Common terms you need to know before you start uni

Starting uni comes with lots of new terminology you might not be familiar with, so we’ve broken them down to help you feel confident as you get ready to study. Bookmark this guide to stay across the key terms you’ll see as you prepare for university.

Your guide to common university terms

A

Accepted qualifications: Admission to UNSW is based on academic merit, including NSW HSC and interstate Year 12, International Baccalaureate (IB), GCE A-Levels and NZ NCEA Level 3. You can learn more about our accepted qualifications on our website.

Accreditation: Accreditation means a degree or program that meets the professional or industry standards set by an accrediting body.

Additional selection criteria: Some degrees at UNSW require steps in addition to your UAC application. These may include tests (such as the University Clinical Aptitude Test for Australia and New Zealand (UCAT ANZ)), an audition (Fine Arts: Music specialisation) or an extra application to UNSW (Aviation (Flying), Medicine, or degrees with Co-op and UNSW Canberra). 

Adjustment factors: Some students may receive additional points that help increase their selection rank when applying to university. 

Admission: Admission means you’ve been accepted into a program or course.

Admission pathways: Admission pathways offer a way to enter a degree which looks at more than just your ATAR. UNSW offers a range of admission pathways to help open doors to your dream degree.

Alumni: Alumni are graduates of a university. You may also hear “alum” used for an individual graduate.

Assumed knowledge: At UNSW, we don’t have formal subject prerequisites. Instead, we have ‘assumed knowledge’. If you haven’t studied the assumed knowledge subjects, it won’t prevent you from being eligible to receive an offer for the degree, but you may find yourself starting behind in your first year. We strongly recommend bridging courses if you don’t have the assumed knowledge for your degree of interest.

Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR): ATAR is a ranking system that provides an overall measure of academic achievement in relation to other students. The lowest ATAR is the lowest raw rank (before adjustment factors were applied) to which an offer was made that year.

B

Bachelor: The formal award received on successful completion of a undergraduate university degree program, usually three or more years duration. Bachelor's degrees provide initial preparation for professional careers and postgraduate study.

Bridging course: An in-depth short course that helps you gain the assumed knowledge for a degree. While UNSW runs bridging courses in chemistry, maths and physics each year, you can also complete these at another university or some TAFE institutions. 

C

Campus: A campus is where your classes and student services are located. UNSW has several campuses, including the main campus at Kensington, the UNSW Art & Design campus in Paddington and UNSW Canberra in the ACT.

Census date: The census date is the date at which your enrolment for the term is considered final. It’s the last day to make any up‑front payments, submit your HECS‑HELP or FEE‑HELP form, withdraw from a course without incurring fees, and for domestic students to apply for Commonwealth Assistance.

Cognate discipline: A cognate discipline is a field of study that’s closely related to your degree area.

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP): A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is a university place partly funded by the Australian Government. You pay only the student contribution amount.

Core course (prescribed course): A core course is a required course you must complete as part of your program.

Course (subject): A course (or subject) is a class you take over a teaching period to develop knowledge and skills in a specific area.

Cross-faculty: Cross‑faculty courses are classes you can take outside your main faculty.

D

Deferring: You can delay your start date by deferring your offer* for up to one year from the intake you were offered. 

Note: we only hold your place provided you don’t enrol at another university or study at an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Diploma level or higher during that time. 

^{*UNSW Co-op degrees and Defence-funded offers at UNSW Canberra cannot be deferred.}

Degree: A formal award or qualification awarded on completion of a Bachelor, Masters or Doctoral program of study (e.g. Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Arts or PhD).

Domestic student (local student): A current student who is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder or a New Zealand citizen.

Double degree: A double degree lets you study two programs at the same time and graduate with two qualifications.

Double major: A major studied in conjunction with another major in a program. The two majors can be from two faculties, provided they are approved for the program. In double degree programs, students typically undertake a major in each program.

E

Early offer: A chance to secure your place at UNSW before the main round of university offers. If you receive an early offer from UNSW via the Gateway Admission Pathway, you’ll be guaranteed a place in your chosen degree program, as long as you sit your exams and receive an ATAR – no matter what your final score is.

Early conditional offer: At UNSW, early conditional offers are offers made with an adjusted ATAR requirement. We set a reduced ATAR for specific degrees, and a student must meet or go above that ATAR to receive a firm offer for that degree. Early conditional offers are made through the Gateway Admission Pathway and our Portfolio Entry scheme.

Elective: A course where students can choose from a pre-approved list to fulfil the same academic rule.

Enrolment deadline: Enrolment deadline is the last day to enrol in your courses for the term. If you miss the deadline, it's unlikely you'll be able to enrol in the course.

Equivalent Full-Time Study Load (EFTSL): EFTSL is how universities measure study load. At UNSW, one year of full‑time study equals 1.0 EFTSL. 

F

Faculty: A faculty is a group of schools that teach related disciplines.

Full-time: Full-time enrolment for one year is defined as 48 units of credit (UOC) which equates to 1.0 Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL). 

