Frequently asked questions

New students

1. Who can I talk to regarding my studies?
2. When do I enrol?
3. Do I have to attend Orientation?
4. I don't know which units to choose. Who can help me?
5. General Electives. What are they, where can I find them?
6. Invalid Units - Why is my unit enrolment invalid?
7. What is a Foundation Unit and do I have to do one?
8. Activities - How do I sign up and what if they are full
9. I have studied at TAFE/University before. Where can I find my credit and exemptions (Advanced Standing)?
10. How many units do I have to enrol in?
11. Enrolment Deadlines - Internal and External units
12. How do I add or change my course, major or minor
13. Email Account and Correspondence
14. Cancellation of Courses , minors and units
15. I don't want to study this semester/year. Can I defer my studies until next year/semester
16. What is my timetable?
17. What books will I need?
18. I don't have a computer. What can I do ?
19. When do I pay my fees?

Answers

Who can I talk to regarding my studies?

Staff in the Faculty Student Administration Staff will be able to assist you with enquiries regarding your enrolment and degree requirements.

The office is located in the Education and Humanities building (EH) Room 2.002 Telephone: 9360 2420 or email fsa@murdoch.edu.au. Opening hours are from 8.30-4.30 Monday to Friday.

Should you require more detailed academic advice please refer to the Academic Contacts Index for Program Chairs and Academic Advisors in the Schools.

When do I enrol?

Once you have received your information pack in the mail, you will be able to enrol online using Murdoch's Online enrolment facility, MyInfo, which is accessed through your special site MyMurdoch . You will have received a Murdoch Username and Murdoch Password and changed the password as part of the online process to accept your offer.

You have up until the end of the first week of Semester to get enrolled and make any changes if needed.
Please note: MyMurdoch is available 24x7 hours. You may find it easier to complete your enrolment outside normal business hours.

You can access more information about online enrolment via the New Student site.

Do I have to attend Orientation?

Orientation is not essential, but it is beneficial for new students to attend.

The Orientation program has been designed to meet your specific needs and to introduce you to key Murdoch University staff, campus and facilities you will require.

Murdoch's Orientation week offers student the following:

• Take a tour of the Campus and Library
• Attend a Computer Usage on Campus Seminar (essential)
• Attend a course advice session
• Attend a variety of seminars to assist your transition into the Murdoch community
• Organise your Student ID/Library Card and parking permit (if required)
• Attend your School Orientation activities (where applicable)

Look for the people wearing the 'helping hands' logo to give you assistance to find your way around campus. Please check for more information on Orientation.

I don't know which units to choose. Who can help me?

Your Checklist of Units and Prerequisites (Appendix B) and Sample Enrolment (Appendix C) in your enrolment booklet show you which are your required units. The staff in the Faculty Student Administration Office can help you plan your course. Also your Program Chair (The Academic member of staff in charge of your course) is also available for advice on unit choices.Course Contacts - Academic

General Electives. What are they, where can I find them

General Electives – What are they, where can I find them? A General Elective is a unit that is not a required unit (that is not Core Unit or Specified Elective) for your major or course. It can be selected from outside your primary area of study and may form part of a second major or minor. There is no single ‘list’ of General Electives. You can select General Electives by taking the units that make up a second major or minor or by looking at the online Handbook complete list of units available Handbook online

Invalid Units – Why is my unit enrolment INVALID?

Beside the invalid unit, you will find a grey button labelled ‘Why is this Invalid?’. When you click on this button, a pop-up window will display the reason that the unit is invalid. If you still require help, print off or copy down this information before contacting your Faculty Student Administration staff member (Appendix G).

What is a Foundation Unit and do I have to do one?

All undergraduate students are required to take a Foundation Unit in their first semester of enrolment (unless you are exempt). Foundation units enable students new to the University to develop a range of study skills which will provide a foundation for subsequent university studies.

Remember you must sign up for Tutorials for your Foundation Unit at Orientation as tutorials begin in the first week of semester. Check your Getting Started Booklet and Enrolment Pack for detailed information.

For more information see the Handbook.

Activities - How Do I sign up and what do if they are full?

Use Step 4 to assist you with your Activity sign up within the MyInfo part of MyMurdoch. If your chosen Activity is full, there are three options available: review your whole timetable to check if you can change to another other unit, consider doing a unit externally (if available), or contact the Unit Coordinator if you have exceptional circumstances. Unit Coordinator contact details can be found by entering the unit code in the search bar on the MyUnits page of MyMurdoch.

