Program Development & Approval
Overview
Every academic program at the University of Adelaide will go through the program development and approval process at the point of its introduction and subsequently if it is revised or deleted.
All program changes must go through Faculty Program Development and Approval processes.
The introduction, major revision or deletion of a University academic program must also go through the University's Program Development and Approval process. Initially this will require a Concept Proposal to be submitted to the PAEC Executive Officer who will submit this proposal to the University Learning Committee (ULC). Following advice from ULC a full proposal must then be submitted to the Program Approval & Entry Committee (PAEC).
Program Development and Approval
Please contact the PAEC Executive Officer if additional information is required on the Program Development and Approval process.
Program Approval & Publication Timelines
When planning proposals, the relevant submission deadlines must be taken into account. Proponents will need to factor in Faculty and School processes/deadlines, University Learning Committee (ULC) deadlines (if relevant) and Program Approval and Entry Committee (PAEC) deadlines.
The flowchart below provides a guide to the sequence of submission deadlines for the central University committees involved in the approval process. In addition to the lead times indicated below, proponents should allow additional time for:
- School and Faculty approval processes
- Research Education and Development Committee processes (for research degrees)
- Resolution of any issues that may arise at one or more steps in the process.
Submission deadlines
2013 University Learning Committee (ULC) and Program Approval & Entry Committee (PAEC) Dates and Submission Deadlines
| ULC 2013 Meeting Dates and Submission Deadlines |
PAEC 2013 Meeting Dates and Submission Deadlines |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting Dates | Papers due to PAEC Executive Officer |
PAEC Meeting | Submission Deadline |
| 01/2013 Thursday 14 February |
Wednesday 24 January |
01/2013 Thursday 07 February |
Thursday 17 January |
| 02/2013 Wednesday 13 March |
Wednesday 20 February |
02/2013# Thursday 07 March |
Thursday 14 February |
| 03/2013 Thursday 04 April |
Wednesday 13 March |
03/2013 Tuesday 09 April |
Thursday 14 March |
| 04/2013 Wednesday 15 May |
Wednesday 24 April |
04/2013 Thursday 02 May |
Thursday 11 April |
| 05/2013 Wednesday 03 July |
Wednesday 12 June |
05/2013 Thursday 04 July |
Thursday 13 June |
| 06/2013 Wednesday 14 August |
Wednesday 24 July |
06/2013 Thursday 08 August |
Thursday 18 July |
| 07/2013 Wednesday 11 September |
Wednesday 21 August |
07/2013 Friday 06 September |
Thursday 15 August |
| 08/2013 Wednesday 16 October |
Wednesday 25 September |
08/2013* Tuesday 08 October |
Thursday 12 September |
| 09/2013 Wednesday 13 November |
Wednesday 23 October |
09/2013 Thursday 07 November |
Thursday 17 October |
Publication deadlines
New academic program proposals for 2013 must reach the PAEC Executive Officer by the dates set out below in order to meet publication deadlines. These dates do not take into account that proposals for the addition of a new program or the revision of an existing program must first be considered by the APAG.
Proposals will be considered after these publication deadlines and Faculties are of course able to implement their own additional marketing strategies at their own expense. However, the Faculty must weigh up the benefits and costs of introducing a program if it is not included in a key publication or promoted at a key event.
Note: To meet the publication notification deadline (column 2) you will need to submit your concept proposal by the due date listed in the last column.
