Student FAQs

The UNSW Handbook outlines the courses you need to complete to graduate. Students must follow the Handbook of the year they commenced their degree. UNSW publishes a revised version of the Handbook every year, so make sure you only use the latest Handbook to choose your courses.

Consult our Student resources if you need further clarification on the Handbook rules. We also recommend you view the progression plans which maps out the courses required.

If in doubt, please contact The Nucleus: Student Hub.

The last date to drop a course without financial and academic penalty is called the Census Date. It will be the Sunday of Week four for each term. 

Visit Enrolment deadlines for more information.  

There is a very important difference. “Drop” means that you'll be removed from the course, you won’t be enrolled anymore. “Swap” means that you want to stay enrolled in a course, but you want to swap to a different class time (for example, swapping a Monday tutorial to a Wednesday tutorial). If you only want to swap a class, always use the “Swap” button. If you use the drop button, you’ll lose your place in the course, and we can’t guarantee that you can get back in.

Here you can find guides to enrolling in your courses.

“Pending” is an error message which means you have not been enrolled and that you need to speak to a Student Advisor to resolve the issue. A pending status will always have an error message associated with it, advising you exactly what the problem is—for example, a timetable clash or a full class.

If the issue is known, you can submit the relevant online form.

Yes - any faculty except Science. Please note that some cross-discipline degrees (e.g. Data Science and Decisions and Medical Science) have restrictions on General Education courses from other faculties, so please check the Handbook for the program rules for your degree. Don't forget that double degree students don't need General Education as you're already doing courses from two faculties. 

Students can apply for a timetable clash approval. There are rules about timetable clash approval. The main ones to note are that clashes will only be considered if there is no alternative option and they must not involve missing compulsory classes such as tutorials and labs.

“Lower” and “higher” level courses don't have any bearing on your WAM. All courses are weighted the same. We have different levels of courses because students have different needs depending on their chosen major. For example, a student majoring in Mathematics requires a more in-depth math course in the first year to prepare them for later studies.  

A student majoring in Biology, however, doesn't require such in-depth knowledge, so we have a different Maths course to cater for students doing life Sciences majors. This isn’t to say that a Biology major student can’t choose to do a higher Maths course. 

For first year Biology courses, you're not expected to have studied Biology beforehand. For first year Maths, Chemistry and Physics courses, however, there are different courses based on what your prior knowledge is, so if you're in this position, we recommend that you contact the Science Student Services at the Nucleus: Student Hub.

See here for more information about bridging courses.

If you're interested in online only electives you'll need to check out the UNSW Handbook and UNSW Timetable to see if the elective you want to do has a fully online offering.  

View our Online science courses. 

A major is a defined sequence of study within a program (e.g. Bachelor of Science with a Major in Chemistry). It's possible to do more than one major in some programs.

It is recommended to view the Handbook for your program and also the Progression Plans.

A minor is a specified sequence of study within a discipline or sub-discipline, smaller in size and scope than a major. 

Students have the option to use their electives to take a minor as a secondary academic discipline without having to cover the full scope of a second major. This will be recorded on your transcript but not your degree testamur.  

Students are officially advised to declare their major(s) at the end of their first year. You can change it at any time within your degree. More information about Specialisation Declarations can be found here.
 
You can declare your major using the “Specialisation Declaration” tool in your Student Profile tab on myUNSW. 

It depends on how large each major is and how much crossover there is between the two majors. Check the UNSW Handbook and look up both majors to confirm. Add the total Units of Credit (UoC) for both majors (and minus the UoC which overlap or count towards both majors) and if the result is 96 UoC or less, that equates to a standard degree duration. More than 96 UoC means it will take extra time to complete your degree. 

We recommend you also map out your study plan for each year to ensure you can take the core courses when they are offered. You can view the Progression Plans and the Major structures to get an idea of the layouts. 

You can apply for an Internal Program Transfer (IPT).

Visit Undergraduate Internal Program Transfer for more information.  You can also re-apply through UAC if you're a domestic student or Apply online if you’re an international student. 

Visit Postgraduate Program Transfer for more information.

