Use our A-Z list below to decipher university phrases, terms and definitions.
A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W
Academic Record
An official statement of Academic Record is a certified statement detailing a student’s complete academic record at USC.
Advanced level courses
Students normally undertake advanced level courses in the second and third years of their programs. Entry to these courses may be subject to successful completion of a prerequisite/s. These courses are normally coded as 200 or 300-level courses (eg AUS220 or MBT352).
Advanced standing (recognition of prior studies/experience)
Advanced standing may be granted for recognition of prior academic work, or other work identified as being of equal depth and academic rigour to courses offered at USC. The granting of advanced standing reduces the number of courses that must be completed to satisfy the requirements of an award program.
Authority subject
An Authority subject is a subject for which the course of study is based on a syllabus that has been approved and issued by the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA).
Award
An award (or award program) is a recognised certification of achievement that is granted to a student after the completion of all requirements of a higher education program (eg Bachelor of Arts).
Bachelor
Bachelor is the title for an undergraduate award program (eg Bachelor of Business). A bachelor degree at USC comprises 288 units (generally 24 courses) and normally takes three years of full-time study or six years of part-time study to complete.
Census date
The census date is the date by which students must finalise their enrolment in each semester or session. The census dates for semesters and sessions are listed in the Academic Calendars.
Combined degree
A combined degree is a combination of two undergraduate degrees undertaken simultaneously (eg Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science). A combined degree at USC comprises 384 units (generally 32 courses) and normally takes four years of full-time study or eight years of part-time study to complete.
Contact hours
Contact hours are the number of hours students are expected to attend classes on campus. A full-time student spends about 12 hours per week in classes, plus between 20 and 40 hours studying per week (five to 10 hours per course).
Core course
Every undergraduate student is generally required to complete at least two of the three core courses. These are: Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship; Communication and Thought; and Environment, Technology and Sustainability. Core courses enable students to gain skills and knowledge for successful tertiary study and lifelong learning.
Course
A course (commonly known as a subject) is a component of an award program that is normally one semester in length, such as Chemistry, or Marketing Theory and Practice. Each course is generally 12 units in value. The standard enrolment for a full-time student is four courses per semester.
Cross-institutional enrolment
Cross-institutional enrolment is where a student enrols in a course/s through another institution which, on successful completion, can be credited to the student’s award program at their home institution.
Dean
A Dean is a member of academic staff responsible for the management of a faculty.
Deferral
Deferral is a process where a student, offered a place in a program through an application for admission, chooses to defer their commencement of study until a later semester/year.
Elective
An elective is a course that is chosen from a number of alternative courses.
Enabling courses
USC offers enabling courses in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Literacy, General Mathematics, Mathematics for Physics, Statistics, and Writing Skills for students who may not have studied these areas in high school, or who need a 'refresher' prior to commencing tertiary study.
Enrolment
Enrolment is the process whereby an applicant, having been made a written offer of admission for a particular program of study, chooses the courses they wish to study within that program for that year, pays the appropriate fees, and is issued a Student Card.
Faculty
A faculty is an organisational area within the University devoted to a particular area (eg Faculty of Science, Health and Education).
Foundation course
Foundation courses provide a sound knowledge of essential areas in the Faculty of Business, and provide a foundation for studies in particular majors and/or minors within the degree. They are normally coded as 100 level courses (eg BUS101).
Field positions (FPs)
Field positions (FPs) indicate an OP-eligible Year 12 student’s rank order position, based on overall achievement in Authority-registered subjects in up to five fields, with a rank of 1 being the highest and 10 the lowest.
Full-time student
A full-time student studies at least three courses per semester. The standard full-time workload is four courses per semester.
Graduand
A graduand is a student who has completed all the requirements of an award program, but is yet to receive their testamur (degree certificate).
Graduate
A graduate is a student who has completed all the requirements of an award program and has received their testamur (degree certificate).
Honours program
An honours program is usually two semesters (one year full-time) of coursework, seminars and supervised research undertaken after a bachelor degree. It advances a student's knowledge and experience, and helps to prepare for future research work and postgraduate study.
HECS-HELP (Higher Education Contribution Scheme - Higher Education Loans Program)
HECS-HELP is a loan that helps eligible Commonwealth-supported students to pay their student contributions.
HECS-HELP liability
A HECS-HELP liability is the amount a student is liable to repay to the Commonwealth Government under HECS-HELP. The amount is calculated on the student's enrolment as at the census date in each relevant semester.
