Academic progress

An overview of what happens if you don't meet academic progress requirements for your course.

As a coursework student, it's your responsibility to maintain a satisfactory academic standard to be allowed to continue your studies. If you have failed subject/s or have withdrawn from all subjects after the census date, you may not have met the academic progress requirements for your course and will receive an email with important information about your academic progress. If you receive an email, it is important you engage with the process and follow the detailed instructions provided.

Depending on how many subjects you fail, or what type of subjects you fail, you will either receive a notification for an ‘at risk’ submission or a Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC) meeting.

Review periods

'At Risk' appointments and Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC) meetings generally happen twice a year. Depending on the study period for your subjects, you may be asked to meet either in the First Half Year or Second Half Year.

First Half Year meetings
(held between July to August)

Second Half Year meetings
(held between December to January)

Summer TermWinter Term
Semester 1Semester 2
January June
FebruaryJuly
MarchAugust
AprilSeptember
MayOctober
Term 1Term 2
Term 4Term 3
November and December from the previous yearYear Long subjects

Sanction alerts in my.unimelb

If you notice that you have a 'USP' sanction in my.unimelb before the official results release date, this means that you will receive an email with further instructions. Learn more about when a USP sanction will be removed.

At risk

Sometimes students experience difficulties during their studies, and you might worry about what happens if you fail. If the University is concerned about your progress, you will receive a notification in your student email alerting you that you are ‘at risk’ and that we would like to hear from you.

While you might feel concerned or disappointed, the purpose of these notifications is to reach out to support you to get you back on track. It’s important to know that you are not alone and that many students who have been identified as at risk go on to successfully complete their studies.

To start the recovery process, you will be asked to complete a Return to Good Standing Plan. A link to your Return to Good Standing Plan will be sent to your student email on or after the final results release date. The Return to Good Standing Plan is a self-help tool that guides you through questions to reflect on your situation, provides advice and suggests options for support services related to your specific needs.

If you would like to discuss your reflections or receive additional support, you can also book an at risk appointment with an adviser to go through your plan together.

  • First half-year 2024 notification and meeting dates

    There are three rounds of email notifications depending on when all of your results are finalised:

    Round Notification date Meeting dates
    Round 1
    For students whose results are all finalised by the results release date
    Friday 5 July 2024To be confirmed
    Round 2
    For students who were awarded special assessment or whose results were not finalised by the results release date
    Friday 2 August 2024To be confirmed
    Round 3
    For students who were awarded special assessment or whose results were not finalised by the results release date
    To be confirmedTo be confirmed
  • Second half-year 2024 notification and meeting dates

    There are two rounds of email notifications depending on when all of your results are finalised:

    Round Notification date Meeting dates
    Round 1
    For students whose results are all finalised by the results release date
    Friday 29 November 2024To be confirmed
    Round 2
    For students who were awarded special assessment or whose results were not finalised by the results release date
    Friday 10 January 2025To be confirmed
  • What does it mean to be at risk?

    Under Academic Progress Policy (MPF1291), you are considered at risk if you:

    • Fail 50% or more of your enrolled subjects for any one progress review period;
    • Fail a particular elective subject for the second time; or
    • Fail a compulsory or core subject for the first time; or
    • Withdraw from all subjects for any one progress review period after the census date.

    If you are identified as being at risk you will be sent a notification and asked to complete a Return to Good Standing Plan. You can also book an at risk appointment if you would like to discuss your plan further and access additional support.

    If you perform poorly in your next semester you may be asked to discuss your performance with the Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC), which has more serious implications for your future enrolment.

  • What is a Return To Good Standing Plan?

    If you are identified as at risk you will be asked to complete a Return To Good Standing Plan. This is a self-directed tool which will guide you through a series of questions to reflect on what happened, provide some suggestions for changes, and outline relevant support services you can access to assist you based on your responses. You can then implement the actions you create in your plan to get you back on track.

  • What happens in an at risk appointment?

