SAO Accreditation (Please click here for the 2020-2024 accreditation)

Future updates, for 2025 and beyond, should be requested from Swinburne.
The information below is kept for historical purposes.


Accreditation Letters

The two following statements, taken from letters by Ms. T. Kilsby, the Director of Student Operations of Swinburne University of Technology, are available for applicants wishing to obtain a copy of the original letters for certification purposes (for example, for credit for professional development). Please contact prospective _at- swin.edu.au for a copy of either document.

The first letter details the establishment of Swinburne University of Technology by Act of Parliament in 1992 and summarises the dates of the accreditation and re-accreditation of our online astronomy courses. The second letter outlines the number of credit points and equivalent contact hours for the various graduate courses in Astronomy at Swinburne University of Technology.


TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

This is to verify that Swinburne University of Technology is a tertiary institution established pursuant to the Swinburne University of Technology Act 1992 (Act No. 44/1992), an Act of the Parliament of Victoria, a State Parliament within the Commonwealth of Australia.

As a university established by legislation of the Parliament of the State of Victoria within the Commonwealth of Australia, Swinburne University of Technology is a recognised university by the Australian Federal Government and is partially funded by both the Victorian State and Australian Federal Governments.

Swinburne University of Technology is a body corporate capable of being sued and suing.

The objects of the University were set out in Section 6 of the Swinburne University of Technology Act 1992.

The Swinburne University of Technology Act empowers the University to do all things necessary for the attainment of these objects within Victoria and elsewhere. This includes the power to accredit its programs and grant awards. The Master, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate (Astronomy) courses were first accredited by the University Council on 13 December 1999 for a period of five years, concluding 31 December 2004. The courses were re-accredited by the University Council on the 21 June 2004 for 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2009, and again on 8 July 2009 for 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014.

T Kilsby
Director, Student Operations
Swinburne University of Technology
10 December 2009

P.S. This was replaced by the Swinburne University of Technology Act 2010



TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Please be advised that the academic award courses Graduate Certificate of Science in Astronomy (code SO48), Graduate Diploma of Science in Astronomy (code SO58) and Master of Science in Astronomy (code SO68) comprise 4, 8 and 12 subjects (units) respectively. In accordance with Swinburne University of Technology policy each subject (unit) is worth 12.5 credit points, or a total of 50 credit points for the Graduate Certificate, 100 credit points for the Graduate Diploma and 150 credit points for the Master degree. Each subject (unit) requires 5 contact hours per week for a minimum 12 week teaching semester, or a total of 60 contact hours per subject per semester. Up to 4 subjects (units), or 240 contact hours, may be taken in any one semester.

All three courses are accredited for offering and award until 31 December 2014.

T Kilsby
Director, Student Operations
Swinburne University of Technology
10 December 2009


Program Re-Accreditation: Changes for 2010

In July 2009, the three SAO degree programs were re-accredited by Swinburne University Coucil, and the following changes will effect the program from 2010:

  1. Graduate Certificate of Science (Astronomy) students will be able to enroll in any four SAO units, subject to prerequities.
  2. Graduate Diploma of Science (Astronomy) students must complete three core units, plus any 5 elective units (subject to prerequities).
  3. Master of Science (Astronomy) students must complete three core units plus one Major Project unit, plus any 8 elective units (subject to prerequities).
  4. The three core units are HET602, HET603, HET624.
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