1.2.1 General Provisions for Bachelor's Degrees, Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas, Master's Degrees (other than by Thesis Only), Professional Doctorates and Higher Degree Preliminary Courses

Selection of Units

1.2.1.1 Students must select their units in accordance with these Rules and with the relevant faculty rules.

Change of Enrolment—Addition of Unit

1.2.1.2(1) Except as set out in (2), students who wish to add a unit to their enrolment must do so on or before the last day of the third week of instruction in the unit.

(2) In exceptional circumstances the faculty may permit a student to add a unit to their enrolment after the last day of the third week of instruction in the unit but in no circumstances will a student be permitted to add a unit to their enrolment after the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) census date for the unit.

Change of Enrolment—Withdrawal from Unit

(3) Students are not permitted to withdraw without academic penalty from a unit after the first University working day following the mid-point of instruction in the unit unless, in the opinion of the faculty, there are extreme mitigating circumstances.

Prerequisites, Co-requisites and Unit Incompatibilities

1.2.1.3(1) A faculty must set out in the unit description any prerequisite or co-requisite requirements for a unit and details of units with which it is incompatible.

(2) Students must meet any prerequisite and co-requisite requirements for a unit unless the faculty waives this requirement in exceptional circumstances.

Repeating Units

1.2.1.4(1) Students are not permitted to enrol in a unit which is the same or substantially the same as one which they have previously passed or had credited towards their course unless the faculty decides that there are sound academic reasons for them doing so.

(2) If a student is permitted to repeat a unit, the unit is credited only once towards their course.

Non-award Enrolments

1.2.1.5(1) A faculty may permit non-award enrolments in one or more units.

(2) Except in the case of exchange programmes, cross-institutional enrolments, or similar, or in exceptional circumstances approved by the Registrar and the faculty, students seeking to enrol in a unit on a non-award basis must apply to University Extension to take the unit on a continuing education or audit basis.

(3) Students who take units on a non-award basis must comply with these Rules and with the relevant faculty rules unless they are taking the unit on an audit basis through University Extension.

Standard Annual Full-time Load

1.2.1.6 The standard annual full-time load for all students is 48 points.

Overload

1.2.1.7(1) A faculty may permit a student to overload, that is to enrol in units to a value greater than the standard annual full-time load.

(2) A faculty may provide in its rules for a student to overload up to a specified limit without the need to seek special approval.

Definition of Full-time and Part-time Student

1.2.1.8(1) Students are classified as full-time in a semester if they are enrolled in units with a total value of 18 points or more.

(2) Students are classified as part-time in a semester if they are enrolled in units with a total value less than 18 points.

Concurrent Enrolment in Two Award Courses

1.2.1.9(1) Students may enrol concurrently in two award courses only if—

(a) the concurrent enrolment is not prohibited under the Admission and Quota Policy or any other University policy applicable at the outset of the enrolment; and

(b) the faculty or faculties concerned approve the proposed concurrent enrolment; and

(c) the Senate has not approved a combined course leading to the two awards in question.

(2) A faculty or faculties may permit a student enrolled concurrently in two award courses to cross-credit appropriate units between the courses but the level of cross-crediting must be no greater than that which would apply between the two courses if they were taken sequentially (see Rules 1.2.1.11 and 1.2.1.12).

(3) A student in a combined course who has completed the requirements for the award of a degree and is permitted to enrol for that degree with honours in accordance with Rule 1.2.2.18(1), may be permitted by the relevant faculties, or faculty in the case of a combined course administered by only one faculty, to enrol concurrently in the course for the degree with honours and in units which form part of the remaining requirements for the combined course.

Recognition of Prior Learning or Professional Experience

1.2.1.10(1) A faculty may recognise a qualification or a unit of study completed at another tertiary institution or other place of learning as being equivalent to one completed at this University.

(2) A person who wishes to have a qualification or a unit of study that they have completed at another tertiary institution or other place of learning recognised as equivalent to one completed at this University must provide satisfactory evidence of the work completed for the qualification or unit of study.

(3) A faculty may recognise relevant professional experience as being equivalent to a qualification or unit of study completed at this University.

(4) A person who wishes to have relevant professional experience recognised as equivalent to a qualification or unit of study completed at this University must submit satisfactory evidence of the professional experience.