Introductory courses
Introductory courses provide a sound knowledge of essential areas, and a foundation for studies in majors and/or minors within an award program. They are normally coded as 100-level courses (eg ENP101).
Lecture
A lecture involves a member of the teaching staff presenting themes and concepts related to a course of study to students enrolled in that course. There is usually one lecture per course per week.
Leave of Absence
Leave of Absence is a process whereby a student who has already completed some study toward their program applies for, and is granted permission to, postpone further study in the program for a specified period of time, normally up to one year. An approved Leave of Absence may be included in the maximum time allowed to complete a program.
Major
A major is a sequence of eight courses from one particular area of study.
Minor
A minor is a sequence of four courses from one particular area of study.
Non-award student
A non-award student is enrolled in a course/s which does not lead to an award (eg Bachelor of Science). Headstart, visiting or Study Abroad students are all considered to be non-award students.
Overall Position (OP)
An Overall Position (OP) indicates a Queensland Year 12 student's statewide rank order position, which is based on overall achievement. To be OP-eligible, Year 12 students are required to sit for the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test and to have studied 20 semester units of Authority subjects. The OP is reported on a scale from 1 (highest) to 25 (lowest).
Part-time student
A part-time student studies either one or two courses per semester. The standard part-time workload is two courses per semester. Those attending university in Australia on a student visa cannot study on a part-time basis.
Postgraduate student
A postgraduate student is enrolled in a postgraduate coursework program (eg Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Masters by coursework) or a higher degree by research (eg Masters by research or Doctorate). Postgraduate studies are normally undertaken after the completion of an undergraduate degree, or in some cases, on the basis of relevant work experience.
Practical
A practical offers students the opportunity to practically apply relevant skills (eg laboratory skills). Practical classes are usually 15–25 students in size.
Prerequisite courses
Prerequisite courses are required to be completed or satisfied by a student, prior to them enrolling in another course.
Program
A program is the complete award with which a student graduates (eg Bachelor of Arts).
Program code
A program code is a combination of letters and numbers that identifies an award program for administrative purposes.
Rank (refer to Selection rank)
Recommended prior study
Recommended prior study refers to the Year 11 and 12 subjects (or equivalent) the University recommends students study before commencing a particular degree. This is not a prerequisite subject, but a recommendation as to what knowledge students should possess in the subject area—eg recommended prior study for the Bachelor of Science (Sport and Exercise Science) is English, Maths and one or more of the sciences, preferably Chemistry, Physics or Biology.
Selection rank
A selection rank is a numerical score between 1 (lowest) and 99 (highest) that is used to compare different qualifications on the same scale for the purpose of tertiary entrance. Students applying for university study that are not current OP-eligible Year 12 students are assigned selection rank/s based on other qualifications, including secondary school and tertiary studies, employment experience, and bridging and preparatory studies.
Semesters
The academic year is divided into two main semesters. First semester generally runs from February to June, and second semester from July to December, as listed in the Academic Calendars.
Sessions
Postgraduate coursework programs may be delivered over three sessions in an academic year. Session One runs from February to June, Session Two runs from June to October and Session Three runs from October to February, as listed in the Academic Calendars.
Summer semester
Summer Semester is a non-standard teaching period in the undergraduate academic year, running between December and mid-February. Courses are delivered in intensive mode, because the number of teaching weeks is less than a standard semester. Summer Semester courses are available to USC students, students from other universities studying cross-institutionally, and members of the community studying as visiting students.
Testamur
A testamur is the certificate awarded to a graduate on completion of a program of study.
Tutorial
A tutorial is a forum for discussion and consolidation of the themes and concepts introduced in a lecture. Tutorial classes are usually 15–25 students in size and provide an atmosphere of discussion, interaction, presentation and debate.
Undergraduate student
An undergraduate student studies a bachelor degree or honours program at university. An undergraduate student may also be a student who already holds a degree, but is taking a second or subsequent degree at the same level.
Unit
Each individual course is given a unit value to represent the proportion of the award that each course comprises. Courses are usually 12 units in value.
Visiting student
A visiting student studies a university course/s for professional or personal development—they do not enrol in a complete award program. Visiting students receive normal instruction, assessment and formal results.
Work integrated learning
Work integrated learning incorporates field trips, lectures by industry experts, internships, practicums and applied research projects. Work integrated learning is designed to enable students to experience the work environment and career realities of their chosen discipline.