COMM5005 Quantitative Methods for Business - 2018

Subject Code
COMM5005
Study Level
Postgraduate
Commencing Term
Semester 1
Total Units of Credit (UOC)
6
Delivery Mode
On Campus
School
Economics

1. Course Details

Summary of Course

​This course provides an introduction to the basic mathematical and statistical tools needed in a business degree. There is an emphasis on problem solving by both manual and computer methods. In the first half of the course we focus on algebra and graphs, financial mathematics and optimisation methods including linear programming and calculus. The second half focuses on probability, descriptive and inferential statistics and analysing data.

Teaching Times and Locations

Please note that teaching times and locations are subject to change. Students are strongly advised to refer to the Class Timetable website for the most up-to-date teaching times and locations.

View course timetable

Course Policies & Support

The Business School expects that you are familiar with the contents of this course outline and the UNSW and Business School learning expectations, rules, policies and support services as listed below:

  • Program Learning Goals and Outcomes
  • Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
  • Student Responsibilities and Conduct
  • Special Consideration
  • Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts
  • Student Learning Support Services

View course Policies and Support

Course Aims and Relationship to Other Courses

​This course aims to enhance your ability to analyse financial and economic data and thereby to assist in making business decisions. It is one of the three data analysis core courses of the MCom program and is recommended for students in specialisations where quantitative skills are required. It is designed for those who have had little or no quantitative training in their undergraduate degree but who need mathematical and statistical skills for specialisations in the areas of Finance, Economics, Accounting and Business Strategy. Students of these disciplines who already have a good understanding of basic statistics may benefit from taking ECON5248 Business Forecasting as their core course. Note however that it is only offered in Semester 1. While the skills learned in COMM5005 are also relevant for other MCom specialisations, students from Marketing, Information Systems and Management disciplines will usually find COMM5011 Data Analysis for Business more appropriate as their data analysis core course. That course has a lesser focus on mathematics and a greater focus on analysing textual data.

Student Learning Outcomes

The Course Learning Outcomes are what you should be able to DO by the end of this course if you participate fully in learning activities and successfully complete the assessment items.

The Learning Outcomes in this course also help you to achieve some of the overall Program Learning Goals and Outcomes for all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students in the Business School. Program Learning Goals are what we want you to BE or HAVE by the time you successfully complete your degree (e.g. ‘be an effective team player’). You demonstrate this by achieving specific Program Learning Outcomes - what you are able to DO by the end of your degree (e.g. ‘participate collaboratively and responsibly in teams’).

For more information on Program Learning Goals and Outcomes, refer to the course Policies and Support.

The following table shows how your Course Learning Outcomes relate to the overall Program Learning Goals and Outcomes, and indicates where these are assessed (they may also be developed in tutorials and other activities):

Program Learning Goals and Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes Course Assessment Item
This course helps you to achieve the following learning goals for all Business undergraduate/postgraduate coursework students:

On successful completion of the course, you should be able to:

This learning outcome will be assessed in the following items:

1 - Knowledge

Solve problems using a variety of mathematical and statistical techniques relevant to a postgraduate business degree. Use a calculator and a spreadsheet program (Microsoft Excel) effectively to perform calculations.

  • Assignment
  • Exams
  • Online activities
2 - Critical thinking and problem solving

Engage in independent and reflective learning. Analyse business data and problems and apply critical thinking.

  • Assignment
  • Exams
  • Online activities
3a - Written communication

Be familiar with relevant mathematical and statistical terminology (this may take more effort if you previously studied these subjects in a foreign language).

Evaluate, draw conclusions and produce a business report.

  • Exams
  • Assignment
3b - Oral communication

Participate in general and small group classroom discussions.

Not specifically assessed.

4 - Teamwork

Work collaboratively to discuss and solve problems.

Not specifically assessed.

5a - Ethical, social and environmental responsibility

Identify ethical issues in business practice and statistical reporting.

Not specifically assessed.

5b - Social and cultural awareness

Not specifically addressed in this course.

Not specifically addressed in this course.

2. Staff Contact Details

Position Title Name Email Location Phone Consultation Times
Lecturer-in-chargeMrsQuad 31269385 3285Tuesday 3-5 pm, Thursday 3-4 pm or by appointment.
Other staff contact details will be made available on the course website in Moodle.

