Units of Study

Units in the Faculty of Arts are divided into Junior and Senior units of study. Each unit is normally one semester in length.

Units of Study - Part A
American Studies Ancient History Anthropology Arabic Language and Literature Arab World, Islam and the Middle East Archaeology Art History Asian Studies Australian Literature Biblical Studies Chinese Studies Classical Studies Cultural Studies Digital Cultures English European Studies Film Studies French Studies	Gender Studies Germanic Studies Government and International Relations Greek (Ancient) Hebrew (Classical) Hebrew (Modern) Heritage Studies Hindi-Urdu (Major may not be available) History Indigenous Australian Studies Indonesian and Malay Studies International and Comparative Literary Studies Italian Studies Japanese Studies Jewish Civilisation, Thought and Culture	Korean Studies Latin Linguistics Medieval Studies Modern Greek Studies Music Pali (no major is offered) Peace and Conflict Studies (no major available) Performance Studies Philosophy Political Economy Sanskrit Social Policy Sociology Spanish and Latin American Studies Studies in Religion Thai (major may not be available) Yiddish

Units of study in the following areas are also available in the Bachelor of Arts degree course:

Units of Study - Part B
Biochemistry Bioinformatics Biology Chemistry Computer Science Economics Education	Environmental Studies Geography Geology and Geophysics History and Philosophy of Science Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management Information Systems Management	Mathematics Microbiology Physics Plant Science Psychology Statistics Work and Organisational Studies

Apart from the above programs, language studies are available from time to time in Aramaic and Syriac. You can contact the School of Languages and Cultures about these studies. Note that not all units of study may be offered each year.

For confirmation and full details of the units of study available, staff lists and degree rules, consult the Undergraduate Handbook.

Can I Vary my Unit of Study Choices After I've Enrolled?

Yes you can! However, it is important to be aware of the time frames within which these changes must be made. For a complete list of the relevant dates, please click here.

Variations of enrolment include adding, withdrawing or discontinuing from units of study.

How do I Add a Unit of Study?

To add a unit of study, log on to Student Administration Services in My Uni and select 'Web Enrolment Variations.' If for any reason, you have a problem varying your enrolment through this website, you'll need to do it on paper at the Faculty of Arts Office or via email from your university email account to:

In this email you must include all of the following information so that your variation can be processed: your full name; the code and name of the unit of study to be added or withdrawn; your 9-digit student number.

If you add one unit of study, you MAY need to withdraw from another one, to make sure that you don't go over the maximum number of credit points allowed.

That the maximum number you can take in your first year is 48 credit points (that is, 24 in each semester of your first year). In later years you may 'overload' and take up to 30 credit points in each semester. Please note, however, that we strongly recommend that you do not take more than 24 credit points per semester.

Students who overload almost never do as well as they would if they were taking a normal load, and often end up failing one or more of the units they have taken.

How do I Withdraw from a Unit of Study?

The Commonwealth Assistance (HECS) census date is the last day on which you can withdraw from a unit of study that you've enrolled in for a given semester. The census date for semester 1 is March 31st. The census date for semester 2 is August 31st. It is important to remember that this date sometimes falls on a weekend so it is advisable not to leave any withdrawals to the last minute.

If you are enrolled in a unit of study after the census date, you will incur a debt for that unit. You will be liable for that debt EVEN if you discontinue the unit later, or fail the unit, or EVEN if you never actually attend any classes in that unit at all.

If you withdraw from a unit before or on the census date, it's as if you had never enrolled in the unit: no result appears on your academic transcript, and there's no Commonwealth Assistance or Fee liability.

To withdraw from a unit of study, log on to myUni and select 'Web Enrolment Variations'. If for any reason you have a problem varying your enrolment through this website, then you'll need to do it on paper through the Faculty of Arts Office or via email from your university email account. Remember to include your full name, the unit of study code/s and name/s to be withdrawn, and your student number, and send your request to:

What if I want to Withdraw from a Unit of Study after the Last Date for Withdrawal?

Unfortunately, once the census date has passed, it is no longer possible to withdraw from a unit of study. Instead, if you no longer wish to complete the unit of study you will need to discontinue.

How do I Discontinue from a Unit of Study?

Discontinuation from a unit of study is not the same as withdrawal. If you discontinue a unit before the last date for discontinuation without failure, the unit appears on your transcript with the result of DNF (Discontinued Not Fail) and you do still incur a debt (i.e. Commonwealth Assistance or Fee debt) for that unit.
Click here for important dates.

Even though discontinuation is not ideal, if you are really not coping with a particular unit for some reason, it could be a better alternative that to continue your enrolment for that unit but fail to complete the assessment requirements satisfactorily, and end up with a grade of Absent Fail (AF) or Fail (F) on your transcript.

To discontinue a unit of study, go to the Faculty of Arts Office on or before the last day to discontinue without failure and complete a Variation of Enrolment form, or email a request from your university email account to

What if I want to Discontinue after the Last Day to Discontinue Without Failure?

You can discontinue a unit of study after the last date to discontinue without failure. In this case, the result will be recorded on your transcript as Discontinued - Fail (DF). You will still incur a debt (i.e. Commonwealth Assistance or Fee debt) for that unit.

You may be considered for a Discontinued - Not Fail (DNF) grade after the deadline if you show evidence of serious illness or misadventure. For more information on applying for a DNF after the deadline, including the application form, click here.