About > Administrative and Financial Provisions

The material below summarises key administrative and financial provisions.  If you require more detailed information you are advised to refer to your Student Handbook. 

1. Student selection, entry requirements, enrolment and induction/orientation procedures

Entry requirements

In order to be considered for the MET program you must be a graduate of an undergraduate program from an accredited college or university. You do not need to have an Honours Degree; nor do you need to have a specific qualification, grade or work experience.  You do, however, have to have demonstrated proficiency in a discipline that will enable you to contribute to the creation of entertainment technologies.

If you are an international student, a TEST of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 250 or higher is required.  You do not need to fulfil this condition if you earned your undergraduate degree at an English speaking university.

Student selection

The MET is an interdisciplinary program in an exciting, innovative and rapidly evolving and developing industry.  To be successful within this field, individuals need to be creative, passionate, highly motivated, organised and reflective; they need to be able to cooperate with others as part of small, dynamic teams working to tight deadlines. And they need to be critical thinkers … but thinkers unrestrained by traditional ideas about entertainment, technology and the links between the two.

Given the ETC’s interdisciplinary focus, each class is intentionally balanced with students from a range of different backgrounds (e.g. arts, computing). But in order to achieve this balance and select the most appropriate and promising applicants we need you to tell us who you are, how you work, what you’ve done and where your primary strengths lie in relation to entertainment technologies. 

Your application to the ETC must be in the form of a portfolio or the submission of Graduate Results Exam (GRE) scores (some people submit both and that’s fine). To undertake a GRE – and this avenue is optional – you need to….

GRE scores should be sent to:

Institution code: 2074
Department code: 0402

The most successful portfolios contain:

• a 2-3 page statement of purpose describing reasons for wanting to undertake the program, personal/professional skills, areas of interest, ambitions and achievements
• work samples – evidence can include music, creative writing, games, artwork, stage designs, production notes, grant proposals, business plans, reviews etc.
• letters of recommendation from people who can evaluate your work e.g. professors, project directors, employers (not friends or family members!)
• short, concise tapes, videos etc. (given the number of applications you are advised to keep audio/visual materials to 3 minutes).

We recommend you send copies of all materials rather than originals. If you must send us something that needs to be returned, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.  Although every effort will be made to ensure the items are returned we cannot make any promises.

 It is your responsibility to ensure that the submitted portfolio is complete.

All applications for the MET are reviewed ETC Co-Directors Drs Donald Marinelli (College of Fine Arts) and Randy Pausch (School of Computer Sciences) and assessed on the basis of:

• proficiency in a relevant discipline
• creativity/vision/self awareness
• passion and commitment
• evidence of flexibility
• skill sets (so we have a diverse group of students).

If the Co-Directors are unable to adequately evaluate evidence within the portfolio (because it falls outside their area of expertise) it will be submitted to the relevant Carnegie Mellon expert for appraisal.

Enrollment and induction

As a new student you will participate in a day long orientation program.  During this time you will be introduced to faculty, tour facilities, and learn about Carnegie Mellon and ETC policies and procedures.  You will also receive your Carnegie Mellon identification card and user ID for computing services.

2. The commencement dates and duration of courses

The ETC follows the typical Australian academic calendar.  Although actual starting and completion dates are yet to be finalised, approximate dates are as follows:

1st Semester begins – Early March 

1st Semester ends – Early July

2nd Semester begins – Late July

2nd Semester ends – Late November

There is a break of three weeks between first and second semesters.  The traditional Australian December – February holidays apply.

All ETC courses are of 15 weeks duration.

3. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) arrangements.

Unlike most Australian academic schools and programs, the ETC does not have RPL arrangements: this is because the MET is truly unique in design, content and delivery. The first semester of the Master’s Degree concentrates on three specialised subjects: subjects that must be undertaken to provide the underpinning knowledge and skill base.  Subsequent Project Courses involve interdisciplinary work, skill application, problem solving in an Entertainment Technology context and presentation and delivery. There is no equivalent program or experience that adequately equates to the MET hence RPL cannot be applied.

