Centre for English Teaching (CET)
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Study information
Answers to frequently asked questions about study arrangements
The University has returned to on-campus teaching from Semester 1 2023. Offshore international students have been provided additional time and flexibility to obtain their visa and make travel arrangements to return to face-to-face learning from 1 July 2023. From 1 July, we will return to on-campus classes for all students.
University is more than what you learn in the classroom – it’s about the experiences you have and the lifelong connections you form. While the safety of our community remains paramount, it is also important that as much of the university learning and student experience as possible is delivered in person, on campus.
Semester 1 2023
Semester 1 2023 classes will begin on Monday 20 February for most courses.
Domestic and onshore students are required to enrol in on-campus classes. While most degrees and units will continue to have online components such as recorded lectures, to maintain our high-quality education, only degrees and units validated for online delivery will be offered fully online. All students attending campus are expected to adhere to our COVID-safe precautions.
While remote options will remain available, where possible, for international offshore students during Semester 1 2023, we recommend all students arrive in Sydney to attend on-campus classes. If you choose to study remotely, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so, including recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country. The Chinese Ministry for Education has announced that it will only acknowledge degrees awarded to students attending in-person classes from Semester 1 2023 onwards.
Semester 2 2023
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), which regulates higher education in Australia, has advised that universities in Australia are expected to resume in person delivery of courses by 30 June 2023 for international students who are covered by the provisions of the Education Services of Overseas Students Act, where it is safe and practical to do so.
While this directive applies specifically to international students, it has influenced our return to campus timeline for all students, and from 1 July 2023, we will cease to offer remote units and return to our pre-pandemic teaching modes.
While most degrees and units will continue to have online components such as recorded lectures, to maintain our high-quality education, only degrees and units validated for online delivery will be offered fully online.
Offshore students
We strongly encourage all offshore students to make arrangements to travel to Sydney for the start of Semester 1. International students located overseas will continue to be offered classes in remote mode in Semester 1 2023, where possible, while they obtain their visa and make travel arrangements.
- Some activities in a unit such as tutorials may have separate remote and on campus versions.
- Some classes may need to be offered in a hyflex mode (with a mix of on campus and remote students).
- Domestic students will need to be onshore and enrol in on-campus units in Semester 1.
- From 1 July 2023, we will cease to offer remote units and return to our pre-pandemic teaching modes.
Enrolling in remote units of study
Domestic and onshore students will be required to enrol in on-campus classes. Remote enrolment will only be available to international offshore students in Semester 1, 2023, to allow them to obtain their visa and make travel arrangements to return to face-to-face learning. If you choose to study remotely, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so, including recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country. The Chinese Ministry for Education has announced that it will only acknowledge degrees awarded to students attending in-person classes from Semester 1 2023 onwards. If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies to Semester 2.
If you are unable to travel to Sydney, for example you have not yet received your visa, we recommend you keep all records of your attempts to make arrangements to resume on-campus study. If you have not been able to arrive in Sydney and change your units to on campus offerings by the last day to add (3 March), we will provide you with a letter confirming that the University was unable to change your study mode to in-person. This letter will be available to all students who are unable to arrive for Semester 1 or arrive after the 3 March, and can be provided to you after the census date.
Health and safety
All staff, students and visitors are required to follow our health and safety advice.
On-campus learning
Remote delivery of teaching and assessment will continue for international offshore students throughout Semester 1 2023. Please note some programs may have components that cannot be delivered entirely via remote delivery.
From 1 July 2023, we will cease to offer remote units and return to our pre-pandemic teaching modes. Students located offshore who will be commencing or continuing their studies should make arrangements to relocate to Sydney as soon as possible. International students should visit our website more information about applying for a visa and moving to Sydney.
Placements have returned to pre-COVID settings, with policies set by our partners. Please contact your Faculty or School for more information specific to your circumstances.
We recommend all students arrive in Sydney to attend on-campus classes from the start of Semester 1 2023. If you have your visa for Semester 1, you should be planning to arrive in time for our Welcome Program (which will take place between 6 and 24 February) and no later than the first week of your course – in most cases this is Monday 20 February.
If you are unable to arrive by the last day to add deadline (3 March), you will need to make sure your Sydney Student record indicates your current location as offshore. You have the option to enrol in remote (RE) units of study. If you choose to study remotely, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so, including recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country. If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2.
If you have any questions or concerns about your study options in Semester 1, you can submit an enquiry online.
