These inherent requirements apply to the following course:

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)
  • Bachelor of Creative Arts
  • Bachelor of Visual Arts
  • Bachelor of Media Production
  • Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Global Studies
  • Diploma in Liberal Arts
  • Certificate in Liberal Arts

Australian Catholic University and the National School of Arts and Humanities strongly supports the right of all people to pursue a Bachelor of Creative Arts, Bachelor of Visual Arts, Bachelor of Visual Arts, Diploma and Certificate in Liberal Arts and the Bachelor of Arts and its related Honours and double degrees. 

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

The School is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional practice and other activities to enable students to participate in their course. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.

To support prospective and current students’ decision making, a series of inherent requirement statements have been developed. These statements specify the essential skills, knowledge and abilities required for the Bachelor of Arts. Students should use this information to make informed decisions about their chosen course of study. The statements are clustered under 7 domains consisting of Ethical Behaviour, Behavioural Stability, Communication, Cognition, Literacy (language) and Sustainable Performance. For study in Visual Arts there are also statements for Sensory and Strength and Mobility.

The inherent requirements outlined below provide a guide to inform decision making for students and staff.

If you are intending to enrol in the: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Creative Arts; Bachelor of Visual Arts; Bachelor of Media Production; Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Global Studies; Diploma in Liberal Arts; Certificate in Liberal Arts; or a double degree that includes the Bachelor of Arts in the National School of Arts and Humanities, you should look at these inherent requirement statements and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements.

If you think you may experience challenges for any reason including a disability or chronic health condition, you should discuss your concerns with the campus Disability Advisor who will liaise with the Deputy Head of School and Course Coordinator. 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, the University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information.

The inherent requirements are 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 you must be able to do to show you’ve met the requirement (in-class and clinical). These are examples only and not a comprehensive list.

Inherent requirement domains

There are seven domains of inherent requirements in the Arts-related degrees offered by the National School of Arts and Humanities. Some domains have a number of sub-domains.

  • Ethical Behaviour
  • Behavioural Stability
  • Communication
    • Verbal
    • Written
  • Cognition
    • Knowledge and Cognition
    • Literacy (language)
  • Sustainable Performance
  • Sensory (auditory and visual acuity)
  • Strength and Mobility (fine motor skills)

Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Students studying degrees within the National School of Arts and Humanities must understand and act in ways consistent with section 3 of the ACU Student Conduct Policy.
2 Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in, and understands the requirements of ethical behaviour.
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
Compliance with codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and the people with whom they engage. This supports the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of all.
4 Adjustments must not compromise codes of conduct or result in unethical behaviour.
5 Exemplars:
  • Demonstrating honesty, and compliance with academic conduct rules, confidentiality requirements, rules of natural justice, taught ethics requirements, professional etiquette, and procedural requirements
  • Treating others respectfully and fairly in classroom or online discussions, regardless of differences in background or opinion.
Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively in a program of study in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
2 Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic environment or while on community engagement placement  
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in groups in changing, challenging and unpredictable environments. Students may be exposed to emotionally challenging and intellectually demanding situations and examples of human suffering. They will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events objectively.
4 Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in the academic environment. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5 Exemplars:
  • Being perceptive and receptive in responding appropriately to constructive feedback
  • Managing own emotions and behaviour effectively when engaging with individuals in the academic environment or while on community engagement placement  

Verbal Communication

Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is fundamental to Arts, Humanities and Social Science studies.
2 Student demonstrates:
  1. Comprehension of spoken English delivered at conversational speed
  2. Ability to communicate clearly, audibly and intelligibly in English.
  3. Ability to communicate respectfully with people of different gender, sexuality and age, and from diverse cultural, religious, socio-economic and educational backgrounds.
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
  • The ability to understand and make verbal submissions accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner. Students should be able communicate effectively and coherently adapting in diverse learning situations.  
4 Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in academic settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5   Exemplars:
  • Making and responding to verbal submissions in academic and placement settings including verbal interaction, verbal presentations.
  • Participating in tutorials, class discussions, group activities, oral presentations or dramatic performances.

Written Communication

Level Inherent requirement statements
1  Effective written communication, in English, is fundamental to Arts, Humanities and Social Science studies.
2 Student demonstrates:
  • the capacity to construct coherent written communication in English that is appropriate to the circumstances.
  • the ability to read and comprehend written information presented in a variety of formats.
3 Justification of inherent requirement:

Construction of written text-based assessment tasks to the required academic standards, is necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter, make evidence-based academic arguments and for discipline-based practice.

4   Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in academic and placement settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor
5   Exemplars:
  • Constructing academic works including essays, problem questions, tests/exams or quizzes and creative or reflective work
  • Presenting written work in a variety of formats such as posters, PowerPoint slides, ebooks, or visual diaries

Knowledge and Cognition

Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Consistent knowledge and effective cognitive skills must be demonstrated to undertake Arts, Humanities and Social Science studies
2 Student demonstrates:
  • Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information
  • Capacity to process information relevant to practice
  • Capacity to integrate and implement knowledge
  • Capacity to comprehend and follow academic honesty processes and requirements
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
  • Competent practice requires the sourcing, understanding and application of knowledge and skills relevant to the subject area being studied
  • The ability to read, decode, interpret, comprehend and reference multiple sources of information is fundamental for understanding and applying knowledge
4 Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5 Exemplars:
  • Demonstrates the ability to think critically and create evidence-based analysis.
  • Understand and use referencing techniques to acknowledge sources of research or sources of information.

Literacy (language)

This course requires competent skills in literacy.

Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Competent literacy skills are essential to Arts, Humanities and Social Science studies.
2 Student demonstrates:
  • Ability to acquire information and accurately convey appropriate, effective messages in a scholarly manner
  • Ability to read, comprehend and synthesize a range of different types of literature and information
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
  • The ability to acquire information and accurately convey messages is fundamental to understanding knowledge, evidence, theories and ideas used in Humanities, Arts or Social Science disciplines.
  • The ability to read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental to learning in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences.
  • The ability to convey accurate and appropriate messages is essential to create text-based Arts, Humanities and Social Science assessment tasks.
4 Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate and appropriate information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5 Exemplars:
  • Demonstrates the ability to paraphrase, summarise and reference in accordance with appropriate academic conventions
  • Demonstrates the ability to find, analyse and synthesize accurate and appropriate information for use in a variety of tasks, such as essays, projects, oral or poster presentations, tests or exams.
Level Inherent requirement statements
1   Humanities, Arts and Social Science practice in the field placement context requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level.
2 Student demonstrates
  • Consistent and sustained level of physical and mental energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time
  • The ability to perform a range of physical and mental activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus until they are completed within a reasonable time frame
  • The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time.
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
Sufficient physical and mental resilience is an essential requirement needed to perform tasks in an assigned period to enable students to work effectively, safely and professionally in the different learning settings including placements.
4 Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5 Exemplars:
  • Participating in tutorials, lectures, and studio workshops/rehearsals throughout the day
  • Participating effectively, safely and professionally in community engagement or internship placement practice within a specified time frame.

Auditory

The following Inherent Requirement Statements apply only to the following units from the Music Sequence:

MUSC161 - Foundations of Music Practice, MUSC162 - Writing About Music: Legacies and Futures, MUSC202 - Music in Australia, MUSC258 - Popular Song Through History, MUSC268 - Song Writing and Arranging, MUSC269 - Contemporary Harmony, MUSC272 - Ensemble Direction and Musicianship, MUSC276 - Music Production, MUSC280 - Music, Culture and Diversity, MUSC281 - Popular Music: Stage and Screen, MUSC282 - Western Classical Music, MUSC283 - Approaches to Improvisation, MUSC335 - Composing Music, MUSC336 - Researching Music.

Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Adequate auditory ability is required to differentiate sound across a wide spectrum of musical tone, pitch and volume.
2 Student demonstrates:
  • ability to differentiate tone, pitch and volume in live or recorded music.
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
  • The ability to differentiate tone, pitch and volume is required to identify and analyse music repertoire and to understand the relationship between sound and music notation.
4 Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in music practice. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5 Exemplars:
  • Aural identification and analysis of music repertoire
  • Development of skills related to the nexus between sound and music notation

Visual Acuity

The following Inherent Requirement Statements apply only to the following units from the Visual Arts Sequence:

ARTS109 Drawing, ARTS225 Print Media, ARTS226 Video/Installation, ARTS236 Ceramics/Multimedia, ARTS238 Photography, ARTS239 Object Design, ARTS241 Painting, ARTS325 Professional Practice, ARTS332 Self-Directed Studio, ARTS240 Visual Arts and Design Major Project, DESN111 Introduction to Graphic Design, DESN227 Web Design, DESN240 Design for Multimedia, DESN242 Design for publication.

Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Adequate visual acuity is required to undertake effective and appropriate design practice.
2 Student demonstrates:
  • sufficient visual acuity to undertake the required range of tasks.
3 Justification of inherent requirement:
  • Sufficient visual acuity is required to demonstrate the required range of skills, through the performance of relevant tasks and assessments
  • Visual observations and the use of visual elements are fundamental to successful design practice
4 Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in visual arts and design. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5 Exemplars:
  • Effectively utilise visual research findings in the development of original design concepts
  • Implement the use of visual metaphor and symbolism for image-based practices

The following Inherent Requirement Statements apply only to the following units from the Visual Arts and Design Sequence:

  • ARTS109 Drawing, ARTS225 Print Media, ARTS226 Video/Installation, ARTS236 Ceramics/Multimedia, ARTS238 Photography, ARTS239 Object Design, ARTS241 Painting, ARTS325 Professional Practice, ARTS332 Self-Directed Studio, ARTS240 Visual Arts and Design Major Project, DESN111 Introduction to Graphic Design, DESN227 Web Design, DESN240 Design for Multimedia, DESN242 Design for publication.

And the Technology Sequence in the Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts (Technology degree):

  • TECH105 - Design Principles; TECH107 - Design Issues in Timber; TECH108 - Designing with Textiles; TECH206 - Design Issues in Metal; TECH207 - Food Management; TECH208 - Design and Manufacturing; TECH209 - Textile Industries; TECH210 - Food and Nutrition; TECH211 - Control Systems; TECH212 - Textile Innovations; TECH213 - Food Industries; TECH306 - Managing Innovation; TECH307 - Design and Technology Internship
Level Inherent requirement statements
1 Design is a profession that requires manual dexterity and the ability to complete fine motor skills is fundamental in visual arts and design practice or technology and design practice.
2 Student demonstrates:
  • the ability to use fine motor skills to complete various design tasks
3 Justification of inherent requirement: Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to complete various design tasks. Tasks that include fine motor skills include being able grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects in both a digital and material environment.
4 Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, and a capacity to undertake appropriate and effective design practice. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5 Exemplars:
  • Employ a range of non-digital materials to undertake design practice, including pencils, pens, brushes, rulers, etc.
  • Accurately follow safety regulations in the use of equipment and materials in the art and design or technology studios.

*Developed from: Johnson, A., Allan, T., Phillips, K., Azzopardi, T., Dickson, C., Goldsmith, M & Hengstberger- Sims, C. (2011). Inherent Requirements of Nursing Education (IRONE), Western Sydney University School of Nursing & Midwifery and Student Equity & Disability Services.


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