(5) A faculty must maintain a register of its decisions on applications for recognition of qualifications, units of study or professional experience and must report to the Registrar for central recording any such decisions that relate to applicants who subsequently enrol.

Credit for Previously Completed Units of Study or Professional Experience

Credit towards Undergraduate Courses

1.2.1.11(1) A faculty may grant credit towards one of its undergraduate courses on the basis of units of study of the appropriate weight and level completed—

(a) in another course offered by this institution; or

(b) at another tertiary institution or other place of learning; or

(c) through Continuing Education at this University.

(2) Credit granted towards undergraduate courses for units completed through Continuing Education must not exceed one-sixth of the total points value of the course towards which the credit is granted.

(3) The value of credit granted by a faculty towards an undergraduate diploma course on the basis of units of study completed as part of a previously completed award must not exceed 50 per cent of the total points value of the new course towards which the credit is granted.

(4) If a faculty permits a student to transfer into one of its undergraduate courses from another incomplete course of this University, it may credit towards the new course the units completed in the previous course but the student will not be permitted to take out the relevant new award unless they have enrolled in and completed at least one unit in the new course.

(5) Subject to (6) and (7), a student who is granted credit by a faculty towards a bachelor's degree course on the basis of units of study completed in another tertiary institution will not be awarded a bachelor's degree of this University without having completed at this University—

either

(a) units of the highest level required for the course to the value of at least 48 points, including the final unit or units of any major required in the course;

or

(b) units to a value of at least half the total points value of the course.

(6) A student is not permitted to take out a bachelor's degree unless at least half the total points value of the degree course is derived from units which have not been credited towards another completed bachelor's degree course or are not being credited concurrently towards another course.

(7) The Academic Board may approve exceptions to (5) in the case of approved joint award courses.

Credit towards Postgraduate Courses

1.2.1.12(1) A faculty may grant credit towards one of its postgraduate courses on the basis of—

(a) work completed in equivalent postgraduate courses at this or another recognised tertiary institution; or

(b) units of the appropriate level completed through Continuing Education at this University provided they were not completed prior to 1995; or

(c) in the case of professionally oriented courses—

(i) work completed in courses provided by professional providers or private educational institutions or similar; or

(ii) relevant professional experience.

(2) Credit granted towards a course for units completed through Continuing Education must not exceed—

(a) one quarter of the total value of the course if the course has a value of 24 points; or

(b) one-sixth of the total value of the course if the course has a value greater than 24 points.

(3) Credit granted towards a professionally oriented postgraduate course on the basis of work described in (1)(c) must not exceed 25 per cent of the total value of the course towards which the credit is granted.

(4) A faculty must not grant credit towards a postgraduate course with a value of 24 points on the basis of units of study completed as part of a previously completed award.

(5) For postgraduate courses with a value greater than 24 points, the value of credit granted by a faculty on the basis of units of study completed as part of a previously completed award must not exceed 50 per cent of the total points value of the new course towards which the credit is granted.

(6) Except in the case of students transferring from one course of this University to another [see (10)], the value of credit granted towards a postgraduate award for units completed as part of an incomplete award must not exceed 50 per cent of the total points value of the course towards which the credit is granted.

(7) A student who is admitted to a course for a postgraduate award that is part of a continuum of related postgraduate awards (an articulated course), after completing the course for a lesser award in the continuum, is credited by the faculty with all units credited to or completed in the lesser award course.

(8) Credit granted in terms of (7) is not included in the 50 per cent limit in (5).

(9) The Academic Board may approve exceptions to (6) in the case of approved joint award courses.

(10) If a faculty permits a student to transfer into one of its postgraduate courses from another incomplete course of this University, it may credit towards the new course the units completed in the previous course but the student will not be permitted to take out the relevant new award unless they have enrolled in and completed at least one unit in the new course.

Evidence of Work Completed or Professional Experience

1.2.1.13 Applicants for credit must submit satisfactory evidence of the work completed for the units of study or of the professional experience on the basis of which they are seeking credit.

Reporting of Credit Granted

1.2.1.14 A faculty must report the credit granted in each case to the Registrar for central recording.

Substitution of Units

1.2.1.14A A faculty may permit or require a student to substitute for units up to a maximum value of 12 points in a course another unit or other units of equivalent value.