Students commencing in Semester 2 2023 will need to make plans to arrive in time for our Semester 2 Welcome Program (which will take place between 17 July and 4 August) and no later than the first week of your course – in most cases this will be Monday 31 August.
We recommend all students arrive in Sydney to attend on-campus classes from the start of Semester 1. If you don’t yet have your visa and are unable to arrive by the last day to add deadline (3 March), you will need to make sure your Sydney Student record indicates your current location as offshore. You have the option to enrol in remote (RE) units of study and continue to study remotely for Semester 1. If you choose to study remotely, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so, including recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country. If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2.
If you are commencing in Semester 2 2023, we strongly encourage you to submit your visa application as early as possible to ensure you are able to begin your studies as all classes will return to face-to-face delivery.
We’re here to help and the University of Sydney is committed to supporting you through your return to Australia.
Friday 3 March is the last date you can amend your own enrolment to change from remote (RE) to on-campus. If you can’t arrive by 3 March, you will need to continue with remote study. If you choose to study remotely, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so, including recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country. If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2.
If you have any questions or concerns about your study options in Semester 1, you can submit an enquiry online.
We’re here to help and the University of Sydney is committed to supporting you when you arrive in Australia.
Students who have a disability or medical condition can register with Inclusion and Disability Services to gain access to the adjustments and services they need to succeed in their studies. Inclusion and Disability services can be contacted via email: disability.services@sydney.edu.au or phone +61 2 8627 8422.
Find out more about registering with Inclusion and Disability services.
All domestic and onshore students are required to enrol in on-campus classes in 2023.
We understand that if you have been studying remotely, you may need some support to transition to on-campus study.
If you have circumstances that mean you require flexibility with your studies, you may be able to customise your timetable to cater to your needs. Most degrees and units will continue to have online components such as recorded lectures. For most students, you will be able to adjust your timetable up until the end of Week 2 to take classes at times more suitable to you.
There are a range of support services and resources available to help you while you study. This includes degree planning and advice so you can select the right units to meet your goals, financial support, and wellbeing and counselling services.
If you are a domestic student, you may have the option to change your study load and continue your studies part time. If you are unable to attend in-person classes and would like to take a break from your studies, find our more about suspending your studies.
If you have extenuating circumstances beyond your control, including responsibilities as a primary carer or compulsory legal absence, and need to speak to someone about how you can continue your studies, we recommend you contact the Student Centre. The Student Centre can discuss what options are available to you.
Enrolment and Unit of Study Selection
We recommend all students arrive in Sydney to attend on-campus classes from the start of Semester 1 and are here to support your return by the last day to add deadline (3 March).
You have the option to enrol in remote (RE) units of study and continue remote study for Semester 1. However, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so, including recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country or your ability to comply with the conditions outlined in your student visa.
If you are unable to study remotely in Semester 1 and unable to come to Australia, you may need to consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2. To support your suspension request, you will need to provide the Student declaration for suspension and reduced study load requests – COVID-19 form (docx, 57KB) outlining the circumstances that prevent you from arriving in Australia and studying remotely.
The deadline for you to make changes to your unit of study selections for Semester 1 is the last day to add deadline – Friday 3 March. If you are unable to arrive in Sydney to commence on-campus classes by this date, you will need to continue with remote study for Semester 1.
You need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of studying remotely, including recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country. If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2.
For students seeking certification from CSCSE that were unable to arrive prior to 3 March, 2023, the University will provide you with a letter confirming that you were unable to study in-person. This letter will be available after census date.
If you have any questions or concerns about your study options in Semester 1, you can submit an enquiry online.
We recommend all students arrive in Sydney to attend on-campus classes. While remote options will remain available, where possible, for international offshore students during Semester 1 2023, if you choose to study remotely, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so. This includes recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country. The Chinese Ministry for Education has announced that it will only acknowledge degrees awarded to students attending in-person classes from Semester 1 2023 onwards. If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2.
We understand this announcement may be challenging, and we are here to support you with your return to on-campus study.
If you have any questions or concerns about your study options in Semester 1, you can submit an enquiry online.
If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2.
International students have the option to enrol in remote (RE) units of study and continue remote study for Semester 1 2023. However, if you choose to study remotely, you need to make sure you are aware of any impacts of doing so. This includes recognition of your studies with certification bodies in your home country, such as CSCSE.
