Academic Services Policy

Special Advanced Standing and admission arrangements for Polytechnic Students

Procedure and Practice

All New Generation Undergraduate Degrees (and the revised BE)

GPA For admission

1. A common 'floor' level GPA will be set for admission as an articulation Polytechnic student.

2. Above this floor, each NGD will may its own GPA entry requirement, however wherever possible a common GPA will be struck, except where the usually entry level (e.g. demonstrated by the ENTER clearly-in-rank) for students is comparatively higher. The specific GPA will be proposed by the relevant course standing committees (in consultation with the Academic Registrar).

Eligibility

3. A student applying for a New Generation course must meet the usual degree prerequisites, or complete recognised equivalents within their Diploma Studies1, to be eligible for selection into a New Generation degree.

A student may not enter a course 'with a lower GPA' and subsequently 'qualify' for specified major studies by completing specified studies within a degree program - they are either eligible or not.

A record of Diplomas that are appropriate equivalents for eligibility requirements will be maintained by the Academic Registrar.

Elective Options within a New Generation degree

4. With regard to majors, a student admitted to a degree should be able to enter any major for which they have the subject prerequisites or an appropriate equivalent. A student is not required to continue studies begun within their Polytechnic Diploma. Their choice will, however affect the amount of credit they may be entitled to.

Credit for 'core' studies/majors

5. Advanced standing would usually be awarded on a discipline basis, rather than 'unspecified' block basis (e.g. 'unspecified Arts' is not appropriate).

6. A custodial faculty may however award 'block' specified credit - e.g. '25 points first year Accounting' where the student has completed studies deemed approximately or effectively equivalent however direct subject-to subject equivalence is not appropriate.

7. The credit decision is the custodial faculty's, based upon the advice of the teaching department/school that studies in a 'cognate discipline' are suitable (e.g. after an assessment of the equivalence of content by academic staff of a teaching department/school).

Credit Offered will vary on the Major studies undertaken

8. The advanced standing decision may be different depending on the specific major study a student wishes to undertake, but should be the same regardless of the degree within which the major is offered - e.g. BE credit and credit towards Civil Systems studies within the BSc must be the same.

Credit for Breadth studies

9. What constitutes credit for breadth may need to be decided by a number of faculties/schools.

10. In general, to get breadth credit, a student must complete studies that a University of Melbourne school evaluates as equivalent to subjects offered at tertiary level (as per the decision to provide credit for core subjects).

11. A faculty may award 'block' specified credit - e.g. '25 points first year Accounting' if direct subject-to subject equivalence is not appropriate, if a student is continuing with the breadth discipline at University of Melbourne (i.e. in this example, continues to study Accounting).

Credit Database

The Academic Registrar should establish a database, available to relevant Student Centre staff from all custodial Faculties, to 'map' and record the credit precedents for the many polytechnic programs to Next Generation degree majors & areas of study.


1 As approved by the Course Standing Committee and by Selection Procedures / Academic Board.

top of page
top of page