Pathways to education

The University of Newcastle is a major higher education provider in the Hunter, Central Coast and Mid-North Coast regions of NSW. One of our most important objectives is to provide access to higher education, and opportunities and pathways to professional careers for people in our communities.

The University has a strong partnership with TAFE NSW Institutes to offer students pathways to enter university from vocational education. The University provides clearly defined credit transfer options between institutions where students can use TAFE or other qualifications to enrol at the University and receive credit towards their degrees. As the largest provider of domestic foundation (enabling) programs in Australia, we offer about one third of the nation's Commonwealth supported places. This year, approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in our enabling programs as a stepping stone to higher education. Around 90 per cent of our successful enabling students go on to study in an undergraduate degree program at the University of Newcastle. Some of the University's most outstanding graduates started in an enabling program.

The Open Foundation and Newstep enabling programs provide students without a school leaving entrance score the opportunity to gain an equivalent qualification to get into university. The International Foundation program provides a pathway to undergraduate study for international students who do not have the academic qualifications to gain direct admission into their chosen degree program. Yapug is designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people gain skills for entry into health and other professions. Importantly, the program takes advantage of the support available through Wollotuka, our School of Aboriginal Studies.

Support for Indigenous students

At the forefront of Indigenous education for 25 years, the University actively supports the aspirations of Indigenous people through study and employment opportunities. The University has graduated almost half of the Indigenous doctors in Australia. In 2008, the Australian Universities Quality Agency commented that the University of Newcastle is the Australian leader in Indigenous education and collaboration.

The Wollotuka Indigenous Support Unit, in conjunction with the Gibalee Aboriginal Learning Centre at the Central Coast campus, underpins the most comprehensive range of Indigenous studies programs available in Australia.

The University is home to some of the most prolific and insightful Indigenous students, academics and researchers in the country, who are canvassing a diverse and unique range of issues and themes.

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