3. Learning and Teaching Activities

Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Course

​This course aims to enhance your ability to analyse financial and economic data and thereby to assist in making business decisions. It also aims to prepare you for further MCom courses which require the use of numerical skills. Mathematical skills can only be acquired by sustained practice in problem solving. It is often some years since postgraduate students have used basic techniques so renewing “rusty” skills is an important objective. You must learn to organise your independent study and practise a sufficient number of problems to gain a thorough understanding of concepts and how to apply them.

Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies

In this course you are expected to be an active learner rather than just sitting and listening in class. We are making lectures even more interactive by using the Active Learning Platform technology. Using this system, you should participate by uploading data via your internet enabled device (laptop, tablet or phone). This will give you the opportunity to register your own individual input for quizzes, class example questions and opinions.

  • Preparation for the lecture. Each week on Moodle you will find a list of sections of the textbook that you should look through to prepare for the lecture. This will help you to learn the name of terms and identify key concepts that you need to revise by using online resources and/or working through examples.
  • When you come to the lecture you may be asked to respond to questions that test your understanding of key concepts.
  • During the lecture many examples will be demonstrated step-by-step and you will also be expected to attempt problems by yourself or in a small group. Make sure you bring a scientific calculator to do the calculations. Once your answers are uploaded you will be able to compare them to the answers of other members of the class.
  • You will also be encouraged to ask questions and to give opinions.
  • After seeing lecture examples, you need to try more problems by yourself after class and make sure to attempt the questions set for the following tutorial.
  • Our new tutorial format encourages students to have greater input. The time is divided into two parts
    • Discussing the solutions of problems you have already prepared
    • Actively working with a small group of students to solve new problems with an opportunity to ask your tutor questions as you work.
  • It is very important that you prepare the homework problems beforehand and do not just turn up expecting the tutor to do everything. Solutions to any homework problems not discussed will be made available on the website at the end of the week.

It is difficult to succeed in this course without putting in regular effort and undertaking out-of-class study. In order to promote this, the assessment has a number of small tasks spread through the session. These are designed to give you good feedback to help you learn while attempting them. There are a number of online activities to promote regular learning. While the online quizzes allow you to learn from mistakes by allowing two attempts there are also a number of eLearning tutorials to help you practice techniques and give you immediate feedback for each step..

The assignment in this course will test your ability to analyse data, to use the Microsoft Excel program, and to think critically. Some knowledge of current events in business and research into the relevant local government areas of New South Wales will add to your understanding of the assignment material. You will need to start early to research the topic and prepare materials for the second phase where you will to analyse the data collected and write a report.

You will also need to develop good calculator skills in order to perform well in exams. Familiarity with the use of memories and built-in functions will increase your speed in solving problems. Students who have not practiced maths for some time can be quite slow in doing calculations and this can affect their exam results adversely.

The object of this course is not to memorise information. Therefore the mid-session test and final exam will have an open-book format. The focus of the assessment will be on your understanding of concepts, your ability to apply formulae appropriately, your problem solving and critical thinking.

5. Course Resources

Books

There are two required textbooks for this course. For the first six lectures we use:

Haeussler, E.F. Paul, R.S and Wood, R.J. 2013, Introductory Mathematical Analysis for Business, Economics and the Life and Social Sciences 13th ed., Pearson New International edition ISBN 9781292021140    

​Format
​ISBN
​Available to purchase from
​Text Standalone​9781292021140 ​UNSW bookstore or Pearson
​PDF eText ​9781292034386
Pearson

This book is available in two versions with different covers. The New International edition (grey cover) contains the same material as the 13th ed. US version which has an orange and blue cover.

For the second half of the course we will use:

  • Berenson, M., Levine, D., Szabat, K., O’Brien, M., Jayne, N. and Watson, J., 2016, Basic Business Statistics: Concepts and Applications, 4th ed., Pearson Australia, Melbourne, Vic

​ISBN
​Available to purchase from
​Text Standalone
​9781486018956 ​UNSW bookstore
Text + MyMath Lab and eText
​9781488608834
​UNSW bookstore
                           
​eText + MyMath Lab​9781488614187Pearson
​Downloadable eText9781486019410

Some students may wish to purchase extra interactive content or other packages. See the Pearson website for more versions. Note that links to the student solutions manual and data sets will be available on the course materials section of the course website for download. More information will be made available on our course website in the course resources section. Please be aware that computers are not permitted in our open book exams so some material such as statistical tables might need to be printed if you choose an e-book.

Reference texts that should be available in the library are:

  • Swift, L. and Piff, S. 2014 Quantitative Methods for Business, Management and Finance, 4th ed Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Tannous, K., Brown, R.L., Kopp, S., and Zima, P. 2013 Mathematics of Finance , McGraw-Hill Education (Australia), North Ryde.
Note that in the Schedule for this course the four books are referred to by the authors' initials or abbreviations: HPW, Ber, SP and TBKZ.

Websites

The course website can be accessed at Moodle. You will find that you are enrolled in two Moodle “courses” for COMM5005. The main website will contain the course information including the tutorial questions you need to prepare for each week. You should also check the website for assignment information, practice exam questions, data sources, online quizzes, elearning tutorials and other useful information.

It will also be where you access lecture slides prior to each lecture and where you can join in activities and take notes during the lecture using the UNSW Lecture Recording+ system which uses the platform Echo 360. After the lecture a recording will also be available so you can review any content you need. Note that an additional pdf version of the lecture slide handout will be made available on the main course website for those who prefer to print it out and to the lecture for writing notes on paper.

You have also been enrolled in a second Moodle website called Figuring It Out (Maths/Stats). This site contains a large number of specially selected online resources for you to explore to revise basic concepts and increase your understanding of topics in COMM5005 and some additional related areas. You can make use of the statistics glossary to help understand terminology, the Lighting Up Statistics cartoon videos created at UNSW and many other resources which have been collected into ten maths and statistics categories.

PASS

For many years we have offered PASS, the Peer Assisted Support Scheme, for undergraduate students. PASS puts concepts into practice through workshops where pairs of leaders are available to help you review course materials and attempt problems. The emphasis is on active participation by students. Now the Business School is supporting PASS for postgraduates and we are able to offer two weekly PASS classes for COMM5005 students, which you can attend on a voluntary basis.

From Week 3 we plan to run PASS at these times and locations:

  • Tuesday 11:00-12:00 in Mathews 228
  • Thursday 4:00-5:00 in Red Centre West 3037

Before our face-to-face PASS sessions begin you can get revision help with sessions of online PASS being offered on two evenings per week. These sessions will run up to Week 2. Check your Figuring It Out Moodle website for detailed information and the login.

Harvard Online Courses

The UNSW Australia Business School is making available to students a number of resources from Harvard Business Publishing. In COMM5005 we will have two online learning modules available for you to use as additional resources. These are Mathematics for Management and Quantitative Methods. Each section consists of a pre-test which you can try, material from various topics arranged in a number of screens with practice exercises and a final test. You can start working through these at your own pace prior to the commencement of session to give yourself a good preparation. Note that the tests are purely for practice purposes and marks for them will not count towards your assessment in COMM5005. For a link to register for the Harvard material and more information about other resources see the Course materials section of the website.

Calculator

A basic scientific calculator is required for this course and it must be approved for use in exams. It must be able to perform logarithmic and exponential calculations such as ln x, and ex . The calculator must not be a programmable one (i.e. should not have an alpha-numeric keypad) or have a graphic display. It should not be capable of storing or solving equations, differentiation or factoring.

You should take the calculator to the Business School Student Centre to have the approval sticker attached. If you need to purchase a new calculator, keep in mind that it will be desirable to have a two variable statistical mode to perform linear regression (LR) calculations.

Computer and Software

For lectures you will need to bring a laptop, preferably, or a tablet or phone which has an internet connection in order to fully participate. For homework and your assignment you will need to use a computer with the Microsoft Excel program installed. On a Windows machine make sure that you have the version that enables Analysis Toolpak Add-ins to be used. On a Mac, check that the version of Excel program has the statistical capability you require. Earlier versions and may need to be supplemented by another program such as StatPlus or PhStat or Wizard.

6. Course Evaluation & Development

Each year feedback is sought from students and other stakeholders about the courses offered in the School and continual improvements are made based on this feedback. UNSW's myExperience Survey Tool is one of the ways in which student evaluative feedback is gathered. You are strongly encouraged to take part in the feedback process. Feedback is also sought at the end of each eLearning Tutorials. This feedback from students has been used to make the questions clearer and to improve the hints provided for incorrect answers so please continue to contribute to this process.

