This page contains information that we hope will be helpful to your studies, including how to plan your course and where to get support when you need it.
Help and advice
You are welcome to approach staff members for advice. If it is a matter concerning a particular course, you should in the first instance contact the course coordinator. For more general advice on planning, first contact the
School Office and the staff there will direct you to the relevant advisor.
If a problem arises for which you would rather not approach the course coordinator or lecturer, feel free to consult your Programme Director or the Head of School.
There are designated staff advisors in the school avaliable to support female students, Maori and Pasifika students, international students, students with disabilities and conjoint BTeach students about any specific concerns. You can find these staff in the staff directory.
If you wish to seek external aid, the
Student Services Group is available to provide a variety of support and services.
VUWSA is also available for welfare and representation needs.
Students with impairments are protected by the
"Meeting the Needs of Students with Impairments Policy". This policy aims to give differently abled students the same opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. You should contact your course coordinator if you have concerns about your academic progress and course achievement. You may wish to approach a Student Adviser from
Disability Support Services to confidentially discuss your individual needs and to explore the options & support that are available.
Important dates
Victoria's home site contains the approved
dates and deadlines for trimesters, withdrawals and holiday breaks. Please note the grace period allowing you to withdraw form courses early in each trimester.
Policies
Students should familiarise themselves with the university's
student policies and statutes.
You should particularly familiarise yourself with:
Guide to Undergraduate/Postgraduate Study
Victoria's home site holds all
undergraduate and
postgraduate prospectus.
School course lists (undergraduate and postgraduate) can be found
on this page.
Scholarships
New scholarships, for which you may be eligible, become available frequently. You should visit the university's
scholarships database regularly.
Course codes and CRNs
Course codes include a 4-letter subject code and a 3-digit number - the first digit denotes the level of the course. The University has three trimesters each year. Most courses are offered in just one of the three trimesters, but some are offered more than once and some are spread over two trimesters. Each offering of a course has a unique Course Reference Number (CRN) which will be needed for enrolment forms and accessing information online.
You can find the appropriate CRN for your applications by searching the course code (e.g. STAT193) and scrolling down to each offering of that course for the year. The CRN is listed along with each trimester the course is offered in.
Course planning
You should plan your course of study as a coherent programme over the three or more years required. Usually, first-year students can only enrol in 100-level courses. In choosing your courses it is important to take account of:
- The overall requirements of the degree(s) you have chosen.
- The specific requirements of your major subject(s).
- Entry criteria for 100-level courses (see NCEA entry requirements, or their equivalent).
- Prerequisites for courses, especially those that have prerequisites in other subject areas.
- Workload constraints: 60 points per trimester represents standard full-time study. Most full-time first-year students take seven or eight courses (105/120 points per year).
- Timetable constraints: draw up your own timetable to ensure you do not have any clashes. You may find the course timetable useful for this.
- There will generally be some choice about which courses you take, especially in your first year. This enables you to build a programme that can keep options open if you are unsure of your preferred major. There are many interesting courses around, and your specific interests may change as you advance through your degree.
Each major has its own requirements and advice. Please follow the links below to find out more.
You can find more information on the requirements for each major and course in the School course listed above (under "Guide to Undergraduate/Postgraduate Study")
You may like to consider extending your degree: it is possible to take a degree with a 'double major' by satisfying the requirements of two subject areas, or to take a 'double degree' by taking two degrees from different faculties. Some sharing is permitted, so a double degree requires fewer points than the two degrees separately.