For example, if you are in a Bachelor of Science/Arts and want to drop Arts and only complete the Science degree (or vice versa): 

You’ll need to apply via Internal Program Transfer (IPT). 

This is known as “lateral entry.” It’s extremely competitive. There are only 10 places available each year and many Medical Science students apply.  

For more information, visit Medicine undergraduate entry   

A WAM is a “weighted average mark.”

Each course (both those you've passed and those you've failed) is added up with a weighting of the UoC for that course and an average is then calculated.  

View our guide on calculating weighted average mark (WAM). 

Each course a student undertakes at UNSW is assessed using a variety of methods.

Course authorities are responsible for assigning a single, final result to each student who has enrolled in any of their courses throughout the semester.

This result generally takes the form of a mark between 0 and 100 which determines your final grade.

Find information about the UNSW grading system.

You can apply to have courses/study that you've undertaken (and passed) at another institution credited towards your UNSW degree, meaning you'll have fewer courses to complete here.  

Visit Credit transfer and download and complete an advanced standing credit application. 

For more information about Science, please see our Honours: How to Apply page. 

You can find course outlines on Moodle or here.

Note: Some Moodle sites may not be live until week 1 so don’t panic if one or more of your courses is missing on your Moodle home page. 

Generally speaking, tutorials and labs are compulsory and attendance will be recorded. Attendance at lectures is not normally compulsory, but there are exceptions. Your course coordinator will always let you know what your attendance requirements are.  

We highly recommend that you attend lectures even if they're not compulsory. Lectures are interactive events and you'll have a more enjoyable learning experience and learn a lot more than reading lecture notes at home. Lecture recordings are also available on Moodle, but are designed to be revision tools rather than a replacement for live lectures. 

Every course has a course outline, which is published in Moodle. This will outline what your assessments are for the course. 

Due dates for assessments will be published in your course outlines. Exam dates are determined by a special unit at UNSW and are only published midway through the term. 

For more information, visit UNSW Exams.  

The Advanced Science (Honours) program is specially designed for innovative thinkers with exceptional scientific knowledge and skills. It targets talented students and offers access to science communication courses, advanced level courses and includes an honours research year.  

Those interested in pursuing higher research degree (PhD or Masters) are highly recommended to pursue an Advanced Science (Honours) degree.  

The Bachelor of Science program is ideal for students who seek a generalist science degree in which there is a large element of choice and opportunity to study across many scientific areas. Outstanding students can also apply for an additional honours research year at the end of the 3-year science program. 

Our science graduates work in a wide range of industries. Browse the UNSW Employability page for more details.  

Our SCIF3199 Science Work Placement Course grants students 6 UoC for a work placement that is relevant to their major and is approved by the school.  

The Advanced Science (Honours) program is specially designed for innovative thinkers with exceptional scientific knowledge and skills. It targets talented students and offers access to science communication courses, advanced level courses and includes an honours research year.  

Those interested in pursuing higher research degree (PhD or Masters) are highly recommended to pursue an Advanced Science (Honours) degree.  

The Bachelor of Science program is ideal for students who seek a generalist science degree in which there is a large element of choice and opportunity to study across many scientific areas. Outstanding students can also apply for an additional honours research year at the end of the 3-year science program. 

You will be able to find more information about the Exchange program here.

Students are typically able to go on exchange during their second term of second year. You should check with the Nucleus: Student Hub if you are unsure when you can go, and also contact the Exchange office about studying overseas.

Visit Peer mentoring to find out more. 

The UNSW Bookstore has a textbook and course manual search tool on their website. 

Your course coordinator and your course Moodle site will also outline the course materials you need.

A student society is a group run by students, generally grouped by a common interest. At UNSW, official student societies need to be registered and affiliated with Arc@UNSW. It’s a great way to meet new people and make friends.  

To join one, contact the society directly by going to one of their stalls during O-Week, or contact them via Arc@UNSW. 

For more information on student life including sports at UNSW, see the Student life webpage.

There is no special designated area for STEM students to study, but if you want to connect with fellow students and form study groups, your best bet is to join the relevant student society.  

Browse our Science student societies.