| Publication | Latest date for notification to publication |
Present to AB Meeting |
Papers due to AB Secretary |
PAEC Meeting |
PAEC Submission Deadline |
ULC Meeting |
Concept Proposal Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACIR Database PG |
01/03/13 | 07/11/12 | 26/10/12 | 04/10/11 | 13/09/12 | 15/06/12 | 25/05/12 |
| UG Program Information Leaflets (PILS) |
23/03/13 | 06/03/13 | 22/02/13 | 07/02/13 | 17/01/13 | 13/12/12 | 22/11/12 |
| Fast Facts 1st ed |
05/04/13 | 06/03/13 | 22/02/13 | 07/02/13 | 17/01/13 | 13/12/12 | 22/11/12 |
| SATAC Guide | 03/04/13 New Programs/ Major Changes |
06/03/13 | 22/02/13 | 07/02/13 | 17/01/13 | 13/12/12 | 22/11/12 |
| SATAC Guide | 01/05/12 Final draft - minor changes |
03/04/13 | 22/03/13 | 07/03/13 | 14/02/13 | 14/02/13 | 24/01/13 |
| Postgraduate Research Prospectus |
06/06/13 | 01/05/13 | 19/04/12 | 09/04/12 | 14/03/12 | 14/02/12 | 24/01/12 |
| Postgraduate Coursework PILs |
30/06/13 | 05/06/13 | 24/05/13 | 02/05/13 | 11/04/13 | 13/03/13 | 20/02/13 |
| Postgraduate Coursework Prospectus (Domestic) |
30/06/13 | 05/06/13 | 24/05/13 | 02/05/13 | 11/04/13 | 13/03/13 | 20/02/13 |
| SATAC UniWeb and GradStart (online) |
01/08/13 | 05/06/13 | 24/05/13 | 02/05/13 | 11/04/13 | 13/03/13 | 20/02/13 |
| DEEWR 'Campus File' (for all programs & plans in 2013) |
01/08/13 | 05/06/13 | 24/05/13 | 02/05/13 | 11/04/13 | 13/03/13 | 20/02/13 |
| Fast Facts August* |
20/08/13 | 07/08/13 | 26/07/13 | 04/07/13 | 13/06/13 | 04/04/13 | 13/03/13 |
| Fast Facts September* |
27/09/13 | 04/09/13 | 23/08/13 | 08/08/13 | 18/07/13 | 03/07/13 | 12/06/13 |
| ACIR Database UG |
01/10/13 | 04/09/13 | 23/08/13 | 08/08/13 | 18/07/13 | 03/07/13 | 12/06/13 |
| Fast Facts October* |
23/10/13 | 02/10/13 | 20/09/13 | 06/09/13 | 15/08/13 | 14/08/13 | 24/07/13 |
| Calendar | Refer to table below | ||||||
| Fast Facts November* |
27/11/13 | 06/11/13 | 25/10/13 | 08/10/13 | 12/09/13 | 14/08/13 | 24/07/13 |
| International Prospectus |
10/01/14 | 06/11/13 | 25/10/13 | 08/10/13 | 12/09/13 | 14/08/13 | 24/07/13 |
* Fast Facts edition will not be published if no undergraduate program changes/additions/deletions are approved at the Academic Board meeting for that month.
Calendar deadlines for 2013 edition
The calendar process is currently under consideration and the website will be updated in February 2013.
For further information contact Paul Byrne, 8313 4016, or email paul.byrne@adelaide.edu.au.
Program Approval Forms
All forms should be submitted to the PAEC Executive Officer.
STEP 1
Concept Proposal
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Concept Proposals to add a new program, change the name of a program or, for a major revision to an existing program, will be considered by the University Learning Commitee (ULC). Concept Proposals should be submitted to the PAEC Executive Officer who will submit them to ULC for consideration. Concept Proposals should be developed in discussion with the Faculty PAEC representative. All program names must conform to the University's Approved Degree Nomenclature & Abbreviations. |
STEP 2
Addition of a New Program
Feedback from the Convenor of ULC on the Concept Proposal should be considered when developing the full proposal for all PAEC submissions.
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Proposals for new programs must be accompanied by a completed Financial Model when submitted to the Program Approval & Entry Committee (PAEC). Detailed information on how to fill in the form can be found in the Addition of New Program Guidelines. |
Major Revision of an Existing Program
Major revisions require consideration by PAEC. Minor revisions do not. To help determine whether a program development is a major or minor revision, please refer to the table of revision categories.
Feedback from the Convenor of PAEC on the Concept Proposal should be considered when developing a full proposal for a major revision to an existing program.
