UTAS is progressively implementing standard course structures for undergraduate degrees from the commencement of 2010.

What does this mean for students?

Commencing (new) students

The majority of students who commence a new course in 2010 will be studying a course in the new degree structures, which will use the terminology listed below.

Continuing (re-enrolling) students

In the transition phase for the introduction of the new course structures, the majority of students who are continuing their course in 2010 will be able to transfer to the new degrees structures from 2011.  This means that there will be changes to the requirements for completion of your degree.  Students who have passed units towards degrees under the previous rules will be entitled to transfer to the degrees in the new structures with full equivalent credit.  The transition for continuing students will be managed to ensure that students are not disadvantaged.

Benefits

Some of the benefits for students are:

• greater flexibility within the degree rules, which will allow you to study subjects from different disciplines outside the degree schedule more easily, allowing you the choice of gaining a greater breadth of knowledge and skills from your degree
  
  

• standard structures will allow you to manage your own enrolment more easily
  
  

• easier identification of majors, which will allow the majors to be displayed on your academic transcript

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New terminology

The terminology will be updated and applied more consistently.  To reflect the fact that subjects of all levels may be studied in different years of your degree, the terms will be:

Old terms                                        New terms

First year unit                        Introductory level unit

Second year unit                   Intermediate level unit

Third/Fourth/Fifth year unit       Advanced level unit

The components in degrees will be more consistently described as:

Major: a standard major will be 8 units: 2 introductory, 2 intermediate and 4 advanced level units.  In specialist degrees which require 2 majors, there may be either 2 standard majors or a standard major and a 'reversed' major.  A reversed major is 8 units: 4 introductory, 2 intermediate and 2 advanced level units (the 'reverse' of a standard major).

Minor: 2 introductory and 2 intermediate level units.  A minor also usually forms the first half of a standard major.

Degree Electives: units chosen from a schedule of available units from within the faculty.  In some degrees there may be a limited number of units at one or two levels or mandatory units in the degree electives.

Student Electives:

• Student elective units may be chosen from any unit offered by the University that is available as a student elective, which you are eligible to enrol in (usually by meeting the pre-requisite requirements), and for which, in the case of units with a quota on enrolments, there is a place available for you.
  
  
• When choosing student elective units, the units must be within the minimum and maximum numbers of units required at each level (ie introductory, intermediate or advanced) within the degree.  Check the degree specification on the Course and Unit Handbook for details on the minimum and maximum number of units at each level in your degree.
  
  
• Some sample degree plans may provide suggestions on units to be taken as student electives, however you are not obliged to follow these suggestions and may take other units to complete the requirements for your degree.

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How do I know if my course is in a new course structure?

A full list of the undergraduate courses for 2009 and 2010 is available here for reference. (pdf, 206KB)

When you check the online Course and Unit Handbook, you will be asked whether you are a new (commencing) or a continuing (re-enrolling) student.  This will take you to the relevant course information.  You will be able to switch between information for commencing or continuing students for the same course in the Handbook.   Course information for 2010 for commencing students will be available on October 1 2009.

Examples of the new course structures

Diagrams of the new structures are available here (pdf, 304KB)

The information on the Course and Unit Handbook for your degree will advise you of the units available and what you are required to study to complete the requirements for your degree.

If you have any queries about the new course structures, please contact the Course Structures Project Officer, Gail Reardon, on (03) 6226 1097 or by email Gail.Reardon@utas.edu.au.