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.
A student’s online allowance is the total number of credits points they are allowed to complete and pass in their course. It is calculated by dividing the total number of credits points a student will complete in their Deakin course by 3 and rounding to the closest whole number. Advanced standing and zero credit point units is not included in the calculation. Any units which the student has failed, do not reduce the student’s remaining online allowance. Only units which the student has completed and passed are considered.
Please note the following table as a quick reference.
| Course duration | Total online allowance |
|---|---|
| 4 credit points* | 1 credit point |
| 8 credit points** | 3 credit points |
| 12 credit points | 4 credit points |
| 16 credit points* | 5 credit points |
| 24 credit points | 8 credit points |
| 32 credit points** | 11 credit points |
| 40 credit points* | 13 credit points |
* 4, 16 and 40 credit points when divided by 3 have 0.33 remainder. These have been rounded down to 1, 5 and 13 respectively.
** 8 and 32 credit points when divided by 3 have 0.66 remainder. These have been rounded up to 3 and 11 respectively.
Total online allowance = round to closest number (Course total credit points - advance standing) / 3)
Please note:
- Online allowance for students who were enrolled between 2020–2022 and were allowed flexible learning arrangements during COVID is calculated based on their number of credit points remaining at the start of T2 2023.
- The one third (or equivalent) rule only applies to student visa holders. Other temporary resident (non-student) visa holders are not subject to this limitation. If a student returns home to complete their course as an online student, they no longer need to adhere to the one third (or equivalent) rule.
If you have any questions we encourage you to speak with a student adviser.
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.