James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2004

Planning a Degree Course, Admission and Enrolment Procedures

AWARD STRUCTURES AND PLANNING A COURSE OF STUDY

The following information details the basic principles according to which the University's Awards are structured. It is important that students also read the Requirements for Undergraduate Coursework Awards, Faculty Award Requirements and the Award Requirements for the course in which they are enrolled, to ensure familiarity with the conditions of the degree regulations.

1. UNIT STRUCTURE

The University is moving to a system based on multiples of 3 unit subjects. This process is expected to be completed for the commencement of the 2004 academic year.

Each subject is based on a unit structure with three or six units per subject being acceptable. In exceptional cases, especially at postgraduate level, Faculties may approve subjects with unit values in excess of six units.

2. THE MODEL

2.1 A three-year degree normally requires 72 units based on eight subjects of three units at levels 1, 2 and 3. A four-year degree normally requires 96 units. The minimum duration and required number of units for each level of Award offered by the University is shown below.

Certificate 6 months
part-time
6 units
Advanced Diploma and
Diploma
2 years 48 units
Undergraduate Degree 3 years 72 units
Undergraduate Degree 4 years 96 units
Honours Degree final year 1 year 24 units
Graduate or
Postgraduate Certificate
6 months 12 units
Graduate or
Postgraduate Diploma
1 year 24 units
Masters Degree by
Coursework
18 months or 2 years 36 units or
48 units
Masters Degree by Research 18 months 36 units equiv.
Doctor of Philosophy 3 years
Professional Doctorate 3 years

Faculties may allow students, with the approval of the appropriate officer, to graduate where the student is within one or two units of completing the prescribed requirements for the Award, including joint degrees.

2.2 The normal enrolment for a full-time student is 24 units in an academic year, or 12 units in each semester. Thus, a three unit subject should be planned to require a quarter of a full-time student's available time and effort in a semester. Further information on full- and part-time status is given at section 7, below.

2.3 The maximum enrolment normally permitted is 18 units per semester.

3. SUBJECTS

3.1 Subjects may not have different unit values for the same content at the same level.

3.2 Subjects that have substantial overlap in content are listed as inadmissible combinations.

3.3 Level 1

The first year of an undergraduate degree requires eight 3-unit semester subjects at level 1.

3.4 Level 2, 3 or 4

The second, third and fourth years of the degree normally require eight 3-unit semester subjects, but may include 6-unit subjects at levels 3 and 4. Year long subjects and subjects of a greater size are only accepted in the third and fourth years with the approval of the faculty. Honours and professional subjects can be any size in multiples of three units up to 24 units.

3.5 Postgraduate

Postgraduate subjects are normally three or six units.

4. CONTACT HOURS

4.1 Degrees should be designed with the expectation that the average student undertaking 24 units in a year can reasonably expect that the workload including contact and non-contact hours will be between 40 and 48 hours per week.

4.2 At the undergraduate level, each 3-unit subject is of one semester's duration and requires up to six hours of contact time per week. The maximum contact for a 24 unit year should be 24 hours per week. Fieldwork and practicums can be conducted outside the designated teaching weeks.

5. PREREQUISITES

5.1 Definition -- A prerequisite is a subject or subjects or a set of conditions which must be met before enrolment in a subject is approved.

5.2 Prerequisite subjects should be kept to a minimum and used only where sequential learning is involved. Prerequisite subjects may be implied in program structures.

6. COURSES AND MAJORS

The University has adopted the terms course and major as the terminology used to describe the content of its Awards (see description of course and major in Definitions on page 12).

7. FULL- AND PART-TIME STUDY

7.1 Full-time study

A full-time student normally enrols for 12 units in each semester and 24 units in each academic year. It is important to note that a student must be enrolled in at least nine units in a semester to be regarded as full-time; those whose enrolment drops below nine units at any stage in the semester normally will no longer be eligible for Austudy or, if an overseas student, for a student visa.

7.2 Part-time study

A part-time student normally enrols for fewer than nine units in a semester and fewer than 18 units in an academic year. Part-time study in most courses is available, but classes during the evening can be offered in only a limited number of subjects. Students who foresee difficulty in attending classes during the day should therefore take note of published lecture times in planning their enrolment.

A part-time student is normally permitted to enrol in a workload that suits the student's requirements provided that any specifications within degree requirements concerning minimum enrolment and/or maximum period of candidature are complied with.

ADMISSION

Persons who wish to enrol for Bachelor degrees and Diploma courses must satisfy the Admission Rules (see page 30) and/or the enrolment requirements specified in the course rules.

