Student walking through the Charles Perkins Centre
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Flexible study

Decide how and when to study
Our postgraduate degrees have a high-level of flexibility so that you can upskill or retrain in a way that suits you. Study online, part-time, over the summer or winter break, in the evenings or offshore.
Unit of study_

Master of Data Science

Discover our diverse range of fully and partially online degrees. Gain a postgraduate qualification by studying anywhere and anytime. Online courses are not available to international student visa holders.

Part-time study

Many of our postgraduate courses allow you to study part-time. Find your course and check the course details section to find out if it is offered part-time.

If you have already enrolled in a full-time study load (24 credit points), you can change your study load without being financially penalised before the census date.

To keep your student benefits, you must retain full-time student status, which is 75% of a full-time study load (18 credit points).

Student visa holders

Part-time study is usually not available for international students on a student visa (to hold a student visa, you must be enrolled in a full-time study load). Learn more about reduced study load for student visa holders.

Non-student visa holders

If you are an international student who does not have a student visa, you may be able to access greater study flexibility. Check the conditions on your visa or refer to the Department of Home Affairs for more information.

Study in the evenings

Some faculties and schools offer teaching in the evening to accommodate postgraduate students who work during the day. Find your course and check the study mode of your preferred units of study.

Study in an intensive session

Taking units during an intensive session can be an opportunity to complete units outside of the main semesters. You might be looking to accelerate your course, catch up on a failed unit of study or balance your timetable.

December, January or February intensives are generally held over the summer break while July intensive generally falls over the winter break. Learn more about studying in an intensive session.

If you are a working professional, our Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) provides a diverse range of short courses, designed to elevate your skills and knowledge in your chosen professional and personal area of interest.

Customise your timetable

At Sydney, you will have the freedom to personalise your timetable to fit your study around other commitments. 

About four weeks before the start of each semester, you will be allocated a personal timetable for the semester based on the units of study you've selected. If you want to plan ahead, you can use our indicative timetable tool to get an idea of where and when classes might be scheduled.

Offshore study

There are a number of offshore study opportunities offered by the Sydney Law School and the Sydney Nursing School that allow you to complete units of study across the globe.