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Important Terms

The following definitions will help you to understand how an Arts course, major and minor works and should be adhered to by all Arts students. Further definitions can be found in the Undergraduate Handbook under the Arts entry:Arts regulations and definitions.

Course Level

The term does not necessarily refer to the number of years a student has been studying, but to the level they have achieved. A part-time student, for example, who has only undertaken half of the normal first-year full-time load in 2006, would still be considered as a first-year student in 2007, if he or she were still undertaking first-year level units only.

Coursework

Used to describe all Arts courses in which the bulk of work completed is selected from a list of offered units. Coursework covers Undergraduate, Honours and many Postgraduate Arts courses: everything from undergraduate diplomas and degrees to faculty certificates, graduate and postgraduate diplomas and masters courses.

Credit Points

The values given to a unit, normally 6 credit points each.

Defer

To postpone the commencement of your study while the University holds your place (max 1 year).

Discipline

An area of study, e.g. Anthropology. A variety of disciplines are taught in each School.

Dual-listed unit

A dual-listed unit is the same unit offered at two different year-levels.

A unit that is dual-listed at second and third-year level (for example HSY2060/3060 cannot be taken at both year levels. Thus, a student who successfully completed HSY2060 in 2006 may not take HSY3060 in 2007. Students should note that dual-listed units will be listed under the relevant discipline heading at each year level.

Enrolment

The total number of units that you are enrolled in.

Faculty

The Faculty of Arts is the administrative group that looks after all Arts courses.

Full-Time

An enrolment of 18 points or more during a semester (usually 3 or more units per semester).

Intermission (also known as a leave of absence)

A period of leave from a coursework course for students who have already completed some of their course. Can be taken for periods of 6 or 12 months at a time.

Major

A major is three years of study in a single discipline, totaling 48 points. The major consists of

AND EITHER

OR

While course regulations specify the basic structure of any major in the Faculty of Arts, different Schools and Centres may have specific requirements for their own discipline, such as the completion of a core (compulsory) unit. You should familiarise yourself with the major requirements found here and then check individual discipline requirements under the Areas of Study section.

Minor

A minor is units in a single discipline totaling 24 points including no more than 12 points at first year level.

Normally students complete a first-year sequence (12 points), followed by at least 12 points (normally two 6 point units) of study at second year level.

While course regulations specify the basic structure of any minor in the Faculty of Arts, different Schools and Centres may have specific requirements for their own discipline, such as the completion of a core (compulsory) unit. You should familiarise yourself with the minor requirements found here and then check individual discipline requirements under the Areas of Study section.

NOTE: It is possible to study all units towards the minor at an advanced level. Where schools only offer a minor in this form, this will be indicated under the relevant discipline heading.

Part-Time

Are enrolment in less than 18 points (less than 3 units) in a semester. You do not have to ask permission to study part-time.

Postgraduate

A member of a university who has attained a Bachelor's Degree and is doing further study.

Prerequisite

A prerequisite is a unit which must be completed before a candidate is permitted to proceed to a further unit.

Proxy

A friend or relative who you authorise to enrol on your behalf.

School

A grouping of a number of related disciplines. For Example the disciplines of History, Jewish Civilisation, Archaeology, and Religion and Theology are grouped together to form the School of Historical Studies.

Semester

The University year usually consists of two teaching periods of 13 weeks each, called semesters. Most units in the Arts Faculty run for one semester.

Sequence

A sequence consists of a pair of units in the same discipline (normally taken in semester one and two of the same year).

Subject

Also known as a UNIT see definition below.

Undergraduate

A member of a university who has not attained a Bachelor's Degree.

Unit

(also known as a SUBJECT) A unit is the basic unit of study in an Undergraduate Degree, usually running for a single semester. For example: ENH1010 Reading Writing Literature is a unit from the discipline of English.

Web Enrolment System (WES)

The Monash student online administrative interface that allows students to use the Internet to do a large proportion of their course related administrative tasks, like enrolling/re-enrolling, amending unit enrolment, or checking of results on line.

Year level

Within course, for example a bachelor's degree, there are different year levels at which units are offered. These represent the order in which a student should take them in their course. For example ARY1010 is a first-year level Archaeology unit and ARY2050 is a second-year level Archaeology unit; students must complete a certain number of first-year level units before enrolling in a second-year level unit.

The term does not necessarily refer to the number of years a student has been studying, but to the level they have achieved. A part-time student, for example, who has only undertaken half of the normal first-year full-time load in 2002, would still be considered as a first-year student in 2003, if he or she were still undertaking first-year level units only.

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