Terms and definitions

Frequently used statements from VTAC, Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre

Minimum tertiary entrance requirements

You must meet minimum tertiary entrance requirements for Victoria to be eligible for entry into courses (Certificate IV and above) through VTAC. To meet the minimum tertiary entrance requirements you must have satisfactorily completed the VCE or its equivalent– including the appropriate number of units and have completed Units 3 and 4 of an English study in that sequence in the same year.

Course and institutional requirements

You must meet institutional and course requirements to be eligible for entry into a course. No matter how good your ATAR is, unless you also meet the prerequisites and complete the extra requirements you will not be considered by course selection officers for their courses.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite studies are those VCE studies that you must have successfully completed in order to qualify for a course. Courses with prerequisites specify which VCE units are required and the result that must be achieved. CourseSearch lists the prerequisites required for the courses you will be applying for.

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Extra requirements

These are requirements set for a course—in addition to the VCE—that you must satisfy to be considered for selection.

Extra requirements under the course information in CourseSearch.

Middle band

Many courses specify additional factors that are considered for applicants whose ATAR falls in the middle band. The middle band is the ATAR range just below the minimum ATAR for automatic selection for a course.

Study groupings

There are many study groupings used in prerequisite, middle-band and ATAR calculation statements. English and mathematics are the most common. For a complete list refer to study groupings.

Mathematics studies

Further Mathematics; Mathematical Methods (CAS); Specialist Mathematics; any Mathematics Higher Education study.

English studies

English; English (ESL); Literature; English Language; any English Higher Education study.

(VCE) VET studies

VET programs with Unit 3 and 4 sequences can contribute to the ATAR in two ways. VET sequences with scored assessment may be included in the calculation of the ATAR aggregate. VET studies with no scored assessment may be counted as fifth and/or sixth studies. The increment will be 10% of the average of the primary four ATAR subject scores.

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)

Like the VCE, the VCAL is a recognised senior qualification. The VCAL is another pathway to tertiary study. Students who undertake the VCAL are generally focused on training at TAFE, apprenticeships or getting a job after completing Year 12.
Terms associated with the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

ATAR

The ATAR is an overall percentile ranking reflecting your comparative Year 12 achievement relative to the relevant age group in a given year. Your ATAR is developed from an aggregate of your VCE study scores. The aggregate is calculated by adding the scores of the primary four studies to a maximum of two available (and permissible) increments. To be eligible for an ATAR you need a minimum of four permissible scorable studies and have successfully completed the VCE.

Study score

A score from 0–50, determined by the VCAA, which shows how you performed in a study relative to all other students doing that same study. It is based on your results in school assessments and examinations.

Scaling

A study score provides an indication of your relative performance in a particular study. Scaling adjusts for differences in abilities of students undertaking different studies, so that the scaled study scores are comparable across different studies. It ensures that students are neither advantaged or disadvantaged on the basis of the studies they choose. All VCAA study scores are scaled (see ABC of Scaling) by VTAC.

ATAR subject score

The scaled score is referred to as the ATAR subject score and contributes towards the calculation of the ATAR.
Restrictions on studies used in the ATAR calculation

Studies with similar emphasis or content may not be used in combination for the calculation of the ATAR. For a complete list of these restrictions, refer to study restrictions

ATAR calculation

Primary four

The four studies that are counted first in the calculation of the ATAR. The primary four aggregate is made up of the ATAR subject score in one of English, English (ESL), Literature or English Language added to the next best three permissible ATAR subject scores.

Increments

An increment is 10% of any fifth and/or sixth permissible ATAR subject score that is available. Increments are added to the primary four during the calculation of the ATAR.

Aggregate

The total produced by adding the primary four to a maximum of two available (and permissible) increments.
Other commonly used terms

CSP

Commonwealth supported place; place in a degree course subsidised by the Australian Government

CourseLink

interactive program on the VTAC website that allows you to customise course searches based on your VCE program

CourseSearch

function on the VTAC website that allows you to search or browse through all courses with applications through VTAC

CY12

current Year 12 students

NONY12

Non-Year 12 students

Degree

award for a 3–4 year completed tertiary course

Diploma

award for a 2–3 year completed tertiary course

SEAS

Special Entry Access Scheme; umbrella program for special entry at participating institutions

VCAA, Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority

A

Accredited course – A course that leads to an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification or Statement of Attainment that is nationally recognised. The accredited course has been endorsed by either a state or national authority responsible for accrediting courses against agreed principles of accreditation. In Victoria, the statutory authority is the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).

