award nomenclature and testamurs

PREAMBLE

The Australian Qualifications Framework states that award titles may be qualified in two ways on testamurs:

1. Awards, which may have been accredited with generic titles only, may include a statement about a major stream of study, as accredited;
2. Awards with Honours or Distinction will be described as such, and where the award is to be made with Honours, the class will also be given, according to the following wordings: e.g.
   1. Bachelor of Applied Science (Computer Science) Honours 1st Class
   2. Awards with Distinction eg Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) with Distinction

Council has previously approved when new bachelor degrees may lead to a specific title [AC/104/1999 (e)], the Policy on Nomenclature of Masters Degrees by Research and Coursework [AC/16/2001], and the Guidelines for Appropriate Fieldnames for Postgraduate Research Degrees [AC/55/2001].  The Guidelines for Appropriate Fieldnames for Postgraduate Research Degrees provide students with the option of indicating on their testamur the field in which they undertook their research.

Undergraduate testamurs presently include only the qualification awarded, not the major(s).  Senate initially approved the layout and design of degree and diploma certificates [S/58/1977 – 28/4/77 (Bachelors); S/189/1977 – 27/10/77 (Masters and PhDs) and S/16/1978 – 23/2/78 (inclusion of grade of Honours)].  This has subsequently been updated only to reflect the delegation to Academic Council of authority for awarding of degrees, and changes in position titles.

Senate delegated to Academic Council authority for the award of degrees (other than honorary degrees), diplomas and certificates, subject to the Council being required to report to the Senate on the rescission of awards previously made and on any further action taken in these instances [S/38/1996 – 25/3/96].  Senate delegated authority to the Chair [President] of Academic Council to award degrees, diplomas and certificates when, in the opinion of the Chair, this was warranted [S/166/1996 – 24/6/96].

In terms of collaborative awards, Senate approved S/10/2002 – 25/2/02, the use of the Murdoch crest on testamurs issued by other universities for approved collaborative awards that comply with approved policy.  Council has previously supported in-principle [AC/4/2002 (iii)] that in the case of approved Collaborative Awards, testamurs include the crest of the home institution awarding the degree and crest(s) of other collaborating institution(s).

In terms of non-graduates admitted as honours students, Council approved AC/16/1999 – 3/3/99, that the standard nomenclature for both the degree and the programme [major] be used on the testamur and academic transcript   

This policy combines the above decisions, and extends the policy on the format of testamurs by also including a student’s major(s).

POLICY

1. DEGREE NOMENCLATURE

1.1 Undergraduate Awards

The title of the qualification in the case of bachelor degree courses can be either generic [e.g. Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Science (BSc)] or specific.

New bachelor degree courses lead to generic qualifications, except for a course of study where 75% or more of the Part II points are specified (66% or more for courses of study of 96 points or more), in which case a title reflecting the discipline may be used [e.g. Bachelor of Nursing (BNurs), Bachelor of Chiropractic (BChiro)].

1.2 Postgraduate Coursework Awards

1.2.1 Postgraduate Certificates and Postgraduate Diplomas

The title shall reflect the course content.

1.2.1.1 Postgraduate Certificates

The qualification shall be titled Postgraduate Certificate.  Awarding of a qualification titled Graduate Certificate is only through approved exemption to this policy.

The entry requirements for a Postgraduate Certificate are outlined in the Postgraduate Coursework Regulations.

1.2.1.2 Postgraduate Diplomas

The qualification shall be titled Postgraduate Diploma. Awarding of a qualification titled Graduate Diploma is only through approved exemption to this policy.

The entry requirements for a Postgraduate Diploma are outlined in the Postgraduate Coursework Regulations.

1.2.1.3 Masters Degrees by Coursework

The nomenclature for coursework Masters degrees (those with less than 66% research component), normally take the form of:

Master of <broad discipline>(fieldname)”.

Exceptions to this requirement are the MBA, MBA in International Business, LLM, MEd and MHRM.

Other exemptions from this form of nomenclature require the approval of Academic Council as part of the planning process.

1.2.2 Masters Degrees by Research

1. The title “Master of Philosophy” is used for 2 year full-time, 100% research degrees.
2. Generic research masters (12 points coursework + 24 point thesis, normally 18 months full-time or equivalent part-time) be titled: “Master of (fieldname)”.

Students enrolled in the 36 point Research Masters with training, who will have been enrolled in a Masters in their School of study, must designate a fieldname for their degree prior to submission.  Masters students will graduate with the title of Master of <fieldname>. 

The fieldname shall be selected in accordance with the Guidelines in (d) below.

3. The fieldname is to be designated by the student in consultation with the supervisor.  The Director of Postgraduate Studies is the final arbiter of the appropriateness of fieldnames.

Selected fieldnames should be notified to the Research Degrees and Scholarships Office by completing the appropriate form at the time of the submission of the Thesis title, abstract and examination details 3 months prior to the expected submission date.

