CREDIT TRANSFER POLICY

While the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) wishes to give students maximum credit for study previously completed, it should be recognised that units of study taught in the faculty are specifically directed at developing professional skills.

• Determination of credit
• Application procedure
• Implications of gaining credit from other studies
• Maximum credit
• Challenge examination
• Supporting documentation

Determination of credit

This policy is to be read in conjunction with the:
Admission: Advanced Standing, Credit and Exemption via our policy register.

The Coursework Rule specifies the general conditions for the granting of credit for previous study to courses in the Faculty, except that credit will not be granted for recognised prior learning older than 5 years at the time of first enrolment.

The Faculty does not grant credit for units of study for which a result of Terminating Pass or Pass (Concessional) has been awarded.

There are two types of credit transfer:

Challenge examination

Where it is unclear how closely your previous educational achievements are matched to your future requirements, you may be asked to take a "challenge examination". This examination provides an additional opportunity for you to prove your knowledge and receive credit transfer. If a challenge exam is required the relevant unit coordinator will contact you directly regarding arrangements.

Application procedure

Details of the process for applying for credit are given on the Application for credit form and are also available from Student Central.

All students who intend to apply for credit, must finalise their applications for the academic year by the third Friday of February. It is possible to lodge a credit application for Semester 2 unit of study enrolments by the second Friday of July. However it is advisable to finalise credit application for the whole academic year in February.

Applications must be made on the appropriate form, complete with all documentation and lodged in person with, or posted to, Student Central.

Students should attend classes until the results of their credit transfer application have been advised.

Implications of gaining credit from other studies

Students need to consider the following implications of graining credit from other studies:

• Decreased workload (this may affect your eligibility for Austudy/Abstudy/Youth Allowance)
• The effect on Weighted Average Mark (WAM) - The WAM is used for entry to honours programs, the award of scholarships for postgraduate study and, for Physiotherapy students, allocation to a hospital job. Units of study without a grade are not included in the calculation of your WAM, but if you had done the unit of study, it is likely that you would have attained high marks and your WAM would therefore have been higher. Conversely, it might be argued that with advanced standing in one or more units of study, additional time could be devoted to remaining units of study, resulting in higher marks and an increased WAM.

Maximum credit

If a student is admitted to candidature for an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney with credit for completed units of study not counted towards an award, the maximum credit allowed will be determined by the requirement that a minimum of the equivalent of 48 credit points of their course be completed at the University of Sydney.

The maximum credit allowed where a graduate is admitted to candidature for a degree of bachelor with credit for completed units of study already counted in a completed qualification, will be determined by the requirement that the graduate shall attend units of study for the equivalent of at least two full-time years in that course, unless additional credit from an uncompleted course or courses has also been granted.

Credit towards a postgraduate coursework degree (GradCert, GradDip, Masters) will not be given for undergraduate units of study or for completed postgraduate awards except in the case of embedded programs at the University of Sydney or other programs deemed by the relevant faculty to be the equivalent of such embedded programs.

Specific or non-specific credit for postgraduate study undertaken at another tertiary institution for which an award was not made may be granted by the faculty, subject to a maximum equivalent to fifty per cent of the credit point requirements for the award.

Supporting documentation

If you are claiming credit on the basis of previous study at another tertiary institution you are required to supply an academic transcript and official subject descriptions, photocopied from the handbook or calendar of the previous tertiary institution for the year in which the subjects were studied. Additional information, such as lecture/tutorial outlines and/or reading lists, may assist in assessing your eligibility for credit.

If you are claiming credit solely on the basis of previous study at the Faculty of Health Sciences, it is not necessary to provide academic records or subject descriptions in support of your application.