Accreditation period – The period during which a course or certificate is accredited.

Adult and Community Education Organisation (ACE) – A community-based organisation that may be an RTO or recognised VCE or VCAL provider.

Assessing school – The school responsible for providing the assessment (through VASS) for one or more units for a student. The assessing school is usually, but not always, the home school. A student may have more than one assessing schools.

Assessment plan – A set of tasks relating to the assessment of units of competence/modules undertaken in the Unit 3 and 4 sequence of a scored VCE VET program.

Assessment task – A task set by the teacher to assess students’ achievements of unit outcomes for School-assessed Coursework (see also Outcomes).

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) – The overall ranking on a scale of zero to 99.95 that a student receives, based on his/her study scores. The ATAR is calculated by VTAC and used by universities and TAFE institutes to select students for courses. Formerly known as Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER).

Auspicing – Arrangement that a school can make with an RTO for the delivery of VCE VET, or VET or FE as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the school and the RTO.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) – The national framework for all qualifications in post-compulsory education and training.

Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) – The nationally agreed set of regulatory arrangements that ensure the high quality of vocational education and training services in Australia.

Authentication – The process of ensuring that the work submitted by students for assessment is their own.

Award level (VCAL) – In the VCAL there are three award levels: Foundation, Intermediate and Senior.

C-D

Chief Assessor – An expert appointed by the VCAA in each study to supervise the marking of the external examination/s in that study.

Coursework audit – As part of an ongoing monitoring and quality assurance program by the VCAA, samples of School-assessed Coursework material are collected from schools each semester. The work collected is used to monitor schools’ administration of School-assessed Coursework and compliance with the accredited VCE Study Design.

Credit (VCAL) – In the VCAL, students are awarded one credit for completion of accredited curriculum in accordance with the course requirements for VCAL.

Credential – The certificate that the student is awarded on successful completion of all course requirements by the VQA.

Cumulative Performance Measure (CPM) – VTAC developed summative instrument, available since 2003, for VCE and Senior VCAL graduates who have completed no more than 3 and no less than 2 scored VCE studies.

Derived Examination Score (DES) – Provision available for students who have missed an examination or whose examination performance has been impaired due to illness or other personal circumstances.

E-F

Equivalent qualification – The VCAA, on delegation from the VRQA, issues Statements of Equivalent Qualification for recognised qualifications for equivalence to Year 12 level, obtained overseas or interstate. The VCAA also assesses interstate and overseas qualifications for their equivalence to Year 11.

Examinations – External assessments set and marked by the VCAA. All VCE Units 3 and 4 studies have at least one examination. Most written examinations are held in October and November, with a small number in June. Performance examinations and oral components of LOTE examinations are held in October.

Extension studies – First-year university studies recognised by the VCAA for contribution to the ENTER for students who are academically very able.

External Reference Score – A common measure of performance in external assessments against which the schools’ School-assessed Coursework scores for a particular study are statistically moderated. It is formed from the students’ examination scores for each study and, for some studies, the component scores from the GAT.

Further Education (FE) – Qualifications that provide training in adult literacy and basic education, access and preparatory education and English as a Second Language. Further Education certificates are accredited under the AQTF.

G-H

General Achievement Test (GAT) – A test of knowledge and skills in writing, mathematics, science and technology, humanities and social sciences and the arts. All students enrolled in VCE Unit 3 and 4 sequence must sit the GAT. It is used by the VCAA to check that schools are marking School-assessed Tasks to the same standard, as part of the statistical moderation of School-assessed Coursework and as a quality assurance check on the VCAA’s marking of examinations and School-assessed Tasks.

Graded Assessment – All VCE studies have three Graded Assessments for each Unit 3 and 4 sequence, except for scored VCE VET programs, which have two. Each study includes at least one examination, most have School-assessed Coursework, and some have School-assessed Tasks.

Home school – Refers to the major school of the student. Only the home school may enter and change a student’s personal details through VASS. A student can only have one home school at a time. The home school is usually, but not always, the assessing school.

K-M

Key Competencies – Generic competencies that are essential for effective participation in the workplace. Generally, key competencies refer to the Mayer Key Competencies.

Module – A distinct component of the vocational training curriculum, comprising specified learning outcomes, assessment criteria and other information to support the delivery of training and conduct of assessment. Modules are identifiable as ‘UoC’ on VASS.

N-P

Nominal Hours – The scheduled hours required for the delivery and assessment of vocational training as determined by Skills Victoria (formerly OTTE).

