Discontinue a unit

The University has strict deadlines for withdrawing or discontinuing a unit of study.

Discontinuing a unit by census date

If you drop a unit before or on the census date, it is called a withdrawal, and your transcript will show a grade of WD. It is very important to drop units before the census date to avoid financial liability and having the grade counted towards your Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and academic progression.

Also, make sure the unit has actually been removed from your enrolment page in Sydney Student – students who remain enrolled due to personal error will experience academic and financial penalty.

Census dates differ depending on the semester you are enrolled in. Find your census date.

Discontinuing a unit after census date

In some circumstances, you may need to withdraw from a unit after the census date has passed. In this case, you may have one of the following options:

Apply for a ‘discontinue fail’ (DF) grade

If you apply to discontinue a unit after the census date but before the last date to discontinue in a teaching block, for any reason, you will receive a DF grade. This means you are liable for tuition fees, and while the grade is not counted towards your WAM, it is counted as a fail when calculating your academic progression.

Apply for a ‘late discontinuation under special circumstances’ (DC) grade

If you experience circumstances beyond your control that impact your studies after the census date, you can apply for a DC grade. If approved, you will not be liable for fees and the grade is not counted towards your WAM or progression.

You have 12 months from the last teaching day of the relevant teaching period, or since you withdrew from the unit, to apply. If it has been more than 12 months, you will need to provide a reason for your late application and attach additional supporting documentation that addresses the lateness.

Special circumstances are defined as circumstances that:

  • were beyond your control
  • did not make the full impact on you until on or after the census date of the unit, and
  • made it impracticable for you to complete the unit.

Circumstances are considered beyond your control if they are:

  • unusual, uncommon or abnormal
  • not due to any action or inaction by you, and are therefore not your responsibility.

Examples of special circumstances include:

  • illness or a worsening, or changing, medical condition
  • the death of a family member
  • a family member suffering from a serious medical condition
  • financial difficulties experienced by you or your family
  • unavoidable changes to your employment
  • changes the University made that disadvantaged you
  • a natural disaster or other emergency in Australia
  • any other compelling circumstances that the University is satisfied made it unreasonable to expect you to have completed the requirements for the unit.

In addition, special circumstances may apply to domestic students where financial difficulties experienced by you, or your family, prevent you from continuing your studies.

DC grades are administrative decisions that are reviewed by Student Administrative Services. If your application is approved, you will automatically be given a fee refund. You do not need to take any further steps to receive your fee refund. If your application is declined, you can request an administrative review of the decision.

How to apply for a DC grade

You can apply for a DC grade using the late discontinuation under special circumstances form. We encourage all students considering applying for a DC grade to contact a SUPRA caseworker for advice.

The University must be able to form a view of your circumstances independent of any statement that you provide – this means that your supporting documentation should contain all the information the University needs to make their decision.

Your supporting documentation must include the period of time you were affected.

Generally, we recommend you include the following in your application:

  • Include a cover letter that provides a timeline of what has happened and how it impacted your studies after the census date, and explains how your supporting documentation meets the special circumstances test.
  • If your circumstances are medical or mental health-related, include a Professional Practitioner Certificate (PPC), which states you were either ‘totally unable to study’ or ‘severely impacted’. Your medical documents need to be verifiable from an Australian practitioner registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
  • If you’re an international student, it’s recommended you get an Australian Practitioner to verify your overseas practitioner documents, and assess your condition and provide a PPC.
  • Include evidence of your circumstances, including police documentation, an obituary, death certificate or funeral notice, financial hardship, carer responsibilities or an event report from emergency services.
  • If your circumstances are related to political unrest, war, oppression of a minority to which you belong, or broad-scale natural disaster, include news articles that document these events. Articles should be in English and from mainstream news outlets.

Read the full list of documents you can submit to support your application.

All documentation must be in English, or translated by a National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI)-certified translator before it is submitted to the University of Sydney. Find a NAATI-certified translator.

Other discontinuations

All other discontinuations from a unit will result in financial liability and the result will count towards your WAM and progression. Your transcript will show either an Absent Fail (AF) or Fail (FA) result. We recommend you get advice from one of our caseworkers in these circumstances. Contact us for help.

More information

To find out more about discontinuing a unit before the census date, or how to discontinue a unit after the census date, read the information on the University website.

Policy

Check the University policy register, in particular:

Written by SUPRA Postgraduate Advocacy Service November 2024.

Need help?

Our  casework and legal services are here for you.

Postgraduate Advocacy Service

Our caseworkers can help with any problems you face while you study at Usyd, from academic appeals to renting.

SUPRA Legal Service

Our solicitors can assist with a wide range of legal issues, including visas, migration law and intellectual property.