Workload
A full-time load at the University of Sydney is determined by the number of credit points, not the number of units of study. Most units of study have a credit point value of 6 credit points. Some units may be slightly more or less ranging from 3 credits to 12 credits.
The normal full-time study load per semester is 24 credit points (normally 4 units of study).
The minimum study load per semester is 18 credits (normally 3 units of study). This is the minimum study load required to meet international student visa regulations.
The maximum study load per semester is 30 credits (5 units of study).
Academic Board guidelines suggest that one credit point equates to approximately 1.5 to 2 hours of student effort per week. Each semester is 12 weeks in duration. Further information about our credit points system can be found at the Study Abroad Credit page.
With a few exceptions, the full-time load for an Australian student taking Arts and Humanities units of study would involve 12 hours of class contact per week each semester. Students in vocational areas (such as Engineering or Science), however, have higher class contact hours. Arts and Humanities programs place particular emphasis on self-directed learning. For this reason, face-to-face teaching loads may be lower than in your home institution, but students at Australian universities are expected to spend a greater proportion of their time in preparation for tutorials, essays and assignments.