    At risk appointments are designed to provide support, strategies and resources to help you get back to academic good standing.

    During your scheduled appointment time, you and your adviser will go through your Return To Good Standing Plan to discuss what happened to lead you to being at risk, and any improvements you have implemented or intend to implement. The adviser will give you advice about support, resources and strategies you can use in the future.

  • How do I prepare for an at risk appointment?

    To prepare for your appointment:

    1. Complete your Return to Good Standing Plan. This plan will help you to start the reflection process of what happened, and help your adviser provide you with specific resources, advice and support during your appointment.
    2. Explore the ‘Support and resources’ section below for links to information and support services for your studies.
    3. Write down any questions you have. Your adviser will do their best to answer questions or can point you in the right direction to find the answer.
  • How do I book an appointment?

    At-Risk appointments are conducted virtually via Zoom only. Please refer to the 'Academic Progress Status' email you received and click the link at the bottom to access the booking page. You will receive a virtual appointment link on the appointment day.

  • How do I attend an appointment?
    An email with a link to your scheduled Zoom video meeting will be sent to your student email account on the day of your scheduled appointment. Please make sure you are in a quiet space and check that your web camera and microphone are working. If you haven’t used the Zoom video platform before, you will need an extra five minutes to download the platform to your computer. You can do this by clicking the Zoom meeting link in your email invitation and following the prompts. If you are currently interstate or overseas, remember to check for time differences. Your appointment will be scheduled for Melbourne Time (AEDT/AEST).
  • What happens if I’ve applied for a late withdrawal?

    We understand that you may have already discussed reasons for your late withdrawal and taken action (such as linking in with support services either in or outside of the University).

    According to the Academic Progress Review Policy (MPF1291), students who withdraw from all subjects for any one progress review period are considered to be at risk. This includes students who withdraw after the census date but before the last date to withdraw. This also includes students who withdraw at any time after the census date with Special Consideration.

  • What happens if I need to sit a special or supplementary exam?

    Most importantly, you should focus on doing your best in your upcoming exam. What to do next depends on your supplementary exam result.

    If you fail your supplementary exam, complete the Return To Good Standing Plan.

    If you pass your supplementary exam, please send an email to academic-progress@unimelb.edu.au so your at risk academic status can be reviewed.

  • What happens if my grade is being reviewed or was changed?

    Sometimes grades are delayed when being reviewed or changed. Your at risk academic status is determined based on current results and will remain until your grades are reviewed/changed.

    Your at risk academic status will be reviewed once your results have been finalised. In the meantime, you are required to respond to your at risk notification by completing the Return To Good Standing Plan, as per the Academic Progress Review Policy (MPF1291).

  • What happens if I’ve applied for Special consideration and it is pending?

    We still recommend completing a Return To Good Standing Plan as an eligible Special consideration application outcome is not guaranteed. This will provide support for you and can assist you to identify strategies you can implement for future success.

    If you have applied to sit a supplementary exam and do not yet know the outcome, you should focus on doing your best for your potential upcoming exam and can attend an at risk appointment after you have received your final results.

    Your at risk academic status will be reviewed once your results are finalised.

Unsatisfactory academic progress

If your progress is deemed unsatisfactory, you may be invited via email to provide a written submission to the Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC). Some students may also be invited to attend a CAPC meeting made up of academic staff from your faculty or school.

During the CAPC meeting, the Committee will:

  • Consider your academic record and the information you provide in your written submission
  • Discuss the strategies and support services that might help you improve your academic performance
  • Establish whether you have the capacity to complete your course.

The CAPC will then make a decision about your future enrolment, even if you decide not to provide a submission and/or attend a meeting with the Committee. An outcome will be sent to your student email account no later than three business days after the conclusion of the meeting.

