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Admission Requirements

Admission to Undergraduate Degree Courses



Applications from all prospective students are welcome and no test of religion, politics, race or sex is applied to determine admission as a student, graduation or the enjoyment of any benefit, advantage or privilege or the institution. Admission to Avondale College is dependent on demonstrated evidence of good character, intellectual competence, and a willingness to conform to College regulations. Several pathways are available to admission but the onus is on the student to demonstrate his/her capacity to succeed in tertiary education. The College will accept various forms of documentary evidence to support this claim.

Academic Requirements



Year 12 Satisfactory Completion



Australian and New Zealand students may provide evidence of satisfactory completion of Year 12 (Australia) or Year 13 (New Zealand). This may be through achieving a satisfactory Universities Admission Index (UAI) as set by the Academic Board score or its equivalent in other States (e.g., TER, ENTER, OP) or the International Baccalaureate. The Academic Registrar in consultation with the Dean of the Faculty (or Faculties) is able to assess the equivalence of particular indices or profiles used in other States.

Alternative entry pathways



  1. TAFE Qualifications


    Certain qualifications from a TAFE or Registered Training Organization (RTO) may be used to demonstrate capacity to succeed at tertiary level. These are often course specific, for example:
    • Certificate IV in Foundation Studies For entry to Various undergraduate degrees
    • Certificate IV in Business Studies For entry to Bachelor of Business

  2. Foundation Studies


    Appropriate performance in a recognised Foundation Studies program such as Avondale's Diploma of General Studies may be used as a pathway to degree studies and to demonstrate ability to succeed in tertiary education. Appropriate performance may be demonstrated by successfully completing the Higher Education (HEAccess) Test normally undertaken at the conclusion of the first semester by Australian students enrolled in the Diploma of General Studies. Upon successful completion of the first four subjects in the Diploma of General Studies and the HEAccess Test, Australian and New Zealand students may apply to enrol in an undergraduate course.International students also may choose the Diploma of General Studies as a pathway to a degree course. Depending on their prior level of achievement, international students enrol for either one semester, two semesters or two years of the Diploma of General Studies course.

  3. Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)


    An appropriate score in the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) may be provided by applicants who have not attempted the Higher School Certificate (HSC) or its equivalent, and who are more than nineteen years of age by 1 March in the commencing year of studies.

  4. Special Consideration


    Special consideration may be extended to people who have suffered economic or social disadvantage. Disadvantage may be the result of many factors including: low socio-economic background, non-English speaking background, family disruption, high mobility in childhood, little encouragement to continue study, primary care of children, remote area background, excessive travel time to school, personal illness, injury, disability, or refugee status. In such cases, the onus remains with the applicant to demonstrate a level of knowledge that indicates a capacity to succeed at tertiary level. This may be done by undertaking the STAT test, the Foundation Studies Course, relevant TAFE qualifications, or by recent passes in four subjects completed at a recognized tertiary institution.

Additional Requirements



Specific pre-requisites



Some courses have specific pre-requisites and these are listed with the information about that particular course later in this Handbook.

For applicants for Commonwealth-supported places in teaching and nursing



Offers of places are made in order of merit (based on UAI score in NSW or its equivalent score in other States or other entry qualifications as assessed by the Registrar).

For applicants without recent study experience



Students entering an undergraduate program who have not been recently engaged in formal study are required at attend the Academic Bridging Program offered during the week prior to the start of first semester. Exemption from this requirement is possible only upon the provision of evidence of recent successful academic performance.

For courses involving contact with vulnerable people



Applicants for courses offered by the Faculties of Education, Nursing, Theology and any other courses that include contact with children, young people, the ill, or other classes of vulnerable people are required to sign a self-disclosure form (Prohibited Persons Declaration) and consent to a criminal record check. These checks may be required by organisations providing professional experience placements, fieldwork, clinical placements, work experience or professional internship placements. Applicants should note that in order to run the criminal records check, an employer body or other agency may require the College to provide it with personal information including name, date and place of birth, citizenship status and current address. For nursing students, the criminal records check will be carried out at a cost of $30, which the student is required to pay.

For courses including fieldwork



Some courses require professional experience placements, fieldwork, clinical components, work experience or professional internship placements. If organisations/agencies providing such placements decline for any reason to permit a student to undertake this aspect of his/her studies, then he/she may not be able to complete the requirements of the course. The College will do all that is reasonable to arrange an alternative location for the student to undertake such compulsory components. However, the College cannot guarantee that such an option will be available. Students should therefore note that, in such circumstances, they may not be able to graduate with the anticipated award.

Other courses such as nursing also require adherence to relevant NSW Health Department vaccination and screening guidelines that are in place during the time of their course. This may require completion of some vaccinations or undertaking of particular screening for exposure to, or protection from, certain diseases. Non-participation in this vaccination and screening program may prevent the completion of compulsory clinical placements and hence the student may not be able to graduate with the anticipated award.