Applications for admission to courses shown under (a)-(d) below:

Certificate courses;

Diploma of Indigenous Studies which is normally available only to students of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent;

Bachelor honours courses; and

all postgraduate coursework courses,

must be made on the appropriate form and submitted to:

Student Administration

James Cook University

Townsville Qld 4811

Telephone: (07) 4781 5255,

Facsimile: (07) 4781 4644,

Applications for admission to Tertiary Access Courses for Aboriginal and Islander students must be made on the appropriate form and submitted to:

School of Indigenous Australian Studies

James Cook University

Townsville Qld 4811

Applications for higher degree courses by research must be made on the appropriate form and submitted to:

Graduate Research School

James Cook University

Townsville Qld 4811

Applications for admission for other courses are made to the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC), PO Box 1331, Milton, QLD 4064, telephone (07) 3368 1166. Current Year 12 students apply to QTAC by telephone or via the web. High Schools provide instruction and guidance on the procedures to Year 12 students. All other applicants for courses offered through QTAC (other than international students) apply by: QTAC's Apply by Web Service at http://www.qtac.edu.au ; or application form contained within the QTAC Guide that is available for purchase from QTAC and most newsagencies. International students should contact JCU's International Student Centre.

Prerequisites

Senior English (or its equivalent) is a general prerequisite for entry to all undergraduate courses. In addition, some courses have other prerequisites. Full details are given in the Admission Rules, Schedule II (pp. 31-34).

ENROLMENT

New students

In order to secure their offer of a place in a course at the University, new students must complete the procedures outlined in the documentation included with their letter of offer. A late enrolment charge will be charged for forms submitted after the due date.

Continuing students

Students enrolled at the University in 2003 who wish to re-enrol in 2004 should submit their Application for Enrolment not later than 5 December 2003. This may be done online at Students Online or by contacting Student Administration for a form. A late enrolment charge will be charged for forms submitted after the due date.

Returning students

Students previously enrolled at the University but not enrolled in 2003, who wish to return to the University in 2004 should obtain the appropriate forms from JCU's Student Administration and submit them by the due date. A late enrolment charge will be charged for forms submitted after the due date.

James Cook University Student Association

Townsville

The enquiry counter is located on the ground floor of the Student Association Building, telephone (07) 4781 4400, internal extension numbers 4478/4400 or Freecall 1800 330 021.

The address for all correspondence is:

James Cook University
Student Association

PO Box 1

James Cook University

Townsville QLD 4811.

Cairns

The Student Association offices are located next to the Refectory on the ground floor of Building A2, Smithfield Campus, telephone (07) 4042 1160 or internal 1160, facsimile (07) 4042 1161 or internal 1161.

The address for all correspondence is:

James Cook University

Cairns Campus Student Association

PO Box 6811

Cairns QLD 4870.

Association Services Fee - Cairns and Townsville - 2004

Students may not enrol at the University unless they:

become and continue to be a member of the James Cook University Student Association by payment of the appropriate fee; or

seek exemption from such fee through a bona fide conscientious or religious objection. In such a case, the student must make a payment equivalent to the prescribed Association Services Fee to the "Building Development Fund".

The 2004 James Cook University Student Association Services Fees are as follows:

Full-time $275.00
Part-time $137.00
Remote Residence1 $77.00

For students enrolling in full year or Semester 1 studies, payment must be made by Monday, 23 February 2004.

For students enrolling in Semester 2 only, payment must be made by no later than Monday, 9 August 2004.

Students may apply to the Student Association for a refund of their Association Services Fee if they formally cancel or vary their enrolment from full-time to part-time or full year to single semester by the dates shown:

31 March 2004 (Semester 1 HECS Census date):

full refund if withdrawing from full-year subject(s)

full refund if withdrawing from Semester 1 subject(s)

31 August 2004 (Semester 2 HECS Census date):

full refund if withdrawing from Semester 2 subject(s).

Credit for Other Studies

Students may in certain circumstances be given credit towards awards of this University for studies successfully undertaken in other tertiary institutions. Students should refer to the appropriate section of the policy statement Credit Towards Degrees and Diplomas beginning on page 57 of this publication.

Any candidate for an award of this University who wishes to be considered for the granting of credit towards an award for subjects already successfully completed at another institution must apply in writing to the appropriate faculty office, enclosing a full official transcript from the institution concerned. No credit towards an award of this University can be considered to have been approved unless it has been formally granted by the Executive Dean of the relevant faculty.

Variation or Cancellation of Enrolment

Students who wish to vary their enrolment in any way or to cancel totally must complete the appropriate form, obtainable from the Faculty Student Offices (Townsville) and Student Administration (Cairns). A list of dates by which enrolments may be varied or cancelled without penalty of failure is printed in the Important Dates section inside the front cover of this publication.

Students who withdraw from subjects or cancel their enrolments after the appropriate date will normally be regarded as having failed unless at the time of withdrawal or cancellation they provide a statement which satisfies the appropriate officer of the faculty that failure should not be recorded.

Students should be careful not to confuse the dates for withdrawal from a subject on academic grounds and withdrawal to avoid financial liability under the Commonwealth Government's Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) or the University's tuition fee policies. A list of dates by which students must withdraw without HECS or tuition fee penalty is printed in the Important Dates section inside the front cover of this publication.

