Academic integrity at the University of Melbourne

Take pride in your learning and find your academic voice

What is academic integrity?

At the University of Melbourne academic integrity means acting with core values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage in all academic endeavours, ensuring ethical and transparent scholarship.

As a member of our University community, you play a crucial role in upholding these values. It’s not about avoiding misconduct. It’s about taking pride in your work, valuing genuine learning, and developing skills that set you up for success beyond university.

Why academic integrity matters

Academic integrity is about understanding and upholding the academic values essential to a scholarly community. When you enrol, you agree to follow the University's rules and policies in place to maintain these standards. This includes having your work checked for possible breaches.

Assessments are an important part of your learning at university. They enable you to demonstrate your understanding and apply knowledge in different contexts. They also foster capabilities such as critical thinking, evaluative judgement, and effective communication skills.

We’re here to support you in maintaining academic integrity—protecting your reputation, your degree, and the University’s academic standards.

Generative AI and academic integrity

Generative AI (GenAI) can be a fantastic tool to help you learn, but it can’t do the learning for you. Your subject coordinator will set the rules on whether AI tools are permitted, and some uses may be restricted depending on the subject and its learning outcomes. Always check the guidelines for each assessment to be sure you’re using GenAI tools appropriately.

AI at Melbourne

Acknowledging AI tools and technologies
Using translation and editing tools
About AI writing detection

Avoid academic misconduct

Breaching academic integrity can have serious consequences for your studies. It’s important to understand what the University considers a breach, and how any allegations are reviewed and managed.

Poor academic practice

Not all incidents are considered academic misconduct. The University acknowledges that early lapses in good scholarship may result from gaps in knowledge, experience or skills, rather than deliberate wrongdoing.

Learn more

Support to succeed in your studies

Starting or returning to university can be a big adjustment, but you're not expected to navigate your studies alone. The University offers a wide range of support services to help you build academic skills, succeed in your coursework, and uphold academic integrity throughout your learning journey.