Waivers, english, cross-institutional and oh my! (1 Viewer)

[kami]

Hi!

My main course at UTS - communications[writing & culture], has an option of picking arts electives from any uni for our second year[I'm in first year now] and I was looking at the second year english units at MQ and they look quite cool, however I have no interest at all in doing ENG120 which is a prereq for most of the 2nd year stuff. So how would I go about getting a waiver later on for this? Is it likely?[considering the writing subs i will have done] And how far in advance would I need to apply for this waiver?

 

[xeuyrawp]

Hi!

My main course at UTS - communications[writing & culture], has an option of picking arts electives from any uni for our second year[I'm in first year now] and I was looking at the second year english units at MQ and they look quite cool, however I have no interest at all in doing ENG120 which is a prereq for most of the 2nd year stuff. So how would I go about getting a waiver later on for this? Is it likely?[considering the writing subs i will have done] And how far in advance would I need to apply for this waiver?

I think it would be likely to get a waiver.

ENGL120 acts as the 'Introduction to University English' that you see at other unis, and it's more of a 'we're stopping you from doing higher level ENGL subjects when we don't know you can handle it' deal.

In terms of a waiver, you need to find out about it sooner rather than later, although it only needs to be signed/sealed/delivered to SES by enrolment.

Which units were you looking at? The best way to do it is to look at the handbook, find out who the convener is, and then go speak to them.

 

[Skittled]

You've got insight into just everything, don't you Rob?

I assume that as you're doing a writing & culture unit you have, or will have completed a roughly equivalent/similar unit (or units) at UTS by the time you want to transfer (or study concurrently) at MQ?

If so, you want to talk to someone about the Credit for Previous Studies (CPS) procedure. Basically you'll have to get hold of your official transcript (generally must be bought, unless you've just graduated and they'll tend to give you a few copies I believe) to say you've done particular units at UTS. This then gets submitted to the registrar's department by a particular date, with a particular form attached to it saying you want CPS. This gives you "general credit" (which, if you don't know what that is, don't worry -- it's just another step along the way), if approved. They will write to you notifying you that your CPS has been approved and how much general credit you've got.

THEN, on enrolment day, you seek out specific waivers (actually there's another term for it I believe but I've forgotten it since working there) for particular units that you choose, or can put a case forward you've done/don't need to do. So, it's not till enrolment day that you get your waiver.

That's my working understanding of the system, anyway. It may change in the future, but this was how it worked for this year/semester, and I get the impression it's more or less how it's always been. If you wanted to talk to someone, you could call the Undergraduate Studies Section of the Registrar's Office and talk to Kate Bartlett (I think that's her last name, and on the assumption that she's still doing it), and she'll explain the whole system in terms much more confusing than this

 

[xeuyrawp]

I think it would be easier to see the convener/s before getting credit for previous study. UTS has some strange system happening with interuni study, so it might be easier than normal. They convener/s have probably come across it before and know the best steps.

I can't think of anything worse than getting navigating the previous study credit system and then finding out you didn't have to!

 

[kami]

Thanks guys!

Well the units I was interested in going for were:
ENGL264 - Contemporary and Postmodernist Literature
ENGL271 - Gothic Visions: From Sublime to Suburban Gothic
ENGL288 - The Metamorphosis of Myth

And the units in my course that I will have done by then resemble second and third year MQ units in creative writing, which is one of the things for which ENGL120 is a prereq.

Also, I wasn't seeking credit toward a MQ degree , rather just advanced standing (if that makes sense?) in order to get to units I like - so is that CPS step still needed?

And if I understand it correctly, this would be how I should go about it then?

• Contact the convenors to see if there are especially designated pathways for this sort of situation.
• If there is no such provision, apply for CPS.
• Get cross-institutional forms in and apply for the unit(s)
• Apply for a waiver on or before enrollment day.
• Enroll on the day with everyone else.

 

[iambored]

to contact convenors:

this is our handbook
http://www.handbook.mq.edu.au/

on the left there is a link to 'units.' look up your units. the handbook gives a staff contact


this is our staff page
http://www.mq.edu.au/staff/

type in the name of the staff contact to find them and their email address or phone number

edit: you're already doing mac subjects so you probably already knew that... i thought you were a foreigner.

 

[xeuyrawp]

Thanks guys!

Well the units I was interested in going for were:
ENGL264 - Contemporary and Postmodernist Literature
ENGL271 - Gothic Visions: From Sublime to Suburban Gothic
ENGL288 - The Metamorphosis of Myth

And the units in my course that I will have done by then resemble second and third year MQ units in creative writing, which is one of the things for which ENGL120 is a prereq.

Also, I wasn't seeking credit toward a MQ degree , rather just advanced standing (if that makes sense?) in order to get to units I like - so is that CPS step still needed?

And if I understand it correctly, this would be how I should go about it then?

• Contact the convenors to see if there are especially designated pathways for this sort of situation.
• If there is no such provision, apply for CPS.
• Get cross-institutional forms in and apply for the unit(s)
• Apply for a waiver on or before enrollment day.
• Enroll on the day with everyone else.

My friend's doing Gothic Literature at the moment, and she says it's awesome.

Yes, I would go to the conveners first. Since UTS has this funky cross-institutional thing going, they might know of shortcuts and such.