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Proposals for major revisions to existing programs must be accompanied by a completed Financial Model when submitted to the PAEC. Detailed information on how to fill in this form can be found in the Major Revision of Existing Program Guidelines. |
Change of Program Name
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The Change of Program Name form should be used when the only change to the program is to its title. |
Suspension of programs: undergraduate and post-graduate coursework
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Suspension of a program means that there is no intake to that program for a specified period of time. Students currently enrolled in the program continue their enrolment until they complete the requirements of the award. Where intake to a program is to be discontinued completely, the program deletion process will apply. This requires application for approval through the Program Approval and Entry Committee. Submission of Proposals
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Deletion of an existing Program
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Use the Deletion of an Existing Program form if the program is not to be offered to commencing students ever again. Do not use this form if the program will simply be temporarily unavailable to commencing students. Where a program is temporarily unavailable, contact your School Manager/ Faculty Registrar to ask them to contact relevant areas (including Publications, Admissions and the International Office) to inform them of the details, and ensure that all publications (including the Faculty/School web pages) also reflect this information. |
Program Structure & Entry Requirements
In September 2012 Academic Board accepted the recommendations contained in the reports of the Undergraduate Curriculum Structures Framework and Honours Working Parties. These recommendations and the requirements of the University's Coursework Academic Programs Policy and Admissions to Coursework Programs Policy set down the minimum standards for program structures and program entry.
- Standard Admission Criteria for Undergraduate Programs
Under the current Admissions to Coursework Programs Policy the eligibility criteria for admission to academic programs are entirely at the discretion of the University. The criteria may include but is not limited to:
- Academic Criteria – i.e. formal qualifications or previous studies or prerequisite studies in the secondary, post-secondary, tertiary or higher education sectors
- Academic or other tests/requirements – i.e. auditions, portfolio, interview/oral assessment, specific knowledge test or aptitude test, work experience, application statement, referee reports
- English language proficiency
- Any combination of the above
Eligibility criteria may be changed but once it is made public for a specified intake/calendar period it will not be changed except in exceptional circumstances.
There are four Standard Admission Criteria for Undergraduate programs. They are:
Year 12 sub-quota Eligibility: eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant has completed SACE Stage 2 or an equivalent qualification; and has completed 2 years or less full-time-equivalent higher education study. Rank: eligible applicants ranked on the basis of their ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank). Higher Education sub-quota Eligibility: eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant has completed at least 6 months full-time-equivalent higher education study. Rank: eligible applicants ranked on the basis of their best GPA (Grade Point Average). VET sub-quota Eligibility: eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant has completed an AQF Certificate IV or above from any Registered Training Organisation. (Exceptions are listed on the attached spreadsheet) Rank: eligible applicants ranked according to the level of the completed award. Special Entry sub-quota Eligibility: domestic applicants are eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant is over 18 years old on 1 February of the year they apply for entry to; and they have not completed a higher education award; and, if they were enrolled in a program leading to a higher education award, they must not have completed more than 2 years full-time equivalent study in that program. Rank: eligible applicants ranked according to their results in the STAT (Special Tertiary Admissions Test), or for some programs a combination of the STAT result and/or personal competencies statements and/or employment experience statements. Eligibility Score
DIISRTE requires Universities to report the lowest ATAR at which any student, whether Commonwealth Supported or Domestic Fee Paying, the Eligibility Score, the University has determined as is eligible for consideration for this course (ie program). The standard bands for the Eligibility Score are 55 for any Diploma and 65, 80 and 90 for Bachelor degrees. All Bachelor (Advanced) programs will have an eligibility score of 90.
You can view a spreadsheet of the Eligibility Score for the University's programs.
- Standards for Masters Programs
- All Masters (Coursework) and Masters (Extended) programs will include one of the following:
- A research project; or
- A clinical placement, internship or other capstone experience; or
- A substantial piece of scholarship.
- The Research Project or Clinical Placement, Internship or other Capstone Experience will conform to the following criteria:
- It will be a minimum of 6 units.
- If it is 6 units, it cannot be stand alone and it must build on one or more of the courses within the program.
- Accreditation requirements may be used as justification for it being 6 units but it must still build on the courses within the program.
- If it is 9 units or more it may be stand alone.
- The workload will be commensurate with that specified in the Coursework Academic Programs Policy.
- Capstone experiences must be undertaken at the end of the program and not spread throughout the program. All capstone experiences must include a requirement that students produce a written piece of work that is a critical evaluation and reflection of the experience not simply a log book of the experience.
