

The chief executive officer of the whole University, responsible for its leadership and management. He is head of the academic and administrative divisions, and is also known as the Principal of the University.