7. Course Schedule

Week 1: 26 Feb
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Introduction +

Describing the problem

Assessment/Other

HPW 2.1-2.2, 2.5, 2.8, 3.1-3.3, 4.1-4.3

Week 2: 05 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Equations and solutions

Assessment/Other

HPW 0.7-0.8, 1.1-1.3, 3.4, 3.6, 4.4

Week 3: 12 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Valuing alternatives: interest, compounding, present and future values, ordinary annuities

Assessment/Other

HPW 5.1-5.4

TBKZ 1.3-3.3 and 7.1-7.2

Week 4: 19 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Calculating for loans and savings: more annuities, amortization of loans, changes in interest

Assessment/Other

HPW 5.4-5.6

TBKZ 3.4, 4.3 5.1-5.3

Week 5: 26 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Considering changes : differentiation with applications, partial derivatives

Assessment/Other

HPW Ch 11, 12.1-2.3,12.5, 17.1-17.3

Mid Semester Break: 02 Apr
Week 6: 09 Apr
Activity

Lecture

Topic

The best solution: maxima and minima, linear programming

Assessment/Other

HPW 12.7, 13.1-13.6, 7.1-7.3

SP pp.550-566

Week 7: 16 Apr
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Describing the data: tables and charts, measuring central tendency and dispersion

Assessment/Other

Ber 2.1-2.6, 3.1-3.6

SP pp.537-539

Week 8: 23 Apr
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Probability and expectation

Assessment/Other

Ber 4.1-5.3 + Table E6

HPW Ch8, 9.1-9.2

Week 9: 30 Apr
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Evaluating parameters: the uniform and normal distributions, sampling distributions

Assessment/Other

Ber 6.1-6.4, 7.1-7.3 + Table E2

Week 10: 07 May
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Confidence interval estimation + Testing hypotheses

Assessment/Other

Ber 8.1-8.4, 9.1-9.5, 9.7 + Table E3

Week 11: 14 May
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Estimating regression parameters

Assessment/Other

Ber 12.1-12.5, 12.9

Week 12: 21 May
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Multiple regression + Forecasting the future

Assessment/Other

Ber 12.7,13.1-13.4, 13.6, 14.1-14.4, 14.8-14.9 + Table E5

8. Policies

Information about UNSW Business School protocols, University policies, student responsibilities and education quality and support.

Program Learning Goals and Outcomes

The Business School Program Learning Goals reflect what we want all students to BE or HAVE by the time they successfully complete their degree, regardless of their individual majors or specialisations. For example, we want all our graduates to HAVE a high level of business knowledge and a sound awareness of ethical, social, cultural and environmental implications of business. As well, we want all our graduates to BE effective problem-solvers, communicators and team participants.

You can demonstrate your achievement of these goals by the specific outcomes you achieve by the end of your degree (i.e. Program Learning Outcomes—henceforth PLOs). These PLOs articulate what you need to know and be able to do as a result of engaging in learning. They embody the knowledge, skills and capabilities that are identified, mapped, taught, practised and assessed within each Business School program.

All UNSW programs and courses are designed to assess the attainment of program and/or course level learning outcomes, as outlined in the UNSW Assessment Design Procedure. It is therefore important that you become familiar with the Business School PLOs, as they constitute the framework which informs and shapes the course components and assessments of the courses within your program of study.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Undergraduate
  • Postgraduate Coursework
Knowledge You should be able to identify and apply disciplinary knowledge to business situations in a local and global environment.
Critical thinking and problem solving You should be able to identify and research issues in business situations, analyse the issues, and propose appropriate and well-justified solutions.
Written communication You should be able to prepare written documents that are clear, concise and coherent, using appropriate style and presentation for the intended audience, purpose and context.
Oral communication You should be able to prepare and deliver oral presentations that are clear, focussed, well-structured, and delivered in a professional manner.
Teamwork You should be able to participate collaboratively and responsibly in teams, and reflect on your own teamwork, and on the team’s processes and ability to achieve outcomes.
Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  1. You should be able to identify and assess ethical, environmental and/or sustainability considerations in business decision-making and practice.
  2. You should be able to identify social and cultural implications of business.
Workplace skills (Co-op programs only) You should be able to conduct yourself in a professional manner in the work environment, communicate effectively in diverse workplace situations and be able to apply discipline knowledge and understanding to real business problems with initiative and self-direction.
Related PLO Documents View the Undergraduate Honours PLOs (pdf)
Knowledge You should be able to identify and apply current knowledge of disciplinary or interdisciplinary theory and professional practice to business in local and global environments.
Critical thinking and problem solving You should be able to identify, research and analyse complex issues and problems in business and/or management, and propose appropriate and well-justified solutions.
Written communication You should be able to produce written documents that communicate complex disciplinary ideas and information effectively for the intended audience and purpose.
Oral communication You should be able to produce oral presentations that communicate complex disciplinary ideas and information effectively for the intended audience and purpose.
Teamwork You should be able to participate collaboratively and responsibly in teams, and reflect on your own teamwork, and on the team’s processes and ability to achieve outcomes.
Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  1. You should be able to identify and assess ethical, environmental and/or sustainability considerations in business decision-making and practice.
  2. You should be able to identify social and cultural implications of business.
Related PLO Documents View the Master of Philosophy PLOs (pdf)
 View the Doctor of Philosophy PLOs (pdf)

