What does this all mean?

Navigating university language can be tricky. Use our handy guide to help understand common university terms.

A

Assumed knowledge

Some 100-level units, while not having prerequisites, assume that you have certain knowledge and skills from previous study, such as the HSC. This information is listed in the UAC Guide as well as in Macquarie’s Handbook of Undergraduate Studies.

B

Bachelor degree

The term commonly used to describe an undergraduate degree, which is the first degree you obtain at university. You’re awarded your bachelor degree once you successfully complete a set program of undergraduate units.

C

Capstone unit

An essential unit that integrates all the material presented across your degree, which is generally undertaken in your final year. This unit may be combined with a PACE unit and will reside in the core zone of your degree.

Core zone

Your degree’s core zone provides the focus of your preferred area of study and consists of all the units you’ll need to complete to meet your bachelor degree’s requirements.

Combined degree

These degrees combine an undergraduate degree with a postgraduate degree and can be completed in as little as four years. You may undertake a bachelor degree and a master degree, or a bachelor honours degree and a master degree.

Credit points

To graduate, you need to have completed the specified number of credit points for your degree. A standard unit of study (10cp) at Macquarie will take approximately 10 hours of study time each week.

D

Double degrees

Double degrees involve studying two complementary or completely different degrees. You may undertake two bachelor degrees or two master degrees, completing the core zone of both degrees.

E

Elective unit

A unit that enables you to customise your degree in a flexible way. An elective may exist within or outside your area of study.

Essential unit

A unit that you must complete to qualify for your degree.

F

Flexible zone

Your degree’s flexible zone allows you to either gain more depth in your chosen area of study by undertaking units complimentary to this area or develop your breadth of knowledge by undertaking units outside this core area.

Foundation zone

If you’re a postgraduate student undertaking a degree from a different disciplinary background to your undergraduate degree, you need to complete a foundation zone to acquire the necessary foundational knowledge of the subjects you’re studying.

H

Honours

An honours year is usually completed at the conclusion of a bachelor degree. In general, you’re required to complete your degree with a high level of achievement before you’re invited to complete an honours year.

L

Level

The level at which a unit is taught indicates the amount of prior knowledge required to study it successfully. For example, 100-level units are generally undertaken in your first year and often don’t have prerequisites, while 200-level units generally have 100-level prerequisites.

M

Major

An area of study that you focus on within generalist degrees such as the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Commerce. A major consists of specified undergraduate units and totals 80 credit points. It’s recorded on your testamur and academic transcript.

Minor

Allows you to study a second discipline outside your main area of focus – your major or specialisation. A minor must total 40 credit points (half that of a major or specialisation). It’s recorded on your testamur and academic transcript.

P

Postgraduate degree

An advanced degree that builds on undergraduate knowledge or professional experience. Postgraduate degrees are commonly called master degrees.

Prerequisite

A prerequisite is a school subject such as HSC Mathematics, or a university subject such as ARTS1000, that must be completed before you can enrol in a particular unit.

S

Selection rank

The selection rank considers your ATAR or equivalent rank plus any adjustment factors you’re eligible for. You can combine our seven adjustment factor schemes to receive up to 10 additional points for most of our degrees.

Session

A session is just like a school term. Some universities call them semesters. At Macquarie, we have three sessions: Session 1 (February – June), Session 2 (August – November) and the optional intensive Session 3 (December – February).

Specialisation

An area of study that you focus on within specialist degrees such as the Bachelor of Archaeology or Bachelor of Science. A specialisation is similar to a major, but it offers an even greater focus of study. It consists of specified undergraduate units and totals 80 credit points. It’s recorded on your testamur and academic transcript.

U

Undergraduate degree

The term used to describe the first degree undertaken at university. Undergraduate degrees are commonly called bachelor degrees.

Unit

Units are what we call subjects. Most full-time students take four units – each worth a fixed number of credit points – each session. Each unit usually requires about nine hours of study each week.