• Section 1 - Key Information
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Key Decisions
• Section 5 - Policy Statement
• Section 6 - Procedures
• Part A - Course and Subject Delivery Modes
• Part B - Designing for Course Progression
• Part C - Graduate Capabilities
• Overview
• The La Trobe Graduate Capabilities
• Part D - Intended Learning Outcomes
• Part E - Work Integrated Learning
• Part F - Assurance of Learning Outcomes
• Capstone Subjects
• Part G - Subject Standards
• Design Standards
• Delivery Standards
• Part H - Subject Workload - Volume and Type of Learning
• Section 7 - Definitions
• Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

Section 1 - Key Information

Section 2 - Purpose

(1) These Standards outline the University’s requirements for course and subject design in accordance with the principles detailed in the Course Design Policy.

Section 3 - Scope

(2) Refer to the Course Design Policy.

Section 4 - Key Decisions

Section 5 - Policy Statement

(3) Refer to the Course Design Policy.

Section 6 - Procedures

Part A - Course and Subject Delivery Modes

(4) Courses and subjects at La Trobe may be designed for and delivered in a variety of modes (where approved under the Course and Subject Management Procedure - Approvals) as follows (for full descriptions see Definitions section in this Procedure):

1. Face to Face
2. Online
3. Online Asynchronous
4. Online plus placement/ intensive
5. Multi-Modal
6. Research Training (for research courses only.

Part B - Designing for Course Progression

(5) In order to promote steady student progression courses are designed to avoid requirements for the subject rules listed below, unless there is a pedagogical reason for their inclusion:

1. Prerequisite Subject
2. Corequisite Subject
3. Incompatible Subject
4. Equivalent Subject.

(6) Where corequisite or prerequisite rules are necessary, they may take any of the following forms:

1. must have passed a specified subject
2. must have passed a specified number of credit points
3. must be admitted in a course and/or enrolled in a specified subject/s.

Part C - Graduate Capabilities

Overview

(7) Graduate Capabilities (GCs) are interdisciplinary skills, knowledge and abilities that equip students to live and work in a rapidly changing and complex world. They are desirable and transferable attributes sought by employers.

(8) The GCs encapsulate for both students and the wider community the defining characteristics of a La Trobe graduate and describe a set of attributes that are designed to be transferable beyond the disciplinary context in which they have been developed.

(9) The GCs provide a broad framework and are intended to be interpreted and defined more precisely in the context of each academic discipline or course.

The La Trobe Graduate Capabilities

(10) The La Trobe Graduate Capabilities are defined as:

1. Communicating and Influencing: the capacity to use personal presence, empathy, listening and questioning to engage others and effectively express information through presentation and written communication
2. Cultural Capability: using knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, contexts and understandings to enrich discipline knowledge and capacity to work in culturally sensitive, appropriate and ethical ways
3. Critical Thinking and Evidence-Based Inquiry: the ability to reason, question, analyse, integrate and synthesise learning, knowledge and data from a range of sources to generate solutions, draw connections across fields of knowledge and support decision making
4. Creativity and Innovation: the ability to challenge norms and apply imagination and creativity to innovate and solve multifaceted problems
5. Leadership and Teamwork: the ability to effectively lead, motivate and collaborate with others and work as part of a diverse team, and
6. Ethical and Social Responsibility: the ability to evaluate the ethical, social and/or environmental implications of making decisions in both professional and personal contexts.

Part D - Intended Learning Outcomes

(11) Intended Learning Outcomes articulate the knowledge and skills that students develop and demonstrate in their course through the learning and teaching activities, and are embedded in the following course components:

1. course (CILOs)
2. subjects (SILOs)
3. majors (MILOs) (where applicable).

(12) Intended Learning Outcomes of any course component must scaffold progressive learning and support students to apply the knowledge and skills required for successful completion of the course.

(13) Intended Learning Outcomes encompass discipline and generic outcomes, including: 

1. specialised knowledge and skills, together with their application, from the relevant discipline/s
2. generic skills and their application in the context of the discipline/s 
3. knowledge and skills required for employment and/or further study related to the discipline, including those required to be eligible to seek registration to practise where applicable, and 
4. skills in independent and critical thinking suitable for life-long learning. 

(14) Course design must include all course components, assessment, and learning activities required for students to demonstrate the Intended Learning Outcomes specified for the course.

(15) Except where mandated by the requirements of accreditation bodies, subjects and courses have minimum and maximum SILOs, MILOs and CILOs as follows:

(16) *CILOs for double degrees are written specifically for the double degree rather than a merger of CILOs from the component degrees.

