Online study
As an international student, you are restricted in the amount of online study you can undertake. The following is very important information.
Can I study online units as an international student?
Yes, according to Standard 8 of the National Code, international students may study online units as long as they comply with the one third (or equivalent) rule. Standard 8 of the National Code of the National Code 2018 requires students to be enrolled in at least one face-to-face unit in each compulsory study period unless the student is completing their final unit of study.
What is the one third (or equivalent) rule?
A registered provider may not allow an onshore international student to do more than one third (or equivalent) of their total course by online study.
How is the one third (or equivalent) rule calculated?
Course duration | Volume of allowable online or distance learning |
4 credit points | 1 credit point |
8 credit points | 2 credit points |
12 credit points | 4 credit points* |
16 credit points | 5 credit points |
24 credit points | 8 credit points* |
32 credit points | 10 credit points |
40 credit points | 13 credit points |
In 12 and 24 credit point courses, we round up the calculation to allow you additional online units within the one third (or equivalent) rule. The course duration refers to the total number of units you are studying at Deakin.
- 12 credit point course at 33% online allowable is 3.96 units. We have rounded to allow 4 units
- 24 credit point course at 33% online allowable is 7.92 units. We have rounded to allow 8 units
Example 1
A student is studying a 24 credit point bachelor degree. Each unit is worth 1 credit point. The student has 8 credit points for RPL (recognition of prior learning) and they have not studied any online or off campus units.
In this example, the total number of units that the student will study at Deakin is 16. This is because they have already completed 8 units somewhere else and have received RPL for those units. Therefore, the rule applies to the remaining 16 units. This means that they can study up to 5 units online (16 units at 33%). Failed units are not considered in the calculation.
Example 2
A student is studying a 24 credit point bachelor degree. Each unit is worth 1 credit point. The student has no RPL (recognition of prior learning) and they have attempted 8 online units. The student has failed 4 of these and passed 4.
In this example, the student is allowed to complete up to 8 units online. As the student has only passed 4 online units, they are eligible to complete another 4 online units. This is because failed units are not considered in the calculation.
What happens if I exceed the one third (or equivalent) rule?
If you exceed the rule, you will not be eligible for a new CoE. Without a current CoE, you will need to return to your home country and complete your course as an online student.