Academic aims and objectives of the Faculty
The Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering is committed to the attainment of excellence in all its scholastic and scientific endeavours, and to the way in which it interacts with its students and with its community.
The objectives of the Faculty include:
- to produce, from a diversified intake, graduates well rounded in science, technology and engineering, and capable of meeting the needs of society
- to be an internationally and nationally recognised centre for quality teaching, scholarship and research
- to ensure that the quality and range of the Faculty’s activities are recognised by prospective students.
Graduates of the Faculty will be expected to possess knowledge and skills in, and an understanding of, the broad conceptual and theoretical elements of their fields of specialisation. It is expected that a graduate will possess a technical competence in the application of skills required for practice in this discipline, be able to stay abreast of theoretical developments in the discipline, and have the ability to integrate theory and practice.
Faculty and course regulations
Completion of a subject includes attendance at such lectures and tutorial classes as prescribed and the completion of such exercises and laboratory work as shall satisfy the school concerned. Students who have not complied with the prescribed requirements may be refused admission to the annual examination in that subject.
Reasonable notice of the prescribed requirements will be given.
Students should ensure that their enrolment plan meets the rules associated with their course of enrolment, particularly all the core requirements. Students must pass prerequisite subjects before being permitted to enrol in relevant subjects at the next year level. Where the prerequisite subject requires the student to demonstrate competence in a set of procedures and/or practices, the subject must have been passed no more than three years prior to enrolling in the relevant subjects at the next year level.
English language requirement
Any person offered a place in a postgraduate course at La Trobe University may be required to sit an English language test. Applicants whose principal language of educational instruction was other than English must provide evidence of their proficiency in English. This is achieved by a satisfactory result in any VCE English examination or by achieving a minimum International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 or its equivalent.
For the Master of Clinical Psychology, Master of Clinical Neuropsychology, Doctor of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Clinical Neuropsychology the minimum International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score is 7.0 in each component, or its equivalent.
For information on admission requirements, enrolment, tuition fees and visa requirements for International Students, please see the International Students section of the Handbook.
Assistance with academic language and learning
The Academic Language and Learning (ALL) unit in this Faculty is known as ALL(FSTE). This unit contributes to the development of students’ academic language skills, including thesis writing, and reading, listening, and speaking. Much of the contribution of the ALL(FSTE) lecturers is through collaboration with those lecturers who design the curriculum, teach the graduate level subjects and supervise postgraduate students’ research projects. In addition to this curriculum work, the ALL(FSTE) lecturers are involved in conducting workshops that are within some subjects. A Presenters’ Club for research postgraduates is up and running and open to students from any department, and Writer's Circles can be facilitated within disciplines.
There is also a small number of hours available for appointments with individual students. These appointments are by referral only. For postgraduate students, referrals are mostly made through supervisors and subject lecturers. Referrals can also come from staff in Counselling or Equality and Diversity. Students need to approach the appropriate person to discuss the possibility of a referral.
The ALL central website contains some useful resources: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/learning/
Health procedures and protective clothing
For laboratory classes, all students are expected to wear laboratory coats and shoes that adequately protect their feet. In chemistry laboratories students must wear safety glasses. Students are expected to comply with appropriate laboratory safety rules. Smoking, eating or drinking is not allowed in lecture theatres, laboratories or computer rooms.
The University recommends that agricultural science undergraduate and postgraduate students who will have contact with animals should be immunised against the following diseases:
- tetanus – all students
- Q fever – as advised by the Department of Agricultural Sciences.