No, we understand that you signed your declaration because at the time, you believed you would be studying outside of Australia. This declaration is for the purposed of our University records only. If you arrive in Australia after enrolment, you will just need to update your status in Sydney Student to ‘onshore’ and select on campus units.
You can find more information on how to do this at: How do I update my onshore/offshore status?
RE and CC are based on location (LOC) not mode of study. OL is an online mode of study for an approved, registered online program. RE is a location code and is not reflected on the transcript. Offshore status and RE enrolment is retained as an official record within the University of Sydney student system.
Find out more about what will appear on your official academic transcript.
We are here to support all students with their return to campus for Semester 1 and we understand there are many considerations in being able to practically do so. If you look at the timetable and classes are displaying as ‘full’ when you are allocating yourself to classes, you will be able to join a waitlist. This is a usual occurrence as we coordinate more spaces in classes based on demand. Find out more about timetables and joining a waitlist on our website.
If you are able to attend on-campus classes, you should change your units to on-campus units in Sydney Student. Once you have enrolled in on-campus units of study, you will be able to allocate yourself to classes in our timetabling system, Sydney Timetable.
If you look at the timetable and classes are displaying as ‘full’ when you are allocating yourself to classes, you will be able to join a waitlist. You can do this by selecting the heart icon next to the ‘FULL’ button of the classes you’d like to join. Read more about this process. This is a usual occurrence as we coordinate more spaces in classes based on demand. We monitor full classes and work with unit of study coordinators to create more classes where they are needed. Most waitlisted students will be allocated to a class within a few business days. Find out more about timetables and joining a waitlist on our website.
We are here to support all students with their return to campus for Semester 1. If you are able to do so, you should arrive in Sydney and enrol in on-campus units of study. You will then be able to allocate yourself to classes. If you look at the timetable and classes are displaying as ‘full’ when you are allocating yourself to classes, you will be able to join a waitlist. This is a usual occurrence as we coordinate more spaces in classes based on demand. See our advice on Timetables in the FAQ above.
CSCSE has acknowledged some students may experience extenuating circumstances that impact their ability to resume on-campus study immediately. If you are unable to travel to Sydney due to extenuating circumstances beyond your control, for example you have not yet received your visa, we recommend you keep all records of your attempts to make arrangements to resume on-campus study. These documents should be kept to support any future application for certification with CSCSE.
If you have not been able to arrive in Sydney and change your units to on campus offerings by the last day to add (3 March), we will provide you with a letter confirming that the University was unable to change your study mode to in-person. This letter will be available to all students who are unable to arrive for Semester 1 or arrive after the 3 March, and can be provided to you after the census date. This letter should be used along with the other documents you keep, to support your application with CSCSE.
If you are requiring certification by CSCSE at the end of your degree, we recommend you consider suspending your studies or deferring your offer to Semester 2.
CSCSE has acknowledged some students may experience extenuating circumstances that impact their ability to resume on-campus study immediately. If you are unable to travel to Sydney due to extenuating circumstances beyond your control, for example you have not yet received your visa, we recommend you keep all records of your attempts to make arrangements to resume on-campus study. These documents should be kept to support any future application for certification with CSCSE.
If you have not been able to arrive in Sydney and change your units to on campus offerings by the last day to add (3 March), we will provide you with a letter confirming that the University was unable to change your study mode to in-person. This letter will be available to all students who are unable to arrive for Semester 1 or arrive after the 3 March, and can be provided to you after the census date. This letter should be used along with the other documents you keep, to support your application with CSCSE.
Accommodation
We are here to support all students with their return to campus for Semester 1 and we understand there are many considerations in being able to practically do so.
The student accommodation market in Sydney remains very tight. All University owned accommodation facilities are full for 2023. If you are looking for housing options in Sydney, check our off-campus accommodation page, which provides tips, searchable accommodation websites, and key information and resources.
Off-campus accommodation is usually a private rental organised through a real estate agent or other housemates. It’s important that you are aware of your tenancy rights, so please refer to the resources on our off-campus accommodation page or this useful accommodation guide when organising a rental.
Please be aware that not all rental websites or offers are legitimate and accommodation-related scams do exist. If you’re not sure whether to take up an offer, contact the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) (for undergraduates) or Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) (for postgraduates). You can find more information on moving to Sydney and key contacts for support on our website.
CSCSE has acknowledged some students may experience extenuating circumstances that impact their ability to resume on-campus study immediately. We recommend you keep all records of your attempts to make arrangements to resume on-campus study. These documents should be kept to support any future application for certification with CSCSE. The University will provide you with a letter confirming you were unable to switch to in-person study after 3 March, 2023.
