1. Compulsory courses and elective courses

Programs, majors and fields of study usually have compulsory courses and elective courses.

The amount of flexibility you have when choosing courses will depend on

  • the requirements of your specific program, and
  • the number of compulsory courses you are obliged to complete.

Where to begin

1. Program and course requirements

Get started by finding your program in the program and course catalogue

After finding your program, you can click through to see your courses and requirements, which include:

  • all the courses offered in a program. Each course is allocated a certain number of units. A standard full-time study load is 8 units per semester.
  • the requirements to complete the program, including the total number of units you need to complete to graduate.

Each course links to an electronic course profile (ECP). Click on each course profile to see information about lecture topics, assessment, textbooks and more.

It is your responsibility to read your program and course requirements. These will allow you to become familiar with your study options and how you might progress through your program.

Unless you are told otherwise, always consult the program requirements for the year you first enrolled in a program (for example, if you enrolled in an arts degree in 2021, consult the Bachelor of Arts program requirements for 2021). See where to change the year.

2. Program planner

You can use the program planner to plan when you'll study each course throughout your program and ensure you can meet the requirements to graduate.

Some programs have templates for common study plans to help you get started. You can also send your plan to your faculty to make sure you're on track to complete the program requirements and graduate. 

Program planner

Your faculty may also provide additional guidance to help you navigate your program. Find your faculty in the list below to check if additional guides are available:

Faculty of Business, Economics and Law Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Faculty of Humanities and Social Science Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Science

If you need advice on planning your program, you can consult with your school or faculty.

Dual degree planners

The program and course catalogue links to a dual degree planner for each dual program:

  1. Search for and click on your dual program
  2. The dual degree planner is at the bottom of the first section of the grey column (just above 'Entry Requirements'). 
See where to find a dual degree planner

3. Orientation

Help and advice about choosing courses and progressing through your program is offered during Orientation.

It is your responsibility to attend all compulsory orientation sessions for your program. Sessions are run by academics and knowledgeable administrative staff who can clearly explain program requirements and answer any questions.

We strongly encourage you to attend any optional (i.e. non-compulsory) orientation sessions so that you can get the most out of your studies at UQ.

Orientation and settling in

4. Academic advisors

Understanding your study options can be a complex process and is sometimes best done face-to-face.

If you have any questions about how to progress through your program, or about what courses you need to complete to satisfy program requirements, please make an appointment to meet with an advisor in your faculty:

Faculty of Business, Economics and Law Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Science

Advisors provide specialist help in course selection and can look at your individual study history to make personalised recommendations.

If you are studying a dual degree, you may belong to one or two faculties. Contact the relevant faculty that administers each program with any questions.