Transferring courses

If you are a current coursework student looking to transfer to another University of Melbourne course, explore your options and find out how to apply.

Current students can apply to change or ‘transfer’ their current course within Melbourne at the same course level (eg from one bachelors course to another bachelors course). In most circumstances a transfer involves applying for a new course. Your application will be considered alongside all external applications and equally weighted against new students. Selection is based on several factors including satisfying the entry requirements, the availability of places and your academic performance.

Overview

  1. Check that you have met all entry requirements of the new course. Be aware of the available application intakes and deadlines.
  2. Remain enrolled in your current course
  3. Apply for the new course
  4. If successful, accept your new course offer
  5. If applicable, apply for advanced standing (credit for prior learning)
  6. Enrol in subjects in your new course
  7. Submit a course withdrawal request for your current course
  8. If you have changed faculty, attend your faculty Orientation session

Before applying

It's important to plan for your new proposed course, which includes understanding the rules, structure and subject options. Each course has individual rules that you should check using the Handbook and your faculty or graduate school’s course planning resources. You can use these resources to plan your subjects in advance so you are ready to enrol.

Changing courses also introduces some new considerations such as:

  • Will you be eligible for advanced standing (credit for prior learning)?
  • Do you meet the prerequisites for subjects in the new course?
  • What is your new expected course duration?
  • What subjects will you be studying in your first semester?
  • Will your new course intake (start-year or mid-year) affect subject availability?

Meeting prerequisites

Even though you’re already at Melbourne you will still need to meet any prerequisites to be eligible for entry into the new course. You can use find a course to view entry prerequisites for each course.

For undergraduate courses, prerequisites will sometimes already be satisfied with the secondary study you completed. In other cases you might need to complete equivalent University of Melbourne subjects (or alternative online options) while enrolled in your current course to meet the prerequisites. Find out more about how to meet undergraduate course prerequisites.

Mid-year entry

A number of undergraduate and graduate courses accept applications for mid-year entry. If you’ve only completed one semester of an undergraduate course, your transfer application will be assessed by looking at both your secondary and tertiary results.

You may need to wait for Semester 1 results release before you receive a new course offer for the Semester 2 intake. For mid-year VTAC applications, the majority of offers are released in the later offer rounds. There may be limited time to accept your offer and enrol before the semester starts, so it’s important to be ready to apply for advanced standing and to think about your subject enrolment in advance.

If your application is unsuccessful

The number of available places in each course is limited and varies with each intake. When planning to change your course, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan in case you are unsuccessful the first time you apply.

Stay on track with your current course

You should enrol in subjects for the following semester of your current course while waiting for the outcome of your new course application. If you do not receive an offer for a new course, you will have the option to continue in your current course. For undergraduate students, there may be scope for a change of direction by trying a new discipline or changing your major. If this is an option for you, make sure you are aware of how to meet your current course requirements. Refer to your course rules using the Handbook and your faculty or graduate school's course planning resources to ensure you are still on track to graduate.

Continue to plan for a change of course

If you decide to keep studying until the next application and offer round, you may be able to enrol in subjects that will contribute to the structure of your proposed new course:

  • For undergraduate courses, the flexible structure may allow you to enrol in breadth and elective subjects that you will be able to carry over into your new course after a successful future application.
  • For graduate courses there may be some shared subject options but are generally these are too specialised to allow for enrolment in subjects from outside the set course structure. You can compare the Handbook of the two courses to check if there is any crossover in your subject options.

Please keep in mind that the University cannot provide guarantees on which subjects will be credited into your new course until you have been formally assessed for advanced standing.

Need advice?

Book an appointment with a course adviser to discuss your options if you need further guidance about changing your course.

How to apply

Meeting prerequisites does not guarantee selection and all applications undergo a competitive selection process. Do not withdraw from your current course until you have received and accepted an offer for a new course.

  • Undergraduate students
    • Domestic students: you will need to apply with the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Find out more about transferring courses as a domestic student.
    • International students: you will need to apply with the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Find out more about transferring courses as an international student. If your application is successful you will be issued with a new Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) reflecting the new course details and duration. You can use the new CoE to apply to renew your visa. You should start this process no earlier than four months before your current visa expires.
  • Graduate students

    Most graduate courses require a new course application to the University, except where faculties allow for internal transfers. You can check the application process for your proposed new course using find a course. For eligible domestic students wanting to be considered for a Commonwealth Supported Place, you'll be considered on a competitive basis with the wider pool of applicants based on your academic record.

    Graduate schools currently offering internal transfers include:

    International student visa holders

    If your transfer application is successful you will be issued with a new Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) reflecting the new course details and duration. You can use the new CoE to apply to renew your visa. You should start this process no earlier than four months before your current visa expires.

  • Graduate researchers

    Visit the Graduate Research Hub for information on how to transfer to another graduate research degree.