Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the essential components that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills required to achieve the core learning outcomes of a program or course.

In short, they’re the non-negotiables - to successfully complete a program, you need to meet all inherent requirements.

While the University will make reasonable adjustments to accommodate students with a disability or health condition, inherent requirements must be maintained to ensure the academic integrity of a program or course.

When applying, read the program or course’s inherent requirements to ensure you are able to meet them, and contact AccessAbility to discuss adjustments that may be put in place.

If you are intending to enrol in a UON program, you should look at these inherent requirement statements and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements. These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other program and course information.

If you think you may experience challenges for any reason including a disability or chronic health condition, you should discuss your concerns with the AccessAbility Service. These staff can work collaboratively with you to determine reasonable adjustments to assist you to meet the inherent requirements. In the case where it is determined that inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

The inherent requirement is made up of the following five components:

  • Level 1 - introduction to the inherent requirement
  • Level 2 - description of the inherent requirement
  • Level 3 - explanation of why this is an inherent requirement of the course
  • Level 4 - the nature of any adjustments that may be made to allow you to meet the requirement
  • Level 5 - examples of tasks that show you've met the requirement.

Inherent requirements are specific to a particular program. In the University context, compulsory requirements are broader and can include both compliance with the policies, procedures and regulations which are applicable to all students at the University but also the mandatory requirements associated with the program of study eg. attendance, completion of assignments.

Inherent requirements ensure the academic integrity of a program is maintained and preserves the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. They must be met by all students.

To successfully complete a program at UON, you need to be able to meet all the inherent requirements. If you are applying for a program, you should read the inherent requirements carefully to ensure you are able to meet them. If you have a disability or chronic health condition, contact the AccessAbility Service to talk about the adjustments that may be put in place so you can meet the requirements.

Key terms

Inherent requirements are the essential components of a program or course that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills required to achieve the core learning outcomes of the program or course, while preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. The inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete the program that must be met by all students.

Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements.

Inherent requirements are specific to a particular program. In the University context, in addition to inherent requirements, there are also compulsory requirements of a program. These are broader and can include both compliance with the policies, procedures and regulations which are applicable to all students at the University and also the mandatory requirements associated with the program of study eg. attendance, completion of assignments.

Inherent requirement domains

To provide clarity and consistency, the inherent requirement statements have been grouped under several domains. Programs may contain some or all of these domains:

Ethical behaviour

Acting in ways consistent with the recognised values of society and avoiding activities that do harm. In the context of inherent requirements, students undertaking a course of study may be governed by practice standards and codes of ethics.

Behavioural stability

The maintenance of conduct that is acceptable and appropriate, according to the recognised norms of society over a given period of time.

Legal

Related to the law. In the context of inherent requirements, this refers to the legal requirements of professional bodies relevant to specific programs of study.

Communication

  • Verbal communication: Conveying messages, ideas or feelings through speech.
  • Nonverbal communication: Communication other than speech that conveys meaning including; gestures and facial expressions; body posture, stance, touch, eye movements, eye contact and distance from the person/s with whom you are communicating. Non-verbal cues can provide significant additional information to the person with whom you are communicating.
  • Written communication: Communication by written symbols including electronic means, print or handwriting.

Cognition

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through one's thoughts, experience and senses.

Knowledge and cognitive skills

Any of a number of acquired skills that reflect an individual's ability to think. Cognitive skills include: verbal and spatial abilities; concentration; memory; perception; reasoning; planning and organisation; flexible thinking and problem solving.

Literacy (language)

This relates to the ability to acquire, understand and apply information in a scholarly manner.

Numeracy

This relates to the ability to understand and work with numbers.

Sensory ability

The way a person recognises external stimuli - through sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.

Strength and mobility

  • Gross motor skills: The use of large muscle groups that coordinate body movements for activities such as walking, lifting, pushing, pulling and maintaining balance.
  • Fine motor skills: The ability to undertake precise coordinated movements of the hands for activities such as writing and manipulating small objects.

Sustainable performance

The ability to undertake a task/s over a pre-determined period of time. This could include physical performance such as standing for a period of time, or cognitive (mental) performance such as concentrating for a particular length of time.

The Disability Discrimination Act [DDA], 1992 as amended in 2009 (Australian Government Comlaw, 2010) provides legal protection for everyone in Australia against discrimination based on disability.

The DDA through the Disability Standards for Education 2005 requires institutions to make reasonable adjustments to enable the student with a disability to participate in education on the same basis as a student without a disability.

Reasonable adjustments are modifications made to the learning environment, teaching delivery or assessment method used to help students with a disability or chronic health condition to access and participate in education on the same basis as those without a disability. Reasonable adjustments facilitate students meeting the inherent requirements of their course of study.

An adjustment is defined as "reasonable" if it balances the interests of all parties affected including not causing "unjustifiable hardship" to the educational institution.

Examples of adjustments include but are not limited to provision of the following:

  • assistive technology
  • furniture
  • extra time in exams
  • note takers

For further information about adjustments, please refer to our UON Disability information.

Inherent requirements by program

  1. Bachelor of Development Studies
  2. Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary)
  3. Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) (Honours)
  4. Bachelor of Education (Primary)
  5. Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours)
  6. Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
  7. Bachelor of Education (Secondary) (Honours) 
  8. Bachelor of Engineering programs
  9. Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine - Joint Medical Program
  10. Bachelor of Nursing
  11. Bachelor of Psychology
  12. Bachelor of Social Work
  13. Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) (Honours) (pre 2018)
  14. Bachelor of Teaching (Fine Art) (Honours) (pre 2017)
  15. Bachelor of Teaching (Health and Physical Education) (Honours) (pre 2018)
  16. Bachelor of Teaching (Humanities) (Honours) (pre 2018)
  17. Bachelor of Teaching (Mathematics) (Honours) (pre 2018)
  18. Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) (Honours) (pre 2018)
  19. Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) (Honours)
  20. Bachelor of Teaching (Science) (Honours) (pre 2018)
  21. Bachelor of Teaching (Technology) (Honours) (pre 2018)
  22. Laws programs
  23. Master of Psychology
  24. Master of Teaching (Primary)
  25. Master of Teaching (Primary) (pre 2020)
  26. Master of Teaching (Secondary)
  27. Master of Teaching Secondary) (pre 2020)
  28. Bachelor of Pharmacy

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