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Discontinue a unit of study
Understand the consequences of withdrawing from a unit, the importance of the census date and the support available to help you manage your studies.
- Drop a unit of study
- Late discontinuation under special circumstances
Drop a unit of study
Change in discontinue process
As part of the Government's Job-ready Graduates Package, new student protections have been introduced from 1 January 2022 to ensure students are not penalised if there are special circumstances that have impacted them beyond their control. Find out more about how these changes affect you.
Assessed against a specific criteria, students can now apply for late discontinuation from a unit of study under special circumstances.
Understanding timing
Depending on when you withdraw from your subject, there may be financial and/or academic penalties.
| Timing | Outcome | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Before the unit's census date |
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You withdraw from a unit by selecting the rubbish bin on the unit of study selection screen in Sydney Student (go to ‘My studies’, ‘Units of study’, then ‘Change your units of study’). You'll need to select 'Continue' and then 'Confirm' on the confirmation screen to finalise your change. |
Requirements for student visa holders If you want to remove a unit after the last day to add deadline for the main semester, but before census, you can't do this yourself as you won't see the rubbish bin symbol next to the unit. This applies even if you’re enrolled in a late intensive with its own last day to add deadline. You'll need to apply through a reduced study load request, even if you are still maintaining a full time study load. You won't need to outline compassionate or compelling reasons, just attach a document stating you want to remove a unit after the last day to add deadline. |
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| HDR students If you would like to withdraw from a coursework unit of study, you wil need to contact Higher Degree by Research Administration Centre (HDRAC). |
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| After the unit’s census date and before the last day of teaching (last date to discontinue fail - DF) |
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Log in to Sydney Student (go to ‘My studies’, ‘Units of study’, ‘Other options’, then ‘Discontinue from a unit of study’). |
| HDR students If you would like to withdraw from a coursework unit of study, you wil need to contact Higher Degree by Research Administration Centre (HDRAC). |
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| After the unit’s last date to discontinue fail (DF) |
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You can no longer discontinue from the unit. Your mark will be recorded. |
Having difficulty with a unit
Withdrawing from a subject can be a big decision, as it may have financial or academic consequences.
Access support first
If you’re considering withdrawing from a subject because you are finding the academic content challenging, or your personal or financial circumstances are impacting your studies, know that there is a range of support services available.
If you’re worried about your results and academic progress, we recommend first talking to an academic advisor in your faculty or school.
Work out your options for dropping a unit
You can use our tool to understand what options are available to you depending on your scenario.
Late discontinuation from a unit under special circumstances
If the census date has passed, but you have been impacted by circumstances beyond your control you can apply to discontinue from a unit of study under special circumstances. If your application is approved, you will receive a DC grade which does not count as a fail on your transcript and fees associated with your unit of study will be remitted. Find out more about how this process works.
Withdrawing from all your units
If you intend to withdraw from all your units of study and it's before census, you should look at suspending your studies.
Last updated: 17 August 2022
