| Term |
Description |
| Academic staff |
Staff with advanced knowledge in a field of higher education. Academics are the teaching and research staff of the university |
| Advanced standing |
If a unit has been successfully completed at another institution that is recognised as equivalent by the faculty, the applicant can apply for its value to be included in the course.
Another term for ‘credit transfer’ |
| Applicant |
A person who has lodged an application to the university directly or by VTAC |
| Area of study |
Often used to refer to ‘major’ and ‘minor’ study areas eg: Chemistry, Genetics |
| Bachelor degree |
A course completed equal to three years of full-time study or longer |
| Campus |
Physical location, place, buildings and grounds, or the place from where a program of study is being delivered (eg Clayton, Gippsland, Malaysia etc) |
| Census date
|
The date referred to in the Higher Education Funding Act 1998 as being dates on which HECS
(Commonwealth supported places) liabilities are incurred. |
| Co-requisite |
Must be studied simultaneously with another unit |
| Course
|
A course is a degree or diploma made up of a set number of units. Once the course requirements are successfully completed requirements a student is eligible to apply to graduate with the particular qualification e.g. Bachelor of Science |
| Course advisor |
Academic or general staff member assigned to assist students in the planning of their course |
| Credit |
See ‘advanced standing’. |
| Dean |
Head of the academic and general staff in a Faculty |
| Deferment
|
When the offer to enter a course is deferred for one year. After that time a new offer is made for the next academic year. |
| Degree |
See ’bachelor degree’ |
| Discipline
|
Classification of units of study in terms of the subject matter being taught and /or researched in them.
See also ‘area of study’ and ‘major’ |
| Distance education |
See ‘Off-campus study’ |
| Double degree |
A degree provided jointly by two faculties. The graduate will be recognised as having two degrees eg: Science/Law |
| Elective
|
Units taken in a course that are not part of a major, minor or a compulsory course requirement. They may be taken from the Faculty of Science or other faculties |
| Exemption
|
Units formally waived due to prior study or learning that do not directly correlate to Monash units. There are two types of exemptions:
Specified: Not the same as a Monash unit but of equivalent value within a major or minor
Unspecified: Prior study does not correlate with Monash units but the study can be awarded as exemptions for course electives |
| External
|
See ‘off-campus’. This term an also refer to external assessment of studies or external supervision by academics outside the university |
| Faculty |
Part of the University that administers programs in specific discipline areas (science, arts, law etc). |
| Field |
A broad term that can be used to describe broad academic areas eg: science, arts or business.
The term may also be used to refer to a general ‘field’ within science eg: physical sciences, biological sciences, mathematical sciences |
| Fieldwork |
Survey, study or collect specimens at a field site and record observations and findings. A field trip may involve a few hours, few days or longer. |
| Future student |
Any person considering studying at university, or applicants in the process of enrolling in the university prior to being accepted |
| General staff |
A broad term that refers to university staff working in administration, technical and other areas |
| Graduate |
A graduate is a graduand who has attended a graduation ceremony and awarded a degree in person, or awarded in absentia. |
| Head of School |
The head of general, research and teaching staff of a school within the Faculty of Science |
| Honours |
A forth year of study to develop knowledge and skills in advanced research; further preparing the student for postgraduate study or employment |
| Intermission |
When an offer is accepted and immediately deferred for 6 months or one year |
| Internal student |
See ‘on-campus’ |
| Internal transfer |
Transfer to another Monash University course |
| Lecturer |
An academic staff member delivers a lecture to a class; usually verbally and/or with visual material |
| Major |
Designated units grouped together to make up an ‘area of study’. Usually studied over a three year period eg: Cell biology, astrophysics or plant sciences |
| Minor |
Usually made up of four designated first and second level units within a major |
| Off-campus study |
A single unit, part, or all of a course undertaken at home with materials sent electronically or by post
Some units may require travel once or twice a year to the campus for laboratory or workshops
Known at Monash as OCL (off-campus learning) |
| Offer |
The University makes an applicant an offer of a place in a course |
| On-campus |
A student must attend the campus for tutorials, lectures and laboratory classes and exams |
| Postgraduate |
Higher degree or diploma studies taken after completing an undergraduate degree; eg masters degree |
| Prerequisite |
A unit that must be studied to acquire knowledge to allow enrolment into a specific unit.
Also refers to specified minimum requirements for enrolment into a course. |
| Program |
Can refer to a course of study leading to a Degree or diploma. A ‘study program’ can refer to a group of units taken in a year or semester |
| Prospective student |
See Future student |
| Research
|
Research is enquiry or investigation to broaden scientific knowledge into a specific area, by an individual or as part of a team. Research based units are often taken at third level in an undergraduate degree.
Research is widely conducted by postgraduate students and academic staff in all schools of the Faculty of Science |
| School
|
Academic unit that teaches administers and conducts research in one broad field of science. Eg. Chemistry, Physics and materials engineering. (A “multi-disciplinary’ school teaches a number of fields, eg. The school of Applied Sciences and Engineering) |
| Semester
|
The academic year has two semesters. The first is from March to June and the second from July to November |
| Sequence |
A term sometimes used to refer to a major and minor “sequence’ |
| Specialisation
|
A specialisation is determined by the faculty and is made up of majors undertaken by the student. The student gains an in-depth understanding of a specialist area of science |
| Subject |
See ‘unit’ |
| Tutorial |
Small study and discussion group assigned to a set unit of study with an academic staff member. Complementary to material learned in laboratory and lecture classes |
| Undergraduate
|
Student enrolled in a Bachelor degree program |
| Unit advisor |
The appropriate academic to contact regarding a particular unit |
| Unit |
The study of a subject area for one semester or one year |
