| 1.1 An award is a qualification, which the University confers on students who have completed the requirements of the course of study leading to the qualification. An award represents a particular set of learning outcomes and objectives based on, and compliant with, the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). |
| 1.2 Programs of study leading to an award are known as courses. |
| 1.3 Units of study within a course are known as subjects. |
| 2.1 Academic Senate oversees the academic quality of the University’s courses and subjects and their compliance with the relevant standards and regulations. |
| 2.2 Academic Senate may approve variations in courses where necessary to meet course accreditation and professional accreditation requirements. |
| 3.1 Quality assurance of courses is undertaken to certify that compliance with internal and external requirements and standards for academic quality have been met. |
| 4.1 Subjects are allocated a point weighting, with one point equivalent to between 17.5 to 20 hours volume of learning. | |
| 4.1.1 A standard subject is weighted at eight points. | |
| 4.1.2 A subject weighting of eight points is equal to 0.125 equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL). | |
| 4.2 Each subject code comprises a three-letter prefix and three digits. | |
| 4.2.1 The level of a subject is indicated by the first digit in the subject code, which indicates how advanced the subject is. | |
| 4.3 The scale for undergraduate subjects is: | |
| 4.3.1 Level 000: bridging, enabling or other non-award subject (non-AQF). | |
| 4.3.2 Level 100: introductory (AQF Level 5). | |
| 4.3.3 Level 200: building on level 100 (AQF Level 6). | |
| 4.3.4 Level 300: building on level 200 up to the outcome level of a three-year undergraduate degree (AQF Level 7). | |
| 4.3.5 Level 400: the outcome level of a four-year undergraduate degree, an integrated four-year bachelor (honours) degree, and one-year bachelor (honours) degree (AQF Level 8). | |
| 4.4 The scale for postgraduate coursework subjects is: | |
| 4.4.1 Level 400: the outcome level of a postgraduate course of study that goes beyond undergraduate outcomes (AQF Level 8). | |
| 4.4.2 Level 500: a component of a masters course other than a research component of a master by research course (AQF Level 9). | |
| 4.4.3 Level 600: a research component of a masters course (AQF Level 9). | |
| 4.4.4 Level 700: a coursework subject contributing to a professional doctoral course (AQF Level 10). | |
| 4.4.5 Level 800: a subject contributing to the research component of a doctoral course (AQF Level 10). | |
| 4.5 Charles Sturt University will move to an eight-character subject coding system. | |
| 5.1 The University offers standard undergraduate course types leading to AQF awards: | ||
| 5.1.1 Undergraduate Certificate (AQF Level 5 to 7 comprising 32 points of study, 0.5 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.1.2 Diploma (AQF Level 5 comprising 64 points of study, 1.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.1.3 Associate Degree (AQF Level 6 comprising 128 points of study, 2.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.1.4 3-year Bachelor degree (AQF Level 7 comprising 192 points of study, 3.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.1.5 4-year Bachelor degree (AQF Level 7 comprising 256 points of study, 4.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.1.6 Integrated Bachelor (Honours) degree (AQF Level 8 comprising 256 points of study, 4.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.1.7 One-year Honours degree (AQF Level 8 comprising 64 points of study, 1.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.2 The University offers standard postgraduate course types leading to AQF awards: | ||
| 5.2.1 Graduate Certificate (AQF Level 8 comprising 32 points of study, 0.5 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.2.2 Graduate Diploma (AQF Level 8 comprising 64 points of study, 1.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.2.3 Masters (Coursework) Degree (AQF Level 9 comprising 96 or 128 points, 1.5 or 2.0 EFTSL) | ||
| 5.2.3.1 (AQF Level 9 comprising 64 points, 1.0 EFTSL) | ||
| 5.2.3.2 (AQF Level 9 comprising 96 or 128 points, 1.5 or 2.0 EFTSL) | ||
| 5.2.4 Masters (Extended) Degree (AQF Level 9 comprising 192 to 256 points of study, 3.0 - 4.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.2.5 Masters (Research) Degree (AQF Level 9, comprising 128 points, 1.0 - 2.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.2.6 Doctoral Degree (AQF Level 10, comprising 198 points 3.0 - 4.0 EFTSL). | ||
| 5.3 Courses offered with non-standard point values will be awarded at the same type and AQF level as the next lowest point-value award. | ||
| 5.4 For each type of course, refer to the AQF to ensure the volume of learning is sufficient for the qualification level and type. | ||