Outcomes – What a student must know and be able to do in order to satisfactorily complete a unit as specified in the VCE study design or VCAL unit.

Principal – Refers to principals, college principals of multi-campus schools, headmasters, headmistresses and directors.

S-T

Strand – The VCAL contains four curriculum strands; literacy and numeracy skills, industry specific skills, work related skills and personal development skills.

Student Number – The unique number assigned to each student enrolled in VCE, VCE VET and VCAL. From 2003, the Student Number replaces all references to Candidate Number and VCAA Candidate Number in this and other VCAA publications.

Studies – The subjects available in the VCE.

Study design (VCE) – A study design for each VCE study is published by the VCAA. It specifies the content for the study and how students’ work is to be assessed. Schools and other VCE providers must adhere to the requirements in the study designs.

Study score – A score from zero to 50 which shows how a student performed in a VCE study, relative to all other Victorian students enrolled in that same study in a result year. It is based on the student’s results in school assessments and examinations.

Training package – A document that sets out the training framework determined by industry for an industry sector. National competency standards, assessment guidelines and national qualifications form the endorsed components of training packages. Assessment materials, learning strategies and professional development materials may support these as non-endorsed components.

Training Plan – A program of training and assessment which is required under an Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training Contract.

U

Unit of competence (UoC) – the specification of knowledge and skills and the application of that knowledge and skills to the standard of performance expected in the workplace. The RTO assesses competence.

Units (VCE) – The components of a VCE study that are a semester in duration. There are usually four units in a VCE study, numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Units (VCAL) – VCAL units contain accredited learning outcomes that enable content to be developed and/or planned at the local level.

V

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) – An accredited senior secondary school qualification undertaken by students in Years 11 and 12.

VCAL/VCE Certificate – The certificate awarded to students who meet the requirements for graduation of the VCAL and/or VCE. See also Statement of Results.

VCAL Learning Program – A program of accredited curriculum that leads to the award of a VCAL Certificate.

VCAL provider – A school or other organisation authorised to offer the VCAL.

Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) – An accredited senior secondary school qualification.

VCE provider – A school or other organisation authorised to offer the VCE.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) – Nationally recognised vocational certificates. These certificates may be integrated within a VCE or VCAL program.

VCE VET – VET certificates developed into full programs of study within the VCE and contributing to satisfactory completion of the VCE under the same recognition arrangements as for VCE studies.

Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) – VTAC acts on behalf of universities, TAFEs and other providers facilitating and coordinating the joint selection system. VTAC calculates and distributes the Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER).

University Terms

A

Academic adviser – a staff member who can give students advice about changes or problems they have with their course.

Academic Board (AB) – the body that formulates, approves and monitors the University’s academic standards.

Academic staff – a staff member employed by a faculty to teach and do research.

Academic transcript – a student’s official record of results.

Academic year – consists of two 12-week semesters, starting late February or early March and ending around November.

Alumni – graduates of the University.

Ancora Imparo – the University’s motto. It means ‘I am still learning’.

Appeal – the process a student goes through to raise an objection regarding results, faculty decisions or other academic matters.

Assessment regime – this is made up of the assessment tasks for a unit and the percentage each task contributes to the final result.

Assistant Lecturer – the most junior rank of academic staff at the University.

Associate Professor – the most senior rank of academic staff at the University.

Authcate – a Monash term for a computer account. Students and staff must use this to access protected internet resources.

Award – a recognised certification of achievement or competence. Awards are the titles that appear on a student’s testamur and transcript.

Award course – a program of study that leads to an academic award granted by the University.

B

Bachelor degree – an undergraduate award usually requiring 3 or 4 years of full-time study.

Bridging for Overseas Trained Professionals Loan Scheme (BOTPLS) – fee assistance program for overseas professionals who need to undertake study to have their qualifications recognised in Australia.

C

Campus – the University grounds and buildings.

Campus Centre – Building 10 on the Clayton campus.

Campus Director – the senior staff member who has overall responsibility for a particular university campus.

Census dates – the last dates by which students can change their enrolment.

Chancellor – the elected, non-executive head of the University. This is an honorary position; the Chancellor chairs meetings and presides over graduation ceremonies amongst other duties.

Chaplain – a member of clergy who conducts religious services for the University.

Cheating – gaining an unfair advantage in an exam or other piece of assessment.

Clubs and societies – student-run groups that share common interests. They include cultural, sporting, religious, political, theatrical, ethnic, faculty and general interest groups.

