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Selecting units in Sydney Student
- Selecting units in Sydney Student
- Enrolment exception requests
- Departmental permission
Enrolment exception requests
In the unit of study selection screen, there are certain conditions based on your course structure that may prevent you from being able to confirm unit selections. If you make a selection that breaks any of these rules, a pop-up message will be displayed outlining the rule you are trying to break and giving you the option to submit an enrolment exception request if you believe you are eligible. The rules are:
Before you submit a request
These rules are in place to ensure that you enrol according to your course requirements and can progress successfully through your course. Generally, you will not be eligible for an exception from these rules, and you will need to make alternative selections.
The information on this page outlines the exception scenarios where you may be eligible for an exception to these rules and the documents and the information we require to assess your application.
If you do submit a request, your enrolment will be pending. You will not be able to complete enrolment, or vary your units of study until your requests have been processed. Before you submit a request you need to make sure you will still meet your enrolment deadlines.
Unit of study rules - pre-requisite, co-requisite, prohibition
A pre-requisite is a unit you need to complete before being allowed to enrol in the unit you’re trying to select.
A corequisite is a unit of study that you must complete before, or at the same time as another unit of study.
Prerequisite and co-requisite rules are in place to make sure you have the knowledge needed to understand the content covered in a unit and a similar level of understanding as the rest of the students enrolled.
A prohibition is a unit which prohibits your enrolment in another unit. This will usually be where two units contain a significant overlap of content. If you’ve already completed the prohibition unit, you won’t be able to then select the unit that has it as its prohibition. This is to prevent you from selecting a unit that covers the same content that you’ve already studied and been assessed on.
When to submit for an enrolment exception request
If you have undertaken study which you believe is a direct equivalent to a unit of study at the University of Sydney then you should first follow the process to apply for credit for previous study.
There are some situations where you may not be eligible for credit for previous study but you may still have grounds to have the prerequisite/co-requisite rule waived.
You may choose to apply for an enrolment exception request if:
- you’ve undertaken study that’s not a direct equivalent to the unit you’re trying to select, but still covers the same subject area e.g. a short course, diploma from VET/TAFE
- you completed the equivalent unit of study but outside of the required time limit to be eligible for credit for previous study (as set out in your faculty resolutions)
- you completed the equivalent unit of study in an undergraduate course, but you are now enrolled in a postgraduate course.
What you will need to provide
In your request you should include:
- an explanation of your previous study/experience and how this covers the required prerequisite/corequisite knowledge
- evidence of previous study/experience e.g. Official transcript from other institution, unit of study outlines.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you're eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
If you are completing or have completed equivalent study to a prerequisite, or corequisite, during overseas study or exchange, you may need to submit an enrolment exception request to select subsequent units.
What you will need to provide
Exchange
If we’ve received your results for the overseas study, and your exchange shell units have been updated to Satisfied Requirements (SR), you don’t need to provide any additional documents. When providing information to support your request, please state that you studied the unit while on exchange.
If your shell unit has not yet been updated with your results, you will need to provide:
- your conditional credit approval outcome letter from Sydney Student (go to ‘My Requests’, ‘Mobility request’, then ‘Download Final Academic Approval').
- the host institution transcript indicating successful completion or, if you haven’t received the transcript, confirmation from your host institution of enrolment in the unit.
Non-exchange
If you completed the unit as part of a non-exchange program, you should apply for credit for previous study.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
As a Dalyell scholar, you will be eligible for an exception to the prerequisite/corequisite rule if:
- the unit is listed as an enrichment unit, or
- your coordinator has approved you to complete the unit for the purpose of accelerating your enrolment.
What you will need to provide
If you want to complete the unit as an enrichment unit you need to make sure the unit is listed in the enrichment table of units in the interdisciplinary handbook.
If you want to complete the unit to accelerate your enrolment, you need to provide evidence of approval from your Dalyell coordinator e.g. a copy of the email you received approving your enrolment in this unit.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
If you’re trying to select a unit where you’ve already completed its prohibition unit, a pop-up will display, outlining the prohibition unit that’s preventing you from your selection.
Prohibition units are there to prevent you from selecting a unit that covers the same content that you’ve already studied and been assessed on.