UNSW Graduate Capabilities

The Business School PLOs also incorporate UNSW graduate capabilities, a set of generic abilities and skills that all students are expected to achieve by graduation. These capabilities articulate the University’s institutional values, as well as future employer expectations.

UNSW Graduate CapabilitiesBusiness School PLOs
Scholars capable of independent and collaborative enquiry, rigorous in their analysis, critique and reflection, and able to innovate by applying their knowledge and skills to the solution of novel as well as routine problems.
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Knowledge
  • Oral communication
  • Research capability
  • Teamwork
  • Workplace skills
  • Written communication
Entrepreneurial leaders capable of initiating and embracing innovation and change, as well as engaging and enabling others to contribute to change
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Knowledge
  • Oral communication
  • Workplace skills
  • Written communication
Professionals capable of ethical, self- directed practice and independent lifelong learning
  • Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  • Workplace skills
Global citizens who are culturally adept and capable of respecting diversity and acting in a socially just and responsible way.
  • Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  • Oral communication
  • Written communication

The Business School strongly advises you to choose a range of courses that assist your development against these PLOs and graduate capabilities, and to keep a record of your achievements as part of your portfolio. You could use these records for work or further study. For support with selecting your courses contact the UNSW Business School Student Centre.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Academic Integrity is honest and responsible scholarship. This form of ethical scholarship is highly valued at UNSW. Terms like Academic Integrity, misconduct, referencing, conventions, plagiarism, academic practices, citations and evidence based learning are all considered basic concepts that successful university students understand. Learning how to communicate original ideas, refer sources, work independently, and report results accurately and honestly are skills that you will be able to carry beyond your studies.

The definition of academic misconduct is broad. It covers practices such as cheating, copying and using another person’s work without appropriate acknowledgement. Incidents of academic misconduct may have serious consequences for students.

Plagiarism

UNSW regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct. UNSW has very strict rules regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism at UNSW is using the words or ideas of others and passing them off as your own. All Schools in the Business School have a Student Ethics Officer who will investigate incidents of plagiarism and may result in a student’s name being placed on the Plagiarism and Student Misconduct Registers.

Below are examples of plagiarism including self-plagiarism:

Copying: Using the same or very similar words to the original text or idea without acknowledging the source or using quotation marks. This includes copying materials, ideas or concepts from a book, article, report or other written document, presentation, composition, artwork, design, drawing, circuitry, computer program or software, website, internet, other electronic resource, or another person's assignment, without appropriate acknowledgement of authorship.

Inappropriate Paraphrasing: Changing a few words and phrases while mostly retaining the original structure and/or progression of ideas of the original, and information without acknowledgement. This also applies in presentations where someone paraphrases another’s ideas or words without credit and to piecing together quotes and paraphrases into a new whole, without appropriate referencing.

Collusion: Presenting work as independent work when it has been produced in whole or part in collusion with other people. Collusion includes:

  • Students providing their work to another student before the due date, or for the purpose of them plagiarising at any time
  • Paying another person to perform an academic task and passing it off as your own
  • Stealing or acquiring another person’s academic work and copying it
  • Offering to complete another person’s work or seeking payment for completing academic work

Collusion should not be confused with academic collaboration (i.e., shared contribution towards a group task).

