Purpose

To allow the creation and maintenance of Government fields of study in accordance with the Documentation for the Higher Education Student Collection

Subsystem

Statistics

Structure

Single Block

Government Field of Study

Image

Government Field of Study 

Explanation

Universities are required to report to government statistics concerning courses offered and enrolments in courses. These statistics include either the attribute Government Field of Study (element 311) specified in an appendix to the DEST manual, DEST research codes,  Research Fields, Courses and Disciplines codes or Field of Research codes as specified by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. DEST and ABS allocate codes to classify courses according to their similarity in terms of the vocational field of specialisation or the principal subject matter of the course. Note that there is overlap between the DEST FOS and research codes, so where the DEST research codes are to be used, they should include a unique identifier. Where a set of institution defined fields of study has been defined (CRSF1140), each must be mapped to a particular Government field of study.

Examples

Code

Meaning

010101

Agriculture, Animal Husbandry - General

030203

Anthropology

040202

Accounting

050203

Initial Primary Teacher Education

To create a new Government field of study record using the Maintain Government Fields of Study form:

1. Enter Insert Mode. 
2. Enter the new DEST or ABS code in the Govt Field of Study field of a blank record. 
3. Enter the corresponding description for the DEST/ABS code in the Description field. 
4. Select the ABS RFCD indicator if the code is from the ABS scheme, i.e. either a 'Research Fields, Courses and Disciplines' code or Field of Research code. 
5. Save. 

To delete a Government field of study record using the Maintain Government Fields of Study form:

1. Find the record to be deleted. 
2. Locate the cursor in the record to be deleted. 
3. Delete record. 
4. Save. 

• If a Government field of study has been assigned to an institution defined field of study, it cannot be deleted. It can be closed, preventing any further use, by selecting the Closed check box. 
• A Government field of study cannot be closed if any of the fields of study mapped to it are open. 

To modify a Government field of study record using the Maintain Government Fields of Study form:

1. Find the record to be modified. 
2. Modify the record as required. 
3. Save. 

• A Government field of study should only be modified where the change is to correct an incorrectly entered description. A new Government field of study should normally be created, in accordance with DEST/ABS specifications. 
• A Government field of study can be closed, preventing any further use, by selecting the Closed check box. 

Changes within this form will have the following notable effects:

• Adding a Government field of study permits its use in the definition of an institution defined field of study and hence for Government statistical reporting.