Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can the age restriction be relaxed?

No, students must be turning 20 (or more) in the year they undertake Open Foundation.

What are the costs involved?

There are no tuition fees.  Students do not pay HECS but there may be costs for such things as textbooks and photocopying. 

What is the choice of courses (subjects)?

Students choose their two courses from a range of arts, social science, mathematics and science courses.  Part-time on campus and Distance students are advised to study Part 1 & Part 2 of a pair of courses. (For example: Australian History 1 & Australian History 2; Introductory Mathematics 1 & Introductory Mathematics 2.)

Is the same range of courses offered at Callaghan, Ourimbah and by Distance?

No, the widest range of courses is offered at the Callaghan campus.   Many, but not all, of these courses are also offered at the Ourimbah campus and one course is offered only at Ourimbah.

In the part-time Distance program only 6 pairs of courses are offered:  Introductory Mathematics, Chemistry & Life Sciences, Studies in Law, Australian History, Linguistics and Earth Science.

Can students study one course at each campus?

Yes, for example, students from Ourimbah can study Chemistry and Life Science at Ourimbah and Physics at Callaghan.

Can students study one course by Distance and one on campus?

Yes, in the part-time program, students can study one pair of courses by Distance and the other pair at either campus. Applicants need to apply to study off-campus for the Open Foundation Distance program.  

Can Distance students attend on campus lectures?

This is not encouraged.  Distance students have all their course notes provided online.  If they are able to attend lectures on campus, they should enrol as on-campus students.

Do Open Foundation students have to pass all their courses?

Yes, students must pass all their courses and this must be done within one academic year. 

Students are not allowed to carry over a partially completed program to the following year(s); this means that it is not possible to have credit for completed courses in one attempt at Open Foundation counted in a later attempt. (On the other hand, your learning from that course you do carry with you.)

What degrees can Open Foundation students be admitted to?
 
All undergraduate degrees at the University of Newcastle, except Medicine.  It is possible to achieve an Admission Ranking of 99.

Do Open Foundation students have to apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) for admission to an undergraduate degree program?

Yes. Students are assessed on their average mark across their Open Foundation courses (four courses for Part-time OF and two for Intensive OF).  This average mark is converted to a University Admission Ranking. 

Students are NOT sent an ATAR by UAC.

If I pass Open Foundation do I get a certificate of some kind?

Yes. Every student who passes Open Foundation gets a Certificate of Attainment and a Transcript of Academic Record showing their courses and grades. We hold a Recognition of Attainment Ceremony (like a graduation from a degree program) once each year at the Callaghan and Ourimbah campuses to award the Certificates.

Do I have to go to the Recognition of Attainment Ceremony?

No; the Certificate of Attainment will be posted to you if you don’t attend. We encourage as many students as possible to attend because it is a special occasion to recognise and celebrate your achievement, ideally in the company of your family and friends, who are all invited.

Does passing the Open Foundation Program prepare me for a job?

Yes and No. The Open Foundation Program is a tertiary preparation program, which means it is explicitly designed to do two things: to give people who pass it access to a tertiary degree program in a university and to prepare them for university study by developing a knowledge of relevant content, academic study skills, time management skills and related good study habits so that they will be able to cope with study in a degree program.

While it is aimed at preparing you for further study, the skills and confidence you gain can make quite a big difference to your capacity to do a range of jobs. As well, your Certificate of Attainment and Transcript of Academic Record will demonstrate to an employer that you are willing and able to improve your skills and educational level.