Combined course – a course that will lead to a single combined award or meet the requirements of more than one award (also called a double degree).

Commencing student – a student who has enrolled in a course for the first time.

Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) – enrolment and fee payment notification.

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) – a higher education place for which the Commonwealth makes a contribution towards the cost of the student’s education.

Community services – services provided by the University for current students. These include sports facilities, financial assistance, chaplaincy, housing, counselling, employment, health, disability, and language and learning.

Core unit – a unit of study that is compulsory for the course or subject area.

Corequisite unit – undertaking a unit at the same time as a linked unit (if not already completed as a prerequisite).

Course completion – successful completion of all the academic requirements of a course.

Coursework – undertaking units of study that comprise some combination of teaching sessions such as lectures, tutorials, practical group work like laboratories, and assigned assessment tasks, including exams.

Credit points – the weighting value of a unit. Units in most faculties (except Engineering) are worth 6 credit points. A full-time load is 48 credit points per year (4 x 6 credit points per semester).

Credit transfer – recognition for previous tertiary-level study. This may allow some student to skip some subjects.

D

Dean – the chief academic and administrator of a faculty.

Deferment – postponement of study with faculty approval. A student may delay the start of their course up to 12 months.

Degree – the academic title you get when you complete a course of study.

Demonstrator – like a tutor, a demonstrator runs practical classes with small groups in laboratories.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) – a senior administrator of the University with a particular area of responsibility.

Diploma – the award you get when you successfully complete a diploma course. A diploma course usually requires less study than a degree course.

Discipline – an area of study. For example, Civil Engineering is a discipline of Engineering.

Discontinued unit – ceasing enrolment in a unit before completion.

Dissertation – a substantial piece of written work. See also thesis

Doctor – the title given to the recipient of the postgraduate degree, e.g. Doctor of Philosophy.

Double degree – see combined course

E

Educational Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) – a group of laws that control the supply and delivery of courses to student visa holders. The aim of this legislation is to protect overseas students while they study in Australia.

Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL) – the measure used to calculate a student’s load/fees.

Elective – a unit that is not a core subject of the course. Students have some freedom in choosing these units.

Emeritus – a retired academic who retains the title of professor.

Encumbrance – a penalty for non-payment of fees, loans or fines. Penalties can range from stopping students borrowing from the library to stopping them graduate.

Enhancement studies – first-year Monash University subjects studied by Year 12 students as part of their VCE and for eventual credit at university.

Enrolment – the process a student follows when they formally accept their offer of a place in a course.

Exchange programs -students undertaking part of their studies at an overseas university.

Exclusion – removal of a student from a course for unsatisfactory academic progress – e.g. failure to pass at least 50% of their credit points in a particular semester or year.

Exemption – when a student is not required to undertake part of a unit, a unit or units of study because of prior studies or work experience. Also known as ‘credit’ or ‘advanced standing’.

F

Faculty – a collection of academic departments of similar disciplines grouped together.

Faculty adviser – a staff member who can provide comprehensive course advice to students.

FEE-HELP – a loan facility that helps students enrolled in non-research award courses pay their fees.

Fee-paying course – a course that requires the student pay the full cost of the course.

Flexible delivery – a method of teaching where students nominate the style of teaching they would like to receive. This is often a mix of on-campus and off-campus subjects.

G

Graduand – a person who has finished their degree but has not graduated yet.

Graduate – the recipient of a degree.

Graduate diploma – a postgraduate qualification gained after a student’s first degree.

Graduation – a formal ceremony to celebrate a student’s successful completion of their degree or area of postgraduate study.

H

Halls – student accommodation, generally on-campus.

Handbooks – online handbooks provide details of subjects offered in each faculty area.

Higher education – study at university level.

Higher degree research (HDR) – a course that consists of at least two-thirds as research work and not more than one-third as coursework.

Honours – an extra year added to a degree program where a students can specialise in an area of study and undertake a mixture of coursework and research.

Host scheme – part of the Clayton orientation program, the scheme aims to introduce first-year students to each other and to the University.

I

Independent learning – the type of learning expected of university students. Students should be self-directed, self-reliant and motivated learners who take responsibility for their own learning.

Intermission – a period of study leave taken by enrolled students. Students may take intermission for up to 12 months, which is one full year or two consecutive semesters.

J

K

L

Laboratory – a practical session, sometimes referred to as a ‘lab’.

Leave of absence – see intermission

Lecture – a formal teaching method where an academic staff member delivers information/instruction to students. It rarely involves student participation. This is the most common from of teaching at uni.

