Policies and procedures
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POLICY NO: A-13.13
DATE: June 1993
AMENDMENTS:
REFERENCE AUTHORITY: Director: Student and Academic Services
CROSS-REFERENCES:
CONTENTS:
It is the policy of the University to recognise prior learning by
granting credit towards the requirements of University award programs.
The prior learning may be from:
This policy is based on the following broad principles:
This policy applies to all future and current students in UniSA undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs, including enabling programs. The policy does not apply to future or current higher degree students by research, or to students undertaking short programs (see policy A-53: Short Programs).
Articulation is the specific
design of education and training programs to facilitate and maximise
opportunities for students to proceed from one level of
education/training to the next.
Credit is the recognition of prior learning granted towards the requirements of an award program at the University on the basis of prior study or prior work and/or life experience.
The Credit Assessor lists formal credit transfer agreements between UniSA and other education and training providers in Australia and in other countries.
1. Credit for prior learning is granted only where the prior study or experience is assessed as equivalent in content and level to the course (or courses) for which credit is being sought.
2. Credit granted must be academically defensible and take into account the student's ability to make satisfactory academic progress and to successfully complete the requirements of the remainder of the program.
3. Credit decisions should preserve the broad integrity and the intended Graduate Qualities profile of the program.
4. Specific requirements of an award must be fulfilled, including any conditions associated with the professional accreditation of the award.
5. Credit is not automatically granted in all programs. Where credit does not apply to a program, this will be stated in the program approval documentation.
6. Credit will not normally be granted for courses completed more than ten years before application unless there is evidence of substantial relevant experience during the intervening period.
7. Advice on possible credit may be provided to future students on request. However a final decision on credit will not be made until the student is admitted to the program.
8. Credit for undergraduate studies cannot be claimed in postgraduate coursework programs.
9. Eligibility for credit does not guarantee an applicant a place in a program.
10. The total amount of credit which may be awarded in a program is determined by the Program Director, subject to the maximum levels of credit allowable in accordance with clause 20 of this policy and Appendix C.
11. Decisions by Program Directors, Course Coordinators and/or Campus Central/Transnational Administration on the type of credit granted must be accordance with:
12. In special circumstances, for example where the applicant is unable to present sufficient documentary evidence to allow for the normal determination of credit, the applicant may be allowed to undertake an assessment process, which may be written. Authority to make this decision resides with the relevant Program Director, in consultation with the Course Coordinator and other academic staff as appropriate.
13. If a student transfers from one program to another, credit approved for the original program will not automatically be transferred. Students must reapply for credit under the new program.
14. Where a program is to be withdrawn, significantly amended or replaced, and transition credit arrangements are required, the requirements of policy A:45 Program Transition will apply.
15. Where the granting of credit causes timetable clashes or unacceptable study combinations, the University is under no obligation to make individual arrangements for the student.
16.1 The University supports the Universities Australia (formerly the Australian Vice Chancellors' Committee) Policy Guidelines on cross-sector qualification linkages.
16.2 Formal credit transfer agreements may be established with TAFE and other education and training providers in Australia and other countries. Such agreements require the approval of the relevant division.
16.3 Formal credit transfer agreements entered into with TAFE SA and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) must be consistent with the process outlined in Appendix C.
16.4 Approved credit transfer agreements will be published and managed through the Credit Assessor.
The types of credit which may be granted are:
17.1 Block Credit
Credit granted as recognition of successfully completed periods of equivalent study. Block credit is expressed in units. Such credit is particularly applicable to programs which are highly structured and have few or no electives, as with many professional disciplines where programs are fairly uniform across Australia.
Note that:
17.2
Specified Credit
Credit granted for a specific component of a program where the
student has completed curriculum which is:
17.3
Unspecified Credit
Credit granted where there is no equivalent component in the
University program for the work completed elsewhere. Unspecified
credit is usually granted as an elective.
17.4
Exemption
Release from specified parts of a course such as lectures, practicals, tutorials, projects or any other components of a course including elements of assessment.
17.5 Studies-in-Lieu
Work specified or allowed where a student undertakes
alternative work in place of a course scheduled in the program.
18.1 Where a credit transfer agreement exists, or there is a clear precedent for the credit transfer on the Credit Assessor, authorised staff in Campus Central/Transnational Administration may approve the application for credit. However the relevant Program Director or Course Coordinator must be consulted whenever academic judgement is required.
18.2 Applications for specified credit (see clause 17.2 of this policy) are considered and approved by the Course Coordinator in consultation with appropriate staff.
18.3 Applications for unspecified credit (see clause 17.3 of this policy) are considered and approved by the Program Director.
19.1 Applications must be made on the appropriate form and be accompanied by an original or certified copy of documentary evidence supporting the application. Applications must be lodged with Campus Central/Transnational Administration.
