Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Job-Ready Graduate (JRG) is one of the packages under the Higher Education Packages 2020. It is applicable to all domestic students who hold a Commonwealth Supported Place and/or are accessing a HELP loan to defer their fees.
The aim of JRG is to assess students as being academically suited to their studies. Your academic progress and engagement will be monitored throughout your course. This is to ensure that you do not incur any debt for study for which you are not suited.
- Commenced your studies from 2022 onwards
- Commenced your studies prior and voluntarily transfer to a different course from 2022 onwards
Under the JRG rules, a student is assessed under two main criteria: their progression throughout the whole course and their engagement in the course.
Your engagement in the course is assessed from Day 1.
Your course progression is monitored through what is called “completion rate” and it is applicable after you have attempted eight or more units of study in a bachelor level or higher course OR four or more units in a higher education course lower than a bachelor course.
The low completion rate is being assessed for all domestic Commonwealth supported students that commenced their studies in 2022.
Murdoch will assess your engagement level in your course. Some areas of assessment may include:
- The frequency and number of times you log onto the Leaning Management System (LMS)
- Your participation level in classes
- Whether you satisfy your course requirements and complete your assessments
- The validity of personal details you provide to the University.
Completion rate is a measure of your progress in your course. To be compliant with JRG rules, you need to maintain a completion rate of more than 50 per cent of the units you have attempted, after you have attempted eight or more units of study in a bachelor level or higher course (or four or more units in a higher education course lower than a bachelor course.)
An “attempted unit” is any unit you remained enrolled in on the census date.
Refer to the table below to see how the different grades and withdrawal outcomes count towards the calculation of the completion rate:
| Grade | Description | Count as an attempted unit? | Unsuccessfully completed? | Successfully completed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W0 | Withdrawal before census | N | N/a | N/a |
| WD | Withdrawal after census date but before the ‘First date for withdrawal with fail recorded’ date | Y | Y | N |
| WD-Fail i.e., N | Withdrawal after the ‘First date for withdrawal with fail recorded’ date | Y | Y | N |
| AW | Approved Withdrawal. Withdrawal after census but before the 'First date for withdrawal with fail recorded' date, OR successful grade review.* from 2023 onwards | Y | Y | N |
| AS | Academic Safety Net fail grade | Y | Y | N |
| N, UF | Fail, Ungraded Fail. | Y | Y | N |
| DNS | Fail: Did not submit assessment | Y | Y | N |
| P, C, D, HD ASC, ASD, ASP, UP | Pass, Credit, Distinction, High Distinction, Academic Safety Net Distinction, Academic Safety Net Credit, Academic Safety Net Pass, Ungraded Pass | Y | N | Y |
| RPL | Cross institutional or official Study Abroad/Exchange units used for credit in your course. | Y | N | Y |
| UW | University Withdrawal. University initiated withdrawal due to disciplinary proceedings, or failure to make a payment.* | Y | Y | N |
| G, NA, NS, Q, SA, SX, DX, GP, FCR | Interim Grades | N | N/a | N/a |
| 1, 2A, 2B, 3, H, H1, H2A, H2B, H3 | Honours classifications | Y | N | Y |
| Advanced Standing (Credit) | Any advanced standing credit achieved from 2022 onwards, this includes General and Specified Electives registered as credited units. | Y | N | Y |
*AW & UW grades where fee remission has been awarded do not count as an attempted unit for Academic Progression Completion Rate or Job Ready Graduate Completion Rate calculations.
Completion Rate = (Number of successfully completed/Total number of units attempted) x 100
(Watch this space – A new completion rate calculator will soon be available)
Examples:
- Student A has 8 units attempted, out of which there are 6 units passed and 2 failed.
Completion rate = (6/8) x 100 = 75%
- Student B has passed 3 units, withdrawn from 2 units after census and failed 4 units.
Completion rate = {3/ (3+2+4)} x 100 = 33.3%
- Student C has passed 6 units, withdrawn from 3 before the census date and failed 4 units.
