Macquarie University, Sydney

The new curriculum is being introduced in January 2010. All current programs will no longer accept new enrolments. This means that all new students and students returning to Macquarie after an absence will join the new curriculum. Students already enrolled need not change to the new curriculum if they do not want to, but must complete their degree by the end of 2012.

From 1 January 2010 returning former Macquarie students include:

• students who are returning from an absence from study of 12 months or more for any reason, including
• students who have been excluded for failing to meet the requirements for minimum rate of progress towards their award.

Units you have completed so far in your Macquarie studies will continue to count towards your degree/program of study.

The new curriculum is being introduced in order to broaden the experience and expertise of Macquarie graduates, to better prepare them for the next stage in their career and to meet employers' demand for 'well-rounded' and workplace-prepared graduates.

The number of degrees available will be significantly reduced and from 2010 many will be structured around a system of Majors and Minors to make it easier for students to choose what they want to specialise in as well as making it easier and simpler to manage their enrolment.

The new curriculum will introduce students to areas outside of their department and faculty through People and Planet units.

The new curriculum will also make it easier for the student to identify and select the key areas of learning they are interested in, whilst having the flexibility to explore other areas. Students will also complete a Capstone unit in the final stages of their studies. Students who first join this University from 2012 onwards will be given the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and skills to the community through Participation units, which will be introduced at that time.

Certain units have been designated as People and Planet units – a schedule of People and Planet units will be available when the new curriculum is published in November, 2009. The schedule of People and Planet units will identify the Faculties and Departments offering the units. If you are required to enrol in People and Planet units you will need to choose both units from outside your department and one of them will need to be from outside your Faculty. Your department is either the department responsible for your qualifying major or, in the case of a named degree, the department responsible for your degree.

A People unit is intended to help you to understand the world through learning about the challenges of modern society. A Planet unit looks at the physical environment in its fullest sense.

A unit that is a required unit in your program cannot be counted as a People or Planet unit.

Some programs of study do not have People and Planet requirements, or have partial or modified requirements. You should check the Handbook for specific requirements which apply to your chosen program.

Continuing students transferring to the new curriculum do not need to complete a People or a Planet unit, provided that they complete their studies by the end of 2013. If you are still enrolled after this date, the program into which you are transferred may include a requirement for People and Planet units.

Some programs of study will require completion of a major. Check the Handbook for:

• specific requirements for your program of study
• Schedule of majors, and within the schedule, check
• Part 1 – criteria for choosing your major (this is very important)
• Part 2 – lists of majors

A major is a main area of study and, if your program requires the completion of a major, it will be shown on your testamur. A student who graduates in the current BA receives a testamur showing that they have a Bachelor of Arts, but it does not include the coherent study or specialisation. The testamur for the new Bachelor of Arts will, however, show both the degree and your major – e.g. Bachelor of Arts major in Philosophy In some degrees, where it may be possible to complete two majors, both will be shown on your testamur.

A major consists of a minimum of 24 distinct credit points, including a minimum of 12 distinct credit points at 300-level in an approved combination of units, which will include a Capstone unit. These units will usually but not always have the same prefix. Lists of approved units for majors in different areas will be available on-line from mid-November 2009.

A minor is 12 distinct credit points from an approved major, including 6 distinct credit points at 300-level, and will not be shown on your testamur. Completed minors will appear on your transcript if you identify them as part of your expected completion advice to the University. Check the Schedule of Majors for more information on minors.

A capstone unit is completed towards the end of a degree and brings all the related areas of learning that the student has completed throughout their major or program of study to develop problem-solving skills and prepare the student for life as a graduate.

You should check information from your department. If you are thinking about transferring to the new curriculum you should consult your academic adviser to discuss transitional requirements and the availability of capstone units as they are phased into new programs from 2010.

A Participation unit will become a compulsory component in degree programs for all undergraduate students who first enrol at Macquarie University from 2012 onwards.

If you are currently enrolled in a Macquarie degree (including combined and double degrees) in 2009, you will not be required to complete a Participation unit to finish your degree.

If you are enrolled at Macquarie in an undergraduate degree in 2009, you will have a choice between continuing in your current degree program, or changing to the new version of your degree. If you decide to change to the new version, you will have to meet all the requirements for that degree to graduate, including completing the Capstone unit. There are no transition criteria, such as a specified Grade Point Average (GPA) to make this changeover, but you will need to check carefully what changing over will mean for your study program. You should consult with an academic adviser in your Faculty as early as possible.

Once you have changed to the new degree, you will not be able to go back to your old degree if you change your mind. However, you will be exempt from any People and Planet unit requirements as long as you complete the degree before 31 December 2013.

If you decide not to change to a new degree, you have three (3) years (up to 31 December 2012) to complete the degree you are enrolled in now. If you haven't completed your studies by 31 December 2012, you will be automatically transferred into the related new program of study of your degree and you will have to satisfy the requirements for that program of study of the degree. However, you will not be required to undertake People and Planet units if you began your degree before 2010 and complete by 31 December 2013. If you are still enrolled after that date, you will need to include People and Planet units to qualify for your degree.