| 6.1 100 level subject restriction | |
| 6.1.1 Students can only count a maximum of 80 points at 100 level in a 192-point undergraduate degree course. | |
| 6.1.2 Students can only count a maximum of 96 points at 100 level in a 256-point undergraduate degree course. | |
| 6.2 300 level or above subject requirements | |
| 6.2.1 A 192-point undergraduate degree course must be designed with a minimum of 32 points at 300 level; a maximum of a further 16 points of 400 level subjects may be included. 400 level subjects cannot be Core subjects and may only be included within 192-point undergraduate degree courses as options students may elect to study. | |
| 6.2.2 A 256-point undergraduate degree course must be designed with a minimum of 64 points at 300 level or above; a maximum of 32 points of 400 level subjects may be included. | |
| 6.2.3 A Graduate Certificate, whether it is a standalone course or a component of an articulated set, can be designed with a maximum of 8 points of 300 level subjects. | |
| 6.3 400 level subject requirements and restrictions | |
| 6.3.1 A Bachelor (Honours) degree course, whether it is an integrated honours course or a one-year honours course, must include 64 points of subjects at a minimum of 400 level, including a research component with a weight of at least 16 points. | |
| 6.3.2 A Graduate Certificate, whether it is a standalone course or a component of an articulated set, must be comprised of subjects at a minimum of 24 points of subjects at 400 level or above. | |
| 6.3.3 Subjects at a minimum of 400 level must be listed for the most advanced 56 points of a Graduate Diploma, whether it is a standalone course or a component of an articulated set. | |
| 6.3.4 Subjects at 400 level cannot be listed for the most advanced 64 points of a Masters (Coursework) course. | |
| 6.4 500 level subject requirement | |
| 6.4.1 A Masters (Coursework) course must include at least 64 points of 500 level subjects. | |
| 6.4.2 A Graduate Diploma articulated within a Masters (Coursework) course must include at least 32 points of 500 level subjects. | |
| 6.5 A subject can only be credited once toward an award qualification | |
| 7.1 Single degree courses will have the following structure: | |
| 7.1.1 Essential set. | |
| 7.1.2 Elective set. | |
| 8.1 The essential set includes all compulsory requirements that all students undertaking a course must meet. | |
| 8.2 The essential set consists of subjects that meet the specific depth of knowledge and skills requirements for the disciplinary or professional area of study in a course. | |
| 8.3 The essential set delivers the course learning outcomes. | |
| 8.3.1 The subject learning outcomes in the essential set must be mapped to the course learning outcomes to ensure that all course learning outcomes are achieved through combinations of subjects in the essential set. | |
| 8.4 The essential set may consist of one or more of the following components: | |
| 8.4.1 Core subjects - the essential set includes designated core subjects, all of which must be completed by students undertaking the course. | |
| 8.4.2 Majors and Minors – the essential set in undergraduate degrees may include specified majors or minors that contribute to achieving the course learning outcomes. | |
| 8.4.3 Specialisations – the essential set in postgraduate degrees may include specified specialisations that contribute to achieving the course learning outcomes. | |
| 8.4.4 Restricted electives - the essential set includes restricted elective subjects, which offer students choice in their study from a list of specified subjects or subjects from a specified discipline. | |
| 8.5 The essential set includes key subjects for academic progress. | |
| 9.1 A student can use their elective set to enrol in any subject within the University for which they meet the prerequisites and for which there are no enrolment restrictions. | |
| 9.2 In order to meet the AQF breadth of knowledge and skills requirements, each undergraduate course of 192 points or more will require students to complete at least 16 points of unrestricted elective subjects that are not part of the essential set. | |
| 9.2.1 Professionally accredited degrees can be designed to forgo the elective set with breadth requirements included in the essential set. | |
| 9.3 An undergraduate elective set can also hold structured sequences of study: | |
| 9.3.1 Second Majors | |
| 9.3.2 Minors | |
| 9.4 Students in postgraduate courses may choose subjects from restricted electives not otherwise studied or from a specialisation sequence other than their first chosen specialisation as their elective subjects. | |
| 10.1 Core subjects are subjects that all students undertaking a course are required to pass. |