If you are invited to meet with the CAPC, you will need to:

  • Phone to make an appointment within the timeframes outlined in your email
  • Provide a detailed written submission including the questionnaire and personal statement:
    1. If you are attending a CAPC meeting, lodge your submission at least two working days before your meeting.
    2. If you are not attending a CAPC meeting, in order for your written submission to be considered it must be lodged one day prior to the meetings commencing.
  • First Half-Year 2023 notification and meeting dates

    There are two rounds of email notifications depending on when all of your results are finalised:

    Round Email notification date Meeting dates

    Round 1
    For students whose results are all finalised by the results release date.

    Thursday 6 July 2023

    Friday 14 July – Friday 21 July 2023

    Round 2
    For students who were awarded special assessment or whose results were not finalised by the results release date.

    Friday 4 August 2023

    Monday 14 August – Friday 18 August 2023

  • Second Half-Year 2023 notification and meeting dates

    There are two rounds of email notifications depending on when all of your results are finalised:

    Round Email notification date Meeting dates

    Round 1
    For students whose results are all finalised by the results release date.

    Thursday 30 November 2023

    Friday 8 December – Tuesday 19 December 2023

    Round 2
    For students who were awarded special assessment or whose results were not finalised by the results release date.

    Friday 12 January 2024

    Monday 22 January – Monday 29 January 2024

Student visa holders

Student visa holders must comply with student visa conditions. This includes condition 8202: meeting course requirements, which requires you to maintain satisfactory progress in your course. If you fail to maintain satisfactory progress in your course, the University must notify the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Home Affairs. Failing to maintain satisfactory progress can also lead to the suspension or termination of your enrolment, which can have serious implications.

  • Suspension of enrolment

    If your enrolment is temporarily suspended due to unsatisfactory academic progress, the University must notify the Department of Home Affairs. You will usually be permitted to remain in Australia during your suspension, however you may need to renew your student visa to ensure it will still be valid for the duration of your course.

  • Termination of enrolment

    If your enrolment is terminated due to unsatisfactory academic progress, the University must notify the Department of Home Affairs. The Department of Home Affairs may then cancel your student visa and you may not be granted another temporary visa for a period of three years.

  • Appeals

    You are able to appeal the outcome of the Unsatisfactory Progress process with the Academic Secretary. You must do this within 20 working days of receiving your outcome. If you do not lodge an appeal to the Academic Secretary within this time, the University will notify the Department of Home Affairs about your outcome.

    If your appeal to the Academic Secretary is unsuccessful, you may also appeal to the Victorian Ombudsman. You must do this within 10 working days of receiving the Academic Board decision, and provide evidence of lodgement to the Academic Secretary.

    Note: Your right to appeal to the Victorian Ombudsman is not limited to 10 working days; however, the University must notify Home Affairs that you have not achieved satisfactory academic progress after 10 working days if no evidence of an appeal to the Ombudsman is received.

    The University will only notify the Department of Home Affairs about your outcome if you do not appeal within the timeframes listed above, or you exhaust the appeal options listed above and the original decision is still upheld.

    For more information, see our unsatisfactory progress and Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC) meeting FAQs.

  • Under 18 international students

    Students registered in the Under 18 International Student Supervision Program who have their enrolment suspended or terminated due to unsatisfactory academic progress must maintain their current accommodation and welfare arrangements to retain their CAAW and student visa until new arrangements are approved or until they leave the country. For more information, see the Under 18 International Student Supervision Program page.

Requirements for Commonwealth Supported students

If you are in a Commonwealth Supported Place or Australian Full-Fee place and are accessing a HELP loan, there are Government eligibility criteria that you must meet to maintain Commonwealth support. This includes Student Learning Entitlement requirements.

Find out more

Graduate researchers

If you're a graduate researcher, the unsatisfactory progress process is slightly different.

Familiarise yourself with the following pages on the Graduate Research Hub:

Support and resources

To assist you with your studies, explore our services and resources that students have found useful to get back on track.

Need help with planning your course and subjects?

Submit an online enquiry or book an appointment with one of our course advisers, who can help you with course rules and structure, choosing subjects, using the Study Plan, checking you're on track to graduate and more.

Submit an enquiry Book an appointment