Ask The University of Melbourne

[unimelb]

So, the team from 13 MELB'll be online in an hour, but I thought I'd jump in and get a few of your questions answered in advance. Also, thanks to everyone for being so welcoming!

AceVCE777 - As hobbitle said, the minimum ATAR for 2015 is 96.00. This means that you'll need to at least get this to be eligible to be considered (unless you fall into relevant Access Melbourne categories). The clearly-in will vary each year based on the volume and standard of applicants. The clearly-in for the group that started this year was 98.95, meaning that everyone who got this score or higher and met the prerequisites received an offer, and this may go up, down or stay the same for 2015 entry. Take a look at http://coursesearch.unimelb.edu.au/undergrad/1504-bachelor-of-biomedicine to see the different scores, hopefully it'll be a bit clearer after checking that out, but let me know if you need further clarification.

bangmythit - Minimum breadth requirements are designed to ensure that everyone has a basic minimum of interdisciplinary experience, and four subjects allows for this without compromising any of the other core degree options while still giving a meaningful breadth experience. This is obviously one of those things that is going to be very different from university to university, and Melbourne's made the decision that this minimum level of cross-discipline exposure is a priority for us within the undergraduate curriculum. The maximum requirements ensure that no more than a quarter of the degree is from external disciplines and that there's enough room to allow for all major sequences  and core subjects. Obviously this second point is more of a concern in highly structured degrees like Biomedicine than in Arts or Science, but it's important to have consistency. Breadth requirements are reviewed regularly though, so happy to pass the feedback on, it is one of those things that Academic Board have very lengthy discussions about when the topic arises. TL;DR: We want a strong focus on cross-discipline study at undergrad without accidentally breaking our degree structures.

chasej - I know it can be frustrating that the same options aren't available across all universities you're interested in, although if you've got a specific pathway in mind we can chat about how to most closely structure your studies to take a similar amount of time and give you similar knowledge. It's not always possible, but some degree pathways do allow for you to complete an undergrad and postgrad within a similar time period to the more traditional double degree.

yazza - It is possible, although you'd want to sit down with a course advisor to make sure you picked the correct subjects for both Physiotherapy and Optometry. Basically, you can use your breadth to take the relevant prerequisite subjects, although it means you'll need to devote most of your breadth choices to completing these prerequisites. During Academic Advice Day, before you start first year, a course advisor will be able to plan this out with you in more detail. More info on prerequisites: Doctor of Physiotherapy, Doctor of Optometry.

Everyone interested in Microsoft Office - The discounted licence is the closest you'll find at this stage, but again, happy to make a note and pass on the feedback. Aaron's suggestion of http://www.itsnotcheating.com.au/ is probably your best bet at the moment though.

- Carl

[ForeverSquishy]

Hey UoM, really nice to see you taking the time to answer questions

I'm curious:
I wan to use the access Melbourne program to get into a bachelor of arts degree, studying law.
I know it says I need an ATAR of 78 to be guaranteed access.
However, since I'm using SEAS, does that drop to 68, or is it still 78?

Thanks

[unimelb]

Hi it's Miriam here with Bronwyn from 13 MELB. We'll be here til 4pm to help answer any questions you may have.

ForeverSquishy- If you are eligible for Access Melbourne under the rural area or disavantaged financial background, you need a 78.00 or higher to gain guaranteed entry in 2015 (plus meet the English prereq). More info on Access Melbourne here.

[YellowTongue]

I'm thinking of doing a Bachelor of Music. Do you guys rent out instruments to students, (especially Brass instruments) or would I need to supply my own instruments?

[atar100]

For a bachelor of science, how many different sciences do you have to do?

[Special At Specialist]

For a bachelor of science, how many different sciences do you have to do?

There are 37 majors to choose from. You can see them here:
http://www.bsc.unimelb.edu.au/majors

[atar100]

Thanks! I guess I was wondering if there was any enforced diversity with regards to science subjects I.e. Can I study just chemistry or do you have to do other sciences too?

[atar100]

Awesome, thank you, that's really useful!

[uni_student]

I'm considering transferring from monash health science to unimelb science next year and am wondering about the criteria for obtaining credit for my subjects. I'm doing health science, so there are not equivalent subjects at unimelb. Could I get credit for my health science subjects as breadth?

