at Otago - School of Business, University of Otago, New Zealand ...

Points
Each paper is worth a number of points, and
these contribute to the total required for a
qualification. A semester paper is usually worth
18 points. You need a total of 360 points to
complete a BCom. As an approximate guide,
you can expect to spend about six hours a
week working for each 18-point full year paper,
or 12 hours a week for each 18-point single
semester paper. These hours are made up of a
combination of lectures, tutorials, laboratories,
assignments, and reading.
Postgraduate Degree
A course undertaken by a student who has
already completed a bachelor’s degree. It
normally comprises papers or other work at
400-level or above.
Prerequisites and Corequisites
A prerequisite is a paper you must complete
before commencing a particular paper. Most
papers beyond 100-level have prerequisites.
If you have not completed a prerequisite for a
paper, you are not normally permitted to enrol
in that paper. Some papers have corequisites.
If you have not already passed a corequisite,
you must take it at the same time as your other
paper.
Semester
The term of study. The academic year is
divided into two teaching periods called the
first and second semesters. Semester One runs
from February to June. Semester Two runs
from July to November.
Summer School
A programme run by the University of Otago
between January and February. Students can
take papers to make up for things they’ve
missed, or to reduce the time it takes to
complete their degrees. Each 18-point paper is
condensed into a six-week programme.
Undergraduate Degree
Your first degree. It usually involves a
minimum of three years’ full-time study (360
points from 100-, 200- and 300-level papers).
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