Making decisions through your degree
As long as you fulfil the requirements for your course, there are different ways your studies can take shape.
Understand what opportunities are available so you can start designing your studies and make the choices now that will help shape your future.
On this page: Course planning tools | Choosing a major | Try something new with an OLE | Study overseas | Plan for a fourth year
Course planning tools
Sample degree plans
The degree sample plans can help guide you to structure your undergraduate degree and understanding the requirements of your study.
To start planning, select your faculty or school's degree plan from the list below and navigate to the sample degree plan relevant to your degree.
Remember that these degree plans should only be used as a guide, together with the degree rules in the Handbook.
- Architecture design and planning: specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Arts and social sciences: you can access the FASS degree sample planner
- Business: see the faculty handbook and Canvas curriculum resources
- Engineering: specialised degree plans can be found at the Course and Unit of Study Portal
- Law: you can access the Law degree sample planner
- Medicine and Health: specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Music: specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Science: see the faculty handbook and Canvas curriculum resources.
- Architecture design and planning: specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Arts and social sciences: you can access the FASS degree sample planner
- Business: see the faculty handbook and Canvas curriculum resources
- Engineering - specialised degree plans can be found at the Course and Unit of Study Portal
- Law: coming soon
- Medicine and Health - specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Music - specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Science: see the faculty handbook and Canvas curriculum resources.
- Architecture design and planning
- Arts and social sciences
- Business
- Engineering - specialised degree plans can be found at the Course and Unit of Study Portal
- Law
- Medicine and Health - specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Music - specialised degree plans can be found in the faculty handbook
- Science
Understanding your course components
Your degree will be made up of different course components that fit together to determine what you study.
Make sure you understand your course requirements and the options available to you. It’s helpful to think ahead. Planning out your units each semester and being aware of your progress is an important part of making sure you’re successful in your course.
Watch our video to help understand the different types of units and how they come together to structure your course.
Choosing a major
During your time at university, you'll complete a sequence of subjects working toward a major, or maybe two. The areas you major in will appear on your testamur, and demonstrate your specialised knowledge.
Students come to a decision about their majors in lots of different ways:
- Based on a favourite subject in high school
- To prepare for a career you're aspiring to
- In order to build a specific skill set
Some students complete a single major, with more room for elective units, whereas other students choose two majors – that can complement each other, or be completely different.
Tips when choosing majors
We asked some students how they made their choices, and what their experience with a major has been.
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)
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) / Bachelor of Arts
Matching majors to your interests
Rowena Chong, Stream: Animal and Veterinary Bioscience
I have always been passionate about wildlife and wildlife conservation, so I chose to study my undergraduate degree in animal and veterinary bioscience.
Eliza Owen, Bachelor of Economics, Major: Economics
I’ve always been interested in how we influence change to improve lives.
Anastasia Pavlovic, Bachelor of Arts, Major: Indonesian Studies
When I first graduated high school, I didn’t know what degree or major I wanted to do. I took Indonesian Studies initially as an elective as I thought this would be such a great chance to learn more about Australia’s closest neighbour and the emphasised importance of the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Cindy Ngo, Bachelor of Commerce, Majors: Business Analytics and Marketing
With an influx of data and rapid technological advancement, I saw the field of business analytics as an exciting area in which to specialise. Coursework in the business analytics major often presents us with real business problems and involves using datasets from actual businesses to solve issues.
The Open Learning Environment (OLE) is a collection of units that allow you to learn and develop beyond your skill set. Units can be two or six credit points and they're split into categories of interest for you to browse.
You can learn about topics such as global cultures, entrepreneurial thinking, coding, ethics, design thinking, and project management, in a way that is designed to be digestible and complementary to your other study.
You can use OLEs to manage your workload and make your degree more flexible. Many OLEs are offered in an intensive session, so you can complete them quickly – with many of them available across Semester 1, Semester 2 and the semester breaks.
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?
Watch the video to hear from our current students about their experiences.
