For students
The Academic Skills Unit supports both undergraduate and graduate University of Melbourne students. We work in collaboration with your faculty student centre and offer instruction on academic and language skills, including researching and writing, exam preparation, oral presentations and more.
Our mission statement is: "To assist local and international students to maximize their independent learning potential by developing academic skills, language proficiency and graduate attributes."
To find out more information about our services and how to access them, check out the following:
- Workshops and short courses
- Individual tutorial service and guidelines
- Student centre information
- Diagnostic English Language Assessment (DELA)
Workshops and short courses
The Academic Skills Unit offers a variety of workshops and short courses, including essay and report writing, researching and referencing, oral presentations and tutorial participation and exam preparation.
Our program for semester 1, 2009 includes the following:
- Faculty-based classes
- English for Academic Purposes sessions (for non native English speakers)
- Short courses for Research Higher Degree students through the MSGR
- AIRport (online courses and resources) and CourseWorks - the home of coursework graduate students
Individual tutorial service and guidelines
About individual tutorials
Individual tutorials with an academic skills adviser can help you develop the following skills, which are a vital part of your university education:
- Effective study: including time management, reading comprehension, note taking and preparing for exams
- Communication skills: including pronunciation, tutorial participation and seminar presentations
- Academic writing: including grammar, vocabulary, clarity, essay structure, critical analysis and appropriate use of sources
Please note that we are not an editing service nor do we comment on the argument or content of your work. If you have questions about these, please consult with your tutor. In addition, we cannot advise on take-home exams nor with any work that is not directly related to academic study such as IELTS exam preparation or job applications. For assistance with the latter, talk to Careers & Employment.
Guidelines for individual tutorials
The Academic Skills Unit aims to help you develop independent academic and language skills. That’s why we ask that you take advantage of all our resources, including workshops, short courses and AIRport online programs, before booking an individual tutorial for further assistance.
When you do book an individual tutorial, consider the following guidelines:
- Depending on availability and your specific needs, you may have up to 4 individual tutorials per semester (undergraduate students) or 8 per year (research students).
- You can book an individual tutorial up to two weeks in advance. This is a popular service, so it’s best to book early.
- You may only have one appointment per week, which means that you cannot book an appointment in two different student centres in the same week.
- Please be punctual – or give 24 hours notice, where possible, if cancelling. Your cooperation will allow another student to use that appointment time.
- If you forget to attend your individual tutorial, we will count this as one of your 4 times, which means that you will have one less opportunity to consult with an adviser.
- You should bring all relevant information, including the task instructions and the assessment criteria, to your tutorial.
To book an individual tutorial, contact your faculty student centre.
Student Centres and the Academic Skills Unit
The Academic Skills Unit works closely with your faculty student centre to provide you with a variety of skills development options: workshops and short courses, resources and individual tutorials. To learn more about the academic and language skills programs available to you through your student centre, contact your student centre directly:
View these locations on a campus map
Diagnostic English Language Assessment (DELA)
In 2009, certain commencing undergraduate students will be required to take DELA, which is a diagnostic tool used to identify students who may need assistance with academic English. To find out if you have to take DELA and to learn who your faculty DELA contact is, check the DELA web page.