Research higher degree candidates can undertake additional courses as part of their research higher degree with the support of their principal advisor and school and the approval of the Dean, UQ Graduate School. These courses do not incur any tuition fees or HECS liability. All results in additional courses are recorded on the academic transcript.

Enrolment in additional courses would usually be supported only when those courses are relevant to the candidate's research project or are required by the enrolling school as part of the research training undertaken by candidates in that school. In some cases, the principal advisor and enrolling school may make passing a course or courses at a certain grade by a specific milestone (such as confirmation or submission) a condition of admission to candidature. If that is the case, the candidate must complete all specified courses to a satisfactory standard by the specified milestone.

As a research higher degree, enrolment in additional courses cannot exceed one third of the total workload of the degree (10 units for a MPhil candidate, 20 units for a PhD candidate).

To enrol in an additional course, the candidate must complete the Enrolment in Additional Courses form. If the course is offered by a different school to the candidate's enrolling school, both schools must endorse the enrolment request: this usually occurs only if the schools agree on the transfer of appropriate funds from the enrolling school to the school offering the course to meet the cost of providing the course to the candidate.

In some schools or groups of schools, coursework may be used systematically within a research higher degree. Senate has approved the establishment of a uniform policy on the inclusion of prescribed coursework within the PhD program: where the inclusion of prescribed coursework is encouraged but not mandatory and where coursework is to be used systematically by a school or group of schools, the proposal (details as set out in HUPP 4.70.6 Research Training and Thesis Format Options) must be approved by the Research Higher Degrees Committee.