Inappropriate Citation: Citing sources which have not been read, without acknowledging the 'secondary' source from which knowledge of them has been obtained.

Self-Plagiarism: ‘Self-plagiarism’ occurs where an author republishes their own previously written work and presents it as new findings without referencing the earlier work, either in its entirety or partially. Self-plagiarism is also referred to as 'recycling', 'duplication', or 'multiple submissions of research findings' without disclosure. In the student context, self-plagiarism includes re-using parts of, or all of, a body of work that has already been submitted for assessment without proper citation.

To see if you understand plagiarism, do this short quiz: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism-quiz

Cheating

The University also regards cheating as a form of academic misconduct. Cheating is knowingly submitting the work of others as their own and includes contract cheating (work produced by an external agent or third party that is submitted under the pretences of being a student’s original piece of work). Cheating is not acceptable at UNSW.

If you need to revise or clarify any terms associated with academic integrity you should explore the 'Working with Academic Integrity' self-paced lessons available at: https://student.unsw.edu.au/aim.

For UNSW policies, penalties, and information to help you avoid plagiarism see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism as well as the guidelines in the online ELISE tutorials for all new UNSW students: http://subjectguides.library.unsw.edu.au/elise. For information on student conduct see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/conduct.

For information on how to acknowledge your sources and reference correctly, see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/referencing. If you are unsure what referencing style to use in this course, you should ask the lecturer in charge.

Student Responsibilities and Conduct

Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to university policies in relation to class attendance and general conduct and behaviour, including maintaining a safe, respectful environment; and to understand their obligations in relation to workload, assessment and keeping informed.

Information and policies on these topics can be found on the 'Managing your Program' website

Workload

It is expected that you will spend at least nine to ten hours per week studying for a course except for Summer Term courses which have a minimum weekly workload of eighteen to twenty hours. This time should be made up of reading, research, working on exercises and problems, online activities and attending classes. In periods where you need to complete assignments or prepare for examinations, the workload may be greater. Over-commitment has been a cause of failure for many students. You should take the required workload into account when planning how to balance study with employment and other activities.

We strongly encourage you to connect with your Moodle course websites in the first week of semester. Local and international research indicates that students who engage early and often with their course website are more likely to pass their course.

View more information on expected workload

Attendance

Your regular and punctual attendance at lectures and seminars or in online learning activities is expected in this course. The Business School reserves the right to refuse final assessment to those students who attend less than 80% of scheduled classes where attendance and participation is required as part of the learning process (e.g., tutorials, flipped classroom sessions, seminars, labs, etc.).

View more information on attendance

General Conduct and Behaviour

You are expected to conduct yourself with consideration and respect for the needs of your fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct which unduly disrupts or interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones, is not acceptable and students may be asked to leave the class.

View more information on student conduct

Health and Safety

UNSW Policy requires each person to work safely and responsibly, in order to avoid personal injury and to protect the safety of others.

View more information on Health and Safety

Keeping Informed

You should take note of all announcements made in lectures, tutorials or on the course web site. From time to time, the University will send important announcements to your university e-mail address without providing you with a paper copy. You will be deemed to have received this information. It is also your responsibility to keep the University informed of all changes to your contact details.

Special Consideration

You must submit all assignments and attend all examinations scheduled for your course. You can apply for special consideration when illness or other circumstances beyond your control, interfere with your performance in a specific assessment task or tasks. Special Consideration is primarily intended to provide you with an extra opportunity to demonstrate the level of performance of which you are capable.

General information on special consideration for undergraduate and postgraduate courses can be found in the Assessment Implementation Procedure and the Current Students page.

Please note the following:

  1. Applications will not be accepted by teaching staff. The lecturer-in-charge will be automatically notified when you lodge an online application for special consideration
  2. Decisions and recommendations are only made by lecturers-in-charge (or by the Faculty Panel in the case of final exam special considerations), not by tutors
  3. Applying for special consideration does not automatically mean that you will be granted a supplementary exam or other concession
  4. Special consideration requests do not allow lecturers-in-charge to award students additional marks

Business School Protocol on requests for Special Consideration

The lecturer-in-charge will need to be satisfied on each of the following before supporting a request for special consideration:

