Plan your course

Taking the time to plan your course will make enrolling easier. The planning process involves viewing how your course is structured, familiarising yourself with the units required and, for many courses, selecting some or all your units.

To plan your course, you should first log-in to DeakinSync and read the instructions. Then, access your course entry in the University Handbook and download your course map.

The University Handbook and your course map

The University Handbook is the official source of information on your course and the units that Deakin is offering in a particular year. Generally, you need to follow the course rules in the Handbook for the year you commenced your course.

Your course map is a visual tool that will help you understand the structure and rules of your course. It will provide an overview of the units required to complete your course, and the suggested sequence. You will find a link to download a PDF of your course map in your Handbook entry.

Look up your course in the University Handbook and download your course map

Select the Handbook for the year you are beginning your course.
Use the course search to find your course by entering your course code or title.
Your course entry includes your course map which shows the structure of your course and the units included in it. You can also view the course rules and the major and/or minor units in your area of study.

It’s a good idea to bookmark your course entry and save your course map (or, you could print it out and fill it in with a pen). You should have both on hand when you’re ready to enrol.

You can watch the video or read the tips below for more detail on how to find your course and select your units.

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Planning your enrolment

How to find your course and identify you units you want to study.

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Tips for planning your enrolment

Proper course planning is essential to graduating on time and avoiding paying unnecessary fees. Once you’ve accessed your course Handbook entry and downloaded your course map, you can begin to select your units.

Firstly, it important to understand the course rules and requirements specific to your course.
A unit is a component of your course. All courses require you to complete a fixed number of units to successfully complete your course. There may be compulsory core units, or you may need to choose units as electives or units to build toward majors or minors. This is where your course map becomes very helpful.
Once you have your course map, you can determine if you need to select units, or if you pre-enrolled and need to confirm units.
If you are required to select units you must remember to check if there are co-requisite units (studied at the same time) or pre-requisite units (completes prior to taking the unit). These details are listed in the unit details and in your course map.
Your study load is another important thing to consider. You can choose to complete your course full-time or part-time, and this will affect how many units you complete each study period. Most courses provide you with the flexibility to study either part-time or full-time, but you should check your course entry to see if there are any restrictions.

Other important considerations

Get your Unique Student Identifier (USI)

To accept and enrol in your course, you’ll need a Unique Student Identifier (USI). Your USI is a government-issued individual education number. All higher education students (domestic and international campus-based) require one to maintain enrolment and graduate, as well as access any Commonwealth assistance for fees. You cannot accept and enrol without it.

You can create one now on the Create your USI webpage. You may already have a USI if you’ve studied at university or TAFE before. Remember that the personal details you use to generate your USI and to accept and enrol in StudentConnect must match.

Full-time or part-time study

With most courses, you have the option to switch your study load between part-time and full-time by changing the number of units you are enrolled in.

Each unit is generally worth one credit point. If you're enrolled in three or more credit points in a study period, you're considered a full-time student. Less than three units is considered part-time study.

Changing your enrolment load from full-time to part-time will have implications on Austudy, ABSTUDY or Youth Allowance. If you currently receive one of these allowances, please refer to the Department of Human Services website for more information.

Apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL)

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is the opportunity for you to gain course credit for previous formal or informal study. This credit can help you complete your course faster, as well as reduce the cost of your tuition. If you’ve completed previous study, or have previous knowledge, experience or professional qualifications, you can learn more and prepare an application for RPL.

If you intend to apply for RPL or are waiting for your RPL outcome, you should still proceed to accept and enrol.

Understand your financial obligations

All Deakin students are required to pay fees. Your offer letter will confirm the type of place you have, whether it is a Commonwealth supported place (CSP), a domestic fee-paying place, or other. Your fees are based on your place type, as well as your course and the units that you select.

Our fees webpage has comprehensive information about your fees based on your place type.

When you accept and enrol in your place at Deakin, it's important to:

understand the type of place you have and the fees associated with your course of study
estimate your course fees using our fee estimator tool, so you know approximately how much your fees will be
learn when you can access an invoice, how to view and pay your invoice, and the due dates for payment.

Please note: If you are studying at Deakin during your VCE as an Accelerate student, you are not required to pay tuition fees.

Your Tax File Number

As a domestic student, if you wish to use HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP or SA-HELP, you will need to provide us with your Tax File Number (TFN). Your TFN is your personal reference number for the taxation system and is provided by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

You can learn more about your TFN here. If you don’t have a TFN, you can apply for one now on the Australian Government website. When you accept and enrol in StudentConnect, you will be prompted to input your TFN, so it’s a good idea to have it ready.

Depending on your circumstances, if you have a myGovID, an Australian passport and other form of Australian identity documents like a Medicare card you should be able to get a TFN instantly via the ATO. Otherwise, it can take up to 28 working days for you to receive your TFN. You can still accept and enrol without providing your TFN, but you must remember to add it to your HELP forms in StudentConnect before census date. Otherwise, you will need to pay your fees upfront or risk your enrolment being discontinued.