Completion rate = {6/ (6+4)} x 100 = 60%
Case scenarios on how completion rate changes over the course duration:
Scenario 1
| Period | Attempted Units | Successfully completed units | Unsuccessfully completed units | JRG Completion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Commences S1 Year 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50 |
| S2 Year 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 40 |
| S1 Year 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 57 |
| S2 Year 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50 |
| S1 Year 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 63 |
| S2 Year 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 64 |
| S1 Year 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 59 |
Scenario 2
| Period | Attempted Units | Successfully completed units | Unsuccessfully completed units | JRG Completion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Commences S1 Year 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
| S2 Year 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 (Fail 1 Withdrawal after census 1) | 60 |
| S1 Year 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 (Withdrawal after census 2) | 43 |
| Student voluntarily transfers to another course S1 Year 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100 |
| S2 Year 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 75 |
| S1 Year 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 63 |
| S2 Year 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 55 |
Scenario 3
| Period | Attempted Units | Successfully completed units | Unsuccessfully completed units | JRG Completion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Commences S1 Year 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 67 |
| S2 Year 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 (Withdrawal after census 2) | 40 |
| Summer School Year 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 57 |
| S1 Year 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 63 |
| S2 Year 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 73 |
| S1 Year 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 69 |
| S2 Year 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 69 |
No, the completion rate is a cumulative indicator of your progression for the units attempted over the duration of your course. The table below shows the circumstances where you would be assessed as having a low completion rate:
| Units attempted | Units successfully completed | Units failed or withdrawn after census | Completion rate % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% |
| 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% |
| 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% |
| 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% |
| 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% |
| 13 | 6 | 7 | 46% |
| 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% |
| 15 | 7 | 8 | 47% |
| 16 | 7 | 9 | 44% |
| 17 | 8 | 9 | 47% |
| 18 | 8 | 10 | 44% |
| 19 | 9 | 10 | 47% |
| 20 | 9 | 11 | 45% |
Academic Safety Net protects you against fail grades only (N and DNS). While the fails are not counted towards your GPA, they are counted towards the calculation of the completion rate.
When we receive your results at the end of each teaching period, your progression in your course will be monitored. We will contact you to provide advice and referral to support services if you are approaching a low completion rate. You should regularly check your student email, so you do not miss out on any important notifications.
A calculator will also be made available on the Murdoch website, where you can enter your units attempted, passed, failed, or withdrawn and automatically calculate your completion rate %.
We do offer a range of support services to assist you in your studies. You can:
- Discuss your progress with a myMurdoch Advice Student Success Advisor, who can help identify strategies to improve outcomes.
- Contact your Academic Chair, you’ll find their details in the course structure of the handbook for study plan assistance and academic advice.
- See our learning and study resources or book an appointment with a myMurdoch Advice Student Success Advisor if you require support with academic literacy, numeracy or study skills.
- Contact the Murdoch University Health Counselling Service if you are experiencing difficult personal circumstances. This is a free, confidential service with professional counsellors.
If you have a completion rate of less than 50%, you lose your Commonwealth Assistance access. In that case, you can either:
- Continue the course by paying upfront
- Transfer to a new course with Murdoch University or another provider
- Apply and demonstrate for special circumstances (retrospective withdrawal) for failed unit(s) to not be counted towards completion rate.
Yes, if you lose your Commonwealth Assistance, you can pay for the forthcoming units upfront, pass those units, and once you increase your pass rate to more than 50%, you can gain access to your Commonwealth Assistance again.
You cannot transfer to a course for which you are not academically suited. Your Academic Chair will guide you in finding an appropriate course if you wish to transfer.
You will not be permitted to transfer indefinitely between courses. You should refer to the Change of Course Enrolment Policy for more information.
Yes, but only for units which have been completed on or after 1st January 2022.
Yes, you will be eligible for Advanced Standing for general electives and/or where the two courses have units in common, the Advanced Standing will be added to the new course and these units will be counted towards your completion rate.
Yes, you may reduce your study load and increase your chances of successfully completing your units. However, this will not be grounds for a reduced study load exemption in relation to receiving Centrelink benefits.
