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Planning your course
Tips to help you plan
With so many different subjects to explore, it can be hard to choose from almost endless study possibilities. Start by doing your own research and self-reflection so that your choices align with your interests, strengths and career aspirations.
Check out these tips to get underway.
Choosing a major
I have always been passionate about wildlife and wildlife conservation, so I chose to study my undergraduate degree in animal and veterinary bioscience.
Rowena Chong, Stream: Animal and Veterinary Bioscience
Choosing a major (or program or minor) is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make during your degree. Here’s a few tips to help.
- Research majors you might be interested in. Your handbook is a good place to start as it contains an overview of each major.
- Reflect on your strengths and interests, for example the subjects you enjoyed or did well at in high school.
- Research industry trends and the job market.
- Think about the kind of job you see yourself doing once you graduate.
- Consider if studying two majors contributes to your end goals or whether you'd prefer a major and minor combination to leave room for other opportunities.
Choosing your units
Pick subjects you’re interested in even if they don’t appear to be related. You’ll always be surprised by the ways different disciplines complement one another in the long run.
Philippa Specker, Bachelor of Psychology (Hons)
Once you've decided your majors, minors and programs, your handbook lists the units you must complete and the ones where you have flexible choices. There's a few things to think about when making your choices.
- Map out your units from day one using the handbook and sample degree plans for your course, scheduling in the units you must complete as the priority. This will give you an idea of how much flexibility you have available.
- Read unit outlines to find out what you'll learn, how many hours a week you'll need to attend classes, and how you'll be assessed.
- Decide if you want to specialise in a single area, or whether you'd prefer to explore broad interests.
- Consider leaving electives for later. This will give you more flexiblity if you decide to change the direction of your studies or want to take up an exciting opportunity.
- Research what's on offer during intensive sessions (e.g. during semester break). For some students, this may help to ease your study load during the semester.
Overseas opportunities, projects and placements
Are you looking to enrich your learning journey, gain real world experience, or build professional networks? Then a placement, internship or overseas study might be right for you. Plan early, as many opportunities can be undertaken for credit, so you'll need to leave room in your course to complete these.
Good choices require a ton of introspection and reflection...frame your education in terms of skills you'd like to learn. Are you keen to learn how to understand and analyse quantitative data? Do you want to acquire strong writing skills? Many skills aren't exclusive to a particular subject area but this is a helpful way to think about improving your academic self
Jun Tong, Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts
Study overseas
Through the Sydney Global Mobility program, you can spend a few weeks, one semester, or a full year overseas at one of 250+ partner institutions in more than 40 countries around the world. There are a range of study abroad experiences to choose from, that may be classified as exchange or non-exchange.
There will be certain times in your degree that are better suited to an exchange, and certain periods (such as first year) where it's not possible, depending on your course rules and requirements. It's important to plan your course early so you don't miss any windows of opportunity.
What's the best time to study overseas?
Honours
Honours is an additional qualification where you can build on your undergraduate studies by completing a supervised research project and disciplinary or research-focused coursework. This may be embedded in your undergraduate degree or require an additional year of study.
If you think you might be interested, check out our honours page. Some programs require you to complete different or preparatory units during your undergraduate course.
Last updated: 15 May 2025