Requirements for Completion of Unit

1.2.1.15(1) To complete ¹ a unit a student must—

(a) meet the faculty's requirements with respect to attendance at prescribed classes, lectures, seminars, tutorials, practicals and clinical practice, and to the sitting of examinations; and

(b) complete assignments and other prescribed work of the unit at a standard acceptable to the faculty; and

(c) obtain a grade of Pass or higher for the unit.

(2) A faculty, on the recommendation of the relevant head of school, may exempt a student from attendance or from part of the prescribed work.

¹ A 'Completed' status for a unit in the Student Information Management System (SIMS) means only that the student has attempted the unit and has not withdrawn. It does not indicate that a unit has been completed in terms of Rule 1.2.1.15.

Failure to Attend or to Complete the Prescribed Work of a Unit

1.2.1.16 A student who fails to attend or to complete work in accordance with Rule 1.2.1.15(1)(a) or (b) may be prohibited by the faculty from undertaking further study or examinations in the unit concerned.

Repeated Withdrawal from Course

1.2.1.17 Students who withdraw more than once from all units in which they are enrolled are not permitted to re-enrol in any course of the University without the special approval of the faculty concerned.

Examinations and Assessment

Frequency and Nature of Examinations

1.2.1.18 A faculty must decide how often it will hold examinations and what kind they will be, within any constraints imposed by the Academic Board.

Assessment Mechanism Statement

1.2.1.19 Within the first two weeks of the semester in which a unit is offered, the school which offers the unit must issue a clear written Assessment Mechanism Statement which sets out the way in which the final result for the unit is calculated.

Submission of Work for Assessment in More than One Unit

1.2.1.20 Students must not submit, and are not permitted to receive academic credit for, a piece of work which is the same, or substantially the same, as a piece of work for which they have received, or will receive, academic credit in another unit.

Special Consideration

1.2.1.21(1) A student may apply to a faculty for special consideration if, in the course of producing work for assessment, they were adversely affected by serious illness or other specific problems which could reasonably have been expected to cause them to perform less well than would otherwise have been expected.

(2) A faculty which considers that there are grounds for special consideration may increase the mark that is considered to reflect the actual academic worth of the piece of work by up to five per cent of the total mark available for it.

Examination Times, Dates and Venues

1.2.1.22(1) The person or body responsible for scheduling examinations must inform students of the times, dates and places for initial examinations and supplementary examinations by means of an examination timetable.

(2) The timetable for initial examinations must be published at least 14 days before the initial examinations begin and the timetable for supplementary examinations must be published at least three days before the supplementary examinations begin.

(3) Students must sit an examination in a unit in a venue on the campus on which the unit was taught unless the Registrar permits otherwise in recognition of extreme mitigating circumstances.

Boards of Examiners

1.2.1.23(1) Each faculty must appoint a Board or Boards of Examiners.

(2) A Board of Examiners is chaired by the dean of the faculty concerned, or nominee, and if that person is absent, the Board elects one of its members to chair the meeting.

(3) Boards of Examiners consider students' overall results for units and report them to the Registrar for publication and recording, and carry out any other tasks relating to students' results that may be delegated to them by the faculty concerned and set out in its governance document.

(4) If it is the responsibility of a Board of Examiners to award fellowships, scholarships, studentships or prizes, it must report the awards to the Registrar.

Deferred Examinations

1.2.1.24(1) The Registrar may permit a student to take a deferred examination in one or more units if the faculty is satisfied that, for medical or other exceptional reasons, the student was either—

(a) substantially hindered in preparation for an examination; or

(b) absent from or unable to complete an examination.

(2) The format of a deferred examination may be different from that of the initial examination.

(3) A student applying for a deferred examination must arrange for the application to be submitted to the faculty on the appropriate form, including any relevant medical certificates or other appropriate documentary support, no later than three University working days after the date for which the relevant initial examination was scheduled.

(4) A candidate for a deferred examination in a unit must sit the examination in a venue on the campus on which the initial examination in the unit was scheduled to take place, unless the Registrar, after receiving advice from the faculty concerned, authorises otherwise in recognition of extreme mitigating circumstances.

Supplementary Assessment

1.2.1.25(1) To be eligible for supplementary assessment in a unit for which supplementary assessment is available, a student must have obtained a mark of 45 to 49 inclusive in the unit.

(2) A faculty must indicate in the unit description and the Assessment Mechanism Statement for each unit whether or not an opportunity for supplementary assessment is available for the unit.

