Related links
Academic progression
- Academic progression
- Preparing your show cause submission
- Academic progression support
Academic progression support
To give you the best chance of improving your circumstances and achieving the academic progression requirements of your course, we have a range of services available to support you at the University.
If you’re struggling with assessments or units of study or are just finding it hard to stay on top of your studies, ask for help early.
Have you received an academic progression email?
Don't panic. If you’ve received a letter, it’s because we’ve identified that you may need additional academic advice or support with your learning and we want to ensure you can get this as early as possible. Find out more.
For one-on-one support with your personal and academic goals and challenges, you can make an appointment with the Advising Hub. During an appointment, you can discuss:
- the academic progression process and what it means for you
- your challenges (both academic and personal), and the strategies and support services that can help you manage your studies
- your academic, career, and personal values and goals, and how these align with your study path
- a personalised action plan, to help get your studies back on track.
If you need specialised degree or discipline advice, you should contact your Program Director from the faculty. They can discuss decisions specific to your degree such as:
- whether to change your enrolment next semester to help you manage your studies
- how to structure your units to complete your degree
- understanding your study options within your degree or discipline.
If you have any other concerns or questions about your academic progression, contact adp.education-support@sydney.edu.au.
Undergraduate students
If you are not meeting your academic progression requirements or you are at risk, we recommend you attend a one-on-one session with a faculty academic adviser from your school.
Faculty advisers are specialists from your area of study who are here to help you. They can advise on a range of different topics including:
- improving your academic performance
- setting study goals
- planning your degree and choosing subjects
- understanding the range of different student support services available to you and accessing the best resources for your needs
- what to do if you are struggling at university and need some advice.
To arrange an appointment with a FASS academic adviser, lodge a request through the Student Academic Advice Dashboard. If you have received an Academic Caution or Show Cause notification, you will be linked with an academic adviser after the break and therefore do not need to lodge a request. An adviser will contact you in January so be sure to respond to their email as soon as possible.
Postgraduate students
If you are not meeting your academic progression requirements or you are at risk you should meet with your Postgraduate Coursework Coordinator.
To arrange an appointment, send an email outlining who you are, what you study and what you would like to discuss in relation to your academic progression.
If you are a student who has been identified as not meeting progression requirements for your degree, you should make an appointment with the Advising Hub.
The Advising Hub provides one-on-one support with your personal and academic goals and challenges. During an appointment, you can discuss:
- the academic progression process and what it means for you
- your challenges (both academic and personal), and the strategies and support services that can help you manage your studies
- your academic, career, and personal values and goals, and how these align with your study path
- a personalised action plan, to help get your studies back on track.
For one-on-one support with your personal and academic goals and challenges, you can make an appointment with the Advising Hub. During an appointment, you can discuss:
- the academic progression process and what it means for you
- your challenges (both academic and personal), and the strategies and support services that can help you manage your studies
- your academic, career, and personal values and goals, and how these align with your study path
- a personalised action plan, to help get your studies back on track.
If you need specialised degree or discipline advice, you should contact your Year Adviser. They can discuss decisions specific to your degree such as:
- whether to change your enrolment next semester to help you manage your studies
- how to structure your units to complete your degree
- understanding your study options within your degree or discipline.
If you have any other general concerns or questions about your academic progression, contact engineering.progression@sydney.edu.au.
For one-on-one support with your personal and academic goals and challenges, you can make an appointment with the Advising Hub. During an appointment, you can discuss:
- the academic progression process and what it means for you
- your challenges (both academic and personal), and the strategies and support services that can help you manage your studies
- your academic, career, and personal values and goals, and how these align with your study path
- a personalised action plan, to help get your studies back on track.
If you need specialised degree or discipline advice, or if you have any other questions about your academic progression, you should contact the school:
- Master’s degrees and Graduate Diplomas: law.postgraduate@sydney.edu.au
- Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor: law.professional@sydney.edu.au
If you have received an academic progression notification letter and would like to seek further information and support, please contact your relevant course, stream, discipline or year coordinator.
For one-on-one support with your personal and academic goals and challenges, you can make an appointment with the Advising Hub. During an appointment, you can discuss:
- the academic progression process and what it means for you
- your challenges (both academic and personal), and the strategies and support services that can help you manage your studies
- your academic, career, and personal values and goals, and how these align with your study path
- a personalised action plan, to help get your studies back on track.
If you need specialised degree or discipline advice, you should contact your Program Leader. They can discuss decisions specific to your degree such as:
- whether to change your enrolment next semester to help you manage your studies
- how to structure your units to complete your degree
- understanding your study options within your degree or discipline.
If you have been identified as not meeting progression requirements with a status of 'at risk' or 'academic caution', for one-on-one support with your personal and academic goals and challenges, you can make an appointment with the Advising Hub. During an appointment, you can discuss:
- the academic progression process and what it means for you
- your challenges (both academic and personal), and the strategies and support services that can help you manage your studies
- your academic, career, and personal values and goals, and how these align with your study path
- a personalised action plan, to help get your studies back on track.
If you have been identified as not meeting progression requirements with a status of 'show cause', you should book an appointment with a Science academic adviser via the Science Student portal on Canvas.
If you’re struggling with a particular unit of study, contact your unit of study coordinator in the first instance. If you want to find answers to common progression questions, or to book an appointment with an academic adviser visit the Science Student portal on Canvas. You can check the academic advice page for general advice.
If you have further questions, contact science.academicadvice@sydney.edu.au
Support and resources
Staying on track questionnaire
Our self-reflective questionnaire is available to help you identify areas you are having difficulty with so you can receive tailored advice and recommendations for support and services that may help.
Get independent advice from your student advocate group
Your student association can provide you with free and confidential support and advice that's completely independent from the University.
Student Rights Officers (SROs), also known as advocates, or their equivalent are available at your campus to:
- help you prepare your response to an academic progress email (including advising you on the evidence to provide in support of your written response)
- support you at an Academic Progress Committee hearing by helping you prepare and accompanying you
- provide advice about appeals against exclusion.
If you are an undergraduate student, contact the SRC’s Caseworker Help service.
If you are a postgraduate student, contact SUPRA’s Postgraduate Advocacy Service.
Last updated: 15 March 2024
