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Bachelor of Arts/ Doctor of Medicine

Course resolutions

The course resolutions detailed in this page apply to all courses included in the table below under section 1 (course codes).

These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2014 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the Coursework Policy 2021 (the 'Coursework Policy'), the Learning and Teaching Policy 2019, the Resolutions of the Faculty, University of Sydney (Student Academic Appeals) Rule 2021, the Academic Integrity Policy 2022 and the Academic Integrity Procedures 2022. Current versions of all policies are available from the Policy
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1 Course codes

Code Course title
BPARTMED-01 Bachelor of Arts/Doctor of Medicine

2 Attendance pattern

The attendance pattern for this course is full time only.

3 Streams

(1) The Bachelor of Arts in this combined degree is available in the following streams:

(a) Dalyell.

(2) Completion of a stream is not a requirement of the Bachelor of Arts. The requirements for the completion of the Dalyell stream are specified in these resolutions and in Table D of the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees. Candidates who wish to exit the stream should do so through the enrolment system or by contacting the Student Centre.

4 Cross faculty management

(1) Candidates in this double degree program will be under the general supervision of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences until the end of the semester in which they complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts. They will then be under the supervision of the Faculty of Medicine and Health.

(2) The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine and Health shall jointly exercise authority in any matter concerned with the double degree program not otherwise dealt with in these resolutions.

5 Admission to candidature

(1) Admission to this course is on the basis of a secondary school leaving qualification such as the NSW Higher School Certificate (including national and international equivalents) leading to the award of an Australian Tertiary Admission Ranking (ATAR) or equivalent. English language requirements must be met where these are not demonstrated by sufficient qualifications taught in English. Alternate admission pathways are open for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and applicants to other special admissions schemes approved by the Faculty of Medicine and Health, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Academic Board. Applicants are ranked by merit and offers for available places are issued according to the ranking. Details of admission policies are found in the Coursework Rule and the Coursework Policy.

(2) Applicants are only eligible for assessment for admission to the first available course intake following the receipt of their final ATAR results or equivalent. Applicants are ineligible for admission to the course in subsequent years.

(3) Admission to this course requires the applicant to participate in an assessment process, including a written assessment and a panel discussion session. The result of this assessment will form part of the ranking of applicants.

(4) Admission to the Dalyell Stream requires achievement of a minimum tertiary admission rank (ATAR) set by joint agreement of the Deans and Heads of School and Deans of University schools of all the faculties and University schools administering degrees offering the Dalyell Stream, or equivalent.

6 Requirements for award

(1) The units of study that may be taken for the course are set out in;

(a) Table A for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies;

(b) Table S from the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees;

(c) Table O from the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees;

(d) For students enrolled in the Dalyell stream, Table D of the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees; and

(e) The Table of units for the Doctor of Medicine from the University of Sydney Medical School.

(2) In these resolutions, except where otherwise specified, Table A, Table S, Table O and Table D mean Table A, Table S, Table O and Table D as specified here.

(3) To qualify for the award of both degrees a candidate must successfully complete 336 credit points, comprising:

(a) 144 credit points to qualify for the award of the Bachelor of Arts as specified in the resolutions for the Bachelor of Arts, including;

(i) A major (48 credit points) listed and defined in Section 7 below and specified in Table A; and

(ii) A minor (36 credit points) or second major (48 credit points) as defined in Table A or Table S; and

(iii) For students not enrolled in the Dalyell stream, 6 credit points of units of study in the Open Learning Environment as listed in Table O; and

(iv) For students enrolled in the Dalyell stream;

(1) a minimum of 12 credit points of Dalyell units of study as specified in Table D.

(v) Students previously but no longer enrolled in the Dalyell stream who have completed at least 6 credit points of Dalyell units of study are not required to complete any units of study in the Open Learning Environment;

(vi) 18 credit points of foundational knowledge units of study for medicine offered by the Faculty of Science comprising BIOL1XX7, PHSI2X07 or MEDS2001, ANAT2011 or MEDS2005 and one zero credit point unit (SMTP3007); and

(vii) Where appropriate, elective units from Table A or Table S, Table O or, for students enrolled in the Dalyell stream, Table D; and

(viii) If enrolled in a stream, complete the requirements for the stream as specified in Table D; and

(b) 192 credit points to qualify for the award of the Doctor of Medicine as specified in the resolutions for the Doctor of Medicine.

7 Programs, majors and minors

(1) Completion of a major from Table A is a requirement for this double degree.

(2) Completion of a minor or second major from Table A or Table S is a requirement for this double degree.

(3) The programs and majors available as first majors in the Bachelor of Arts are as specified in the resolutions for the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies and in Table A.

(4) The minors and majors available as second majors in the Bachelor of Arts are as specified in Table A and Table S.

8 Progression rules

(1) Progression within a major, program or minor:

(a) Except with the permission of the relevant delegate, candidates must pass two 1000-level units of study within a major (except a language major), program or minor, before proceeding to 2000-level units within that major, program or minor, or else undertake those 1000-level units concurrently with the 2000- level units. Except with the permission of the relevant delegate, candidates must pass the required number of 2000-level units of study within a major (except a language major), program or minor, before proceeding to 3000- level units or else undertake those 2000-level units concurrently with the 3000-level units.

