FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the cost of your courses?
If you are enrolled through the Community Access Program (CAP) the fees are $450 for a 2 unit course (most of our couses are #2) in the non-assessed mode, and rather more in the assessed mode.

If you are enrolled in a degree program the fees will depend on whether you are a Commonwealth supported domestic student, a full fee-paying domestic student or an international student, and when you started your program. For instance, the fees for a Commonwealth supported student starting in 2009 are $650 for a 2 unit course (less if you pay upfront). The fees for a full paying domestic student starting in 2009 are $1135 per unit, and the fees for an international student starting in 2009 are $1100 per unit. Please check your fees using UQ's fees calculator.You can also email your fees enquiry to fees@uq.edu.au
 
Which courses do I need to study for a particular major?
Students starting in 2009: please click on the course list for the Bachelor of Arts page in Courses and Programs , which will open up a window with an alphabetical list of all  2009 majors and extended majors available in the Bachelor of Arts.  

Students who started in 2007 or earlier can also check the official program list for that year in Programs and courses. Students need to select the year and click on change at the top of the Bachelor of Arts webpage before clicking on the official program list link. 

What is a degree made up of and what is a major?
A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is worth 48 units (#48). Most courses are worth 2 units (#2). The components of the BA are:

Either 2 single majors (#16 each) and electives (#16)
or 1 extended major (#24), 1 minor (#8) , and electives (#16)

Within the above structure, students can take, as electives, courses listed for majors and extended majors up to a maximum of #32. For example, a student has taken an extended major in Japanese. The extended major is worth #24, made up of #20 in JAPN courses and #4 in MSTU/LTCS courses approved for that extended major. The student can take another #12 in JAPN courses (#32 - #20). These #12 will be counted as electives.
 

Is a double major the same as an extended major?
Yes. From 2007 double majors are called extended majors.

I am not enrolled in a degree program. Can I still study in your school?
Yes, you certainly can. You can enrol through the Community Access Program (CAP). CAP is for students who do not need to receive credit for their studies.

What languages can I study at UQ?

Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. We also offer Linguistics.

Can I start from scratch?
Yes. We have beginners courses in each language.
 
How many years does it take to complete a language major?
It depends. 3 years for French, German, Russian, Spanish or Indonesian (at the rate of one language course per semester plus 2 other courses spread out over 3 years), or 2-3 years for Korean, Chinese and Japanese (at the rate of 2 language courses per semester). But you can take longer over it.
 
Can I start mid-semester?
Usually no. If you are a beginner definitely no, because our beginners courses run in first semester only. If you are not a beginner and your level of proficiency in the language is equivalent to a first semester course you can ask for permission to enrol in the continuation course. For example, if you think you have the equivalent of 3 contact hours per week x 13 weeks in Spanish (SPAN1010 in semester 1), then you should be able to cope with the continuation course, SPAN1020, in second semester.
 
There are so many courses, where do I start?
We have several streams in most languages. Just go to the your preferred language in this website for an overview of the streams and courses.
 
Still not sure?
You’re probably between streams or not sure how much you’ll remember from when you did German 15 years ago, or can speak Japanese but can’t write it. If you are planning to study French, Spanish or Japanese, and are unsure about your level you need to contact the school for an appointment for a placement interview. Placement interviews are held during Orientation week. For other languages, or for an appointment outside O-week, contact the program coordinator.
 
What’s a placement interview?
A  placement interview is a friendly chat with a teacher in the language you want to study, that will allow that teacher to figure out your level of proficiency in that language, and what would be the right course for you. We schedule placement interviews for French, Spanish and Japanese during Orientation week. Students need to ring up the office (tel. 3365 2013) to make an appointment. We allow 10-15 minutes per interview.

Who coordinates each discipline?
 
Can I do any courses or majors that don’t involve learning a foreign language?
Certainly. Language courses taught in the target language begin with FREN, GRMN, SPAN, PORT, RSSN, KORN, CHIN, JAPN, INDN. We also teach some courses in English, which do not require knowledge of a second language. Most of these courses are coded LTCS or MSTU (eg LTCS1006 Great Books of the Western Tradition or MSTU 2001 From Buddha to Bruce Lee: Asian Visual Cultures). 
 
Our majors in Asian Studies and World Literatures and Cultural Studies are made up of courses taught in English in this school (and sometimes other schools of the University) in areas as diverse as literature, cultural studies, cinema, literary theory, history, geography, economics, religion and philosophy.

 
What’s so good about learning a language?
There are lots of reasons, but did you know that research has shown that people who speak two languages have more grey matter in the language region of the brain?

 
Where is the school and how do I contact you guys?
We are in Gordon Greenwood building (#32). We are near the Union shops complex behind the Schonell and the Abel Smith Lecture theatre. The school office is on level 3, room 320. We are open 8.45 to 4.45 Monday to Friday. Or you can ring us. Telephone numbers and email addresses for all school staff are listed in the staff section of this website. There is also a general email address for the office you can use if you do not know who you should contact with your query.
 
 

 

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