I have studied at TAFE/Univeristy before. Where can I find my credit and exemptions (Advanced Standing)?

If you have notified the University that you wish to be assessed for Advanced Standing (either on your application or via contact with the Accreditation Officer), your credit and exemptions will be shown on the MyInfo part of MyMurdoch. Go to ‘Current Enrolment Details’, select , scroll down the list to ‘Advanced Standing’ and click on course code next to this heading (eg B1137). Allow at least 10 working days from receipt by the University of your application and supporting documentation before this information will be available on your enrolment record. Should you have any queries regarding Advanced Standing you should contact the Accreditation Officer(advancedstanding@murdoch.edu.au) (see Appendix H).

Enrolment Deadlines - Internal and External units?

You will be expected to enrol in all your units for the current year as soon as possible. The last date to add a unit is the end of Week 1 of Semester. For external units, the mail-out of unit materials will commence two weeks prior to the start of each Semester, so you should enrol in your external units as soon as possible. If you enrol in an external unit you should allow up to 10 days from the date you enrolled to receive your materials.

How many units do I have to enrol in?

Normally students take 3 or 4 units per semester. In order to complete your degree in three years you need to enrol in 12 points per semester to complete the 72 required points for a three-year undergraduate degree. i.e. 4 x 3 point units or 3 x 4 point units or combination thereof. The maximum number of points you are able to enrol in each semester is 14. To satisfy Austudy requirements you must be enrolled in at least 9 points per semester.

How do I add or change my course, major or minor?

To change your course entirely will require a course transfer which can only be applied for near the end of each semester. The relevant course transfer form, Amend Course Details, can be found at Forms Page (Central Student Administration). Most second majors and minors can be added or changed under ‘Unit Sets’ in the ‘Self Enrolment Steps’ on the MyInfo part of MyMurdoch.

Email Account and Correspondence

The University’s primary form of contact with students is via email. The University automatically provides you with an email address, (yourstudentnumber@student.murdoch.edu.au) and you can access this email account at: Student mail using your Murdoch User name and Password (same as MyMurdoch). You can choose to use a different email account, for example a Yahoo account. It is essential that you keep the email address listed in the MyInfo page of MyMurdoch up to date so that you receive important communications from your lecturers and the University.

Cancellation of Courses, Minors and Units

The University reserves the right to cancel, without notice, any course, major, minor or unit if the number of students enrolled falls below limits set by the University

I don't want to study this year/semester. Can I defer my studies until next year/semester?

Yes. New students to the University this year wishing to defer their studies for all of this year must indicate this to the Prospective Students' and Admissions Centre when accepting their offer.

If you only wish to study in second semester and not in first semester, simply accept your place, and enrol during "O" Week in your chosen second semester unit or units.

The University has a policy on deferred admissions.

What is my timetable?

The web has the facility to work out your own timetable by using the Nominated Units Enquiry.

Remember when working out your timetable, check each unit to ascertain the contact time ie. lectures, tutorials, workshops and lab sessions required for each unit. A guide for these requirements is available in the University's Handbook where each unit is listed in alphabetical order giving a brief description of the unit, pre-requisites and contact time.

Lecture, workshops and Lab sessions times for units are listed in the timetable. Those units with many students enrolled will run REPEAT lectures and workshops. These are indicated by Lect R or WS R.

Remember, Activity signup is available via MyInfo.

What books will I need?

The Booklist is available online. The Bookshop is located off Bush Court, adjacent to the Food Hall, on the Murdoch Campus.

You will also receive Unit Outline materials at the first lecture of each unit.

I don't have a computer. What can I do?

Please see your IT Information Booklet for detailed information regarding access to Computing Laboratories on campus. The booklet will be available in your enrolment pack.

You are welcome to use the General Access computing laboratories which are available 24 hours a day, including those in the Learning Common in the Library building, Murdoch Campus.

If you are experiencing trouble with access to, or use of MyInfo, visit the IT Service Counter in the Murdoch Library, Level 2, North Wing, or send an email.

If you would like to register as a Non-Internet User, in which you will not have any access to online facilities you must contact Ian Gell at the Student Services Centre located in the Chancellery building.

When do I pay my fees?

Fees are normally due for payment by the end of week 2 in any Semester. More information is available in your Getting Started Booklet and HECS or PELS Booklets. For more information, refer to Fees and Charges information on the New Students site, or, contact the Fees & Enrolments Office, Central Student Administration.