(3) A faculty may provide a student who is eligible under (1) with an opportunity for supplementary assessment in a Level 1 unit.

(4) If a bachelor's pass degree student has obtained a mark of 45 to 49 inclusive in a unit in which they are currently enrolled and it is the only remaining unit that the student must pass in order to complete their course, a Board of Examiners must provide the student an opportunity for supplementary assessment in the unit, unless the faculty has been granted an exemption in the case of the unit concerned.

(5) Unless the Academic Council permits otherwise in the case of an individual unit, an opportunity for supplementary assessment is not available in units other than those referred to in (3) and (4).

(6) If an opportunity for supplementary assessment is available in a unit for which there is an examination—

(a) the supplementary assessment is normally available in relation to the initial examination and to a deferred examination unless it is not feasible to offer such opportunity in relation to the deferred examination because of logistical limitations;

(b) the format of the supplementary assessment may differ from that of the initial examination.

(7) Work for supplementary assessment in a unit must be completed in a venue on the campus on which the initial assessment in the unit took place, unless the Registrar, after receiving advice from the faculty concerned, authorises otherwise in recognition of extreme mitigating circumstances.

Final Grades and Marks

1.2.1.26(1) A final result for a unit, other than one for which an ungraded pass (UP) or ungraded fail (UF) is permitted, is expressed as a grade and a percentage mark.

(2) The grades and marks are as follows:

(3) The final result for a unit in which a student has completed a supplementary examination is either passed supplementary (PS) where a mark equivalent to the minimum pass mark for a unit is recorded, or failed supplementary (FS) where the original mark remains.

(4) The result of ungraded pass (UP) or ungraded fail (UF) may also be given for certain categories of units, as set out in the University's Guidelines for the Provision of Ungraded Passes and Fails for Postgraduate Coursework Units and Undergraduate Units which can be accessed on the University's web site at http://www.teachingandlearning.uwa.edu.au/page/79439.

(5) If a result of ungraded pass (UP) or ungraded fail (UF) is given, the result does not include a percentage mark.

Appeals against Academic Assessment

1.2.1.27 Students may appeal against an academic assessment in accordance with the appeals procedure, details of which can be accessed on the University's web site at http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/page/20777.

Successive Failures in the Same Unit

1.2.1.28 Students who fail a unit twice are not permitted to enrol again in that unit unless the faculty approves otherwise.

Satisfactory Progress, Unsatisfactory Progress and Progress Status

Satisfactory Progress

1.2.1.29(1) Subject to (2), to make satisfactory progress in a calendar year a student must—

(a) pass units to a value of at least half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty [see Rule 1.2.1.2(3)]; and

(b) satisfy any additional requirements which a faculty determines and states in its rules.

(2) For students in an honours course or in another course with a research component, the faculty will normally determine whether satisfactory progress has been made having regard to the report of the student's supervisor.

Progress Status

1.2.1.30(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress is assigned the progress status of 'good standing'.

(2) A student who does not make satisfactory progress has 'unsatisfactory progress' recorded on their academic record and may be assigned one of the following by the faculty:

On Probation—must see Academic Adviser before re-enrolling in the course and conditions may apply to re-enrolment

Suspended—not permitted to re-enrol in the course for a period of 12 months

Excluded—not permitted to re-enrol in the course.

(3) A faculty must specify in its rules the progress status that it assigns to students who do not make satisfactory progress and the circumstances under which each status is applied.

Appeals against Progress Status

1.2.1.31 Students may appeal against their progress status in accordance with the appeals procedure, details of which can be accessed on the University's web site at http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/page/20777.

Application to Re-enrol following Exclusion

1.2.1.32 A student who—

(a) has been excluded from a course; and

(b) has not had their progress status changed as the result of an appeal or a request for special consideration; and

(c) believes that their case has changed since their exclusion

may, after a period of at least 12 months has elapsed since their exclusion, apply to the faculty to re-enrol in the course.

Time Limits

1.2.1.33(1) The overall time limits for completion of the following courses whether taken on a full-time or part-time basis are:

(2) A faculty may extend a time limit by up to one year in exceptional circumstances.

(3) Time limits for undergraduate courses except end-on honours courses include any periods of approved leave or of suspension following unsatisfactory progress.

(4) Time limits for postgraduate courses and end-on honours courses exclude any periods of approved leave or of suspension following unsatisfactory progress.