Official guides / Enrolment & course planning

Overloading and underloading

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Monash University

Last checked: 25 Oct 2026 UTC

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International students

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The standard undergraduate study load per year is 48 credit points (24 credit points per semester).

To apply to change your enrolment - Overloading or Underloading - and for information about the implications for Domestic and International students, visit the webpage below.

Study load (overload and underload)

International students

You should be aware that an enrolment in less than 24 credit points per semester can have implications for your student visa.

Related questions

Can I take more units than a full-time load (overload)?

Overloading means enrolling in more than the standard load, and it needs approval. Australia: you can request it if, within the last 12 months, you completed 48 credit points and have a WAM of 60 or higher. Exceptions may apply to high-achieving students in approved programs, and some courses do not allow it because of professional accreditation or clinical requirements. Submit the Overload Request form at least five University working days before the teaching period starts, once you have your results from the previous teaching period; you hear back within five working days. Malaysia: it is usually limited to students who completed 48 credit points in two consecutive semesters at Monash University Malaysia and had a credit average of 60% or higher in the previous year, including failed units. Apply with the overload form in SORS (sors.monash.edu.my/sites/student-online-forms/enrol/overload-semester-enrolment) by Friday of Week 2 of the semester; a fee applies if a late addition is approved. The School of Business FAQ says an overload is usually one more unit, five units in a semester, subject to faculty approval. If you have a scholarship, bursary or study loan, check with its office first.

Can I take less than a full-time load on a student visa (underload)?

Only with approval, and the rules depend on the campus. Australia: on a student visa you must finish your course in the time stated on your CoE, so you can apply to underload only for compassionate or compelling circumstances, such as serious illness or a course structure that prevents a standard load. You do not need approval if you are in your final year and will finish within the time on your CoE. Apply before 11.59pm (Melbourne time) on the census date. Malaysia: with a Student Pass, a full-time load is 48 credit points a year (usually 24 a semester). You can go down to no less than 18 credit points a semester, and only for an academic progress condition; course structure, progression rules or unit availability; illness or exceptional personal circumstances; or a final semester or year that needs fewer credit points. Talk to the International Student Pass Office (mum.student.visa@monash.edu) about your Student Pass first, then apply with the underload form in SORS (sors.monash.edu.my/sites/student-online-forms/enrol/underload-application) with supporting documents by Friday of Week 2 of the semester to avoid a financial penalty. If you have a scholarship, bursary or study loan, check with its office too. Below 18 credit points a semester you have to apply for intermission.

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