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Online study

International students are restricted in the amount of online (cloud based) study they can do. The following is very important information.

Can I study online (cloud) units as an international student?

Yes, according to Standard 9 of the National Code, international students may study online units as long as they comply with the 25% rule.

International students on a student visa MUST enrol in at least one on campus (face-to-face) unit in each compulsory study period and must complete their course within the duration specified on their CoE. You can NOT enrol exclusively in an online of distance education unit in a compulsory study period.

What is the 25% rule?

A registered provider may not allow an onshore international student to do more than 25% of their total course by online and/or off campus study. This means that you can study up to 25% of your total course by online and/or off campus study, but not more than 25%.

How is the 25% rule calculated?

You can not do more than 25% of your TOTAL course by online and/or off campus units. Your total course refers to the total number of units you are studying at Deakin.

Example 1:

You are studying a 24 credit point bachelor degree. Each unit is worth 1 credit point. You have no CPL (credit for prior learning) and you have not studied any online or off campus units. How many online or off campus units can you study?

In this example, you can study up to a maximum of 6 units by online and/or off campus study. This is because 6 is 25% of the full 24 units your are going to do.

Example 2:

You are studying a 24 credit point bachelor degree. Each unit is worth 1 credit point. You have 8 CPL (credit for prior learning) and you have not studied any online or off campus units. How many online or off campus units can you study?

In this example, the total number of units that you will study at Deakin is 16 units. This is because you have already completed 8 units somewhere else and have received CPL for those units. Therefore, the 25% rule applies to the remaining 16 units you have to study at Deakin. This means that you can study up to 4 units by online and/or off campus study as 4 is 25% of 16.

Please note: The 25% rule applies to all completed units. It does not include failed units.

Example 3:

You are studying a 24 credit point bachelor degree. Each unit is worth 1 credit point. You have no CPL (credit for prior learning) and you have attempted 6 online units. You have failed 3 of these and passed 3.

In this example, you can do another 3 units online as the three failed units are not considered in the calculation.

What happens if I exceed the 25% rule?

If you exceed the 25% rule, you will not be eligible for a new CoE. This will mean that you will need to return to your home country and complete your course as an off campus student.