Part E - Work Integrated Learning

(17) In accordance with the La Trobe Employability Framework all coursework awards have at least one work-integrated learning (WIL) component, which may be a project or a work-based activity (placement).

Part F - Assurance of Learning Outcomes

(18) Students’ achievement of CILOs is assured through the use of supervised assessment, known as assurance checkpoints (see also Assessment Standards). Supervised assessment can occur in any subject but must be included in capstone subjects and the compulsory WIL component of each course.

Capstone Subjects

Characteristics

(19) Capstone subjects: 

1. require the synthesis and application of knowledge and skills acquired throughout the student’s learning in a course, major and/or specialisation, drawn from previously completed subjects
2. have the same defining attributes whether they are at undergraduate or postgraduate level, but may have a different focus on theoretical or applied knowledge, or on the application of professional skills
3. require students to take responsibility for their own learning through independent project or creative work, while also incorporating opportunities for collaboration and peer feedback where appropriate.

(20) Capstone assessments (see also Assessment Standards):

1. are structured around complex, real-world problems or questions that require students to engage in sustained inquiry, critical thinking, and evidence-based decision-making
2. normally include a formal presentation, publication, or exhibition of the final product or findings, demonstrating the ability to communicate effectively.

Capstone Requirements in Courses

(21) Capstone subjects assess learning within courses and majors at the highest AQF level for the award qualification and may be designed as core subjects at either of these levels.

(22) All CILOs in a course are represented in capstone learning and assessment.

(23) Where capstones are in majors, they map to Major Intended Learning Outcomes (MILOs).

(24) Capstone subject assessment:

1. must include a hurdle task that is supervised 
2. can be research-based, industry-based or project-based depending on the discipline.

(25) Capstone subjects may be 15 or 30 credit points. The capstone requirements of different awards are as follows:

Exemptions from Capstone Requirements

(26) The following awards are exempt from capstone requirements: 

1. award courses with 60 credit points or more of placement or an industry project at the final year level 
2. honours (stand-alone) courses (thesis subjects are not defined as capstones). 

(27) In all other awards achievement of all CILOs must be assessed through appropriately weighted supervised assessment conducted in the final teaching period of the course (see also Assessment Standards). This includes nested (entry and exit) awards. 

Part G - Subject Standards

Design Standards

All Subjects

(28) Subjects are designed to allow students to navigate content independently with clear, logical structure and sequencing, while incorporating Universal Design principles to ensure accessibility for students with diverse needs.

(29) Subjects include a mix of content formats (e.g., multimedia resources, readings, and opportunities for collaboration) and utilise interactive tools to promote active engagement, enrich the learning experience, and build a sense of community.

(30) Learning content includes detailed instructions and objectives to guide students through activities and assessments and to support independent learning.

(31) To assist students to develop confidence and autonomy as learners subjects will embed opportunities for reflective learning and self-assessment with feedback.

(32) Subjects are separated into modules, topics or sections in the Learning Management System (LMS) so students can progress at their own pace while meeting deadlines for assessments.

(33) Each content section includes interactive elements (e.g., polls, discussions, or collaborative tasks) that require students to actively engage with the material in addition to passive reading or viewing.

Delivery Standards

(34) Subjects are designed within a single, consistent LMS site, ensuring all students have equitable access to the same learning experience. Separate LMS sites may be established for fully asynchronous instances.

(35) Learning resources are digital and freely accessible wherever possible, with minimal need for physical textbooks or external navigation. 

(36) Subject information, learning content and resources are made available in the LMS at least two (2) weeks prior to the commencement of subject delivery (see also Assessment Standards). This includes:

1. all learning materials, including readings
2. other contextual subject information including key contact details, specialist equipment requirements and participation expectations.

(37)  Links to the following are provided as standard in the University LMS template:

1. academic support resources (including for academic integrity)
2. technology support services
3. student support services
4. library services.

(38) Structured learning activities are designed to incorporate active learning strategies that encourage collaboration, problem-solving, and application of knowledge.

(39) Online learning content is presented in focused and engaging asynchronous formats that are appropriate for the level of the material and intentionally designed to support effective learning.

(40) Interactive asynchronous tools, such as discussion forums, reflective journals, and collaborative documents, are incorporated as required to support learning and maintain engagement.

(41) Scheduled voluntary online sessions may be offered at regular intervals throughout the teaching period to clarify information already presented in the LMS or to answer student questions; these sessions do not introduce new content and are not timetabled.

Quotas

(42) A quota may be placed on a subject only where the subject:

1. is taught by an intensive teaching method that necessarily limits the number of students who can be accommodated
2. is based on a clinical or practical placement, or
3. requires the use of specialist teaching space or online space (e.g., for Auslan subjects) that can accommodate only a certain number of students.