Lecture theatres – are large venues for lectures.

Lecturer – the name given to the academic staff member who gives lectures.

M

Major/Major sequence – the main subject area of study completed as part of a degree.

Masters degree – a postgraduate award. Students can study by coursework, research or a combination of the two.

Mentor schemes – help smooth the transition to university for new students. Current students provide guidance to new students to help them get familiar with the administration, teaching and culture of the uni. The uni offers a number of mentor schemes each year.

Menzies Building – Building 11 on the Clayton campus.

my.monash portal – a single point of access for students and staff to access university information, such as email and their day-to-day timetable.

N

Novell account – the name given to student and staff IT accounts. It allows connection to the Monash network servers from laboratory computers or home.

O

Orientation – marks the start of semester for first-year and other new students. It comprises academic, social and informative activities designed to help new students settle into university life.

O-Week – the week before semester starts, when orientation activities take place.

Overloading – undertaking more than the prescribed number of units of study in a semester.

P

Part-time student – a student taking less than 75% of a full-time study load in a particular semester.

Philosophy, Doctor of (PhD) – along with other doctorate awards, the highest award available at the University.

Plagiarism – taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another.

Postgraduate – any higher-level study usually undertaken after completing an undergraduate degree. Examples are graduate diplomas, masters or PhDs.

Practical session (practical or prac) – some form of practical teaching often run in laboratories, studios or in the field.

Prerequisite – in order to enrol in one unit, another (prerequisite) unit has to be successfully finished first.

Professor – a staff member with high-level academic qualifications.

Program – generic term usually meaning the individual path to an award or to the completion of a course.

Prohibition – some units are very similar in academic content, learning objectives and assessment. To stop students from doing two units that are virtually the same, we list them as prohibitions in the handbook.

Q

Qualification – an award or some other form of certification of attainment, competence or attendance.

R

Research – scholarly or scientific investigation or inquiry.

S

SA-HELP – Australian Government loan program to help eligible higher education students pay their student services and amenities fees.

Satisfactory progress – a minimum standard of performance required for continued enrolment.

Scholarships – non-repayable financial or other forms of support made available to students.

School – a grouping of similar departments.

Semester – university teaching period. Usually 12 weeks.

Seminar – a small group-teaching context, similar to a tutorial.

Sessional – a teaching member of staff employed on a casual basis.

Special consideration – the process of giving students another chance to complete an assessment piece or exam. This is after they were unable to complete it the first time due to circumstances beyond their control.

Stream – a structured program of study in a specific discipline.

Student contribution amount – the amount you have to pay for each unit you enrol in as a Commonwealth supported student.

Student ID card – a card that includes a student’s name, identification number and photo.

Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) – was granted to eligible people by the Commonwealth Government between 2005 to 2011. This gave access to Commonwealth support for the equivalent of seven years full-time study (7 EFTSL). From 1 January, 2012 the Commonwealth Government has abolished the SLE system.

Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) – a student fee for non-academic services and amenities. May include counselling, employment/career advice, childcare, financial assistance, food services, sporting and recreational activities and independent student representation.

Student Survival Week (SSW) – run by the student associations in week 4 or 5 of semester 1. SSW is to remind students of the services, facilities and resources available to them in the lead up to census date.

Swot Vac – a class-free period at the end of semester for students to prepare and study for exams.

T

Tertiary – a general term covering all higher education providers.

Testamur – the certificate of merit or proficiency given to the graduand at graduation.

Thesis – a substantial piece of written work (sometimes called a dissertation) by a student, normally a candidate for an Honours degree or a higher award (such as Masters or PhD).

Tutor – an academic member of staff responsible for teaching small groups.

Tutorial – a less formal method of teaching, usually involves a greater level of participation and interaction from a small group of students.

U

Undergraduate – a student who has not finished their bachelor degree.

Unit code – a combination of 3 letters and 4 numbers assigned to all units – eg. EDF 1301, DTS 3170. The first number generally indicates the year level at which the subject is offered.

Unit – the basic unit of a course or program.

University Council – the senior governing body responsible for formulating, approving and monitoring the policy and direction of the University.

Unsatisfactory progress – failure to meet a minimum standard of performance required for continued enrolment. See also exclusion

Username – the name you use to login to the Monash network.

V

Vice-Chancellor (VC) – the academic and administrative head of the University.

W

Web Enrolment System (WES) – enables students to access the University’s information system to edit their enrolment details.

Withdrawn – the outcome of formally discontinuing a unit.