Research candidate enrolment

Find information about your Higher Degree Research (HDR) enrolment process

Personalise

As a HDR candidate, your enrolment is tailored to the research that you're doing.

Look out for emails about your enrolment process from the Graduate Research School (GRS). These emails will detail any specific requirements and deadlines for your Higher Degree Research (HDR) program enrolment.

You can start enrolling in courses once you have completed both Accept Online Part 1 and Part 2.

You must complete your enrolment by the term start date. Make sure to check this date and other key dates, opens in a new window for Summer Term, Term 1, Term 2 and Term 3 each year.

Important note for overseas students

If you’re an international student, you must obtain an appropriate visa covering your length of study before completing Accept Online Part 2. As an international student, it’s your responsibility to ensure you hold the correct visa. Refer to the Department of Home Affairs, opens in a new window for more information.

International students must also enrol in a full-time load, as required by their visa.

All HDR candidates living overseas are expected to relocate to Australia to complete their program. Do not proceed with Accept Online Part 2 or the enrolment process until you have arrived in Australia, opens in a new window.

Begin your Higher Degree Research program by enrolling with our two-step process.

a) Log in to the 'Update Your Enrolment' section on myUNSW

b) On the Year Selection page, click 'Update Enrolment' on the row that indicates your current program and the correct year:

If you can't see your program details for the upcoming year, contact the Graduate Research School for help.

c) Select a term, starting with Summer Term. Click 'Recommended Courses' to automatically show your required courses.

Select only your thesis course and click on 'Select Courses'. Repeat the steps for all future terms in the academic year.

e) Select the courses in your enrolment basket by ticking the box beside each one under Select? and then click 'Confirm Enrolment Request':

f) On the Confirm Enrolment Request page, click 'Submit Enrolment Request':

g) You should then get a Success message:

Your updated Course Enrolment page will now display a single green tick beside the courses you have successfully enrolled in:

Mark as done
Note: The following steps must be completed to finalise enrolment, even for research students who may not be required to attend classes.

a) Continuing from Step 1, click Select Classes.

b) On the Class Timetable page, choose classes for each of your courses from the options on the left-hand side.

c) When you have chosen all of your classes, click 'Select Classes':

Thesis courses do not have any timetabled classes. However, you are still required to select your class (e.g. THE 1234) to confirm your enrolment. This means that when you select your classes, your timetable on the right-hand side may remain empty.

d) Click the drop-down arrows beside each course in your enrolment basket to check your class details. To proceed with registration, tick the box under Select? beside each course and click 'Confirm Enrolment Request':

e) On the Confirm Enrolment Request page, click 'Submit Enrolment Request':

f) You should then get a Success message:

Your updated enrolment basket will now display two green ticks beside each course that you have successfully enrolled and registered in.

If you do not have both green ticks next to a course, this means that you have not completed class registration and you are at risk of being dropped from the course.

Mark as done

Note: If you require assistance to complete your enrolment, reach out to the Graduate Research School via grs@unsw.edu.au for help and view our guide to enrolment errors.

Ensure you're enrolled and registered for every term.

If you don't clarify your enrolment status for each term, your candidature will be discontinued. To prevent this, you must either:

Enrol in the required course load (full-time or part-time) for each term by the term start date, opens in a new window

Submit a Program Leave, opens in a new window request and stay enrolled until you receive approval.

If your enrolment lapses and your candidature is discontinued, contact the Graduate Research School for re-admission information via grs@unsw.edu.au.

Please note: HDR candidates cannot drop or swap courses on myUNSW.

If you want to drop your enrolment, you will need to apply for official Program Leave.

If you believe you have enrolled in the wrong course, contact the Graduate Research School via grs@unsw.edu.au for assistance.

Check whether your program includes required or voluntary coursework to support your research.

In addition to your thesis units, there may be compulsory coursework you must complete as part of your HDR program.

You can also opt to complete voluntary coursework if it will directly assist with your research. Voluntary coursework may involve enrolling as either a graded or auditing student. Voluntary coursework units do not count towards your HDR program and you will not be financially liable for these courses.

The Graduate Research School manages coursework enrolment, following approval from your program coordinators. For support enrolling in coursework, reach out to your school or faculty, opens in a new window.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The Graduate Research School (grs@unsw.edu.au) is available to help you with any questions or concerns you may have about your program.
The Graduate Research School processes coursework enrolment. To request coursework or find out about coursework requirements, contact your school or faculty, opens in a new window.
Yes, the Summer Term is one of the four terms that make up the HDR calendar.

All HDR candidates are required to maintain constant enrolment unless on approved Program Leave, opens in a new window. Your candidature may lapse if you don’t meet these criteria.
Yes, you should enrol in all available terms that appear for you on myUNSW.

If you do not want to enrol in one or more terms, you need to apply for Program Leave, opens in a new window through the Graduate Research Information System (GRIS).

If you are in the final year of your research program and submit your thesis, the Graduate Research School will remove any future enrolment for you.

Any other variation to candidature must be submitted through GRIS.
HDR candidates are required to clarify their enrolment status by the first day of the term.

If you do not clarify your status, your candidature may be considered lapsed and you will have until the census date of the term to clarify your enrolment details. Key dates can be found in the HDR Academic Calendar.
If you want to take program leave in the upcoming term, you will need to apply through the Graduate Research Information System (GRIS), opens in a new window. If your program leave is approved, you’ll be removed from courses you’re enrolled in.
You may be able to enrol yourself via myUNSW, opens in a new window closer to the start of the term. If you need further assistance, contact the Graduate Research School via grs@unsw.edu.au.
No, the Graduate Research School manages all overtime enrolment. The GRS will enrol you in the terms that you have been approved for overtime enrolment.
You may have an enrolment block placed on your account. Check your myUNSW, opens in a new window home page for notifications.

Enrolment blocks are placed when you have an outstanding library fine, outstanding tuition fees, or unpaid Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF).

If you need further support, contact the Graduate Research School via grs@unsw.edu.au.
Prior to the start of Summer Term each year, you will be eligible to enrol in as many as four terms for the upcoming academic year if you are on the term calendar.

If you see less than four terms, it's likely because you will reach the maximum enrolment at some point that year (four years for a PhD or two years for a Masters).

Should you need advice on the overtime enrolment process or further clarification, visit the Overtime Enrolment, opens in a new window page or contact your Candidature Management Officer, opens in a new window at the GRS.
Once you've identified the courses you're required to complete, head to myUNSW to complete the 2-step enrolment process for the term. If you need further assistance with your enrolment, contact grs@unsw.edu.au.
There are no limits to the number of courses you can add to your enrolment basket. Two yellow triangles indicate that you have added the course to your basket but are not enrolled in or registered for that course.

Ensure the courses you'd like to enrol in for the upcoming term have two green ticks in place of the triangles. These indicate that you have successfully enrolled and registered for those courses.
As a research student, your schedule will vary from student to student and this is determined by you and your supervisor. Instead of set class times, you will have consultation sessions with your supervisor throughout each term. Consultation sessions are not recorded on myUNSW. You will only have classes if you are enrolled in coursework.
Yes, you should enrol even if you plan to submit your thesis by the census date.

If you do submit your thesis by the census date of the term, your enrolment for that term and any future terms will be dropped and you will not be liable for fees.

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