Resolutions of the Faculty
Sydney Medical School resolutions and the handbook are the official statement of faculty policy.
The resolutions contained in the handbook are accurate as at the time of publication. If a conflict is perceived between the content of the handbook and information available elsewhere, Sydney Medical School resolutions and the information available in the handbook shall always take precedence.
See the Policy Register sydney.edu.au/policy, for copies of University policies.
Resolutions of the Faculty of Medicine for coursework courses
These resolutions apply to all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the Faculty, unless specifically indicated otherwise. These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2014 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the resolutions for the course of enrolment, the University of Sydney (Student Appeals against Academic Decisions) Rule 2006 (as amended)and the Academic Board policies on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism.
Part 1: Course enrolment
1 Admission to candidature
(1)
Applicants must meet admission criteria for the relevant course and submit applications following the relevant application process including submission by advertised deadline. Late applications may be considered in special circumstances.
(2)
Where postgraduate courses in this Faculty (other than the Doctor of Medicine have limited numbers of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs), available, places will be offered to qualified applicants based on merit, for applications received by the advertised deadline. For applications received after the advertised deadline and before the commencement of semester, any remaining places will be offered to qualified applicants based on merit.
(3)
Students who have completed an embedded Graduate Certificate may be eligible for admission to the associated Graduate Diploma or Masters degree with Head of Discipline approval.
(4)
Students who have completed an embedded Graduate Diploma may be eligible for admission to the associated Masters degree with Head of Discipline approval.
2 Enrolment restrictions
0.
The Coursework Rule limits the maximum number of credit points students may take in any given semester. The Faculty does not encourage full time students to exceed the recommended enrolment patterns for its courses.
3 Time limits
(1)
A student must complete all the requirements for a coursework doctorate within ten calendar years.
(2)
A student must complete all the requirements for a double master's degree within ten calendar years.
(3)
A student must complete all the requirements for a coursework master's degree (other than the Doctor of Medicine) within six calendar years.
(5)
A student must complete all the requirements for a graduate certificate within three calendar years.
(6)
For postgraduate coursework students other than those enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine, periods of suspension, exclusion or lapsed candidature will be added to maximum completion times except that no completion time will exceed ten years.
(7)
Subject to sub-clause (8), a candidate for the Doctor of Medicine must complete the requirements for the degree within five calendar years. The five year limit also applies to students entering the course through the degree program commencing on the date of their first enrolment in the Doctor of Medicine following completion of their undergraduate degree.
(8)
The Dean may, in exceptional circumstances, extend the time limit for completing the requirements for the Doctor of Medicine to a maximum of 10 years.
(9)
Periods of suspension, exclusion or lapsed candidature will not be added to the maximum completion time for the Doctor of Medicine.
4 Enrolment, suspension, discontinuation and lapse of candidature
(1)
The Coursework Rule specifies the general conditions for suspending or discontinuing candidature, and return to candidature after these events. The Rule also defines the circumstances when candidature is deemed to have lapsed.
(2)
Students should pay careful attention to the significant dates in these processes and their effect on results and financial liability.
(3)
The Faculty will grant approval for a suspension from candidature only after a student has completed at least one semester of enrolment. A Postgraduate student (other than a student enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine) may apply to the Faculty for a maximum period of suspension of one semester at any one time. Suspension from candidature of two consecutive semesters will only be granted in special circumstances.
(4)
The candidature of a student who has not re-enrolled and who has not obtained approval from the Faculty for a suspension of candidature for the relevant semester will be deemed to have lapsed.
(5)
A student whose candidature has lapsed must apply for re-admission in accordance with procedures determined by the Faculty.
5 Credit
(1)
Credit for postgraduate study will be applied according to the Academic Board policy on Admission: Advanced Standing, Credit, and Exemption.
(2)
Credit, where applicable, will not be granted for recognised prior learning undertaken more than five years prior to a student's first enrolment in the current degree unless otherwise specified in the course resolutions.
Part 2: Unit of study enrolment
6 Cross institutional study
(1)
Provided permission has been obtained in advance, the Chair of the Board of Postgraduate Studies may permit a postgraduate student (other than a student enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine) to complete a unit of study at another institution and have that unit credited to the student's course requirements, provided that:
(a)
The unit of study content is not taught in any corresponding unit of study at the University; or
(b)
The student is unable, for good reason, to attend a corresponding unit of study at the University.
(2)
Students in the Doctor of Medicine are not permitted to complete a unit of study at another institution and have that unit credited to the student's course requirements except at the discretion of the Dean.
(3)
Cross institutional study is regarded as another form of credit and will be counted as such when considering eligibility.
Part 3: Studying and Assessment
7 Attendance
0.
Students are required to be in attendance at the correct time and place of any formal or informal examinations. Non attendance on any grounds insufficient to claim Special Consideration or Special Arrangements will result in the forfeiture of marks associated with the assessment. Participation in a minimum number of assessment items may be included in the requirements specified for a unit of study.
8 Late submission policy
(1)
It is expected that unless an application for Special Consideration or Special Arrangements has been approved, students will submit all assessment for a unit of study on the due date specified. If the assessment is completed or submitted within the period of extension, no academic penalty will be applied to that piece of assessment.
(2)
If an extension is either not sought, not granted or is granted but work is submitted after the extended due date, the late submission of assessment will result in an academic penalty as follows, unless otherwise stated in the course resolutions:
(a)
Late assignments that have not been granted extensions and are of a standard to receive a pass or higher mark will attract a penalty of 5% of the maximum mark per day late including weekend days (e.g. if the assignment is worth 40 marks, the penalty is 2 marks per day late) until the mark reaches 50% of the maximum mark (e.g. 20 marks if the maximum is 40 marks).
(b)
Assignments that are not of a pass standard will not have marks deducted and will fail regardless.
(c)
Assignments submitted more than 10 days late without prior approval from the unit of study coordinator will not be accepted and will be given a zero (0) mark.
9 Special consideration for illness, injury or misadventure
0.
Special consideration is a process that affords equal opportunity to coursework students who have experienced circumstances that adversely impact their ability to adequately complete an assessment task in a unit of study. The University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2000 provides full details of the University policy and the procedures for applying for special consideration.
10 Concessional pass
0.
In this Faculty the grade PCON (Concessional Pass) is not awarded to students in the Doctor of Medicine but it may be awarded to other postgraduate students. No more than 25% of the total credit points of a course can be made up of PCON results.
11 Re-assessment
(1)
In this Faculty re-assessment is offered to students whose performance is in the prescribed range and circumstances.
(2)
Re-assessment will be offered on one date only, advised at the beginning of semester, and it is a student's responsibility to be available to attend on that date. The grades awarded for the further tests are Pass or Fail, unless otherwise determined.
(3)
Students who have successfully requested Special Consideration or Special Arrangements may be allowed to sit the exam or submit the required work at a negotiated date that should not be longer than the period of incapacitation, after this time the student will be considered to have discontinued with permission. Marks will be awarded at full value for further examination where Special Consideration or Special Arrangements are approved.
(4)
Students in the Doctor of Medicine must pass at each annual assessment. A 'Fail on the Year' result overrides recommendations for further testing on individual units of study, meaning that the student in Stage 1 or Stage 2 must repeat all units of study in that year. Students in Stage 3 should refer to specific course resolutions.
Part 4: Progression, Results and Graduation
12 Satisfactory progress
(1)
The Faculty will monitor students for satisfactory progress towards the completion of their award course. In addition to the common triggers used to identify students not meeting academic progression requirements, students must pass any unit of study identified in the course resolutions as being critical to progression through the course.
13 Weighted average mark (WAM)
WAM = |
sum(Wc x Mc) | ||
| sum(Wc) |
0.
where Wc is the unit of study credit points x the unit weighting and Mc is the mark achieved for the unit. The mark used for units with a grade AF is zero. Pass/ fail units and credited units from other institutions are not counted.
(2)
The weight of a unit of study is assigned by the owning faculty. In this Faculty, junior units are weighted 1, Intermediate units are weighted 1, Senior units are weighted 1 and postgraduate units are weighted 1. WAMs may be used in assessing eligibility for prizes, scholarships or assessing progression through a course.
14 Course transfer
0.
A candidate for a master's degree (other than the Doctor of Medicine) or graduate diploma may elect to discontinue study and graduate with a shorter award from an embedded sequence, with the approval of the Chair of the Board of Postgraduate Studies, provided the requirements of the shorter award have been met.
Part 5: Other
15 Transitional provisions
(3)
All other double degree students who commenced prior to 1 January, 2014 will complete the requirements for their candidature in accordance with the resolutions and course rules in force at the time of their commencement, provided that those requirements are completed by 1 January 2019. The Faculty may specify a later date for completion or specify alternative requirements for completion of candidatures that extend beyond this time.