4. Itemized list of fees payable

Carnegie Mellon University sets its fees annually.  Although fees have not yet been determined for the 2006 academic year, they are estimated as follows:

5. Fee refunds

You may be eligible for a partial refund of tuition fees if you withdraw or take leave of absence during a semester.

Carnegie Mellon’s policy is outlined below:

Official Date of Withdraw or Leave of Absence:

For students who notify the University of the intent to withdraw or take a leave of absence, the official date of withdrawal or leave of absence is the earliest of:

• the date the student began the withdrawal or leave of absence process, or 
• the date the student notified the ETC Program Coordinator.
  

For students who do not notify the University of the intent to withdraw or take a leave of absence, the official date of withdrawal or leave of absence is the latter of:

• the midpoint of the semester, or
• the last date the student attended an academically related activity such as an  exam, a tutorial, or a study group, or the last day the student turned in a class assignment. 

Tuition adjustment

Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence before completing 60% of the semester will be charged tuition based upon the number of days completed within the semester. This includes all calendar days, class, and non-class days from the first day of classes to the last day of final exams. Breaks which last five days or longer, including the prior and subsequent weekends, are not counted. There is no tuition adjustment after 60% of the semester is completed. Specific tuition adjustment dates are calculated each semester. No tuition is charged to a student who is administratively withdrawn.

Financial aid adjustments

US and international students:

Federal and institutional financial aid is adjusted on the same basis as tuition. A student earns 100% of his or her federal or institutional financial aid when 60% of the semester is completed.  US State grants and non-federal outside scholarships are adjusted based upon the withdrawal policies of the agency awarding the funds.

Australian students:

Students who are eligible for and choose to pursue FEE-HELP loans are subject to the policies of this program.  According to these policies, a census date for each semester will be assigned no earlier than 20% of the way through.  Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence before this census date will not incur a debt for that unit of study. Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence after this census date will incur a dept in accordance with the policies of the FEE-HELP program.

6. Arrangements for the protection of students' funds

Carnegie Mellon University guarantees that you will receive the education for which you have paid, and that you will have continued access to that education until you have completed your degree or have had your studies terminated under Carnegie Mellon’s policies regarding satisfactory progress. 

In the unlikely event that the ETC Australia ceases to be a viable campus, any student in the program will be admitted into the Pittsburgh campus for the remainder of their coursework at ETC expense.  (The financial arrangement will cover travel and transfer  costs.) Should any student enrolled with ETC not wish to pursue this alternative, the South Australian government intends to cover ETC’s costs in ‘teaching out’ the program. This will enable you to complete the MET in Adelaide within the timeframe that would be expected of a full-time student who passes all courses.

7. Internal and external grievance/appeal processes

You are invited to discuss any concerns you may have about the program with the local ETC Program Coordinator or the ETC Co-Directors.  All discussions will be occur in private and remain confidential.

If you wish to file a formal grievance, you will need to submit your concerns in writing to the Co-Directors.  The Co-Directors will ask each person involved to provide a written response to these concerns and will either render a decision or refer the situation to the Provost or a specially constituted grievance committee.  A decision will be made within thirty (30) days.  The nature of the grievance, all written materials, and the findings will remain confidential.

If a resolution isn’t reached, you can take your grievance to the:

State Training Authority
Quality Branch
Department for Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology
Ph: (08) 8226 3065

Overseas students with grievances relating to visas or the nature/degree of tuition can contact the:

Commonwealth Departments of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous  Affairs (DIMIA) on: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

or the Department of Education, Science and Training.

The Education Services for Overseas Students may also be of assistance.  Their hotline number is: (02) 6240 5069.

