Credit Points
Students doing a degree in the Faculty of Arts are able to choose to study in a wide range of subject areas - for example, History, English, Japanese etc. A semester-length component in a particular subject area is called a 'unit of study'.
Each unit of study is worth a certain number of 'credit points', depending on the level at which it is taught and the amount of work required. All Faculty of Arts units of study are worth 6 credit points each.
How many credit points should I complete?
This depends on the requirements of the degree, which can vary. Full-time students usually take units of study worth a total of 48 credit points per year (usually 24 credit points per semester). The following shows how many credit points a full-time student accumulates over the length of a degree :
- 3 years x 48 credit points = 144 credit points
- 4 years x 48 credit points = 192 credit points
- 5 years x 48 credit points = 240 credit points
So a student completing a Bachelor of Arts, which requires 144 credit points could complete the degree in three years. Where as a student completing a combined degree such as the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) / Bachelor of Laws, which requires 192 credit points to complete the Arts component, could complete the first part of their degree (the Bachelor of Arts(Media and Communications) component) in four years.
Could I do more than 24 credit points per semester?
You might want to take more than 24 credit points in one semester - perhaps to make up for a unit of study that you have failed or to try to get through your degree more quickly.
You will be permitted to do up to 30 credit points per semester in your second and third years. However, be aware that 30 credit points in a single semester is a very heavy load and it's unlikely that you'll be able to do your best in each unit you take.
What are 'junior' credit points?
You start your degree by taking 'junior' units of study. They form a foundation for more advanced 'senior' units of study. Junior units of study in the Faculty of Arts are worth 6 junior credit points each. They are sometimes called 1000 level units because their unit of study codes all have the form 1XXX, eg. CHNS1101, LNGS1005 etc You can't do more than 18 junior credit points in any one subject area. This means that you can't overdo the introductory units in one specific subject.
When do I take junior credit points?
Most full-time students take units of study worth 48 junior credit points in their first year (generally 24 credit points in each semester). It is important to remember that 48 credit points is also the maximum number allowed for students enrolled in first year.
Why is there a maximum number of junior credit points for my degree?
While junior units give you an excellent introduction to the subject, and function as a foundation for further study, they aren't, in themselves, sufficient to provide you with substantial expertise in a subject area. Junior units of study are necessary, but not sufficient, for a Bachelor's degree!
Could I do less than the maximum number of junior credit points allowed for my degree?
You may elect to take fewer than the maximum number of junior credit points for your degree. This may be particularly appropriate if you are enrolled in a degree that has, for example, a maximum number of 72 junior credit points. There are several things to consider when making this decision.
Firstly, junior units form a foundation for further study. In some cases, this is a necessary foundation for more advanced study in a particular subject area. In all cases, junior units provide an opportunity to work at developing the skills and ways of thinking that you will need for more advanced learning. You may also be enrolled in a degree which has core junior units of study that you have to complete, and/or core majors for which you have to complete junior pre-requisites.
Furthermore, junior units of study offer you the chance to sample a range of subject areas and gain a variety of learning experiences, even in subjects that you may not go on to specialise in.
So, you will need to start thinking ahead when choosing what, or how many, junior units of study you want to take. Remember that, if you do decide to take few junior units than the maximum number permitted, you still have to complete the overall number of credit points required for your degree.
What are 'senior' credit points?
'Senior' units of study build on the foundation of learning established by junior units. Senior units of study in the Faculty of Arts are all worth 6 credit points each. Senior units in Arts are sometimes called 2000 or 3000 level units because their study codes all have the form 2XXX or 3XXX, e.g. SPAN2601, JCTC2606, ENGL3605.
You can't start taking senior units of study until you have the appropriate foundation of junior units in place. In many (but not all) cases this means that you have to take 12 junior credit points (that is, 2 junior units of study) in the same subject area, as prerequisites for your senior units in that subject area. You'll need to check the Faculty of Arts Handbook in print or online for specific information on pre-requisites.
Most full-time students in the Faculty of Arts will start to take senior units of study in their second year. At this stage many students narrow down the range of subject areas in which they are studying, perhaps taking units of study from just two or three subject areas, rather than three or four as in the first year.
Can I take junior credit points after first year?
That depends on the maximum number of junior credit points allowed for your degree, and whether you completed all of them in your first year. If you are enrolled in a degree that has a maximum of 72 junior credit points, you may like to go on with some junior subjects in your senior years, as well taking some senior subjects in other areas for which you have the junior pre-requisites.
A note on Science Majors
If you are taking an optional or mandatory major from the Faculty of Science, you should be aware that, in the Faculty of Science, 2000 level Science units are called ‘Intermediate’ and 3000 level Science units are called ‘Senior’. This is very important for the purposes of completing the requirements for a Science Faculty major in your degree. (For information on Science majors, including Intermediate and Senior requirements for a particular major, see the relevant entry in the Science Faculty Handbook)