How an undergraduate programme is structured
Your degree programme will probably consist of 120 points of full-time study per academic year. A three-year degree involves 360 points of study, while a four-year degree involves 480 points and so on. Each programme page lists the number of points you will need to achieve.
Points are achieved through the study of courses. Most full-time students will study eight courses, each with a value of between 10-30 points, per academic year. As a general rule, the fewer courses you study as a part of your course load, the greater the points value per course.
During the course of your studies you may be required to choose a specialisation, a single or double major, or a major and a minor. This will become the focus of a large proportion of your degree programme as you study your chosen area to the most advanced undergraduate stage. Each programme page provides a list of majors, minors and specialisations where applicable.
Each undergraduate programme page contains a degree structure diagram to illustrate how you might structure your degree. Your degree will be divided into Years or Parts, depending what you are studying. Some degrees are also divided into Stages, which indicate the level of study within the degree.
The example diagrams below illustrate three possible degree structures.
Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)
You might choose a double major in this programme. The example shows you study a set of core courses and could take one major course in the first year. Over the next two years, six more courses are studied for the first major and six courses for a second major. Over the same period, two elective courses and two General Education courses are also studied.
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (BE(Hons))
This degree follows a set structure with seven core courses and one General Education course in your first year of study. This gives you an introduction to each discipline of Engineering, and at the end of the year you apply for a specialisation. You study your specialisation and core engineering courses through to your final year - at levels of study that become more advanced with each year.
Assessment methods vary according to your course. Assignments and/or tests and/or practical work during the semester almost always contribute to your end-of-semester grade. Some courses are entirely assessed by semester coursework, but most combine coursework and a final exam.