Note:
19.2 Applications for credit may be lodged at any time prior to enrolment. Once a student is enrolled, applications for credit for a specific course will not be accepted later than two weeks before the census date for the study period in which the course is offered.
19.3 Authorised staff in Campus Central/Transnational Administration will approve applications where a credit transfer agreement exists or there is a clear precedent for the credit transfer on the Credit Assessor (see clause 18.1). Campus Central/Transnational Administration will forward all other applications to the division office for consideration.
19.4 When an application for credit is being considered, the division office may seek advice from the relevant Program Director, Head of School or other academic staff.
19.5 Completed
applications must be retained on the student's file in Campus Central.
The maximum credit allowed in University programs is specified below. Any variation from the maximum must be approved by Division Board..
20.1 Undergraduate Programs
20.2 Postgraduate Programs
21.1 Program Directors/Course Coordinators assessing prior learning from work and/or life experience must ensure that they have a detailed knowledge of the course(s) in which credit is sought, and expertise in, or access to, advice on prior learning assessment methods (see Appendix A).
21.2 A Program Director who determines that an assessment is appropriate under clause 12 above, may refer the matter to the Course Coordinator who, in consultation with other academic staff as appropriate, will arrange to set, administer, and mark the appropriate assessment.
21.3 The assessment mechanisms adopted should ensure that the prior learning is comparable in content and standard with the course(s) for which credit is sought. The standards applied in assessing prior learning should not be greater than those required to pass the course(s).
22.1 An authorised staff member will annotate the application form with full details of the decision including any reasons or conditions, and will return the form to Campus Central/Transnational Administration.
22.2 Campus Central/Transnational Administration will:
22.3 In the case of International students:
22.4 No student, whether future or currently enrolled, will be charged a fee for having their application for credit processed.
23.1 Credit may be recorded as:
23.2 Credit will not be graded and will not be included in the calculation of a grade point average unless it forms part of a formal agreement between the University and another provider, and the other provider's courses and results are available on the student record system.
23.3 Credit towards the completion of a program which is granted on the basis of courses completed in another University program(s) will be recorded on the student record system.
23.4 So far as practicable, the record of credit must include:
24.1 A student who is dissatisfied with a decision regarding an application for credit may lodge a written appeal with the Head of School/Director: Regional Engagement responsible for the program.
24.2 A student who is dissatisfied with the decision of the Head of School/Director: Regional Engagement has the right of appeal to the Credit Appeals Committee. An appeal may only be made on the grounds that this policy has not been followed
24.3 The Credit Appeals Committee is a Committee of Academic Board with a membership of three academic staff nominated by the Chair of Academic Board, and a member of Student and Academic Services as Executive Officer. The committee reports to Academic Board.
24.4 A decision of the Credit Appeals Committee is final within the University. Students have the right to appeal through external avenues including the Office of the State Ombudsman, the Equal Opportunity Commission of South Australia or the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Details of how to contact these and other external avenues of appeal can be found in University policy C-17 Student Grievances Resolution.
* See definition of non-award students.
1. Credit for courses from higher education providers (as defined in the HESA 2003)
1.1 Courses which are part of accredited award programs offered by higher education providers may be recognised for credit towards equivalent awards at the University.
1.2 Credit may also be granted for non-award programs and courses offered by higher education providers.
1.3 Credit will be granted for a course where there is substantial overlap of content and/or learning outcomes with a UniSA course.
1.4
Schools may approve block credit for major sequences of study
undertaken at higher education providers or their predecessors. Where these
major sequences fall short of the UniSA program requirements the School must
determine a program of study to meet these requirements in the minimum time.
2. Credit for courses from TAFE SA
2.1 Credit transfer arrangements between the University and TAFE SA must be clearly documented on the appropriate proforma and approved by both the Division and TAFE SA.
2.2 A minimum amount of block credit will be agreed for completed TAFE SA awards at each level from Certificate IV and above. This will apply to all undergraduate programs unless there are program-specific reasons for not doing so (See Table 1, Appendix C).
2.3 No credit will be given for TAFE SA awards below a completed Certificate IV, unless a strong case can be made for doing so.
2.4 Additional block credit, beyond the minimum but not greater than the maximum specified, may also be given for both related and unrelated TAFE SA awards.
2.5 Credit may be both horizontal (where credit is given for individual courses at introductory levels), or vertical (where credit is given for sequences throughout the award).
2.6 Credit transfer arrangements must aim to maximise credit without compromising the potential for student success.
2.7 Credit awarded must not compromise the professional accreditation /recognition of the UniSA award.
2.8 Completed TAFE SA awards may be used for both entry and credit.
2.9 The UniSA courses for which block credit is granted must be specified in the program approval documentation and in the Credit Assessor.
2.10 Block credit decisions are managed at the program level, reported to the Division, and entered in the Credit Assessor, setting a precedent for block credit for future applications.
