The problem of student work loads has been the concern of staff and students in tertiary institutions for some time. Studies of success, failure and wastage in higher education have indicated a number of factors which may be relevant to the problem of student work loads, but until recently no comprehensive study of the problem has been attempted. A detailed plan for the investigation of student work loads has been prepared by the Higher Education Research Unit at Monash University. Two studies, of quite different type, based on this overall plan, were conducted in 1972 and further studies are proceeding in 1973. This paper includes a general description of the plan for investigating student work loads and gives details of the two studies conducted at Monash University in 1972.