International offshore students studying remotely
Visit our student website to find out everything you need to know about the student services, resources and events that are available to all students studying remotely at the University.
The University is providing students with resources and support to help with remote study arrangements. Your learning resources and activities will run through Canvas, and may use other tools such as Zoom, Echo360 and Turnitin.
A few key tips to help you effectively learn are:
- Communicate regularly with your lecturers, tutors and classmates
- Set up your calendar and create a daily routine
- Check your student email and unit of studies' Canvas site daily
- Make sure all of your equipment and technology is working and up-to-date
- Take regular breaks and keep to regular hours.
For more tips on learning effectively while off-campus, see our guide.
You can also search for help using other tools online through ICT's Knowledge Base.
You will need to log in to Canvas to access learning resources for your unit of study. You will also need to access other tools including Echo360 for streamed and recorded lectures, and Zoom for online tutorials. Find out how to download these apps.
For help using Canvas, visit the Canvas Student Guide to find out how to make the most of common tools that your unit might use, including Zoom, Echo360 and Turnitin. You can also access 24/7 Canvas support via chat - click on the "Help" button in the left hand menu from anywhere in Canvas.
You can also search for help using other tools online through ICT's Knowledge Base.
There are several features in Zoom that you can use to manage participants for a secure session.
You can set up a password on your Zoom session to register participants and you can use a waiting room to ensure you let in only the intended guests.
Misbehaving participants can be removed from a Zoom session. Meeting hosts can also lock the session after it has started to prevent anyone new from joining.
Students are able to use a VPN service free of charge which is approved for use in China and accessed via UniKey.
Most students located in China will be able to access the majority of their core teaching and learning tools without a VPN, and we encourage you to try this first. If you encounter any issues, download and use the new VPN solution using the instructions for either Windows or MacOS. This service is free of charge and accessed via your UniKey.
The initial download may take some time, but once the VPN client is downloaded and set up, your connection to University resources will be much faster.
Visit our online resources for students in China page for more information about accessing and using these tools.
Please only use this VPN for access from within mainland China.
If you enrol in a unit of study where the location is remote (location code ‘RE’ in Sydney Student), these units will be delivered online and you will not be required to attend classes in-person.
You are expected to still attend all interactive classes at the scheduled time on your timetable. Some units of study are unable to be delivered remotely, and these have adapted face-to-face requirements to accommodate physical distancing and to allow for students to progress through their degree.
Check your unit outline for specific participation and attendance requirements.
The annual SSAF will continue to be collected to fund essential support services, student advocacy organisations and non-academic programs for students. It covers a large range of activities and a large proportion is used to fund student organisations' day-to-day operations. including orientation, legal services, advocacy, support services, financial, employment and accommodation advice, sporting activities, student publications and cultural programs. Funding is also used to support student clubs and societies. While most of these services are delivered through the student organisations, careers advice is delivered by the Careers Centre and the Parents Network support is delivered by the STAR team.
Information about SSAF allocation Is published online.
See information for study abroad and exchange students.
We are working to ensure all lectures are recorded and available to view in your own time.
In some circumstances, a class may not be able to be recorded. Students will be notified in advance where possible and provided with alternative resources to access the material.
Some tutorials rely on an interactive format, including group discussions. It is recommended students join these tutorials online at the time they are scheduled. Where this is not possible, attendance will generally not be mandatory, and some of the material may be available for viewing at another time.
Domestic and onshore students will be required to enrol in on-campus classes for all sessions from 2023. This includes Intensive January and Intensive February sessions.
International students located overseas will be able to enrol in remote (RE) units of study in Semester 1, including Intensive January and Intensive February, where they are available.
After 30 June we will cease to offer remote units and return to our pre-pandemic teaching modes.
Suspending your studies
Applications for suspending studies remain unchanged and must adhere to key enrolment dates. Find out more information about:
Students joining the University in 2023
From Semester 2 2023, we will cease to offer remote units and return to our pre-pandemic teaching modes. If you commence your studies remotely in Semester 1 2023 you will need to plan to arrive and continue your studies in Sydney, on campus, in Semester 2 2023.
Only degrees and units validated for online delivery will be offered fully online.
For information related to international applicants, including admissions requirements and visas, please refer to our information for international student visa holders.
Last updated February 2023
