Complete your overseas study plan

You’ve received your nomination outcome. It’s time to complete and submit your overseas study plan for approval.

Have you already started an application? Log back in

Must do

  • Understand your requirements

    While on an exchange program, you must be enrolled in the equivalent of at least:

    • For a semester-long program: A minimum of 37.5 equivalent University of Melbourne credit points
    • For a year-long program: A minimum of 75.0 equivalent University of Melbourne credit points.

    In order to receive the appropriate load credited to your degree at the University of Melbourne, you must successfully complete the equivalent load at your host institution as listed in the short-term program’s brochure page in our Programs Database, under Credit Load.

    When exploring your options, you need to research:

    • Subject descriptions (including, where possible, reading lists and topics covered)
    • The level at which the subject is taught (third year, second year graduate, etc)
    • Information about contact hours (per week and the number of weeks)
    • Assessment (ideally the forms of assessment and, if applicable, the number of words required)
    • Any prerequisites
    • The credit point value of each subject.

    You will find this information most commonly on the host institution websites.

    To ensure you are choosing the right subject areas and host institutions for your degree, you should also check our list of rules or restrictions related to your course or faculty.

    In some cases, your host institution may not have released the handbook for the year you intend to study there. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information is as up-to-date as possible at the time of submitting your overseas study plan, and to confirm this on arrival at your host institution or when the updated handbook is released.

  • Submit subjects

    On your application you provided the subject discipline areas you intend to take overseas for your University of Melbourne degree and whether they were core, breadth, or elective. While you don't need to stick to these exactly, you will need to research the subjects offered at your allocated institution and submit on the Overseas Study Planner which ones you would like to take.

    When choosing your subjects, you need to take into consideration whether the subjects are appropriate for your discipline, and how you would like to credit them towards your degree (e.g. as a major subject, elective, breadth etc). You must also ensure your current and future enrolment will not be negatively affected by this decision and that any core subjects will be completed by the end of your degree.

    To get help choosing your overseas subjects, you can:

    • Consult the University of Melbourne Handbook: Check your course and major requirements, taking special note of any core subjects, prerequisites and breadth requirements.
    • Consult your host institution's website: Check out the subjects available to overseas students at your host institution and consult with any listed contacts on your host institution's website.
      Note: Sometimes course handbooks may be named something else such as 'module catalogues' or 'academic calendar'. When possible, we have provided a relevant link in your host institution's Programs Database entry. It's worth doing a little extra research if one is not provided.
    • Consult the 'Credit load' section: Within the host institution's Programs Database entry, there is a 'Credit load' tab which outlines the minimum credit points you need to complete while overseas.
    • Talk to a Stop 1 adviser: Book a course planning appointment with Stop 1 to discuss how to plan subjects for overseas study.
    • Talk to your Discipline Advisers: If you need help selecting major, minor or diploma subject options.
    • Talk to your course Program Director: If you need help selecting breadth or non-specific elective subjects which do not lead to a major/minor. You must contact your course Program Director, not the Program Director of your breadth or non-specific elective.

    Once you have decided which subjects you would like to take at your host institution, you will need to submit them for approval via the overseas study planner.

    We recommend submitting more subjects than you will need, as this will save you time and stress later if one or more of your subjects clash or are cancelled. You can submit up to double the minimum credit points you are required to complete while overseas, as listed in the 'Credit load' section of the host institution's Programs Database entry.

  • Complete your overseas study plan

    An overseas study plan must be completed using the Overseas Study Planner tool. You will be provided with access to the Overseas Study Planner tool when you are allocated to your host institution.

    Your overseas study plan includes a list of the subjects you would like to take overseas. You will also need to include some alternatives in case the subjects are no longer available when you arrive. Remember that for any of these alternative subjects, you will need to consider what type of credit (i.e. elective, breadth, core) they should count for as part of your University of Melbourne degree.

    If any of your original subject choices change after you arrive, you will need to update your overseas study plan. Before enrolling in alternative subjects, you must submit these to the online study planner for approval. Retrospective approvals may be declined by your faculty and therefore credit would not be granted for those subjects.

  • Don't forget about the semester before you leave!

    While you are planning the subjects you want to take overseas, don't forget to plan the subjects you want to take at the University of Melbourne in the semester before you leave and when you return. You want to make sure that you don't accidentally take any subjects in this semester which clash or negate the subjects you plan to take overseas!

    If you need some assistance figuring this out, talk to a Stop 1 adviser.

Keep in mind

Some partner institutions require subjects to be submitted as part of the application process. Once you receive your nomination outcome, check to see what the host institution's requirements are so that you have time to complete your study plan before their application deadline.

You may still need to access and make changes to your overseas study plan once you arrive at your host institution.

Overseas Study Planner vs Study Plan

Remember to distinguish between your Overseas Study Planner (the tool to submit and manage approval of subjects for your overseas study) and your Study Plan (the tool to enrol in subjects at the University of Melbourne).

Good to do

Overseas Study Planner labs

If you are having trouble with your overseas study planner, you can attend a Study Planner Lab to complete it with advisers available to help troubleshoot any issues. These sessions are by invitation only and will be available after you have been allocated your host institution.

What's next?

Step 5: Apply to your host institution