Degrees Terminology

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What is a degree? Double or conjoint degrees The building blocks for a degree First-year degree examples

What is a degree?

A degree is a qualification awarded when you complete a certain programme of university study. Your first degree at university is called a bachelor degree and is made up of a number of courses.

What is a Course?

A course is a block of work comprising a number of lectures, tutorials and assessments.

What is a Major?

A major is a subject you specialise in. For example, you can take a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Maori Studies or in Art History. You will take courses in your major subject through to your third year. Some specialist degrees do not have any majors, for example, Law and Architecture.

Some students choose to take a double major. This means specialising in two subject areas within the one degree. This takes the same amount of time to complete as a single major and does not usually require any extra courses.

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Double or Conjoint Degrees

Another option is a double degree. This means studying for two degrees at the same time. It is easier than doing two degrees separately, as certain courses can count towards both degrees. This is called cross-crediting. Victoria makes it easy for you to take a double degree with generous cross-crediting. Victoria University has the highest percentage of students completing double-degree programmes in New Zealand.

Students can combine any of the degrees offered at Victoria. Some more specialized degrees (for instance, Engineering or Design) have a greater number of required courses and are therefore more difficult, but not impossible, to take as a double degree.

It is usually possible to complete two three-year degrees in four to five years. A student must be prepared to take a higher workload to complete a double degree within the minimum timeframe.

Double degrees vs postgraduate study

In some cases it may be more beneficial for students to complete their first degree and then undertake postgraduate studies (Honours or Masters). Feel free to contact us to discuss your case.

What is a conjoint degree?

A conjoint degree is a specialised double-degree programme and can be completed in four years. Victoria offers conjoint teaching programmes, and a conjoint Bachelor of Commerce and Administration and Bachelor of Science (BCA/BSc) degree.

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The Building Blocks for a Degree

Points

Degrees at Victoria work on a points system. Each course you take is worth a certain number of points. When you pass a course, you gain the points, and when you have enough points at the required levels your degree is finished.

Courses (sometimes referred to as papers) are a block of work worth a certain number of points. For most undergraduate (first) degrees there are three levels of courses. First year students take 100 level courses, though there are some exceptions.

100 level courses are worth 15 - 20 points.
200 level courses are worth 15 - 22 points.
300 level courses are worth 15 - 24 points.

A typical degree requires 360 points. This means three years of full-time study, taking six to eight courses on average per year.

Course Codes

Each course has a course code. The letters tell you the subject, and the numbers tell you the level. For example, a 100 level chemistry course is PHYS 114 Concepts in Chemistry, a 200 level architecture course is ARCH 271 History of Architecture.

Trimesters

Victoria's academic year is divided into three trimesters, coded as follows:

[1/3] First trimester: February/March - June
[2/3] Second trimester: July - October
[3/3] Third or summer trimester: November - February

Most courses are taught in the first two trimesters, from February/March to June, and July to October. A few courses may run for the full year, from February/March - October. You can enrol and start study at the beginning of any trimester. Most students start in February or March.