2.11 Division Board must provide a justification to APPRC for any credit arrangements that vary from this policy.
3. Credit for courses from other registered providers including VET providers, professional bodies, private educational providers, or other similar bodies
3.1 Courses which are part of accredited award programs within the Australian Qualifications Framework, or which have similar recognised international standing, are recognised for credit towards appropriate awards of the University.
3.2 Block credit may be granted for the successful completion of an accredited award program where the program contains course material that is considered suitable for a program at the University, or the University has been directly involved in the design and development of the program and the program articulates with a specific University program.
4. Credit for prior learning from work and/or life experience
4.1 Credit may be granted for work or life experience where that learning can be documented. The onus is on the applicant to provide appropriate evidence to demonstrate that their uncertified training or experiential learning provides them with the skills, knowledge and understanding equivalent to that which would have been gained if the relevant University studies had been undertaken.
4.2 The amount of credit granted will be assessed by the relevant Program Director, taking the following into account:
When an application to grant credit for prior learning is being considered, the primary consideration is whether the prior learning is equivalent in content and level to the course(s) for which credit is being sought.
The following factors may help to provide a basis on which to assess the standard of the qualifications and/or experience on which the credit application is based:
1. the general educational practices and standards of the provider(s) or system
2. the objectives of the particular program and the methods adopted to achieve these objectives
3. admission requirements for the program
4. the duration of the program, having regard to entry requirements and program objectives
5. the breadth, depth and balance in the program material and the intellectual effort required
6. the procedures for approval of research projects where appropriate
7. the methods of assessment of student progress, including the use of external examiners for higher degrees
8. the relative emphasis on the teaching of skills in relation to the study of the discipline
9. any arrangements for practical training and experience as part of the program
10. the teaching staff conducting the program, including numbers, professional qualifications and experience, and educational expertise
11. the accommodation and facilities including equipment, library, laboratories, workshops and other instructional or research resources associated with the particular program
12. transfer arrangements between the program and other programs.
1. Identify the amount of credit for generic skills for the TAFE or ADF qualification, taking into account the UniSA program's Graduate Qualities profile. Specify the course(s) in the UniSA program for which the minimum block credit will be granted.
2. Identify the core TAFE or ADF courses which students must have undertaken to achieve more than minimum block credit. By considering the curriculum content and level, make a judgment about the amount of credit and specify the courses in the UniSA program for which credit will be granted. (It is recognised that there will seldom be an exact match and that credit should be provided where the match is 75% or better.)
3. Consider the discipline-specific TAFE or ADF electives, where students choose a certain number of courses from a set of electives that have similarities. Bearing in mind the focus of the electives and the level of study undertaken, identify the amount of credit that will be provided. Specifying the UniSA courses for which credit will be granted may depend on the actual TAFE or ADF courses undertaken but it may be possible to record options.
The credit identified in steps 1, 2 and 3 above constitutes block credit for a particular award and should be registered on the Credit Assessor. All students applying to the University with the stated TAFE or ADF awards would automatically receive this amount of credit. Students who wish to be considered for additional credit (Step 4) will need to apply directly to the Program Director.
4. Identify any ‘free' electives undertaken in the TAFE or ADF award. The structure of some awards is very open and so students may have undertaken a number of courses in areas related to the UniSA award. Bearing in mind the focus of the free electives, the level of study undertaken and the requirements of this policy, identify the amount of credit that will be provided. Specify the UniSA courses for which credit will be given.
Table 1: Minimum and maximum credit at UniSA for TAFE SA or ADF programs of study
|
TAFE/ADF Qualification |
Minimum credit* for UniSA award |
Recommended maximum credit** for UniSA award |
Credit for any previous study permitted by this policy |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Certificate IV |
4.5 units 4.5 units 4.5 units |
9 units 9 units 9 units |
36 units (50%) for 2 year award
72 units (66%)
108 units (75%) for 4 year award
|
|
Diploma |
9 units 9 units 9 units |
18 units (25%) 36 units (33%) 36 units (25%) |
|
|
Advanced Diploma |
13.5 units 13.5 units 13.5 units |
36 units 54 units (50%) 54 units (37.5%) |
|
|
Associate Degree |
13.5 units 13.5 units 13.5 units |
36 units (50%) Up to 72 units for non-articulating awards+++ 72 units for articulating awards+++ |
*
There will be instances where no credit can be given because of the
requirements of professional bodies.
** A number of programs currently make provision for more than the recommended maximum units of credit. Program Directors must make a case to their Division Executive for providing more than the recommended maximum credit. The grounds for such a case would be an examination of curricula and the identification of similarities between subjects in the TAFE or ADF award and courses in the relevant UniSA award. Credit granted must not exceed the provisions of this policy (see clause 20).
+ Credit for related programs may take three forms:
++ Credit for unrelated programs may take two forms:
+++ Articulating awards are academic programs which have been specifically designed to provide opportunities for students to proceed from a TAFE or ADF level of education/training to university level.
