Policies and procedures

Policy No.: UP11/12
Function: Student Administration
Authoring Organisational Unit: Academic Secretariat (University Secretariat)
Date Approved: 06/04/2011 Revised 20/12/2011
Next Review Date: 01/04/2017
Approving Body: Academic Council

The University of Western Australia

University Policy on: Credit point value of units

Purpose of the policy and summary of issues it addresses:

This policy deals with the standardised number of credit points for units and the student workload involved in units.

Definitions:

In this policy and any associated procedures,

a teaching period is a scheduled duration, within an academic year, in which a unit of study is offered and includes approved non-teaching study breaks, pre-examination study breaks and examination periods

the University means The University of Western Australia

Policy statement:

1 Credit point value

1.1 1The University assigns a credit point value to each unit of study.

1.2 The standard credit point value of a unit is six points.

1.3 A six point unit must be able to be completed within a teaching period.

1.4 Thesis, dissertation, research project and clinical units may have a credit point value of multiples of six credit points.

1.5 To offer a unit with a credit point value greater than six points, other than a unit referred to in 1.4, faculties must seek the approval of the Academic Council.

1.6 The Academic Council will not approve a request to offer a unit with a credit point value greater than six points, other than a unit referred to in 1.4, unless the unit can be completed within a semester or trimester.

1.7 The credit point value of a unit must be clearly stated in the relevant University handbooks.

1.8 The standard full-time load for a semester is four units (24 credit points).

2 Student workload represented by units

2.1 A unit with a standard six credit point value represents 150 hours of student workload, including contact hours, personal study time and examinations.

2.2 Faculties must ensure that the student workload represented by their units complies with 2.1.

3 Thesis, dissertation and research project units with credit point values greater than six points

3.1 Thesis, dissertation, research project and clinical units with credit point values greater than six points are normally broken down into parts (normally multiples of six enrolled points) for administrative purposes to:

enable them to be undertaken over two (or more) semesters, where applicable;
allow student enrolment load to be distributed evenly over semesters, where appropriate; and
accommodate both full- and part-time students.

3.2 The results for parts of units referred to in 3.1 are recorded as AC (Assessment Continuing) except for the final part, for which the result is the overall result for the unit.