Before applying for an enrolment exception request, you should make sure that the unit you are trying to select is listed as a requirement in your handbook.
What you will need to provide
- Details of the unit you completed and when you completed it
- The reasons why you need to complete the unit where you’ve already completed its prohibition unit
If we determine that the unit is a requirement of your course, in the first instance we will look at whether credit from the prohibition unit you studied, can be applied towards the new unit.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
Collection rules – course requirements
Your unit of study selection screen is set up based on the rules and requirements that govern your course.
The collections that you select units from are the different groups of units available for your course, divided up according to your course rules. e.g. 1000 level units of study.
If you try to break any of these requirements, such as exceeding the maximum credit point limit of a collection, you will be prompted to change your selection, or submit an enrolment exception request.
Collection rules are in place to ensure you are in line with the rules and requirements governing your course, so generally, you will not be eligible for an exception.
When to submit for an enrolment exception request
Generally, if a unit is a requirement of your course, you should be able to select it within your collection rules. There are some situations however, such as a change in course structure between years, where you may need to apply for an exemption to a collection rule.
Before applying for an enrolment exception request, you should make sure that:
- the unit you are trying to select is listed as a requirement in your handbook
- the unit is not available for you to select from any other collection on your unit of study selection screen such as an elective collection.
What you will need to provide
In your request you should include:
- the unit code for the unit you are trying to select
- an explanation of where in the handbook it states that you need to complete this unit as a requirement of your course.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
Course rules– study load requirements
There are certain rules in place around the number of credit points you should be completing in a semester, and across your entire course.
Before you apply for an enrolment exception request you should make sure you’ve read all the information on our Changing your study load page and are aware of any course requirements around study load.
Overloading
Generally, it’s recommended you don't complete more than 24 credit points during the standard semester, but all courses will let you enrol in up to 32 credit points during each Teaching period (Teaching period 1: 1 January to 30 June and Teaching period 2: 1 July to 31 December). This allows for situations where you may need to select an OLE unit or an intensive unit that falls outside of the semester.
When to submit for an enrolment exception request
Sometimes you may need to exceed your course credit point limit in order to complete your requirements and maintain progression through your course. For example, you may have changed stream late in your course and you now need to complete additional units to meet your requirements.
What you will need to provide
- an explanation of why you need to select this unit and exceed your credit point limit
- detail where in your handbook it lists this unit as a requirement of your course.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
Sometimes you may need to complete an intensive unit in order to complete your requirements and maintain progression through your course. For example, if you had been granted a reduced study load in a previous semester and needed to enrol in an intensive unit to catch up.
If taking this unit will mean you exceed the maximum study load of 32 credit points for the Teaching period, you may need to submit an enrolment exception request. You can only ever be approved for a maximum of 38 credit points for one teaching period. For example, if you’re enrolled in 30 credit points from the mains semester, you will only ever be able to complete an additional 4-8 credit points from any intensive sessions.
What you will need to provide
- an explanation of why you are seeking to complete the intensive.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
Generally, exceeding 32 credit points is not recommended.
Depending on the structure and rules of your course, if you have demonstrated your ability to manage a higher workload, you may be able to apply for academic approval from the Associate Dean.
You’ll be assessed on your progression and results so far and the combination of units you’re requesting to enrol in.
What you will need to provide
- an explanation of why you are seeking to overload
- any evidence of tertiary study completed prior to this course e.g. transcript from another institution.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
Enrolling in less than your required study load
Courses with strict study load requirements
Some courses, have strict study load requirements, such as being required to study full time. In this case, if you try to select less than 18 credit points for a semester, a pop-up message will display outlining the rule you are trying to break and prompting you to submit an enrolment exception request if you believe you are eligible.
International students
As an International student, it is a requirement of your student visa that you are enrolled in a full-time study load (24 credit points).
You can only study in a reduced load if you are eligible to apply for a reduced study load for compassionate or compelling reasons. You will need to read the eligibility information and follow the process to apply for Reduced study load.
When to submit for an enrolment exception request
If you’re usually required to maintain a full-time attendance pattern, but you’re in your final year or semester, you may be able to complete your requirements without enrolling in your required study load.
Before applying for an enrolment exception request, make sure you’ve checked:
- your course requirements in your handbook
- your internal transcript to ensure you’ve completed all requirements.
What you need to provide
- an explanation of the scenario.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
Sometimes you may find you’ve selected all available units for the semester but still haven’t reached your minimum study load requirement.
Before applying for an enrolment exception request, make sure you’ve checked:
- your requirements in your handbook
- your internal transcript for the units you’ve completed
- all collections on your unit of study screen to make sure there are no other units available.
What you need to provide
- an explanation of your requirements and why you are unable to select the required unit of study load.
How to submit your request
Once you've made sure you are eligible and can provide the required information and documents, find out how to submit your request.
If you’re an international student and you’ve been approved for cross-institutional you may need to enrol in a reduced study load at the University of Sydney to allow for your additional study.
You will need to apply for a reduced study load.
What you will need to provide
- The cross-institutional study approval letter issued to you when you were approved for cross-institutional study
- Evidence of enrolment at your other institution (where you will complete cross-institutional study)
- Any other relevant information.
How to submit an enrolment exception request
You are only able to submit an enrolment exception request through the unit of study selection screen.
If you make a selection that breaks a rule, a pop-up message will display outlining the rule you are trying to break and prompting you to continue to submit an enrolment exception request if you believe you are eligible.
Before you submit a request
Delays to enrolment
It’s important to be aware of how selecting ‘Continue to submit a request’ will affect your enrolment. You will not be able to complete your enrolment or make any updates to your units of study until you have submitted your requests and the requests have been processed. You will not be able to view your timetable or select preferences for classes, until your enrolment is complete.
When to submit a request
We recommend you apply as early as possible and at least two weeks before the enrolment deadline. If your enrolment is closing soon, you should try to enrol in units which don't require you to submit a request, so that you can enrol, get your timetable and commence your classes.
Before you select to Continue with a request , make sure:
- you’ve read all the information about the rules and the allowable exceptions
- you’re aware of any important deadlines
- you’ve considered whether there are alternative units you may be able to select.
If you choose to select ‘Continue to submit a request’, you will be taken to the Enrolment exception request screen where you will be able to see the details of any rule you have broken and your pending requests.
Cancelling your requests
Once you proceed to the Enrolment exception request screen your enrolment and unit of study selection is effectively pending.
If you change your mind at this point, realise you’re not eligible or decide that it’s more important that you confirm your unit of study selection or complete your enrolment, you can select to ‘Cancel all requests’. You only have the ability to cancel all requests at the same time, so even if you realise you’re not eligible for one request, you will need to cancel them all. You will then return to unit of study selection screen.
Continuing with your requests
If you decide to proceed with all requests, you will need to provide a reason, comments and any relevant supporting documents for each request.
You won’t be able to submit your requests until you have provided this information for each individual request.
Providing supporting information
- Select a request and then select ‘Provide supporting information’
- Select from the list of reasons, the reason that applies to your situation.
- Provide any required information in the Comments section
- Attach any relevant documents
- Select ‘Save and continue’
Submitting your requests
Once you’ve completed all steps for each request, you will be given the option to ‘Submit all requests’.
What happens next
After you submit your requests, we will process your requests and email you with your outcomes to your University student email account. They may need to be assessed by your faculty or school. It can take up to 10 business days for your application to be processed, however, during busy periods it may take longer. We will email you if any additional supporting information or documents are required. Your application won't be assessed until you have provided the required information.
You can view the status of your request or cancel your request in Sydney Student (go to ‘My requests’).
You will not be able to access your enrolment or unit of study selection until your requests have been processed.
Withdrawing your requests
Once you’ve submitted your requests you still have the option to withdraw them if you decide not to proceed. You only have the ability to withdraw all requests so if you want to withdraw one request, you will need to withdraw them all.
If you want to change your responses to a request, you will also need to withdraw all requests and submit again.
Select ‘Withdraw all requests’ to withdraw your requests. We will then send you an email confirming that the requests have been withdrawn.
You will then need to log in to Sydney Student to review and complete your enrolment or confirm your unit of study selections.
Last updated: 19 February 2024