The following guidelines apply to fieldnames for postgraduate research degrees:

1. Fieldnames must be no more than 30 characters (including spaces); and use only plain English letters and numbers (foreign alphabets or symbols are not allowed).
2. Fieldnames will normally be at the level of generality and intelligibility of a recognised discipline or interdisciplinary field.  This means that they will generally approximate the nearest undergraduate discipline or major of study.  Examples of appropriate fieldnames are Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Environmental Science, History, Journalism, Media Studies, Sociology, Sustainable Development, Women's Studies.

The fieldname is not a sub-field (e.g. environmental chemistry), nor a thesis title.

3. The name chosen may not duplicate the title of any existing Murdoch masters degree.  [The existing titles are listed in Schedule 1 of the Postgraduate Research Degrees Regulations.]
4. For more interdisciplinary Schools of Study, consideration will be given to a limited number of additional fieldnames (e.g. urban planning, environmental policy).  An explicit case for consideration of these must be made to the Director of Postgraduate Studies.

1.2.3 Postgraduate Awards and Specialisations

The qualification shall be titled as a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters or Professional Doctorate.

For postgraduate degrees with a specialisation, the testamur shall include a maximum of one specialisation successfully completed by the student.

Example

Postgraduate Diploma in Education Studies (Teaching English as a Second Language)

1.2. 4 PhDs

The degree is titled Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

1.2.5 Professional Doctorate Degrees

The degree title shall reflect the professional content and course structure.

2. TESTAMURS

2.1 All Testamurs

The following standard information shall appear on Bachelor Degree, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters and Doctoral testamurs:

• Name of Graduate
• The statement “having fulfilled all requirements of the Statutes and Regulations has this day been awarded the”
• Award Title
• Date Council approved conferral of the Award
• The signatures and title of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor.

An example of the format for a bachelor’s degree (where the title reflects the discipline), Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters and Professional Doctorate is provided at Appendix A.

[Students who successfully complete double degrees or joint degrees are awarded two testamurs, one for each degree].

2.2 Additional Information

2.2.1 Undergraduate Degrees/Majors/Streams

For bachelor’s degrees with a generic title (e.g. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce), the testamur shall also include the major(s) successfully completed by the student.

Example, for single majors:
Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies

Example, for double majors:
Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies and Australian Indigenous Studies

Example, for multiple majors:
Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies, Australian Indigenous Studies, History and Women’s Studies

Example, for multiple majors with an “and” in their title:
Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies, Australian Indigenous Studies and Politics & International Studies

Students enrolled prior to the University’s conversion from streams to majors who have successfully completed stream(s) shall have these listed on their testamur in the same format as that for majors. Students must not yet have graduated.

Examples of the format for generic bachelor’s degrees with major(s) are provided at Appendices C and D.

For bachelor’s degrees with a specific title (e.g. Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Education), the testamur shall include the major(s) successfully completed by the student.

Example, for single majors:
Bachelor of Engineering in Renewable Energy Engineering

Example, for double majors:
Bachelor of Engineering in Renewable Energy Engineering and Engineering Chemistry

Example, for multiple majors:
Bachelor of Engineering in Renewable Energy Engineering, Engineering Chemistry and Software Engineering.

Example, for multiple majors with an “and” in their title:
Bachelor of Engineering in Renewable Energy Engineering, Engineering Chemistry, Forensic Biology & Toxicology and Software Engineering.

Examples of the format for specific bachelor’s degrees with major(s) are provided at Appendices F, G and H.
For specific degrees where the title of the major is identical to the title of the specific degree (eg Bachelor of Marketing and the Media in Marketing and the Media), the testmaur will not include the title of the major.  For graduates who have completed more than one major the testamur will include the titles of all majors not identical to the title of the degree successfully completed.

Example, for single majors where the student had successfully completed a Bachelor of Marketing and the Media in Marketing and the Media:
Bachelor of Marketing and the Media

Example, for double majors where the student successfully completed a Bachelor of Marketing and the Media and Sociology:
Bachelor of Marketing & the Media and Sociology

2.2.2 Honours

When a degree is awarded with Honours, the testamur shall include the grade of Honours.

For example:
Bachelor of Engineering
With Second Class Merit Honours (Division A)

Honours testamurs for generic Awards have the major area detailed. For example, Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in History. Specific awards do not have the major area detailed and appear for example as Bachelor Marketing and the Media with First Class Honours.  Examples of the formats for honours degrees awarded for generic areas and those with specific awards are provided at Appendix E and I.

2.2.3 Master of Philosophy and PhDs

The testamur of PhD and MPhil graduates may include, in addition to the title of the qualification, a simple indication of the discipline(s) or recognised interdisciplinary field of study.  The addition of such fieldname is to be voluntary, at the request of the student and finalised by a deadline set by the Research Degrees Officer.  The Director of Postgraduate Studies should be the arbiter of allowable fieldnames.  An example of the format of the testamurs for the Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy are provided at Appendix J.

2.2.4 Collaborative Awards

Where the degree is an approved collaborative award, the testamur shall, in addition to the Murdoch crest, include the crest(s) of the other collaborating institution(s).  An example of the format of testamurs for collaborative awards is provided at Appendix K.

2.2.5 Awards Taught in a Language Other than English

Where the award is taught in a language other than English the language of instruction is to appear on the testamur and the academic transcript.  An example of the format of testamurs for courses taught in languages other than English is provided at Appendix L.