Permission to reduce study load
- Enrolment and academic progress requirements
- Flexible study plan
- completed subjects in the previous summer session; or
- over-enrolled in a previous semester.
- Academic performance
- Exceptional compassionate or compelling grounds
- Less than 100% load required to complete
- You were granted subject exemptions or recognition of prior learning;
- You have failed a number of subjects and need to extend your course to complete.
- It is your final semester, or
- You have previously completed more than the equivalent of 100% load by over-enrolling in a previous semester or by enrolling in Summer Session.
Permission to reduce your study load
You are only able to enrol in less than 100% load in the following circumstances:
Some UTS courses will allow a flexible study plan. If you have already passed more subjects than required by a 100% load, then you are permitted to reduce your enrolment in a subsequent semester. This situation may arise because you have:
If you wish to enrol in a reduced study load this semester, but have not already passed more subjects than required by a 100% load, you must apply for formal permission from your Faculty before you can reduce your study load.
Many international students have difficulty adjusting to Australian university study. It may be helpful for some students to reduce their load temporarily until they improve their academic performance.
After results are released at the end of each semester, some international students are identified by the University as being at risk of failing to make satisfactory academic progress. Faculty advisers may recommend that these students reduce their load the following semester. This process is called Early Intervention. You will receive a letter from UTS if you are identified as being at risk.
If you have not been identified as being at risk, but you think that you are in danger of failing because 100% load is too much for you, then you can apply to your faculty for permission to reduce your study load. You must apply for permission prior to census date. This is 31 March in Autumn Semester and 31 August in Spring.
If you are given formal permission to reduce your study load for academic reasons then you will have to take measures to improve your academic performance. Your faculty adviser will inform you of the measures you will need to take.
More information on early intervention and academic progress requirements is available.
Medical, personal, or other circumstances beyond your control may have put your course progress at risk. If so, then you can appl to your faculty for permission to reduce your study load.
Your application will need to be supported by documentation appropriate to your circumstances.
You may study less than 100% load if you require less than 100% load to complete. This situation may arise because:
Normally you would study the reduced load in your final semester. If it is your final semester you do not need to obtain permission to reduce your load, as long as you will still be able to complete your course this semester.
If you are not in your final semester, but because of study plan or other academic considerations you wish to reduce your load, you must apply to your faculty. (see details on how to apply below)
Applying for permission to reduce your study load
You must have formal permission from your faculty to reduce your study load in any semester.
The only exceptions to this are:
It is your responsibility to ensure you enrol in 100% load or else obtain permission to reduce your load. My Student Admin will not prevent you from reducing your load online. However, if you reduce your load and you cannot demonstrate any of the circumstances 1 - 4 above, you may not be able to extend your student visa to complete your course. Note that it may be several semesters until you need to apply for a new visa to extend your course; however, you must obtain permission to reduce your load for the semester in which you reduce it.
To apply for formal permission to reduce your enrolment, you must submit the form, International Students Application to Reduce Study Load to your Student Centre.
