Official guides / Enrolment & course planning

Time limits and maximum intermission period

Official source

Monash University

Last checked: 25 Oct 2026 UTC

What this page covers

Undergraduate
Time limits
Intermission
Postgraduate

Page text

Text and tables taken from the official page, with collapsed sections opened, so it can be read and searched here. Images and forms are not copied, so open the original page when you need to apply or submit something.

Undergraduate

Time limits

The course of study for an undergraduate law (honours) degree must be completed in a minimum of two and a maximum of eight years for a single degree or a minimum of three and a maximum of ten years for a double degree.

Intermission

The dean may, from time to time, grant leave of absence intermission to a candidate for a period not exceeding 12 months, provided that the leave does not extend the relevant time limits prescribed above.

Postgraduate

Visit the intermission (study leave) page

Can I take a semester off?

Yes - it is called intermission, and approval is not automatic. The rules for international students depend on the campus. Australia: you can take up to 12 months during your course, over one or two teaching periods. If you are on a student visa, study leave is approved only in compassionate or compelling circumstances. Before you return, you apply for a new Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE); the page explains when you also need a new student visa. Malaysia: you can take up to two semesters or 12 months, once your first census date has passed, and you should apply before the census date of the current semester. With a Student Pass, intermission for medical reasons lets you stay in Malaysia as long as your Student Pass stays valid, with medical evidence. For any other reason you must cancel your Student Pass and leave Malaysia, and to come back you apply for a new eVisa Approval Letter (eVAL) through the International Student Pass office, between 4 and 2 months before the semester starts. You must still finish within the full-time course duration plus at most 12 months of approved leave.