  1. Does the medical certificate contain all relevant information? For a medical certificate to be accepted, the degree of illness and its impact on the student must be stated by the medical practitioner (severe, moderate, mild). A certificate without this will not be valid. Students should also note that only medical certificates issued after physically visiting a registered medical practitioner will be accepted. Medical certificates submitted for Special Consideration should always be requested from a registered medical practitioner that you have seen at a medical practice. Certificates obtained online or via social media may be fraudulent and if relied upon could result in a breach of the UNSW Student Code.
  2. Has the student performed satisfactorily in the other assessment items? To understand what Satisfactory Performance means in this course, please refer to the 'Formal Requirements' section in Part A of your Course Outline

Special Consideration and the Final Exam in undergraduate and postgraduate courses

Applications for special consideration in relation to the final exam are considered by a Business School Faculty panel to which lecturers-in-charge provide their recommendations for each request. If the Faculty panel grants a special consideration request, this will entitle the student to sit a supplementary examination. No other form of consideration will be granted. The following procedures will apply:

  1. Supplementary exams will be scheduled centrally and will be held approximately two weeks after the formal examination period.

    Supplementary exams for Semester 1, 2018 will be held during the period 14 - 21 July, 2018. Students wishing to sit a supplementary exam will need to be available during this period.

    The date for all Business School supplementary exams for Summer Term 2017/2018 is Wednesday, 21 February, 2018. If a student lodges a special consideration for the final exam, they are stating they will be available on this date. Supplementary exams will not be held at any other time.

  2. Where a student is granted a supplementary examination as a result of a request for special consideration, the student’s original exam (if completed) will be ignored and only the mark achieved in the supplementary examination will count towards the final grade. Absence from a supplementary exam without prior notification does not entitle the student to have the original exam paper marked, and may result in a zero mark for the final exam.

The Supplementary Exam Protocol for Business School students is available at: http://www.business.unsw.edu.au/suppexamprotocol

For special consideration for assessments other than the final exam refer to the ‘Assessment Section’ in your course outline.

Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts

The UNSW Business School has set a protocol under which students may view their final exam script. Please check the protocol here.

Given individual schools within the Faculty may set up a local process for viewing final exam scripts, it is important that you check with your School whether they have any additional information on this process. Please note that this information might also be included in your course outline.


Student Support and Resources

The University and the Business School provide a wide range of support services and resources for students, including:

Business School EQS Consultation Program
The Consultation Program offers academic writing, literacy and numeracy consultations, study skills, exam preparation for Business students. Services include workshops, online resources, individual and group consultations.
Level 1, Room 1035, Quadrangle Building.
BUS.EQS.Consultations@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4508

Business School Student Centre
The Business School Student Centre provides advice and direction on all aspects of admission, enrolment and graduation.
Level 1, Room 1028 in the Quadrangle Building
02 9385 3189

UNSW Learning Centre
The UNSW Learning Centre provides academic skills support services, including workshops and resources, for all UNSW students. See their website for details.
Lower Ground Floor, North Wing Chancellery Building.
learningcentre@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 2060

Educational Support Service
Educational Support Advisors work with all students to promote the development of skills needed to succeed at university, whilst also providing personal support throughout the process. Check their website to request an appointment or to register in the Academic Success Program.
John Goodsell Building, Ground Floor.
advisors@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

Library services and facilities for students
The UNSW Library offers a range of collections, services and facilities both on-campus and online.
Main Library, F21.
02 9385 2650

Moodle eLearning Support
Moodle is the University’s learning management system. You should ensure that you log into Moodle regularly.
externalteltsupport@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 3331

UNSW IT
UNSW IT provides support and services for students such as password access, email services, wireless services and technical support.
UNSW Library Annexe (Ground floor).
itservicecentre@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 1333

Disability Support Services
UNSW Disability Support Services provides assistance to students who are trying to manage the demands of university as well as a health condition, learning disability or who have personal circumstances that are having an impact on their studies. Disability Advisers can arrange to put in place services and educational adjustments to make things more manageable so that students are able to complete their course requirements. To receive educational adjustments for disability support, students must first register with Disability Services.
Ground Floor, John Goodsell Building.
disabilities@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

UNSW Counselling and Psychological Services
Provides support and services if you need help with your personal life, getting your academic life back on track or just want to know how to stay safe, including free, confidential counselling.
Level 2, East Wing, Quadrangle Building.
counselling@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 5418


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