| 10.2 3-year Bachelor degrees must have a minimum of 64 points of core subjects. |
| 10.3 Professionally accredited degrees can be comprised of up to 100 per cent core subjects. |
| 10.4 Courses that are comprised of 64 points or more, or that are components of an articulated set of courses, must have a minimum of 16 points of core subjects. |
| 10.5 Core subjects in a Masters (Coursework) course must be structured such that the combination with restricted electives ensures that 64 points of subjects in the course are at 500 level. |
| 10.6 A core subject in a course cannot appear in Majors, Minors and Specialisations in that course. |
| 11.1 Majors and minors are approved sequences of specified subjects which students choose to complete their undergraduate award qualification. They may include compulsory subjects and restricted electives that students must pass to complete the sequence. | |
| 11.2 Stewardship of Majors and Minors resides with the faculty or school most closely related to the field of education of the major or minor. | |
| 11.3 A major is a sequence of subjects in a discipline or on an interdisciplinary theme that totals 64 points in volume. | |
| 11.3.1 Majors are accredited by Academic Senate. | |
| 11.3.2 The first major included in a course will be a component of the essential set. | |
| 11.3.3 Majors in the essential set must contribute to the acquisition of the course learning outcomes. | |
| 11.3.4 All majors must have at least 48 points completed above 100 level. | |
| 11.3.5 All majors must have at least 16 points to be completed at 300 level or above. | |
| 11.3.6 A second major may be chosen in the elective set of an undergraduate course. | |
| 11.3.7 Majors will be placed on an exclusion list for the purpose of double majors in a course when it is possible to choose a combination of subjects which share more than 50% of credit points in common above 100 level. | |
| 11.3.8 A major can be available to more than one course, in which case the structure must be identical in each course. If the major is not identical, it will require a different name in subsequent courses. | |
| 11.3.9 Majors are recorded on a student’s testamur. | |
| 11.4 A minor is a sequence of subjects in a discipline or on an interdisciplinary theme that totals 32 points in volume. | |
| 11.4.1 Where a minor is a required component of an essential set it must contribute to the acquisition of the course learning outcomes. | |
| 11.4.2 All minors must have at least 16 points to be completed above 100 level. | |
| 11.4.3 A derived minor, drawn from an accredited major, has the same name as the major from which its subjects are drawn. | |
| 11.4.4 A student may not qualify for a major and a minor with the same name. | |
| 11.4.5 Minors are recorded on a student’s academic transcript. | |
| 12.1 Specialisations are approved sequences of specified subjects which students choose to complete their postgraduate award qualification. They may include compulsory subjects and restricted electives. | |
| 12.2 A specialisation is a sequence of subjects in a discipline or on an interdisciplinary theme that totals 32 points in volume. | |
| 12.2.1 Specialisations are accredited by Academic Senate. | |
| 12.2.2 Specialisations will be components of the essential set. | |
| 12.2.3 Specialisations must contribute to the acquisition of the course learning outcomes. | |
| 12.2.4 Specialisations are added to the award title on a student’s testamur. | |
| 12.3 Masters courses may have specialisations. | |
| 12.4 Graduate Diplomas can recognise a specialisation but must be consistent with 12.2.2 and 12.2.3. | |
| 12.5 Graduate Certificates and non-degree courses cannot have specialisations recognised. | |
| 12.6 A specialisation can be available to more than one course, in which case its structure must be identical in each course. If the specialisation is not identical, it will require a different name in subsequent courses. | |
| 13.1 Restricted electives, where present, are a course requirement whereby a student can choose a subject or a specified number of subjects from an approved list of subjects or from a specified discipline. |
| 13.2 Restricted elective subject learning outcomes must combine with core subject learning outcomes to ensure that all course learning outcomes are achieved. |
| 13.3 Restricted elective subject sets can be designed to deliver required course content, such as work integrated learning and graduate learning outcomes. |
| 13.4 A restricted elective subject cannot be double counted towards a major, minor or specialisation. |
| 14.1 For Undergraduate Certificate courses, subjects may be drawn from the essential set of existing undergraduate courses at AQF levels 5, 6 or 7. | |
| 14.2 For Diploma courses, the essential set is at least 48 points. | |
