Program Structure and Entry Requirements

When developing or revising a coursework program, faculties are asked to confirm their entry requirements, and to specify in their new program proposal whether they comply with the University’s own standard entry requirements as specified below, or whether they are, in effect, an exception, and deemed to be ‘non-standard’.

Faculties are required to consult with the Director, Admissions to ensure that their entry criteria for new programs are appropriate and consistent with the University’s standards. Non-standard admission requirements may include additional entry criteria (e.g. auditions, portfolios, work experience, etc.) or a higher level of academic or language proficiency (e.g. Year 12 score, GPA, English Language proficiency, etc.).

In addition, applications to add or amend entry criteria only are to be made separate to developing a new program or a major revision to an existing program. In such cases, a Revision of Entry Requirements form must be submitted to the Admissions Committee, detailing the nature of the change and how it differs from the entry criteria currently in place. Each program to be changed must be specified and in the case of the non-standard admission requirements the full details must be provided.

Both the Admissions Committee and APEAC review entry requirements in accordance with the Admissions to Coursework Programs policy. Once endorsed by the Admissions Committee, APEAC will subsequently consider the proposal and make a recommendation to the Deputy Vice Chancellor & Vice President (Academic) as to whether the entry requirements should be approved.

APEAC, with support from the Admissions Committee, also provides recommendations to Academic Board on the institution’s minimum standards in terms of academic (e.g. Year 12 score) and English language proficiency (e.g. IELTS minimum score).

Entry requirements

  • Standard entry: undergraduate programs

    Under the current Admissions to Coursework Programs policy, the eligibility criteria for entry to academic programs are entirely at the discretion of the University. The criteria may include but is not limited to:

    • Academic criteria – i.e. formal qualifications or previous studies or prerequisite studies in the secondary, post-secondary, tertiary or higher education sectors
    • Academic or other tests/requirements – i.e. auditions, portfolio, interview/oral assessment, specific knowledge test or aptitude test, work experience, application statement, referee reports
    • English language proficiency
    • Any combination of the above

    Eligibility criteria may be changed but once it is made public for a specified intake/calendar period it will not be changed except in exceptional circumstances.

    There are four standard entry criteria for undergraduate programs. They are:

    Year 12 sub-quota

    Eligibility eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant has completed SACE Stage 2 or an equivalent qualification; and has completed 2 years or less full-time-equivalent higher education study
    Rank eligible applicants ranked based on their ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank)

     Higher education sub-quota

    Eligibility eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant has completed at least 6 months full-time-equivalent higher education study at AQF Level 7 (Bachelor degree) or higher
    Rank eligible applicants ranked based on their best GPA (Grade Point Average)

    VET sub-quota

    Eligibility eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant has completed an AQF Certificate IV or above from any Registered Training Organisation. Admission Pathways are available on the SATAC website.
    Rank eligible applicants ranked according to the level of the completed award.

     Special entry sub-quota

    Eligibility domestic applicants are eligible to compete in this sub-quota if the applicant is over 18 years old on 1 February of the year they apply for entry to; and, if they were enrolled in a program leading to a higher education award, they must not have completed more than 2 years full-time equivalent study in that program
    Rank eligible applicants ranked according to their results in the STAT (Special Tertiary Admissions Test), or for some programs a combination of the STAT result and/or personal competencies statements and/or employment experience statements

    Eligibility score

    The University must report to the Commonwealth Department of Education the lowest ATAR for which a student, Commonwealth Supported or Full Fee Paying, may be eligible for entry to one of its programs – the Eligibility Score. The University has determined that the following Eligibility Scores will apply:

    Bachelor programs
    Degree ATAR
    Bachelor (Advanced) degrees 95
    Medicine and Dentistry 90
    Engineering, Law and Commerce 80
    Oral Health 70
    All new Bachelor programs 65
    Diploma programs
    Degree ATAR
    All Diploma programs 55

  • Standard entry: postgraduate coursework programs

    The standard entry criteria for all Master programs is a Bachelor degree. All admission requirements that vary from this, (e.g. GPA requirement, cognate background, prerequisites, work experience etc) require APEAC approval.

  • Non-standard entry criteria: undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs

    Entry requirements for coursework programs must be consistent with the Admissions to Coursework Programs policy.

    For programs which require additional non-standard entry requirements, approval must be sought via a submission to the Academic Program Entry and Approval Committee.

    A table of programs which have been granted approval to include non-standard admission requirements can be found in the non-standard admission requirements table. 

  • English language standards

    Coursework academic programs

    International students seeking admission to the University's coursework academic programs must meet minimum English language requirements (Admissions to Coursework Programs policy – English Language Proficiency Procedure).

    Changes to these requirements may only be made by the Vice-Chancellor and President following a recommendation by Academic Board. Proposals to change the procedure must be endorsed by both the Admissions Committee and Academic Program Entry and Approval Committee.

    Australian Year 12 applicants*

    International students undertaking an Australian Year 12 program will meet the English language proficiency requirements with a passing grade or above in a recognised English as a Second Language or an English Language subject, as a part of the successful completion of their year 12 qualification.

    International students who are not required to undertake an English subject to successfully complete their Australian Year 12 qualification (or those who successfully complete their Year 12 qualification but do not pass their English subject), can meet the English language proficiency requirements by achieving or exceeding the minimum score in an IELTS or another accepted English language test.

    Successful completion of the International Baccalaureate Diploma meets the English language requirements of the University of Adelaide.

    *Note: Exceptions apply to degrees such as nursing.

  • GPA as a condition of entry or progress requirement

    Following a recommendation from the 3/17 meeting of the Program Approval and Entry Committee, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Academic) approved:

    • all minimum GPA entry requirements between 4.0 to 5.0 (out of 7.0), are submitted to APEAC for noting, and subsequently entered on the non-standard admission requirements table.
    • any GPA outside the threshold range (4.0-5.0) as an entry requirement or as a minimum standard of achievement to progress within the program (e.g. GPA to be used to determine a quota or continue in the program) must have a pedagogical justification.

  • Entry schemes

    Australia Awards Scholarship (AAS) applicants participate in a competitive and rigorous selection process. As a consequence the following qualifications will satisfy a program's minimum academic entry requirements of an AQF Level 7 Bachelor award for AAS awardees:

    • Cambodia - NOOSR Section 2 institutions, minimum 4 years of study, minimum GPA of "B" (70-84), 3.0/4.0 or equivalent;
    • Laos - National University of Laos, Bachelor degree (NOOSR assessed equivalency of Associate Degree), minimum GPA of 3.0/40;
    • Myanmar - NOOSR Section 2 institutions, minimum 4 years of study, minimum GPA of "A", 4.0/5.0 OR 3.0/4.0;
    • Other countries and instances (Undergraduate qualification assessed as AQF Level 6) - assessment on case-by-case basis in consultation with relevant Faculty. A minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or equivalent is required.

Program standards

The Coursework Academic Programs policy and associated schedules contain the standards for undergraduate, honours and postgraduate coursework programs.

Schedules attached to the policy include:

For any further details, or assistance with interpreting the policy and its procedures, please contact APEAC.