Part H - Subject Workload - Volume and Type of Learning

(43) In designing a subject, consideration should be given to the proportion of guided and self-directed learning required of a student. Definitions and examples of guided and self-directed learning are given in the table below.(These categories cannot be applied to thesis or placement subjects.)

(44) Total study hours (guided + self-directed) must not exceed 120 hours for a 15 credit point (CP) subject and are allocated as follows:

1. total guided learning activities normally comprise 24-36 hours and do not exceed 48 hours per semester for a 15CP subject
2. the balance of hours are used for self-directed learning. Readings may be considered as part of self-directed study.

(45) Any requirements for a greater proportion of guided hours in a subject due to disciplinary or accreditation requirements must be outlined with supporting documentation during the subject approval process but this is limited wherever possible.

Guided and Self-Directed Learning

Section 7 - Definitions

(46) For the purposes of these Standards:

1. course modes:
   1. Face-to-Face: all subjects within the course are delivered in person with the requirement to attend at a specific study location
   2. Online: all subjects are delivered online without the requirement to attend a specific location. It may consist of a combination of Online and Online Asynchronous subjects.
   3. Online Asynchronous: all subjects within the course are delivered online without the requirement to attend at a specific time. All subjects must be Online Asynchronous.
   4. Online Plus Placement/Intensive: all subjects within the course are delivered online with the requirement of in person attendance for specific intensive activities, such as clinical workshops or work integrated learning (e.g. field or industry placement)
   5. Multi-Modal: the course consists of any combination of Face-to-Face, Online, Online Asynchronous or Multi-Modal Subjects and/or Research Training
   6. Research Training: involves substantial independent and original research undertaken under academic supervision, culminating in the submission of a thesis for examination.
2. Corequisite: a condition that must be met in order for a student to enrol concurrently in a designated subject. The condition may relate to enrolment in a course or in another subject.
3. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): brief statements defining the knowledge, skills and dispositions that a student should have attained and can reliably demonstrate at the end of a course of study
4. Equivalent Subjects: the subjects that arise through the creation of a new subject code for an existing subject. Under the Equivalent rule, students who completed a subject when it had the old code will be deemed to have completed the subject with the new code. Equivalent Subjects are also Incompatible with each other.
5. Incompatible Subjects: subjects that cover substantially the same content or that represent a single subject by different names or codes
6. Major Intended Learning Outcomes (MILOs): brief statements defining the knowledge, skills and dispositions that a student should have attained and can reliably demonstrate at the end of a major
7. microcredentials: short courses consisting of multiples of five credit points that are assessed and which, in approved sequences, may be used to apply for credit towards an award of the University
8. Prerequisite: a condition that a student must meet before the student may enrol in a designated subject. The condition may relate to enrolment in a course or, more usually, in another subject.
9. quota: a limit on the number of students who may enrol in a subject, often accompanied by conditions (e.g. preference may go to students enrolled in a particular course)
10. subject: a unit of study involving students in a series of learning activities, the outcomes of which are assessed
11. Subject Intended Learning Outcomes (SILOs): brief statements defining the knowledge, skills and dispositions that a student should have attained and can reliably demonstrate by the end of a subject
12. subject modes:
    1. Face-to-Face: all scheduled teaching and learning activities take place in an in-person setting at an assigned day/time and location and at a physical location either on or off campus (e.g. placements or field trips). Supporting learning materials will be available online.
    2. Online: teaching and learning takes place online through virtual meeting software, requiring students to be present at assigned days and times. Interaction with instructors and peers is ‘live’ in an online environment and all learning materials are available online. 
    3. Online plus placement / intensive: as with online definition above with the addition of required placements/intensives
    4. Online Asynchronous: students participate in self-paced learning activities, without scheduled classes but guided by set deadlines. Interaction with both instructors and peers occurs in an online environment and all learning materials are available online.
    5. Multi-Modal: teaching and learning takes place via a combination of Face to Face and Online (Synchronous and/or Asynchronous) delivery. There is a requirement to engage Face to Face (on or off campus) on specific days and times. When not meeting in person, students and instructors will interact online, either through scheduled synchronous sessions or asynchronous activities. All learning materials are available online.
13. subject rules: rules that govern admission to subjects, either by requiring enrolment or by prohibiting enrolment
14. teaching period: the time between the start of teaching and the end of teaching for any given subject.

Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

(47) These Standards are made under the La Trobe University Act 2009.

(48) Associated information includes:

1. the La Trobe Course Architecture via the Course Architecture intranet
2. Indigenous Strategy 2022-2030
3. La Trobe University Employability Framework.