Getting In

Everyone's pathway to uni is different and no matter what your background there are several options available to you.

Going to uni allows you to explore your interests in detail and can take your career to a new level.

If you have recently completed your HSC and received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), you may be able to use this rank to gain entry into uni.

The ATAR shows how well you went in the HSC compared to other students. It's based on your overall marks in the HSC and is used for selection into university degrees.

Universities work out how many positions are available in each degree and set a minimum cut-off for entry, which is the rank of the last person admitted to the degree. Previous year cut-offs should be taken as a guide only as they can change from year to year according to demand.

The STAT test is a two-hour multiple choice test organised through UAC.

If you are over 18 and not a secondary school student, STAT test results can be used for entry into some (but not all) of the degrees offered by the University of Newcastle .

Make sure you look into which degrees accept STAT for entry.

For more information visit the UAC website.

You can start some degrees in July. Those on offer and details about mid-year admissions are published in May.

Mid-year applications are still completed online through UAC.

Open Foundation is a program designed to prepare people aged 20 years or over for university.

If you haven't studied for a while, Open Foundation will allow you to explore your interests and prepare you for study at university level.

The program is flexible and can suit your lifestyle, with options to study on campus part-time or full-time, or online part-time. When you successfully complete the Open Foundation program you can apply for entry to degrees at the University of Newcastle (except the Bachelor of Medicine - Joint Medical Program) and many other Australian Universities.

There are no course fees for Open Foundation but be prepared for costs such as textbooks and other resources. Open Foundation is offered at our Newcastle and Central Coast campuses and by distance education.

For more information visit our Open Foundation pages.

If you are aged between 18 to 20, you are eligible for a similar program - Newstep. Find all the details on our Newstep pages.

Yapug is a program that helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 or over to gain skills for entry into degrees at the University of Newcastle. The program is offered at our Newcastle (Callaghan) campus.

The Bachelor of Medicine – Joint Medical Program is included in the degrees that Yapug can prepare students for.

Students enrolled in Yapug are encouraged to develop the academic skills and self-discipline required for success in undergraduate study.

The Wollotuka Institute's Indigenous Student Support and Development Unit offers services to support students including counselling, a well-equipped resource centre, audio and visual materials on Indigenous topics and issues, health support and cultural programs.

To find out more visit our Yapug pages.

We can help you make the most of previous study through credit transfer.

If your TAFE or other qualification is similar to the university degree you want to study, you may be granted credit (in recognition of prior learning) for up to two years of your degree.

Credit transfer works only after you are offered a university place with us and have accepted that offer.

For a limited number of programs, students can gain admission with a Certificate level III. However, the University recommends that applicants have a Certificate level IV to ensure their choices are not restricted.

Entry is dependent on the level of your qualification and the degree(s) you are interested in.

Credit transfer arrangements apply for a number of WEA qualifications.

For more information visit our credit transfer pages.

All uni applications need to be submitted online to the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). UAC receives and processes applications for most NSW and ACT universities.

Get yourself a copy of the UAC Guide as soon as possible. Your school should be able to give you a free copy of the guide or you can purchase it from major newsagencies and bookshops. You can also view the guide online at the UAC website.

Please note that some degrees have an additional application process.

You can nominate up to nine degree preferences in your UAC application. You can change your preferences up until early January, once your initial application is submitted.

List your preferences in the order of what you would like to study most, rather than the degree cut-off.

You'll be offered a place in the first degree on your list for which you achieve the degree cut-off.

Consider all degrees related to your area of interest. For example, if you want a career in marketing, you could consider studying a Bachelor of Business with a major in marketing.

Applications open in August and on-time main round applications close on 27 September 2013. You can still apply for the main round until early December but you will be hit with a late fee.

As well as meeting any selection criteria specified in the degree entries, applicants are considered for entry on the basis of:

• Performance in Australian year 12 studies with the minimum ATAR or equivalent higher education
• Tertiary or post-secondary qualifications
• Overseas qualifications considered equivalent to Australian qualifications
• Performance in one of the alternative pathways for entry

Applicants must also satisfy our English language proficiency requirements.

It's important to check if the degree(s) you're interested in have special entry requirements such as an audition, interview or portfolio.

When researching degrees also check for assumed knowledge and recommended studies.

Full-time study (40 units) will generally mean 40 hours of study. You can choose your courses (subjects) and timetable using our online enrolment system.

Many students work part-time while they study at uni, but make sure to allocate time to study.

If you accept an offer from the University of Newcastle, you may be able to delay the start date of your degree by up to one year. Some degrees don't allow you to defer.

For many degrees, you can choose to study part-time or full-time. Generally, full-time study is made up of four courses a semester. Part-time study is made up of one or two courses a semester.