Inherent requirements

UTS strongly supports the right of all people who wish to undertake a course at UTS to pursue their goals and achieve their personal potential. We welcome prospective students with disabilities, and students from diverse social, economic and cultural backgrounds.

What are inherent requirements?

An inherent requirement is an academic or non-academic requirement that is inherent in or essential to the successful completion of a course. Inherent requirements are specific to specific courses, disciplines and/or faculties.

Inherent requirements statements have been developed for UTS courses to support current and prospective students' decision making. These statements specify the inherent requirements of each course for student assessment and progression.

The framework for inherent requirements is based on six groups of tasks that will be required as part of a course:

Legal and Behavioural Requirements;
Communication Tasks – verbal; written; non-verbal;
Knowledge Tasks (Cognitive/Intellectual) – literacy; numeracy; knowledge and information;
Observation Tasks (Sensory) – visual; auditory; tactile;
Practical Tasks (Physical) – gross and fine motor requirements; and
Sustainable Performance.

Stress and anxiety are a side effect of my medical condition (Lupus), and can also worsen my physical symptoms. Recently I have had a lot of anxiety speaking in front of people. I am studying Law, so presentations are common for a lot of subjects, and I’m working on strategies to manage these long term. In the short term, I met with Accessibility to discuss alternative options and my subject coordinator let me complete the presentation by video and submit it online.
Maddie, Bachelor of Laws

Maddie discussed her symptoms with her Accessibility Consultant, who explained that requests for alternative assessments are considered on a case by case basis. In this case, Maddie was able to meet the inherent requirements of the subject in a way that also enabled her to manage her health.

Many courses offered by UTS will not have inherent requirements relevant to all areas. In the case of many UTS courses, the inherent requirements will relate primarily to cognitive/intellectual and communication tasks.

Inherent requirements are important to ensure the academic integrity of courses is maintained and the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes are preserved.

UTS also requires students to comply with a range of other compulsory requirements such as rules, policies and procedures, which are applicable to all students as well as the mandatory requirements associated with the course of study (for example attendance and completion of assignments).

Occupations also have certain characteristics that are integral to each profession. Some of these are prescribed by Australian law. For example, students training to be school teachers are studying a course approved under the Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 (NSW) which requires students completing a NSW teacher education course to pass an approved literacy and numeracy test to be eligible for Provisional Accreditation. Similarly, students studying health professions can be required to hold student registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority (AHPRA). Students studying in areas where such professional regulation applies should consult the relevant professional body for more information.

My Accessibility Consultant suggested we meet with the Academic Liaison Officer (ALO) to help me plan for my first clinical placement, because I can have trouble hearing in places where there’s lots of background noise. They were able to arrange for me to visit a hospital to get a better idea of what to expect. They also organised modified equipment to trial before a placement.
Penelope, Bachelor of Nursing

During her first appointment, Penny’s Accessibility Consultant suggested she review the inherent requirements of her course to assist her in understanding the course requirements and identifying any potential access requirements. Penny identified she may experience some difficulty in busy environments but wasn’t sure exactly how the clinical setting could be enabled to accommodate her access requirements , as she had not been in a clinical setting before.

To give her a better idea, a meeting was arranged with the ALO in her faculty who went through some of the typical tasks and environments encountered as a student nurse. The ALO arranged a visit to a hospital and Penny found talking on the ward phones and hearing alarms difficult. From there she was able to speak with an Occupational Therapist about possible assistive technology solutions, and try them in a clinical environment before her first placement.

What does this mean for me?

If you are intending to enrol in a course at UTS, you should look at that course’s inherent requirement statement and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements.

If you think you may experience challenges related to your disability, chronic health condition or other similar reason, you should discuss your concerns with a staff member at UTS's Accessibility Service. Staff can work with you to determine reasonable adjustments that can assist you to meet these Inherent Requirements.

Any reasonable adjustments made must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.

If you think you may experience challenges meeting the inherent requirement of a course because of reasons related to carer’s responsibilities, you should discuss this with the academic liaison officer (ALO) in your faculty - a list of ALOs can be found here.

If you think you may experience challenges meeting the inherent requirements of a course because of reasons related to your religious beliefs, you should discuss these with your faculty or the UTS Equity and Diversity Unit.

Visit Accessibility and Inclusion Policy

What if I cannot meet the inherent requirements of a course?

UTS is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, practice experiences and other activities to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities or chronic health conditions, can fully participate in their course. Reasonable adjustments may assist you to demonstrate the required outcome or knowledge via a range of methods or techniques.

If you are unable to meet the inherent requirements of your course, with reasonable adjustment, you will not have met the learning outcomes of the relevant subject.
This means that you may be excluded from your course (in the case of undergraduate students) or have your registration discontinued (in the case of postgraduate students) for failing to:

meet the minimum rate of progress (MRP), or
complete the course requirements in the prescribed time.

If you have been excluded from a course or had your registration discontinued you can appeal in accordance with Rule 10.8 of the UTS Student Rules. Information about appeals and complaints can be found here.

If, in consultation with you, the university determines that you are not able to meet inherent requirements with reasonable adjustments, UTS undertakes to provide you with guidance regarding other career or study options within or beyond UTS. Please contact the Student Centre, UTS Careers Service or the responsible academic officer in your faculty if you need assistance with exploring alternative study options.