Skip Navigation | ANU Home | Search ANU | Students | Staff
The Australian National University
Division of Registrar & Student Services
Enrolment - Planning Your Enrolment
Printer Friendly Version of this Document

Planning your enrolment

This web page will help undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students with planning your enrolment. Research students should consult their supervisor for advice about planning your studies.

Music of Spheres sculputure by Spellman

Jump to...

Full-time, part-time and maximum unit load

You are a full-time student if you are enrolled into courses to the value of eighteen (18) units or more in a semester or half year.

You are a part-time student if you are enrolled into courses totalling less than eighteen (18) units in a semester or half year.

If you receive Youth Allowance or Abstudy you should be aware that changing your full-time or part-time status may affect your eligibility to receive such payments. For further information you should check with your local Centrelink office. International students should be aware that it is a condition of your visa that you remain enrolled on a full-time basis.

To enrol in more than twenty-four (24) units per semester, you will need permission from your College/Faculty/School/Centre.

Back to top

Pre-requisites, co-requisites, incompatible courses

A pre-requisite course is one that you need to have successfully completed prior to enrolling in another course. The University asks students to enrol in courses for a whole year, so ISIS will allow you to enrol in a course if you are currently enrolled in the pre-requisite/s with no result yet recorded. If you subsequently fail the pre-requisite you will need to drop the intended course (see Dropping a course).

A co-requisite course is a course that you can take in the same semester as the course with which it is identified as a co-requisite. (You could also have taken it previously.) If you want to enrol in a course that has a specified co-requisite that you have not previously successfully completed, you must enrol in your elected course and the co-requisite. You must continue enrolment in both the co-requisite course and the elected course to gain results in both courses.

Incompatible courses overlap in course content to such an extent that both courses cannot be taken for credit. You should not enrol in a course that is identified in the course catalogue as being “incompatible” with a course you have already taken and passed. If you do enrol in such a course you will not receive credit for the “incompatible” course.

If you are seeking an exemption from a pre-requisite or a co-requisite you must consult with the relevant course co-ordinator.

Back to top

Exemptions

In some Colleges you may apply for an exemption from taking compulsory courses on the basis of having previously successfully completed the same course or an equivalent course. However, if an exemption is granted a course of equivalent unit value must be substituted. While an exempted course will count towards program requirements and satisfy prerequisite/co-requisite requirements for other courses, the unit value of the exempted course will not count towards program requirements.

Exemption from part of a course

If you have been exempted from completing part of the requirements of a course by your lecturer, because you have previously completed equivalent studies, you are still required to enrol in the course in order to complete the remaining requirements of the course and thereby gain a formal result in the course. You will also be liable for the full fee/HECS liability for the course.

Back to top

Credit for previous studies

If you have been admitted to the University from another tertiary institution you can apply, when you enrol, to have your previous studies credited towards your program at the ANU. If you are transferring from one ANU program to another ANU program you can also apply, when you enrol, to have your previous studies credited to your new program.

To apply for credit you will need to complete an Application for Transfer (Credit) form and will need to provide certified copies of your previous results and an outline of the course content (as per the handbook of your previous institution) for each course you are seeking credit for.

The College Dean's decision on what credit you are awarded will be final.

Group of Eight (Go8) Credit Transfer Agreement

In recognition of the excellence of teaching and research that exists in the Group of Eight universities, members agree to enhance the mobility of students between them by facilitating the transfer of credit earned at their institutions.

The Agreement is based on an acceptance that the assessment regimes at all Group of Eight universities are comparable and transferable.

Click here for further information on the Go8 Credit Transfer Agreement.

Information on Go8 Members can be found at www.go8.edu.au

Back to top

Repeating a course

You may not enrol in a course which you have failed twice previously without the approval of the delegated authority in the relevant College/Faculty/School/Centre.


With the appropriate approval you may repeat a course that you have passed previously, in order to fulfil program requirements or to achieve a higher grade, but only as a non-award enrolment.

Back to top

Studying at another institution (cross-institutional enrolment)

You can apply to your College/Faculty Office to take courses at another Australian institution for credit towards your ANU program. You application for cross-institutional enrolment will also need to be approved by your proposed host institution. You will need to contact your proposed host institution for application and enrolment details.
Back to top

Overseas exchange studies

You can find out information on formal overseas exchange programs from the International Education Office. You will also need to seek formal approval from your College/Faculty Office and negotiate with them on the credit you are to receive upon successful completion of the overseas studies. If there is any change to the list of courses that you agree on with your Faculty for your overseas studies, you will need to re-negotiate with your ANU College/Faculty before enrolling in the courses. If you don't discuss your enrolment with your College/Faculty, you may not be granted full credit for your overseas studies.
Before departing overseas you need to complete all re-enrolment procedures and the Pre-Departure Checklist for Exchange Students form, available from the International Education Office.

Back to top

Thinking about your career

The Careers Centre can advise you on the career implications of your studies and the possible employment opportunities, and has a range of resources that can help you with planning your studies. The Centre also has information on vacation work experience and volunteer positions which can be a useful addition to your study experiences.

Visit the Careers Centre website for more information on this and the Centre's other services, including contact and location details for the Centre.

Back to top