Postgraduate Recognition of Prior Learning

Block credit is a set amount of credit granted for a specific requirement of a UNSW program. This credit is awarded when your prior learning is assessed as comparable to part of the program requirements.

The Faculty of Engineering introduced block credits in 2024 for some postgraduate coursework programs (see the list of programs in the section above) to streamline your admissions and advanced standing processes. Block credits eliminate the need to assess individual course outlines which significantly speeds up the application process.

The block credit you will be eligible for depends on:

1. The type and level of your undergraduate qualification
   For example, a 4-year Australian Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree is an AQF level 8 qualification, while a 3-year Australian Bachelor of Engineering Science degree is an AQF level 7 qualification (see Australian Qualification Framework for more details).
2. The field of study of your undergraduate qualification and how closely it aligns with the specialisation you are applying for
   We refer to a closely related field as a cognate discipline - a discipline that shares key principles, concepts, or methodologies with the primary engineering specialisation.
   UNSW Engineering has defined a set list of cognates for each specialisation within a program.

You can choose to accept less UOC block credit than you are eligible for, but once accepted, you will not be able to reapply for more block credit later.

Maximum UOC of block credit

You may be eligible for a maximum of 48 UOC of block credit towards your Master’s degree if you have an AQF 8 (or equivalent) undergraduate degree in a closely related discipline. If you are entering with an AQF 7 (or equivalent) undergraduate degree, you may be eligible for a maximum of 24 UOC towards your Master’s degree. Please note that some specialisations offer a smaller amount of maximum UOC block credit.

A maximum of 24 UOC of block credit may be awarded towards your Graduate Certificate or your Graduate Diploma, depending on your undergraduate degree and cognate discipline.

See the below documents for details on the maximum block credit you may be eligible for, including the category of course/s the block credit applies to (e.g. Foundational Core).

• Engineering Science (8338_5373_7373) - Coming Soon
• Information Technology (8543_8544_5546_7546) - Coming Soon
• Food Science (8037_5036_7037) - Coming Soon

Please note:

• The category of courses awarded as block credit is predetermined by UNSW Engineering and cannot be changed. For example, if you are awarded block credit for 18 UOC of Foundational Core and 6 UOC of Disciplinary Knowledge Electives (total 24 UOC), you cannot change this to 24 UOC of Foundational Core or 24 UOC of Disciplinary Knowledge Electives, or any other variation to the block credit that has been awarded.

Your undergraduate qualification(s) will be assessed to determine your eligibility for block credit.

There are two ways of applying for block credit.

During the application stage

The best way to apply for block credit is during the application stage. You do this by indicating that you wish to be considered for block credit directly in your application.
UNSW Admissions will assess your eligibility for block credit based on your official academic transcript(s). You will be notified of how much block credit you are eligible for in your official letter of offer.

After accepting an offer to study at UNSW

If you have already accepted an offer but did not indicate that you wish to be assessed for RPL at the time of admission, you can apply for block credit by submitting a ‘Recognition of prior learning’ webform with a copy of your official academic transcript(s). There is no need to submit copies of individual course outlines.

The Prior Learning Assessment Team will assess your RPL application based on your undergraduate qualification(s), and you will be notified of the outcome once the assessment is complete.

Please note the following:

• It is highly recommended that you submit your application at least 4 weeks before the start of your first term as the outcome of your block credit application may mean you will need to enrol in different courses. Applying too late may mean you will need to complete courses you are enrolled in, for which you may have otherwise been granted credit.
• Block credit cannot be granted for a course in which you are enrolled if the census date has passed.
• Your eligibility for block credit is assessed based on your undergraduate qualification(s), as undergraduate programs generally follow more standardised study pathways and qualification structures that can be readily mapped to UNSW programs with established block credit arrangements.
• Postgraduate qualifications are not initially assessed for block credit eligibility because they often vary significantly in structure, learning outcomes, and course content. If you have a postgraduate qualification and believe you have completed courses that are equivalent to UNSW courses in your program, you may request a reassessment of your eligibility for block credit (see What if I am not eligible for block credit?).

Please contact The Nucleus: Student Hub if you have any further questions.

If you are not eligible for block credit upon entry to the program and believe you have completed equivalent courses, you may request a reassessment of your eligibility for block credit.

Specified credit is not available to students enrolled in programs that award block credit.

Requesting reassessment of your eligibility for block credit

To request a reassessment of your eligibility for block credit, the following documentation needs to be submitted as a reply to your outcome email:

• Academic transcript
•  A mapping of your completed courses to the UNSW courses
• Official course outlines stamped by the home institution (officially translated into English if required)

Applications are only assessed once. Ensure that you include all relevant courses and supporting documentation with your submission.