It is a requirement of TEQSA that all Masters Degree (Coursework) graduates will have knowledge of research principles and methods, and undertake some independent research. It should be noted that project work or practice-related learning are alternatives to each other, not alernatives to research.
- All Masters (Coursework) and Masters (Extended) programs will include one of the following:
- Standard Admission Criteria for Masters Programs
The standard admission criteria for all Masters programs is a Bachelor Degree.
- Approved Non-Standard Admission Criteria
Program Name Non-standard Admisiion Reqirement PAEC Mtg Approval Ref. Master of Counselling & Psychotherapy
Graduate Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy
Graduate Certificate in Counselling & Psychotherapy- IELTS of 7 (Overall) or equivalent TOEFL; and
- A written statement of up to 500 words outlining the motivation for studying the programs
08/2012 TRIM 2012/12629 Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration (Advanced)
- Holders of a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration who have achieved a GPA of 6.0 or better in that program may apply for direct entry into the Master of Business Administration and the Master of Business Administration (Advanced)
- It was noted by the Committee that applicants for the Master of Business Administration or the Master of Business Administration (Advanced) whose qualifying award was not undertaken in English must have achieved an IELTS of 7.0 overall with a minimum of at least 6.5 in each band or its equivalent.
02/2013 TRIM 2012/16878
Degree Nomenclature & Abbreviations
When considering the names for new programs or when re-naming existing programs the degree nomenclature principles should be used. These principles provide guidance on what should be considered when deciding on the name for a new program and guidance on the format that program names should follow. All programs should also have a set of post-nominal abbreviations. The standard list of abbreviations should be used in all circumstances. Where the discipline area is new and not listed, the proposal to be submitted to the Program Approval and Entry Committee (PAEC) should suggest a set of abbreviations.
Principles for Degree Nomenclature
In determining the nomenclature for specific programs the following principles should be used:
National and University Policies
- These principles should be read in conjunction with the AQF Council AQF Qualification Issuance Policy and Protocols. Where there is conflict between these principles and the AQF Policy, the AQF Policy will prevail.
- The names for combined and double degrees should be named in accordance with these principles. These principles should be read in conjunction with the relevant University Policy.
- The name of the program should also be consistent with national and international norms.
Program Name
- When developing a new program or changing a program name, the starting point should be that the program is named according to the broad discipline area to which the program belongs, for example Bachelor of Science.
- Program nomenclature should be easily recognisable by prospective students, employers and other stakeholders. It should be unambiguous in terms of level and professional orientation.
- The name of the program should take into account the possibility of misunderstanding /misinterpretation by students, employers or the public.
- Consideration should be given to the overall number of specific program names within the University and the Faculty.
- The name of a program should conform to any accreditation body guidelines.
- The name of the program should consider the extent of professional or employment demands for the specific title and or descriptors.
Naming Conventions
- For Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees, the separator 'of' should be used between the degree level and the discipline area. For other awards, the separator 'in' should be used. For example, Graduate Diploma in Commerce, Graduate Certificate in Dentistry, Professional Certificate in Arbitration, Diploma in Languages.
- Post-nominal abbreviations should not use full stops, commas or other punctuation marks.
- Combined degrees must, in accordance with the relevant University Policy, be linked by the word 'and'.
- Nomenclature that would indicate a specific discipline will be acceptable in some instances. Normally this would be limited to the use of such titles that lead to specific professional qualifications (e.g. Bachelor of Laws) or to those programs that have significant affiliations with or a significant degree of recognition by industry or the community. It is expected that as part of the submission to the Program Approval Committee significant evidence of the use of the name within industry or the community is provided.
