How courses work

You may already know what you want to study at university but you may not know how our courses work. This section includes detailed information about units, lectures, modes of delivery, assessments and more for Australian and international students.

Undergraduate courses (including diploma and advanced diploma) run from late February to mid-November.
Postgraduate students completing a doctoral degree or other research-based award may be able to negotiate an alternative start date with their project supervisor.
TAFE courses, due to their shorter duration, run from January to December, with varying intakes and start dates depending on the course.

Study mode and delivery mode

We offer you a range of ways to study including full time and part time. We encourage you to find a way of learning that fits in with your life.

Delivery mode refers how you choose to complete your studies and includes the ability to study on campus, off campus, on block release, online or through distance education.

Units, subjects and electives

A unit (or subject) is the class you'll attend to complete a course. Most courses have a mixture of compulsory core units that you need to complete, and optional elective units that you can choose to complete based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Prerequisites

Some courses may require prerequisites before you can enrol. These refer to subjects that are necessary in order for you to enter higher education, vocational education or further education courses.

Lectures, tutorials and labs

There are several formats for delivering units:

Lectures are large, formal classes in which lecturers present course material to all students enrolled in a given unit. These are usually held in lecture theatres.
Tutorials are less formal than lectures, where material from lectures and readings are discussed in more detail. Tutorials usually take place in a classroom setting.
Labs give you the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice with hands-on work carrying out experiments and other tasks.

Units are generally a mixture of lectures and tutorials and run to a fixed weekly timetable. Lectures might be attended by up to 200 students from different courses within a particular field, while tutorials are smaller groups of around 30 people.

Most courses have a blend of lectures, tutorials and/or labs, as well as workshops and group assignments. Some courses integrate a placement or clinical placement component where students are progressively introduced to the responsibilities and experiences of their chosen field through on-the-job training. TAFE courses also have work-based elements and practical workshops where students work on individual or group projects, using the same tools they would encounter on the job.

Assessment of coursework

Most courses are assessed based on how you perform in a number of activities including class participation, written assignments, exams, practical assignments and group exercises. Assessments may take place at the end of each semester or year. It may also be a continuous process throughout the year.

Postgraduate students undertaking research projects are assessed by a committee that evaluates the quality of your thesis.