For students
Academic Skills supports the learning of all University of Melbourne students, whether undergraduate or postgraduate.
In collaboration with faculty Student Centres, we offer workshops and tutorials on a wide range of academic skills. These include how to research and write academic texts, how best to prepare for exams, and how to give oral presentations.
In this way, we help local and international students to maximise their independent learning abilities, further develop their academic skills, enhance their language proficiency, and develop some key graduate attributes.
The following sections provide you with more information about our services and how to access them:
- Workshops and short courses
- Individual tutorial service and guidelines
- Student centre information
- Diagnostic English Language Assessment (DELA)
Workshops and short courses
Academic Skills offers several workshops and short courses. Topics include essay and report writing, researching and referencing, oral presentations and tutorial participation, and exam preparation.
Our current program can be accessed on our Calendar, and includes:
- Faculty-based and graduate-school classes
- English for Academic Purposes Short Courses for undergraduate and graduate non-native speakers of English: Winter Intensive, 2011(pdf)
- Online courses and resources such as AIRport
, CourseWorks and Postgraduate Essentials.
Individual tutorial service and guidelines
About individual tutorials
Individual tutorials with an academic skills adviser can help you develop the following skills:
- Effective study: time and task management, reading and note-taking, and preparing for exams.
- Communication skills: tutorial participation, seminar presentations, and English pronunciation.
- Academic language and writing: vocabulary, grammar, style, essay structure, critical analysis, and appropriate use of sources.
Guidelines for individual tutorials
Academic Skills aims to help you develop independent academic and language skills. That’s why we ask that you take advantage of all our resources, including workshops, short courses, and AIRport online programs before booking an individual tutorial for further assistance.
When you do book an individual tutorial, please note the following:
- Bring all relevant information, including the task instructions and the assessment criteria.
- Bring a hard copy of your work.
- Book early as the service is popular. You can book up to two weeks in advance.
- We normally limit you to 2 hours of appointments a semester, depending on availability.
- You can only have one appointment per week, so you cannot book two appointments in the same week in two different student centres.
Cancellation and Missed Tutorial Policy:
- Please give your precinct or student centre 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment. Cancellation on the same day will count as one of your 2 hours of appointments.
- If you miss a tutorial, it will also count as part of your 2 hours of appointments. This means that you will have a reduced number of opportunities to consult with an adviser.
To book an individual tutorial, contact your student centre.
See also our information leaflet on individual tutorials
The Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (formerly TLU) in the Faculty of Business and Economics offers individual consultations to graduate students in the faculty.
Student Centres and Academic Skills
Academic Skills works closely with your faculty student centre to provide you with a variety of skills development options: workshops and short courses, resources and individual tutorials. To learn more about the academic and language skills programs available to you through your student centre, contact your student centre directly.
Diagnostic English Language Assessment (DELA)
The University requires certain commencing undergraduate students to take DELA. This is a diagnostic tool used to identify students who may need assistance with academic English. To find out if you have to take DELA, and to learn who your faculty DELA contact is, consult the DELA web page.
Please note, however, that: