Monash University has delayed the start of first semester by one week and ordered students to stay away from campus until mid-March in an unprecedented move to ward off the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Students from all six of the university's campuses were scheduled to return back from their summer break on March 2, but an email sent out late Friday afternoon said the return date had been pushed out until March 9 due to the "unprecedented and evolving situation".

Caulfield Campus, Monash University. One of six campuses where exams have been postponed. Credit:Monash University

All subjects at Monash, which has the largest number of enrolments of any university in Victoria (more than 83,000), will be taught online only for the first week of classes starting March 9.

Lectures will be livestreamed, as the university locks in emergency plans to protect students from an outbreak.