Withdrawing after census does count towards the calculation of your completion rate. You can still withdraw from units after the census date; however, it is considered as an unsuccessful attempt for your completion rate. We recommend you check the census date for your unit teaching periods before you commence your units.
Note: Withdrawing from all the units does not mean withdrawing from the course. If you wish to withdraw from the course, you will find more information on Withdrawing page.
Yes, you may apply for retrospective withdrawal but only if you can prove genuine special circumstances.
Special circumstances are circumstances that:
- are beyond your control
- do not make the full impact on the student until on or after the census date of the unit
- make it impracticable for you to complete the unit.
Circumstances that may be considered special circumstances in relation to not counting a failed unit towards your completion rate include:
- illness or a worsening, or changing, medical condition
- a family member dying
- a family member having a serious medical condition
- financial difficulties experienced by you or your family
- changes to your employment
- changes made by the University that disadvantage you
- a natural disaster or other emergency in Australia
- any other circumstances that the University considers relevant.
The SLE changes came into effect on 1 January 2022 and provides you with 7 years of full-time study in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). Any units of study undertaken from 1 January 2022 onwards will count towards your SLE amount.
If you study a three-year bachelor degree with a full-time load this will use 3 years of your SLE and you will have 4 years remaining.
Scenario 1
Humera is enrolled in a Bachelor of Education. In Semester One 2022 she failed to complete 2 out of the 4 units in which she was enrolled. In Semester Two, Humera has passed 1 unit, failed 2 units, and was offered supplementary assessment for another. If Humera passes her supplementary assessment, she will have a 50% completion rate, will retain her CSP funding, and will maintain good standing in her academic progress.
If, though, Humera fails the supplementary assessment, she will not successfully complete at least 50% of the units in which she was enrolled since 1 January 2022. As a result, she will lose her Commonwealth Supported Place. She will also be considered to have made Unsatisfactory Progress by the University, and may move to probation status, or have her enrolment suspended or cancelled.
Scenario 2
Ben is enrolled in a Bachelor of Science. In Semester One, 2022, he made good progress by passing 3 out of 4 units in which he was enrolled. But in Semester Two, Ben had some complicated health issues to deal with that made it difficult for him to study. He either withdrew from or failed all of his enrolled units. That means, in total, Ben has failed to successfully complete 5 out of 8 units and he has lost his Commonwealth Supported Place.
Ben now has a few options, including the following:
- Ben may have enough medical evidence to request a retroactive withdrawal from his units in Semester Two, or demonstrate other special circumstances, so that some of the units he has failed will not be counted to his completion rate.
- If that request is not successful, Ben can continue in his current degree by paying the unit fees up front and in full. When he achieves at least a 50% completion rate of all units attempted since January 2022, he will regain his CSP funding. In Semester One, 2023, Ben needs to pass at least 3 units and fail no more than 1 unit. (This will give him a total of 6 units he has passed, and 6 units he has failed, being a 50% completion rate).
- Or, Ben can change the degree in which he is enrolled at Murdoch, regaining his CSP funding to start again.
- Finally, Ben can retain his CSP funding by enrolling in a Bachelor of Science at another university.
Scenario 3
'Samantha is enrolled in a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts. In 2022, she passed 2 units, failed 3, and withdraw from 3 others after census date. This means she successfully completed 2 out of 8 units and that her completion rate was 25%. Unfortunately, Samantha has lost her Commonwealth Supported Place, and she now has several options.
- Samantha can continue in her current degree by paying the unit fees upfront and in full; when she achieves at least a 50% completion rate of all units attempted, she will regain her CSP funding. In Semester One, 2023, she can achieve this by passing at least 4 units and failing none. (This will give her a total of 6 units she has passed, and 6 units she has failed, being a 50% completion rate).
- Or, Samantha can retain her CSP funding by changing courses. She might choose moving from a double degree to a single degree, such as Bachelor of Criminology.
- Finally, Samantha can retain her CSP funding by staying in the same course, but changing universities.