[ForeverSquishy]

I'm back XD
I want to do Law, but I don't know what Law there is to do at Melbourne (E.g. Business, Legal Practice, etc. *Got those off of VTAC*)
And I cannot find anything on VTAC: I doubt Melbourne isn't doing ANYTHING to do with law next year.
Thanks guys ^_^

[LeviLamp]

Law at Melbourne is a graduate/postgraduate course. You can do a Juris Doctor or Masters of Law, but not an undergrad course.

It's worth noting that there ARE several undergraduate law-based subjects you can take as breadth, Arts or Commerce units, such as Principles of Business Law, Law in Society, Taxation Law, Public Trials, Work and the Law, Competition and Consumer Law etc.
The range is large enough to complement your degree; I know a few people who are doing Criminology or Politics majors with a side of Law breadths in the BA! If you want an undergraduate law degree, however, Melbourne isn't the place to go.

[chasej]

I'm back XD
I want to do Law, but I don't know what Law there is to do at Melbourne (E.g. Business, Legal Practice, etc. *Got those off of VTAC*)
And I cannot find anything on VTAC: I doubt Melbourne isn't doing ANYTHING to do with law next year.
Thanks guys ^_^

For your information, only a bachelors of law will qualify you to be a lawyer at undergrad level. The other courses like bachelor of business law or b. of legal practice, give you skills related to the field of law but DO NOT qualify qualify you to become an actual practicing lawyer.

[rhinwarr]

Can you still be offered a Chancellor's scholarship if it is not your first preference?

[chasej]

The other way to become a qualified lawyer (apart from LLB/JD) is the Diploma in Law

http://www.lpab.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lpab/legalprofession_prospective_students.html

Such a scheme doesn't exist in Victoria so I didn't mention it.

[unimelb]

Hi, it’s Miriam and Bronwyn from 13 MELB here to help with your questions today! Here’s some answers to ones that came up during the week:

I'm thinking of doing a Bachelor of Music. Do you guys rent out instruments to students, (especially Brass instruments) or would I need to supply my own instruments?

We do, there's a whole bunch of information on how this is done and what conditions there are on the hire at http://conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/current/loans.

For a bachelor of science, how many different sciences do you have to do?

Special at Specialist's answer is a great place to start. Within these majors there's sometimes further specialisations, but these give you a good snapshot. You will have to do some broader sciences, particularly in first year (as Seinfeld pointed out), although from second year your studies will be far more focused in your primary area of interest. You can also take a look at a sample study plan to get a clearer idea.

I'm back XD
I want to do Law, but I don't know what Law there is to do at Melbourne

Law at Melbourne is taken as a postgraduate degree via the Juris Doctor (JD), so you'd do one of the more general undergraduate degrees first, then apply for the JD in your final year. There are subjects offered by the Melbourne Law School as breadth for interested students as others have said, but to get your legal qualification here you'll be looking at the JD.

I'm considering transferring from monash health science to unimelb science next year and am wondering about the criteria for obtaining credit for my subjects. I'm doing health science, so there are not equivalent subjects at unimelb. Could I get credit for my health science subjects as breadth?

The best place to start is by using our Credit calculator to find out if you're likely to get credit for your Monash subjects. The calculator gives an indication of how many credit points may be awarded for a subject within a particular University of Melbourne course. The definition provided on the Future Students website states “Credit (advanced standing) for completed tertiary studies may be granted if any of the previous studies are comparable in content, equivalent in standard and suitable to be included as part of the course.” This calculator is only a guide, as you can only apply for Advanced Standing once you have been made an offer. There are different possible outcomes for an Advanced Standing application, for instance a subject may be partially recognised or general credit may be awarded towards a course/study area. You can visit the Science Student Centre website for more details about the application process and possible outcomes.

Can you still be offered a Chancellor's scholarship if it is not your first preference?

If you are eligible for a higher preferenced course and receive an offer for that course, no. You'll get one offer for your highest preferenced eligible course through VTAC (see "Getting your Offer"). We do sometimes have spaces available via negotiated offers which open after first round have been made, but it's best not to count on this. As Nikoli said, you get a chance to change your preferences after results are released, so this is always an option if you need to adjust the order before first round offers. You can get more info on Chancellors Scholars Program here.