Provided that you satisfy the transfer criteria for entry to the new program of study (e.g. BCom) you can still do that, but you will be transferring into the new curriculum version of the BCom study program. That means that you will have to check carefully with an academic adviser how your existing studies will fit into the new study program.

If you are a currently (2009) enrolled Macquarie degree student, you will not be required to enrol in People and Planet units provided you complete the requirements for your degree by 31 December 2013. After this date, all students still enrolled will be in programs of study offered from 2010 and any People and Planet requirements in those programs of study will apply.

Requests for first half-year transition to new curriculum version of your degree will be accepted from 21 December online. You will know your exam results by then and whether or not you have completed your current degree. Requests to transition will be handled in the order in which they are received, so if you are planning to enrol into your units and classes in the new curriculum degree in January 2010, you should make sure you submit your request before the Christmas break (24 December 2009). The final date for first half-year transition requests is 29 January 2010.

Yes, you can, but you should seek academic advice before you make a decision.

You will only have to complete two People and Planet units, but they must come from two different Faculties.

Yes, all students enrolling in one of the new degree programs from 1 January 2010 will be required to include a 300-level Capstone unit in their studies. If you are close to finishing your degree in 2009, you should check before you decide to change to a new program that there will be a suitable Capstone unit available in your major area in 2010 as not all departments will be offering one at that stage.

Units that are currently worth 3 credit points will not change their value. Most 200-level units will now be 3 credit points, and many 300-level units will change from 4 to 3 credit points. Eventually all units will be standardised to 3 credit points, but in 2010 there will be one or two special program exceptions where some 200-level units may still be worth 4 credit points.

From 2011 the higher-level units will also be standardised to 3 credit points. Some departments have already dropped their 300-level units down to 3 credit points for next year (2010). These changes have been implemented to ensure that there is enough room in your degree to complete the extra units associated with the new curriculum. These credit point changes will affect everyone, even if you choose not to move to the new curriculum structure.

Due to the standardisation to 3 credit points, the Faculties will offer 1- and 2-credit point shell units. This will enable students who need extra credit points to complete their degrees to do so without enrolling in excess credit points to meet the total credit point requirements for their degree. These units will usually involve you in reading or research study of some kind relevant to your major. Ensure that you consult an academic adviser in your department about structuring your program.

No. Every faculty has set up shell units, as explained in the answer to the previous question. These are units worth one or two credit points each and will typically involve a reading or research unit that you can tailor to your major.

To take an example:

One of the requirements of your current degree is to complete 12 credit points of 300-level units. You have completed 8 credit points so far. Next year the third subject you wish to take will be standardised from 4 down to 3 credit points, meaning that you will only have 11 credit points total upon completion of this unit. You can then enrol in a 1-credit point shell unit to bring your 300-level credit points up to 12.

Yes. You should contact your department directly.

In the past, students at Macquarie University have been permitted to graduate with any degree that they have qualified for, provided that degree was open for new enrolments in the year in which they first enrolled in their current degree at Macquarie University. If you are able to complete the requirements for the degree in which you wish to graduate there is no need to transfer to a program of study – but you should check with an academic adviser that you are on the right track to satisfy the requirements of the degree with which you wish to graduate, and keep going. When it comes time to graduate you will notify the Academic Program Section who will then check that you have met the requirements for the degree you wish to graduate in. This is the qualification that will appear on your testamur.

There is, however, one very important thing to take into consideration when deciding whether to transfer: if you do not officially transfer, the degree you have asked to graduate with will be shown on your testamur but the degree shown on your transcript will be the degree you were enrolled in:

Example 1 – enrolled in BA 2009-2012. Satisfy the requirements for BCom and ask to graduate with BCom. Testamur will show BCom but transcript will continue to show BA

Example 2 – enrolled in BA 2009. Transfer successfully to BCom in 2010 and complete requirements for BCom in 2012. Testamur will show BCom and transcript will also show BCom from 2010-2012.

You should also keep in mind that if you decide to transfer to a new degree in 2010 or later, you will not be able to go back to your pre-2010 degree if you change your mind.

Many students will want to transfer into the new programs of study because of the opportunities that they offer, including the naming of the major on their testamur. However, in some cases, the capstone for the major may not be offered in 2010. That means that some current students who are nearing the end of their degree may be unable to complete the new degree program by the end of 2010. For the new Bachelor of Arts (or Bachelor of Science), your major will be included on your testamur, which will usually be helpful when you are applying for work. Provided you complete your studies by 31 December 2012, you will not be required to complete People and Planet units if you transfer to the new curriculum but you will be required to complete a Capstone unit.

Requests for first half-year transition to new curriculum version of your degree will be accepted from 21 December online. You will know your exam results by then and whether or not you have completed your current degree. Requests to transition will be handled in the order in which they are received, so if you are planning to enrol into your units and classes in the new curriculum degree in January 2010, you should make sure you submit your request before the Christmas break (24 December 2009). The final date for first half-year transition requests is 29 January 2010.

You should make yourself familiar with the Undergraduate Rules. They are published in the Calendar of Governance. Rules may be amended from time to time, and these amendments will be published on the University's website, and in each case the information contained on the website supersedes the information in the printed Calendar of Governance.

No. A review of postgraduate programs is beginning now, but there are no changes for current students at the moment.