Undergraduate course transfer

Domestic students

Legislation changes have impacted the student contribution rates from 2021. Even if you commenced at Macquarie prior to 2021 you may be charged new student contribution amounts for your new course. Different types of transfers will have different contribution rate impacts. The following categories will be classified as a new student for the new course and will be charged new student contribution amounts:

• Students adding a course to make a double degree,
• Students dropping a course from a double degree, or
• Students changing to a different course

Further information on how your course transfer may affect your fees can be found on the Commonwealth Supported Places page.

If your course transfer application is approved, you will be required to submit a new eCaf form via e-Student for your new course.

International students

If you're an international student, your fees may change depending on the degree you choose to transfer to.

Special category visa New Zealand citizen

If you have been previously approved for HELP eligibility as a Special Category Visa New Zealand citizen and your course transfer has been approved and finalised, you will need to advise us through AskMQ so we can re-apply your eligibility to defer your fees to a HELP loan to your new course.

From 2022, if you are studying under a Commonwealth Supported Place and commence a new course of study, you will have your completion rate assessed under the Government’s Jobs Ready Graduates requirements. Once eight (8) units have been attempted, you will need to maintain a minimum 50% pass rate* of your units to continue to access Commonwealth Supported Place and/or HELP loans throughout your studies. As the completion rate does not carry over between different courses of study, your previous study history will not negatively impact your new completion rate. However credit received from a course that you commenced from 2022 will count as passed units toward the calculation of the completion rate of your new course. Credit received from courses commenced prior to 2022 will not count toward the completion rate of your new course.

If you do not meet the completion rate, you will no longer be eligible for Commonwealth assistance, including a Commonwealth Supported Place and deferment of fees through HELP loans. You will be required to pay full fees for units upfront until they are at or above the 50% pass rate. More information about what a low completion rate means can be found in the Jobs Ready Graduate FAQs.

* Students will still be subject to the requirements of Macquarie's Academic Progression policy.

By completing the Course Transfer form, you are requesting an internal course transfer (ie. you will be transferred to the internal offering of your new degree). If you wish to study the external availability you will need to apply via UAC.

Internal students can still enrol in individual units externally.

You will be transferred to the curriculum of the year you are applying to transfer your degree, and you will have a new WAM which will be calculated only from units undertaken within your new course. For example, if you apply for Course Transfer for Session 1 2023 you will be following the 2023 Course Handbook and your WAM will reset. Where applicable, previously passed units within your old degree will be transferred to your new course. Failed or withdrawn units will not be transferred, but they will remain on your transcript under your previous admission

This includes students who are adding a second degree to their current single degree, or students who are dropping from a double degree to a single degree ie a Bachelor of Science student requesting to add a Bachelor of Information Technology. Both courses will be updated to the 2023 curriculum. Or a Bachelor of Commerce with Bachelor of Law student wanting to drop their Bachelor of Commerce and just study the single degree Bachelor of Law. The Bachelor of Law will be updated to the 2023 curriculum.

If you are a domestic student, you can apply for a Leave of Absence in your new course once you have received a successful outcome of your course transfer application and if you do not intend to study in your first session. Leave of Absence applications are accessed and submitted via eStudent.

If you are an international student, you can apply for a Suspension of Studies if you do not intend to study in your first session, after you have received a successful outcome from your course transfer application. Please note that Suspension of Studies is only approved in compassionate or compelling circumstances. To return to your course after an approved Suspension of Studies please check the Stopping Studies website for information.

Your Academic Standing from your old degree will be applied towards the new degree upon commencement of the Session you are transferring into. If you have an Academic Standing of:

• 'Monitored Enrolment' or 'Probation' must seek course guidance prior to submitting a transfer request.
• 'Academic Pause' or 'Exclusion' are not eligible to apply for course transfer.

For further information on Academic Standing, visit the Academic Progression page.

Combined Bachelor and Master degrees

If you are admitted into a Combined Bachelor and Master Degree, you may request a change to the major, minor, or specialisation in your Bachelor Course, subject to the course requirements outlined in the Handbook. Students admitted into the Bachelor of Information Technology or Bachelor of Security Studies with a combined Master degree are also able to request a change to their intended Master by submitting an online change of major application - this is not a course transfer application.

Double degrees

Seeking guidance

For most double degrees, students will study the core zones of the combined two single degrees. This may mean that you have no flexible zone in your new degree. You can view the course structure of double degrees using the Double Degree Advising Tool in the Handbook.

If you have further questions, use the course guidance form to find more support and answers to common questions prior to making an application..

Note: Education degrees must be studied as a double degree, and can only be combined with certain other degrees, and offer a restricted set of majors to meet accreditation requirements. For more information, review the 'Overview' information in the Course Handbook for the Bachelor of Education (Primary) or Bachelor of Education (Secondary).

Meeting criteria

When applying for a double degree, you must meet the entry criteria for any component of the course you are not admitted to.

For example,

• if you are currently studying a Bachelor of Science and you want to transfer to a Bachelor of Marine Science with a Bachelor of Economics you would need to meet the criteria for both courses.
• If you are studying a Bachelor of Commerce and wish to transfer to a Bachelor of Commerce with Bachelor of Laws, you would just need to meet entry requirements for the Bachelor of Laws.

Not all degree combinations are permitted, the combination you choose will be assessed for eligibility after you submit your application.

Transfer conditions

When you transfer you will be admitted to the new curriculum for the course you are entering. This includes students who are adding a second degree to their current degree.

For example, for a Bachelor of Archaeology student who started that course in 2018 requesting to add a Bachelor of Information Technology, both courses would be updated to the 2023 curriculum.

Students transferring into any of the teacher education degrees listed below need to be aware of the following information:

• Bachelor of Education (Primary) and Bachelor of Psychology
• Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education (Primary)
• Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
• Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education (Primary) with the Early Childhood Teaching major
  • Successful completion of this degree meets accreditation requirements for both Early Childhood and Primary Teaching, Birth to 12.
  • Note: this program replaces the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) (Birth - 12))
• Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
• Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)
  • Successful completion of this degree meets accreditation requirements for Early Childhood, Birth to 5.
• Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

As a part of the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) accreditation requirements, all students completing an initial teaching degree need to demonstrate suitability for teaching. If you wish to transfer to a teaching degree, you will be required to complete a short survey that asks you some questions about your learning approaches and dispositions as a future teacher. This survey will be emailed to you as part of the Course Transfer process and is a requirement for your future accreditation as a teacher. If you do not complete this survey your Course Transfer cannot be processed.

Additional information

The data collected from this survey also helps to provide relevant and effective learning experiences for Teacher Education students enrolled in Macquarie University’s courses and is reported annually to NESA as part of our accreditation requirements. You may be required to meet with an academic from the School of Education regarding your responses. Contact AskMQ for more information regarding the survey.

Note that education degrees must be studied as a double degree, and can only be combined with certain other degrees, and offer a restricted set of majors to meet accreditation requirements. For more information, review the 'Overview' information for the Bachelor of Education (Primary) or Bachelor of Education (Secondary) in the Course Handbook.