- Program names should identify the extent of a specialisation within a program. Specific specialisations within generic program titles should be in the format Bachelor of
(Specialisation); e.g. Bachelor of Science (Pre-Veterinary) or Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting). Where there is a need to indicate a lower level of specialisation, for example a stream or major, (due to accreditation or other identifiable requirements), only single brackets should be used with the further specialisation separated by a dash. The primary specialisation should be listed first. For example - Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical - Sustainable Energy). Double brackets should not be used. If a program combines two specialisations, to the extent that it should be identified as a program in its own right, the specialisations should appear in the brackets following the discipline name and should be separated by the word 'and'. For example Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Sustainable Energy). Postgraduate Coursework Programs should follow a similar format. Within nested suites of programs the Master program should still follow the principle of Master of (Specialisation), for example Master of Engineering (Chemical). The lower level awards in the suite would follow the same format - for example Graduate Diploma in Engineering (Chemical). - Bachelor degrees for which there is a separate Honours year should have Honours listed in brackets following the degree name, e.g. Bachelor of Arts (Hons). Bachelor degrees which can be awarded with honours as a result of students achieving a qualifying GPA should not include honours in the title of the degree. Although, it should be noted that if a qualifying GPA is achieved, the Testamur and academic transcript will indicate that the students has achieved an honours grade.
Naming Conventions to be Used in Official Documentation
| Document | Nomenclature |
|---|---|
| Parchment, Transcript and Graduation Statement |
Full program name should be used. If a program of study includes a major, the testamur should include the major. |
| Program Finder | Full program name, abbreviation. |
| Calendar | Full program name. |
| Marketing Material | Full program name. Program names can be used without including the specialisations. For example it is acceptable to use Bachelor of Engineering when talking about engineering and advertise that the University offers Engineering degrees in Chemical, Mecahnical etc engineering. It would not be appropriate to refer to the program as the Bachelor of Chemical Engineering. |
Schedule of Abbreviations for University Awards
Schedule of abbreviations for University Awards. To ensure consistency the following abbreviations should be used.
|
Qualification Type |
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|---|---|---|
| Award | Abbreviation | Example |
| Doctor of Philosophy | PhD | PhD |
| Doctor of | D | DLett |
| Master of | M | MSc |
| Graduate Diploma in | GDip | GDipPhys |
| Graduate Certificate in | GCert | GCertCompSc |
| Professional Certificate in | ProfCert | ProfCertArtHist |
| Honours | Hons | BA(Hons) |
| Bachelor of | B | BA |
| Advanced Diploma in | AdvDip | AdvDipAbStMus |
| Diploma in | Dip | DipLang |
| Advanced Certificate in | AdvCert | AdvCertAbStMus |
| Certificate IV in | CertIV | CertIVMus |
| Certificate III in | CertIII | CertIIIMus |
Award Title Abbreviations
It is recommended that the following abbreviations be used. Please contact Paul Byrne, PAEC Executive Officer if guidance is required.
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Schedule of Abbreviations |
Award Title Abbreviations (A - Z Listing) |
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Marketing: Advertising & Promotion of Programs
After a program development has been approved various channels are available for advertising or promoting the program:
- online via the University of Adelaide website (including Degree Finder which seeks to make finding a program easy for prospective students, and on Faculty/School sites) and the SATAC website
- in Prospectus documents distributed by the Office for Future Students and Faculties
- through key University of Adelaide marketing drives such as Open Day, specific information nights, school visits and – internationally – through agent visits/ongoing relationship management
- in external publications such as the SATAC guide and various University guides both domestically and internationally
- through editorial secured by the University of Adelaide media team.
Select programs may be included in advertising campaigns targeted at specific times of year – for example in the lead-up to the SATAC undergraduate application deadline in September. The program selection process for this purpose is done at a Faculty marketing level. Schools are encouraged to approach their Faculty marketing representative in the first instance should they wish to discuss the possibility of being included in any campaign activity.
For further information about advertising and promoting programs, please contact your Faculty/School Registrar/Business Manager.
Programs open to international students
For programs open to international students requiring a student visa to study in Australia, new programs can NOT be represented in publications, on websites, in correspondence or at events until they have a CRICOS code. This is a legislative requirement - Standard 1 of Part D of the Explanatory Guide clearly states that "Providers must not promote and market a course [read 'program' while an application for CRICOS registration is awaiting approval." The University's International Office cannot apply for a CRICOS registration until the program is internally accredited (i.e. the program proposal has been approved by the Vice-Chancellor). Remember that some students studying at Australian secondary schools are international students on student visas.
For further clarification please contact the Manager, International Admissions in the International Office.