(b) Candidates in a language major commence a major at a level commensurate with their previous ability as determined by the Faculty and must complete lower level units before completing the next higher level or else undertake those lower level units concurrently with the next higher level.

(2) Progression within the Bachelor of Arts:

(a) Candidates must complete all requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, including the designated foundational knowledge units for medicine offered by the Faculty of Science specified in Section 6(3)(a)(vi), within three years (or four years if candidates take an appended honours program through the Bachelor of Arts (Honours), excluding any authorised periods of suspension, in order to progress to the Doctor of Medicine degree.

(b) Candidates must achieve an Annual Average Mark (AAM) of at least 65.0 in each year of study in the Bachelor of Arts to continue in the double degree, this being the minimum achievement required for admission to candidature for the Doctor of Medicine.

(c) Failure to maintain the minimum progression requirements will result in candidates being transferred from the double degree program to a Bachelor of Arts degree with full credit for all units of study successfully completed.

(3) Progression with the Dalyell stream:

(a) With the permission of the Dalyell coordinator, candidates in the Dalyell stream may attempt units of study at higher levels than the usual sequence.

(b) Candidates must achieve a Cross-Semester Average Mark (CSAM) at a level determined by joint agreement of the Deans and Heads of School and Deans of University schools of all the faculties and University schools administering degrees offering the Dalyell Stream in each year of study or over each 48 credit point block to continue in the Dalyell Stream. Candidates who do not maintain a CSAM at the level determined by joint agreement of the Deans and Heads of School and Deans of University schools of all the faculties and University schools administering degrees offering the Dalyell Stream may continue in any other major, minor, program or stream into which they were admitted, but will not remain in the Dalyell Stream.

(c) Candidates enrolled in the Dalyell stream who do not satisfy the requirements for the Dalyell stream but who otherwise meet requirements for the award course in which they are enrolled will graduate from the award course without the Dalyell stream. Students may not study units additional to the maximum credit points for their award course except with the approval of the Associate Dean.

(4) Progression within the Doctor of Medicine:

Progression within the Doctor of Medicine is as specified in the resolutions for the Doctor of Medicine.

9 Requirements for the award with Honours

(1) Honours in the Bachelor of Arts is available to meritorious candidates who have completed requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, by suspending candidature, with the permission of the Faculty of Arts and the University of Sydney Medical School, in the double degree for one year, enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours)and taking an appended honours program in an additional year of full time study.

(2) The grade of honours in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) will be determined by an honours mark calculated from work in honours as specified in Table A for the Bachelor of Arts, the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Coursework Policy.

(3) Candidates undertaking an honours component within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences must complete the requirements for the honours course full-time over two consecutive semesters. If the Faculty is satisfied that a student is unable to attempt the honours component on a full time basis and if the Associate Dean so recommends, permission may be granted to undertake honours part-time over four consecutive semesters. For candidates undertaking an honours component with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, admission, requirements and award of honours are according to these resolutions, the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Coursework Policy.

(4) Admission to the appended honours program in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) is by permission of the relevant honours coordinator or head of department after the completion of 144 credit points, including at least one major or program, any degree or stream-specific core, and a minor. Admission requires a WAM of at least 65 in units of study completed to that point, or a higher mark as specified by the supervising faculty. Applicants for admission to an embedded honour component must also meet any requirements for honours set by the relevant department, school or faculty as set out in the relevant resolutions.

(5) The grade of honours in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) will be determined by an honours mark calculated from work in the appended honours program as specified in Table A for the Bachelor of Arts.

10 Award of the degrees

(1) The Bachelor of Arts is awarded at Pass level. Honours is taken by enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and completing an appended honours program.

(2) The Doctor of Medicine is awarded as a Pass grade.

11 Cross-institutional study

Cross institutional study is not available in this double degree course.

12 International mobility

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences encourages candidates in this course to participate in international exchange and global mobility programs while undertaking the Bachelor of Arts as set out in the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences provided that the progression requirements and timelines in Section 8 of these resolutions can be met.

13 Course transfer

(1) A candidate may abandon the double degree program and elect to complete the Bachelor of Arts in accordance with the resolutions governing that degree. Completion of the Doctor of Medicine in the future will require a new application for admission to that course and completion in accordance with the resolutions governing that degree.

(2) With the permission of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine and Health, suitably qualified candidates may, after completing requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, defer progression to the Doctor of Medicine and undertake an appended honours program within the Bachelor of Arts (Honours), and, upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours), continue to the Doctor of Medicine.

(3) A candidate who has suspended enrolment in the double degree to enrol in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) to complete requirements of honours may, with the permission of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine and Health, abandon the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and enrol in the Doctor of Medicine.

14 Credit for previous study

Candidates will not be granted credit for tertiary studies undertaken or completed prior to enrolment in this course, apart from exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the delegated authority in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Faculty of Medicine and Health.

15 Transitional provisions

(1) These resolutions apply to students who commenced their candidature after 1 January 2024.

(2) Students who commenced their candidature prior to 1 January 2024 should complete the requirements in accordance with the resolutions in force at the time of their commencement.