Meaning of glossary terms used :

ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT. The official print-out of all your results, unit by unit, year by year, course by course. Only officially certified transcripts or copies certified by a recognized authority (such as a lawyer or justice of the Peace) are accepted in university application processes. Transcripts that are not in English will need to be translated and the translation certified.

ADVANCED STANDING. When universities award credit points for units studied at other institution if the units are equivalent to units required at the host university, provided those units of study have not already been counted towards a completed degree. For example, student who have completed eight units at University A before deciding to transfer may apply for one year’s ‘advanced standing’ towards a degree at University B. Thus, there are only required to study an additional two years to complete a three-year degree. Strict rules apply to advanced standing to avoid the double-counting of units of study. International students should check with their universities during the application process.

CO-REQUISITES. Units that need to be taken together, in the same semester.

CORE UNITS. The completion of certain ‘core’ or fixed units of study, often in a prescribed sequence. The remaining units to make up the required total units of study can be chosen from lists of approved electives. 

COURSES .  Also known as degrees or programs (for example, Bachelor of Arts or Masters of Business). Each course has a specified structure which students must follow in order to graduate from the university.

CREDIT POINTS. The total scores requirement to complete a course. For every unit that students successfully complete, they will be awarded a set number of credit points (for example, six points). An undergraduate degree may require 144 credit points in total. International student must keep track of their credit points to fulfill their visa obligations. For example, they may need to enrol in a full study load (for instance four units) per semester in order to complete their degree within a prescribed period. For more information, refer to your respective university student guide.

CREDIT TRANSFER. Similar to advanced standing. Some units that students have completed at other education institutions may be recognized by the university, but at the discretion of the faculty. If the credit transfer is successful, students do no need to re-take there units.

CRICOS. Stands for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. There are two types of numbers, one of the education provider and one of the course offered. International students should check these codes at <cricos.dest.gov.au> to ensure that their providers and courses have been approved by the Australian Government.

ELECTIVES. Optional units of study that students can select, from lists specified by their course authority. Students can often takes electives from other faculties an the university, provided they meet the prerequisites.

FACULTIES. This is an umbrella terms for a group of disciplinary areas. For example, the Faculty of Business will provide for Accounting, Management and marketing degrees, the Faculty of Arts will teach languages, history and other humanities and there will be a Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

FIELDS  Subject areas or disciplines (for example, sociology, management, accounting).

MAJOR. Subject discipline or field of study that is chosen by students as the principal component or specialization in their degrees, for example, Bachelor of Business (Economics) where economies will be the student’s major. This means that the largest number of units in the degree will be drawn form options in Economics.

MINOR. A secondary area of specialization within the student’s degree. Although it will not appear on the testamur, the minor will appear on the academic result slips. In most universities, students are required to have a minor, which generally consists of four units of study from the same subject/field.

PREREQUISTIES. Units that must be undertaken before you are allowed to enroll in a particular unit, for example, to take French 201, you first must complete French 101