8. Students’ rights and responsibilities, including withdrawal arrangements

Student rights

All students have the primary right to pursue their education as long as they meet the required academic standards and observe the regulations imposed by the university for the governance of the academic community.  Similarly, they have the right to be recognized as members of the student body, with all the privileges relating to use of buildings, university services and facilities. 

As an ETC student you have the same rights and responsibilities as any citizen under the law. You also have the responsibility to respect the rights of all other members of the university community. 

As an ETC student you have the right to expect that academic and professional processes will be flexible and periodically open to review. Furthermore, you have the right to participate constructively in the processes by which the university community maintains the excellence of its standards and evaluates the viability of all aspects of its educational program. 

You also have the right to recourse against unreasonable academic action. The Graduate Student Handbook documents the processes to follow.

Student responsibilities

As a student at Carnegie Mellon you are expected to meet the highest standards of personal, ethical and moral conduct. 

These standards require personal integrity, a commitment to honesty without compromise, truth without equivocation and a willingness to place the good of the community above the good of the self. Obligations once undertaken must be met and commitments honoured. 

As a member of the Carnegie Mellon community, you are expected to uphold the standards of that community and foster responsibility and accountability for those standards in others.

The discovery, advancement and communication of knowledge are not possible without a commitment to these standards. Creativity cannot exist without acknowledgment of the creativity of others. New knowledge cannot be developed without credit for prior knowledge. Without the ability to trust in the observance of these principles, an academic community cannot exist. 

The commitment of faculty, staff and students to these standards contributes to the high respect in which the Carnegie Mellon degree is held. Any student who cannot meet these expectations should voluntarily withdraw from the university.

Ethics and discipline

The ETC is a professional school strongly committed to ethical standards, the cornerstones of which are honesty and concern for others.

The ETC will not tolerate plagiarism, false presentation of individual contributions to joint efforts, cheating or falsification of records. Nor will it accept disruptive behaviour, ethnic intimidation, sexual harassment or illegal activities. These actions carry severe penalties up to and including expulsion from the university.

• Role of Teaching Assistants
  As some of the responsibility for grading falls on Teaching Assistants (TAs), and since they are occasionally the classmates of those whose work they grade, TAs are in a position requiring the utmost integrity. Violating the trust and responsibility accorded TAs is a serious matter. It is therefore extremely important that decisions relating to student grades are always transparent.
• Software piracy and computing facilities
  Details of the university’s computing policies can be found at: http://www.cmu.edu/computing/documentation/index_policies.html.

Full details of students’ rights and responsibilities can be found in Carnegie Mellon’s Graduate Student Handbook.

9. The ETC’s rights and responsibilities

Carnegie Mellon is committed to educational excellence, personal/professional achievement and the development of well informed graduates. In addition, the university encourages and supports scholarship, research and artistic production, both as essential components of its educational program and as part of the organisation’s pursuit of new knowledge and understanding. It is through these endeavours – and the men and women it educates – that the university contributes to social progress.

Within the academic community, trustees, administrators, faculty, students and staff share the responsibility achieving the university’s goals. Especially important, however, are the responsibilities pertaining to academic and individual freedom. An academic community is uniquely suited to its educational and scholarly purposes primarily because of its firm commitment to intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and expression, respect for the dignity of each individual and receptiveness to constructive change.

This commitment to academic and individual freedom carries with it major responsibilities for all members of the university. In exercising freedoms, each individual must also respect the rights of others. 

Concurrent with the university’s commitment to academic and individual freedom is the obligation of all members of the community to adhere to the principles of academic integrity: honesty and good faith, clarity in the communication of core values, professional conduct, mutual trust and respect, fairness and exemplary behaviour.

A full discussion of the university’s rights and responsibilities can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook.

10. Conditions under which tuition may be terminated

As a student you are responsible for meeting the university’s community and academic standards, and adhering to all university policies.  Violations of these standards and policies can be met with a variety of sanctions, up to and including expulsion.  For more information about the termination of enrolments please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook.