• Section 1 - Governing Policy
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Definitions
• Section 4 - Schema and abbreviations for award categories
• Section 5 - Course and Award titles
• Section 6 - Award abbreviations
• Section 7 - Recording specialisations, majors, minors and streams on academic documents
• Section 8 - Course category specific conventions
• Double Degrees
• Honours Degrees
• Masters Degrees
• Section 9 - Changes to Nomenclature
• Section 10 - Nomenclature for Non-AQF Courses
• Section 11 - Register of approved nomenclature
• Section 12 - Printed Standards
• Associated Information

Section 1 - Governing Policy

(1) This Procedure is governed by the Structuring Coursework Programs Policy.

Section 2 - Scope

(2) This procedure ensures that award nomenclature for courses offered by Australian Catholic University (ACU) is applied consistently and in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as applicable.

Section 3 - Definitions

(3) Terms used in this policy and associated Procedures are consistent with ACU’s Glossary of Student and Course Terms and of the governing policy. In the context of this policy the following terms also apply:

Section 4 - Schema and abbreviations for award categories

(4) The following descriptors and abbreviations will be used for the respective AQF category

(5) Where an approved course does not lead to the award of an AQF qualification, the course title will not use the descriptors set out in clause (4) above. An alternate descriptor will be determined in accordance with Section 10 below.

Section 5 - Course and Award titles

(6) Approval of the title is part of the ACU course accreditation, amendment and review process.

(7) The course title will represent the broad discipline or recognised generic field of study.

(8) Where there are specific naming prescriptions associated:

1. with professional accreditation or registration with a professional body; or
2. where the title proposed reflects common usage (nationally and/or internationally); or
3. where required for alignment with the ACU Mission, Vision and Values.

(9) The formal award title may be in the form of the course category together with:

1. a broad discipline/field of study title; or
2. where variation from the broad discipline title is approved through the course accreditation, amendment and review process:
   1. a broad discipline/field of study title followed, in brackets, by the specialisation descriptor; or
   2. a specific discipline title.

(10)  Where the broad discipline is the same for different course categories, the discipline descriptor used will be the same across all course categories.

(11) Where a course offers more than one specialisation, each specialisation will be recognised by a distinct course title, unless otherwise prescribed in accordance with clause (8).

(12) When more than one course is identified in a particular discipline, the differences will be clearly identified in the course title (principally through the specialisation).

Section 6 - Award abbreviations

(13)  Approval of the formal abbreviation of an award forms part of the ACU course accreditation, amendment and review process.

(14) Award abbreviations will be determined in accordance with the ACU standard abbreviations for disciplines or fields of study maintained by Student Administration.

(15) Use of award abbreviations in postnominals will be in accordance with the Postnominals Usage Guideline

Section 7 - Recording specialisations, majors, minors and streams on academic documents

(16) Specialisations and majors will be recorded on the testamur, academic transcript and Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) in accordance with the Academic Documents Policy.

(17) Where specialisations, other than those forming part of the course title, and/or streams are clearly defined within the course rules and nominated as such by the Course Coordinator at the time of certification of course completion, they will be recorded on the academic transcript.

(18) No more than one specialisation or stream, and up to two majors and/or minors, may be recorded on the academic transcript.

Section 8 - Course category specific conventions

Double Degrees

(19) The sequence in which course titles are listed to form a double degree title will be determined and approved as part of the course accreditation, amendment and review process.

(20) For vertical double degrees (Bachelor/Master) the name of the Bachelor award will be listed first, followed by the Master award.

(21) For double Bachelor degrees, where the double degree includes an award leading to registration (e.g. Nursing) the name of that award will normally appear first (e.g. Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Business Administration), with the exception of the Bachelor of Laws.

(22) For a double Bachelor degree comprised of two awards leading to registration, the order of names will normally be alphabetical.

Honours Degrees

(23) Where a degree is awarded with Honours, the format will be the course title followed, where relevant, by the discipline descriptor in brackets, with the Honours level in brackets:

Masters Degrees

(24) For coursework Master degrees, the descriptor (Coursework) must not appear in the title.

(25) For research Master degrees other than the Master of Philosophy, the descriptor (Research) will be normally used in the title.

Section 9 - Changes to Nomenclature

(26) In any case where there is a proposal to change award nomenclature for an existing course, the course review proposal submitted to the Academic Board must a rational for change and details of transitional arrangements to apply to existing students

Section 10 - Nomenclature for Non-AQF Courses

(27) For non-award, non-AQF courses of study comprised of four units derived from higher education undergraduate awards, the course title “Non-Award Certificate” may be used.

(28) Foundation Programs offered by ACU and accredited as such by TEQSA under the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act (2000) and the Education Services for Overseas Students (Foundation Program Standards) Instrument 2021, may use the course title “Foundation Studies Program”.

(29) For all other non-award courses including short courses and microcredentials the relevant approval authority may approve a title which appropriately reflects the content of that non-award course but which does not represent the non-award course as being equivalent to any AQF qualification.

(30) Abbreviations associated with non-award, non-AQF courses may not be represented as postnominals.

Section 11 - Register of approved nomenclature

(31) Student Administration will maintain a record of all approved course/award titles and abbreviations on the curriculum management system (CMAS) together with a list of approved field of study/discipline descriptors.

Section 12 - Printed Standards

(32) The following printed standards will apply when referring to an award in printed form:

1. The title and abbreviation text entries will use a mixture of upper and lower case characters.

2. Punctuation will not be used in award title abbreviations.

3. Where a specialisation is included in the course title, it will be recorded in brackets, preceded by a space.

4. In the case of a double degree in the award title and title abbreviation, the two award names will be joined by the symbol “/”

5. There will be no spaces between components of an abbreviated title.

Associated Information

(33) For related legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines and any supporting resources please refer to the Associated Information tab.