Cross-institutional Enrolment

Cross-institutional students undertaking subjects at James Cook University for credit towards an award of another university

Students are required to satisfy the following criteria:

evidence must be provided by the home institution that James Cook University subjects will be accepted for credit towards the student's award;

an application for cross-institutional enrolment (obtained from Student Administration) and a certified copy of academic record from the other university must be submitted to James Cook University by 9 February 2004 for first semester and 19 July 2004 for second semester.

Students enrolling for subjects at other universities for credit towards an award of James Cook University

Students are required to satisfy the following criteria:

at least 50 percent of the award must have been completed at James Cook University;

prior approval must be obtained from the appropriate Head of School and appropriate Faculty Officer at James Cook University;

approval must be obtained from the appropriate officer/Executive Dean at the host university and, where required, by that university's Registrar.

Those seeking to enrol in 2004 should contact the host university to enquire about its admission requirements.

FLEXIBLE DELIVERY STUDIES

Flexible delivery learning at James Cook University offers students off-campus access to some higher education courses through a combination of self-instructional materials and, in some cases, on-campus workshops.

Lecturer/student interaction is a major feature of the courses. Students receive self-instructional material regarding the subject and details of the work to be covered during the semester. Selected readings from books and journals, in either electronic or print form, may also be issued.

The following courses are available via flexible or external delivery:

FACULTY OF ARTS, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Postgraduate programs:

Doctor of Psychology

Master of Education

Master of Indigenous Studies

Master of Psychology

Master of Social Policy

Master of Social Science (some study areas only)

Master of Social Work

Master of Women's Studies

Postgraduate Diploma of Clinical Psychology

Postgraduate Diploma of Forensic Psychology

Postgraduate Diploma of Geropsychology

Postgraduate Diploma of Health Psychology

Postgraduate Diploma of Indigenous Studies

Postgraduate Diploma of Social Science
(some study areas only)

Postgraduate Diploma of Social Welfare

Postgraduate Diploma of Women's Studies

Graduate Certificate of Social Science
(some study areas only)

Graduate Certificate of Work Psychology in Rural
Health Settings

Postgraduate Certificate of Arts (some study areas only)

Postgraduate Certificate of Clinical Psychology

Postgraduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage Studies

Postgraduate Certificate of Education

Postgraduate Certificate of Forensic Psychology

Postgraduate Certificate of Geropsychology

Postgraduate Certificate of Health Psychology

Postgraduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies

Postgraduate Certificate of Social Science
(some study areas only)

Postgraduate Certificate of Women's Studies

Undergraduate programs:

Advanced Diploma of Women's Studies

Bachelor of Community Welfare

Bachelor of Education (Professional Development)

Bachelor of Education (RATEP)

Bachelor of Social Work

FACULTY OF MEDICINE, HEALTH AND MOLECULAR SCIENCES

Postgraduate programs:

Doctor of Public Health (research)

Doctor of Public Health Studies

Master of Advanced Nursing Practice

Master of Forensic Mental Health

Master of Medicine (by research)

Master of Occupational Therapy

Master of Public Health

Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Master of Nursing Studies

Master of Rural and Remote Medicine

Diploma of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Graduate Diploma of Assistive Technology

Graduate Diploma of Forensic Mental Health

Postgraduate Diploma of Allied Health Services

Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery

Postgraduate Diploma of Neonatology

Postgraduate Diploma of Public Health and
Tropical Medicine

Postgraduate Diploma of Rural and Remote Medicine

Postgraduate Diploma of Tropical Medicine
and Hygiene

Graduate Certificate of Forensic Mental Health

Postgraduate Certificate of Clinical Population Health

Postgraduate Certificate of Disaster and Refugee Health

Postgraduate Certificate of Infection Control

Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science
(Advanced Clinical Practice)

Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science
(Cardiac Nursing)

Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science
(Care of the Aged)

Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science
(Clinical Teaching)

Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science
(Intensive Care)

Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science
(Neonatal Care)

Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science
(Perioperative Care)

Postgraduate Certificate of Travel Medicine

Undergraduate program:

Bachelor of Nursing Sciences

Partial studies by flexible delivery are also available in a number of other courses. Students should check the section of this Handbook where subjects are described in full to determine what is available.

To assist students in the Mackay area, a study centre has been established. Within Queensland, Learning Network Qld has been established to help develop and expand access to higher education for all individuals. Refer to your local telephone directory to see if there is one in your area.

An off-campus library service is available. A range of services is provided including book loans, a photocopy service, literature searches and inter-library loans. The library's catalogue may also be accessed electronically by external users. A printed guide is available to assist off-campus students in the use of library facilities and services.


1. Must have a term address outside a radius of 100 km from either the Townsville or Cairns GPO, and not be studying a semester-long on-campus subject.