Credit for Previous Study
- About Credit for Previous Study
- General Credit and Specific Credit (or Exemptions)
- How do I apply for Credit for Previous Studies?
- Postgraduate Credit for Previous Studies
- More information on Credit for Previous Studies
About Credit for Previous Study
You may be eligible for general credit towards an undergraduate degree at Macquarie University on the basis of your previous studies. This credit is known as ‘credit for previous studies’ (CPS) and is expressed as a certain number of Macquarie credit points.
- Credit for Previous Studies is calculated on the basis of completed and partially completed Bachelor degree programs, as well as completed advanced diplomas, diplomas and associate diploma programs.
- Credit for Previous Studies may be used towards exemptions from core units and/or elective units at Macquarie University.
- Credit for Previous Studies counts towards the credit point requirement for your degree at 100 and 200 level only.
- Even if ‘credit’ is granted, students must still satisfy the core unit and coherency (major) studies requirements of the course.
General Credit and Specific Credit (or Exemptions)
Credit for Previous Studies may be in the form of General Credit or Specific Credit (also known as Exemptions).
- Specific Credits or Exemptions are made to students if students have successfully completed a similar unit at another recognised institution. Exemptions are determined on the basis of overlap content, and only apply to students who have been already been granted General Credits.
- This means that a student will first need an allocation of General Credits before Specific exemptions are granted.
- If students are exempted from a unit which is a prerequisite for other units, the student is considered to have satisfied that prerequisite, and so can enter directly into higher level units in that subject area.
It is important to note that students may be given General Credits that they cannot use to obtain exemptions in their new degree program at Macquarie University because the content is not similar. For example, if the student previously studied Engineering and now wants to study European Languages they may not qualify for exemptions. In this situation the student should speak to an Academic Advisor to ascertain the most effective way to use their Credit for Previous Studies in their new degree program.
Example
Harry Smith from UCLA completed 1 year of study then transferred to Macquarie University. He was issued 30 credit points of general credit. After his syllabus was assessed he was issued an exemption for ACCG100 Introductory Accounting. This allowed Harry to enrol in ACCG101 Intermediate Accounting, as ACCG100 is the pre-requisite for ACCG101. Harry can also use some of his additional credit for exemptions in elective units as long as the content is similar to that offered in his Macquarie degree.
How do I apply for Credit for Previous Studies?
Students must support their claim for Credit for Previous Studies by providing information for every unit of study attempted. These documents should be accompanied by English translations if they were not originally issued in English:
- Description of every unit studied (this should include a full unit outline on what the learning objectives are, including the number of contact hours as set out by the Unit Coordinator).
- Week-by-week topic outline of every unit studied.
- Method of assessment of every unit studied (this should include a breakdown of assignments, exams and any other assessment required for completion of the unit).
- Textbook/reading/reference lists of every unit studied.
If these documents are not included, credit for previous studies cannot be assessed.
All documents must be issued by the relevant educational institution and properly certified as genuine copies.
If your institution has an existing agreement with Macquarie University, you may be assessed for both General and Specific Credit at the time that your offer letter is issued. In other cases, you will be assessed for General Credit at the time that your offer letter is issued, but may be asked to speak to an Academic Advisor during the enrolment period to confirm your Specific Credits. In either case, you will be advised what you need to do in your offer letter.
Postgraduate Credit for Previous Studies
If you have successfully completed one or more units at postgraduate level in another tertiary institution, and did not complete your course, you may be granted Credit for Previous Studies as determined by the Postgraduate Studies Committee on the recommendation of the designated Head of Division. The credit granted will not be for more than 50% of the total program of studies for the course.
For example: with a standard Master degree program of 32 postgraduate credit points no more than 16 postgraduate credit points will be granted Credit for Previous Studies (CPS).
More information on Credit for Previous studies
For additional information on credit for previous studies visit: www.reg.mq.edu.au/undergrad/admissions/newstudents/cps.htm