| 14.3 For Associate Degree courses, the essential set is at least 64 points. | |
| 14.4 For 3-year Bachelor degree courses, the essential and elective set requirements are as follows: | |
| 14.4.1 essential set is at least 128 points | |
| 14.4.2 elective set is no more than 64 points | |
| 14.5 For 4-year Bachelor degree courses, the essential and elective set requirements are as follows: | |
| 14.5.1 essential set is at least 192 points | |
| 14.5.2 elective set is no more than 64 points | |
| 15.1 For Graduate Certificate courses, the essential set is 32 points. |
| 15.2 For Graduate Diploma courses, the essential set is at least 32 points. |
| 15.3 For Masters (Coursework) courses, the essential set is at least 64 points. |
| 15.4 Where a Masters (Coursework) course is intended as a pathway to doctoral research, it must enable students to demonstrate research preparedness by having an opportunity to undertake a research component weighted at 16 points or more. |
| 16.1 A double degree course will combine two existing courses that each lead to a single qualification into one set of course requirements that enable students to achieve all learning outcomes of both component courses. | |
| 16.2 An undergraduate degree and a postgraduate coursework degree may be combined into a single course that meets the requirements of both. | |
| 16.3 Subjects completed in a double degree or combined course must meet the requirements of both courses of study and thereby reduce the required volume of learning compared to the total volume of the two component single courses. | |
| 16.4 A double degree course will provide cross-credit to students. The volume of learning minimum limit for a double degree course will be the volume of the component single course with the greater volume of learning, plus 64 points. | |
| 16.4.1 Cross-credit cannot be given towards a core workplace learning subject unless the subject in the other component single course, for which the cross-credit is given, is a core workplace learning subject at the same level and of the same point value that meets the same learning outcomes. | |
| 16.5 Where a double degree or combined course comprises component single courses in two different disciplines, the breadth of knowledge and skills requirement is met by students undertaking subjects in the two different disciplines, and the course does not have to permit unrestricted elective choices. | |
| 17.1 An articulated set of courses is a sequence of courses in which the subjects required for the earlier course(s) in the sequence are a subset of the subjects required for the later course(s). | |
| 17.2 An articulated course may have a single entry point or multiple entry points: | |
| 17.2.1 Single entry is an articulated set of courses in which students are admitted to the highest course in the sequence but may exit part-way through with a lower award in the sequence. | |
| 17.2.2 Multiple entry is an articulated set of courses that permit students to be admitted to, and complete separately, more than one course in the set if they meet the admission requirements of that course. | |
| 17.3 Courses in an articulated set must meet the Australian Qualification Framework qualification specification for each award in the set. | |
| 17.4 Articulated sets of courses will normally comprise courses at different course levels but may comprise two courses at the same level. | |
| 18.1 The University may embed compulsory co-curricular not-for-credit short modules into undergraduate courses. Examples include academic integrity and child safety modules. |
| 19.1 All undergraduate courses have a requirement for work integrated learning activities. |
| 19.2 The compulsory work integrated learning requirement resides in the essential set of the course, either within a core subject or a restricted elective subject chosen from a distinct workplace learning restricted elective set. |
| 20.1 In alignment with the Charles Sturt University Indigenous Education Strategy and Indigenous Australian Content in Courses and Subjects Policy, the University will incorporate Indigenous Australian content in undergraduate courses and honours and Masters (Coursework) programs. |
| 21.1 Undergraduate awards are named after the field of study in the discipline or profession. |
| 21.2 Majors studied as part of an undergraduate award are added after the award name. |
| 21.3 Postgraduate awards are named after the specialist or professional area of study. |
| 21.4 Specialisations studied as part of a postgraduate award are recorded in parentheses in the name of the award. |
| 22.1 Course viability and efficiency review will be components of the business case for proposed new courses. |
| 22.2 Course viability and efficiency review will be components of the Annual Course Health Check and Comprehensive Course Review process. |