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Change your course
If you wish to change from one course (degree) to another at the University of Sydney, you can apply for a course transfer in Sydney Student.
- Change your course
- Change streams
- Higher degree by research students
Change your course
It’s important to understand the options available to you if you’d like to change your course.
Before you apply
Get advice
Speak to an academic advisor from your faculty or school first about options within your current degree. You may be able to re-structure your units to avoid changing your course. If you still feel you'd like to change, your faculty or school can advise you about your options.
Fees
If you are in a Commonwealth-supported place, or defer part or all of your student contribution to HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP, changing your course could impact the fees you pay. Read our Job-ready Graduates Package page and if you have questions about the impact changing course may have on your fees please submit an enquiry.
See your handbook
If you decide to change your course, you may be eligible to have credit for previous study applied to your new degree. See your course resolutions to understand what you may be able to receive credit for and how this will affect your course progression. We won't be able to assess whether you will receive credit until you have submitted an application. It is important for you to make any necessary changes to your study as early as possible.
You need to consider how transferring your course may affect your student visa. There are some visa conditions which may limit the options you have to change your course. When you apply we will provide information about any implications on your current visa. If you don’t meet your visa conditions, we may reject your course transfer application.
See the Department of Home affairs website for more information about checking visa details and conditions.
Your Dalyell candidature can be transferred to the new course if it also has a Dalyell stream. If you are not sure, please submit an enquiry.
Please check the terms and conditions of your scholarship as to whether it is eligible to be transferred to the new course. If you are not sure, please submit an enquiry.
How to apply
You can review the options available to you and apply for a course transfer in Sydney Student. Go to ‘My studies’, ‘Course details’, ‘Change your course’ and follow the prompts to find the course you want to transfer to.
When selecting your preferred course in Sydney Student, you will be given information about the type of transfer required. Application deadlines will vary depending on the type of transfer, so it is important you check this information.
The course transfer application will automatically direct you towards either an allowable or internal course transfer. Allowable course transfers are those that are permitted, as the course you’re requesting to transfer to relates to your current course. Refer to the course resolutions in your handbook for permitted allowable transfers. If your request to transfer is approved, you will receive a new offer letter.
Internal course applications are required when your new course and current course are not directly related. Internal course applications are treated like a “new student” application. You can check the admission requirements for your chosen course through Find a course.
If you are a postgraduate coursework student, you may be able to change, extend ('upgrade') or request to graduate early ('early exit') from your course by transferring to an allowable course.
You can see what courses are allowed in Sydney Student. Go to ‘My studies’, ‘Course details’, ‘Change your course’ then select ‘Continue’ to view the options available.
If you want to change to a course that is not available in Sydney Student, you will need to make a new course application through Find a course.
If you have received your completion letter, it will not be possible to apply through Sydney Student. You will need to submit an online enquiry to make the request. It is not possible to extend (‘upgrade’) courses once you have been conferred.
Be aware that coursework time limits apply for completion of your award program. This commences from the start of the first component of your embedded program (from the commencement of your Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma, for example).
If you’re an international student, you will need to upload a VEVO check when you apply. The check needs to be completed on the same date you submit your application.
Application deadlines
The deadline to apply for your course transfer depends on what course you'd like to apply to and the type of transfer required.
Allowable course transfers
You can apply for a transfer from a few weeks before the end of the semester, but we can only process your applications after your results are released. Be aware that not all courses have an intake each semester.
Application deadlines:
- for Semester 1: 1 October – 15 February
- for Semester 2: 1 May - 15 July
This gives us time to process your application, and ensure it is finalised by the census date. Applications to be awarded early (‘early exit’) are open all year round.
If the course you want to transfer to is not available in Sydney Student, you need to submit your application before the application closing date on Find a course.
Internal course applications
Internal course applications for Semester 2 2024 open on 1 May 2024 and close on 12 July 2024.
If you entered your undergraduate degree under one of our admission pathways, any benefit you gained in addition to your ATAR does not carry across to your new application.
What happens next
You can view the status or cancel your application in Sydney Student .
- For allowable course transfers, go to ‘My requests’.
- For internal course applications, go to ‘Applications’ then ‘My application’.
If you're experiencing problems in Sydney Student, you can submit a request through the course management form.
If you’re transferring course and will continue your studies at the University, once approved we will email you with an outcome and offer letter for the new course. You need to review this offer and follow the instructions in the email to accept or decline the offer in Sydney Student. Please respond to your offer as soon as possible. Once accepted, we will email you at your student email with instructions on how to enrol into your new course. You will also need to discontinue your previous course, but should only do this once you have accepted your offer (and received your new eCoE if you are an international student).
If you requested to graduate early, we will check that you have met the requirements for your new course. You will receive a completion letter once we have confirmed you are eligible to graduate. If you haven’t met the requirements for the course, you may need to enrol in further units of study.
If you’re receiving government payments you will need to tell the Australian Government about any changes to your study.
If you have submitted an internal course application, the way we assess your application depends on the study you have completed so far. If you've completed less than 48 credit points of tertiary study, we will use the qualification you used to gain entry to your current course, usually your ATAR or equivalent. When you have completed 48 credit points or more, if your performance is better than your results used to gain entry, we will use this to assess your application instead.
Credit
If your application was an internal course application and you applied for credit, you will need to wait until we've assessed your credit application before you receive an offer for your new course. This can take up to 30 days.
If your application was an allowable transfer an application for credit will automatically be generated. You will receive an offer for your new course before you receive a credit outcome. Your credit outcome can take up to 30 days.
Domestic students: you can enrol in your new course and then accept or decline the credit offered when you receive your credit outcome.
International students: you will need to wait for your credit outcome and accept or decline credit. We can only issue a new eCoE once credit has been applied to your new course. We will email you once your new eCoE is ready. You will then be able to enrol in your new course.
Last updated: 01 March 2024
