1. About the University of New England
1.1 Where is the University of New England?
1.2 What is the University of New England?
1.3 Where can I find out more information about the University of New England?
1.4 Is UNE recognised around the world?
1.5 Unit? Degree? Trimester? Is there a glossary of terms that your university uses?
The University of New England is located mid-way between Sydney and Brisbane on the New England Highway in New South Wales, Australia. It is about 2 hours drive inland from the coast.
1.2 What is the University of New England?
The University of New England (UNE) was established in Armidale, Australia in 1954, but its history goes back to 1938 when it was founded as a College of the University of Sydney. It is the second oldest university in New South Wales. Its Faculty of Arts and Sciences incorporates the Schools of Science and Technology, Arts, Humanities, BCSS (Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences), and ERS (Environmental and Rural Science). The Faculty of The Professions incorporates the Schools of Health, Rural Medicine, Education, Law, and BEPP (Business, Economics and Public Policy).
In addition to being the first Australian university established outside a capital city, UNE was also one of the first universities in Australia to focus on distance education. Today, UNE holds a well-earned reputation as one of Australia's great teaching, training, and research universities, with graduates across Australia and around the world.
The University of New England enjoys an excellent reputation, and consistently rates at the top of Australian universities in The Good Universities Guide for staff qualifications and graduate satisfaction.
You can learn more about our university at About UNE.
1.3 Where can I find out more information about the University of New England?
For more information on the University of New England, please visit the UNE homepage.
For information on online programs at UNE and current unit offerings, browse the Course and Unit Catalogue or for more detailed information you can log an enquiry with AskUNE.
1.4 Is UNE recognised around the world?
Australian Universities are all (except for the Australian National University) formed originally through Acts of State Parliament. They are formally self-accrediting institutions, which means they design and ‘accredit’ or approve their own courses leading to the different types of awards such as a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. They are funded by the Federal Australian Government and are very tightly regulated by them through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). UNE meets all the standards and requirements of DEEWR, and it enjoys an excellent reputation in Australia and overseas.
1.5 Unit?, degree?, trimester? Is there a glossary of terms that your university uses?
Confusing, isn't it! A UNE glossary is available for students but here are some of the main terms you will need to know:
unit: At UNE a unit is worth 6 credit points and is considered to be 150 hrs work. A full time load would be 4 units in each trimester, or 8 units in a whole year. Each unit has a code and a name (eg. LING450 The Design of Language). A UNE unit corresponds to what is often called a 'course' in Northern America.
degree: At UNE a degree is an entire program that you will complete and graduate from, such as a Bachelors degree, or a Masters degree, or a PhD degree. For example, the Master of Applied Linguistics is a degree worth 48 credit points, so you must complete 8 units to fulfill the requirements of the degree. We use 'degree', but the terms 'course' and 'award' amount to the same thing.
major: A 'major' (or badged major) is a specified combination of units within a discipline or area of study. The name of the major appears on your testamur. TESOL is a major within the MAAL degree and MAAL (Hons) degree.
trimester: At UNE the year is divided into three teaching periods (February–June, June–October, October-February). These are known as '1st trimester', '2nd trimester' and '3rd trimester' respectively.
subject: At UNE a subject refers to a general area of study, such as Linguistics or Philosophy.
school: Academic staff teaching particular subjects are grouped into Schools. For example, Linguistics belongs to the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences.
faculty: Schools are grouped into Faculties. For example, the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences belongs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. There are two Faculties at UNE. The term 'faculty' refers to teaching staff in some parts of the world – but in Australia we don't use the term this way, referring instead to 'academic staff', 'academics' or 'lecturers'.