Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL)
What is Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL) and what does full-time study mean?
Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL) is 120 credit points per year. Most subjects are 15 or 30 credit points each (see the University Handbook for details).
Full-time enrolment can be defined as:
- semesters - 60 credit points per semester (usually four subjects)
- terms - 30 credit points per term (usually two subjects)
If you are an International student visa holder, you need to enrol in 120 credit points per year to be on track to complete your course before your visa expiry date.
Domestic students need to enrol in at least 90 credit points per year (45 credit points per semester or a mix of terms, e.g. Term 2 and 3) to be considered 'full-time' for Centrelink and public transport concession purposes.
Calculating EFTSL for subjects
To calculate the study load of a single subject, divide the number of credit points for the subject by 120, e.g. a 15 credit point subject is considered to be .125 of an EFTSL.
You can view the EFTSL for each subject by viewing your Statement of Account.
Maximum course completion time
Graduate research candidates
For research degrees EFTSL is calculated as 1.0 EFTSL per year full-time enrolment, or 0.5 EFTSL per year part-time enrolment. Graduate research EFTSL is calculated daily, so takes into account commencement date and any periods of leave or other breaks in candidature. When you submit your thesis for examination you stop consuming candidature and your EFTSL for the current research period will be adjusted.
The maximum candidature period for doctoral degrees is 4.0 EFTSL and for Masters by research 2.0 EFTSL.