G

Gateway Admission Pathway: The Gateway Admission Pathway is an entry scheme into UNSW for students who are underrepresented at university.

Gateway Program: The Gateway Program provides eligible students with tailored support, exclusive events and resources for final year high school students and recent school leavers. Check the Gateway Program page for eligibility criteria.

General education (Gen ed): General education courses let you explore subjects outside your main degree. 

Graduate: A graduate is someone who has completed their program and had their degree awarded.

H

Handbook: The UNSW Handbook is a comprehensive degree guide for current students. Students can use it to check what courses they need to complete to fulfil the requirements of their degree. 

Honours: Honours is an additional level of study within some undergraduate degrees and usually includes a research project.

I

Info Day: Info Day is an event that helps Year 12 students explore their options in the period between receiving their ATAR and locking in their UAC preferences. You can attend lectures, get advice and tour the campus.

Internal program transfer (IPT): Internal Program Transfer (IPT) is a free service, available to UNSW undergraduate students. It allows students to move from one program to another within UNSW, without having to reapply through UAC. 

International student (overseas student): International students are students who don’t hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency.

Check out what some of our Indian international students have to say about their favourite UNSW slang.

L

Lecture: Lectures give you the core ideas you’ll explore in a course. They’re usually held in lecture theatres and involve a larger group of students.  

Level (courses): Undergraduate courses are grouped by level. Level 1 for first year, level 2 for second year and so on. The first digit of the course code usually shows the level (e.g., ECON1101 = Level 1).

M

Major: A major recognises that the majority of courses in your degree relate to a specific area of study (generally upwards of eight courses). Some programs allow two majors.

Minor: A smaller number of courses (generally two to four) that add a secondary discipline to your studies.

O

Open Day: Open Day is an event where you can explore campus, learn about our courses, meet students and academics and enjoy a range of activities and entertainment. 

O-Week: O-Week (or orientation week) is an opportunity for you to experience university life and support services to help you transition to university. You can get a sneak peek of our clubs and societies, meet other students and academics and grab some freebies, before you start your first week of term.

P

Part-time: Students are part-time if their student load is less than 0.75 EFTSL for an academic year.

Portfolio Entry Early Conditional Offer Scheme: The Portfolio Entry Early Conditional Offer Scheme offers early conditional offers for select degrees across UNSW, giving you the opportunity to showcase your passion and talent alongside your ATAR. Successful applicants will receive an early conditional offer with an adjusted ATAR entry requirement of up to 10 ATAR points below the lowest selection rank for a specific degree or range of related degrees.

Prescribed: Designated study requirement.

Program: A program is the degree you’re studying (for example, a Bachelor of Science).

Program structure: This outlines the academic rules and requirements for your degree. Program structures can change over time, but you’ll follow the version that applied when you started, unless a transition plan has been approved for you.

R

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) means you can apply to have your previous study assessed to count towards your UNSW degree.

S

School: An academic area or organisational unit responsible for teaching in disciplines or subject areas. Schools form part of a faculty.

Selection rank: Applications to UNSW are judged on your selection rank, which is your ATAR plus any adjustment factors you may be eligible for, if applicable.

Semester/term/trimester: These are the teaching periods that make up the academic year. UNSW uses different time periods depending on your campus and level of study.

Seminar: A seminar is a small, interactive class where you explore ideas in more depth. It blends short presentations with group discussion, similar to a tutorial.

Separate year honours programs: A separate year honours program is an additional year of study after your bachelor’s degree, where you complete advanced coursework and a research project.

Specialisation (stream): A specialisation offers specialised knowledge and skills within your degree. Only one specialisation is allowed and you must complete more courses than a major within this study area.

Stage: Stages divide your degree into year‑by‑year progress. Each stage includes a set number of units of credit (UOC) and specific courses you need to complete. For full‑time students, Stage 1 is your first year, Stage 2 your second, and so on.

Student contribution band: The commonwealth government groups different areas of study into one of four bands. Student contribution bands are used to determine the maximum student contribution amount per EFTSL.

Study load: The total number of units of credit (UOC) taken in a term, semester or academic year. A full-time study load at UNSW is 48 UOC per year.   

T

Transfer credit: Transfer credit is when previous study or experience counts towards your UNSW degree.   

Tutorial: A tutorial (or ‘tute’) is a smaller class where you discuss ideas and apply what you learned in lectures.

U

Undergraduate: A program of study that leads to the award of a diploma, advanced diploma, associate degree or a bachelor's degree (pass or honours).

Unit of Credit (UOC): A Unit of Credit (UOC) shows how much workload a course involves. Most courses at UNSW are 6UOC. 

Universities Admissions Centre (UAC): The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) manages applications for many undergraduate degrees across NSW and ACT universities.

W

Weighted Average Mark (WAM): Your WAM is your overall academic average, weighted by the unit value of each course. Learn more about UNSW grades.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL): Work Integrated Learning (WIL) gives you practical, real‑world experience as part of your degree.

Getting ready for uni is easier when you understand the language. Keep this guide handy as you explore your degree options, complete your application or prepare for your first term.