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Tertiary admissions
There are several ways you can apply to study a TAFE Queensland degree. To help make your higher education application process as simple as possible, select the applicant type that is most relevant to your study or work background. We also offer a number of degrees in collaboration with our partners such as the University of Canberra.
General admission information
To be eligible for admission to a TAFE Queensland Higher Education course, you are required to satisfy all entry requirements. These requirements include an age requirement, English language proficiency and, for most courses, unit of study prerequisites and an entry score (ATAR/selection rank).
Some courses have additional course-specific entry requirements. You can find this information on your chosen course's webpage.
- Admissions criteria
- Other admission pathway options
- Additional criteria
- Additional information
- How to apply
Admission criteria
Select from the below options for information on how your application will be assessed.
Are those applicants that have completed a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), an Australian or overseas equivalent, or an International Baccalaureate (IB) in the last two years. You will be considered for an offer based on your ATAR (or other recognised qualifications undertaken while at school).
Some undergraduate courses at TAFE Queensland require a minimum ATAR and other selection criteria to be met.
Eligibility for entry will be based on:
- your Australian Tertiary Entrance Rank (ATAR) alone; or
- a combination of your ATAR and additional test, interview, audition, portfolio assessment or other non-academic attributes; or
- a completed competency-based and graded AQF Certificates III and IV (completed), diplomas, higher education and other factors.
Specific course admissions and enrolment information is available on the relevant course page. Find out about ATARs and prerequisite study score conversions by visiting Queensland ATAR.
Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This category is relevant if you are applying with a previously completed – or partially completed – higher education qualification.
Applicants with higher education can include students who have completed a bridging or enabling course delivered by, or on behalf of, a higher education provider.
Depending on the course you are applying for, you will need to have successfully completed a minimum of two units of study and achieved a pass level result/outcome overall (i.e. grade point average equal to greater than 4).
Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. To be considered for this admissions category, you will have satisfactorily completed an accredited award at certificate IV or above, at an Australian Registered Training Organisation.
Applicants with work and life experience are those who left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.
If you do not have any formal academic history, you may be considered on the basis of work or life experiences.
Applicants in this category are selected according to eligibility and merit; completion of any one of the recommended science subjects (via ATP or Unilearn-online offered at TAFE Queensland); vocational work experience; previous study and personal attributes.
‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education. This may include a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate academic suitability for higher education such as:
- written submissions
- portfolio presentation
- professional experience
- community involvement or
- work experience.
TAFE Queensland encourages participation from eligible applicants who have experienced educational disadvantage and/or who have excelled in academic and sporting endeavours. Eligible domestic applicants applying for undergraduate courses are contemplated under special entry conditions n a case by case basis. These usually involve an interview with the Course Coordinator in order to assess your academic suitability for the course.
TAFE Queensland is committed to increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in courses across all areas of study. Applicants who identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person may be admitted to a course based on their potential to succeed.
Applicants are considered on past experience in relation to study and employment, as well as potential to successfully complete their studies. Community involvement, past achievements or awards and current employment information are also considerations.
Additional criteria
In addition to ATARs/selection ranks, the following applies:
- Bachelor of Nursing course requires completion of an Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) declaration.
Additional information
Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of the course or unit, while preserving the academic integrity of the institute’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes. The inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete the course that must be met by all students.
In addition to meeting academic requirements of a course, to successfully complete specific courses you need to be able to meet all the Inherent Requirements for that course. When applying for a course, you should read the course specific Inherent Requirements carefully to ensure you are able to meet those requirements, now and for the duration of the course.
TAFE Queensland has obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (QLD) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) to ensure that reasonable adjustments are available. Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements
If you have a disability or chronic health condition, contact the AccessAbility Support Team to talk about the adjustments that may be put in place that may enable you to meet the requirements.
At TAFE Queensland, courses are delivered in English. Anyone intending to study a higher education course needs to meet the minimum English language requirements for their nominated course (refer to the course brochure on the website). English language proficiency can be demonstrated through one of the means outlined below.
TAFE Queensland requires students to demonstrate that they can speak, write, read and comprehend English to a specified standard.
For Domestic Students:
- Visit English language requirements for information, including ways to demonstrate English language proficiency.
- For International Students:
- Visit the English language equivalences for information
- Further information
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- International Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ISLPR)
- Pearson Test of English (PTE)
Registration with some professional bodies, such as the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), have specific English proficiency requirements.
These requirements are separate from the English requirements for admission to TAFE Queensland, and may be more demanding than the TAFE Queensland Queensland’s entry requirements.
Check the information about registration with professional bodies provided on the relevant course information page of our website, or visit the website of the professional body of which you hope to gain membership.
Students seeking professional registration upon completion of a specific higher education course should review the English language requirements under the relevant registration standard prior to making a decision regarding enrolment to ensure they will be able to meet the standard’s requirements.
How to apply
Domestic students applying for undergraduate study apply through QTAC.
International students applying for undergraduate study should visit How to apply for international students.
To apply directly through TAFE Queensland please visit the relevant course page and simply click the ‘Apply Now’ button on the course you want to apply for. You’ll then be directed to login to the Student Portal using your TAFE Queensland Student ID.
If you’ve studied with us before you’ll already have a Student ID. For first time students, simply register your details when you start your application to receive your new Student ID number.
Scholarships
Achieve your career goals with our range of merit, access and equity scholarships. Ensure you check the scholarship's details carefully and apply before the due date.
Advanced standing
Advanced standing is a form of credit for any previous learning. If approved, it can reduce the number of units you need to study at TAFE Queensland, allowing you to complete your course earlier.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
At TAFE Queensland we understand the unique needs of our Indigenous student community, With dedicated Indigenous student support we are well suited to help you reach your education goals.
Orientation
Orientation is a great way to familiarise yourself with your each campus, meet other students, talk to teaching staff, locate rooms, and learn how to access library resources.
FEE-HELP available
FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that covers the cost of your tuition fees on your behalf. If you're studying one of TAFE Queensland's degree programs you may be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.
Student profiles
TAFE Queensland is committed to providing transparent and clear admissions information to applicants. Learn more about the latest admissions information and student profiles of our higher education courses.
| Terminology | Definition |
| Advanced standing | A form of credit for any previous learning (Australian Qualifications Framework definition) – see also the definitions for “credit transfer” and “recognition of prior learning”. |
| Applicant | An applicant is generally taken to be a person who has already lodged an application to study a specific course. |
| Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) | In 2020, the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) will replace the Overall Position (OP) as the standard pathway to tertiary study for Queensland Year 12s. The ATAR is the standard measure of overall school achievement used in all other Australian states and territories. It is a rank indicating a student’s position overall relative to other students. The ATAR is expressed on a 2000-point scale from 99.95 (highest) down to 0, in increments of 0.05. ATARs below 30 will be reported as ‘30.00 or less’. |
| Bridging course | A course designed to cover subject knowledge, which assists students to gain knowledge in specialist areas that are a core component of the course. If a course requires a prerequisite in an area that students have not studied or worked with before, a bridging course will help students to bridge the gap in that knowledge and gain admission. |
| Credit transfer | A process that provides students with agreed and consistent credit outcomes for components of a qualification based on identified equivalence in content and learning outcomes between matched qualifications (Australian Qualifications Framework definition). |
| Direct application | Application made to a higher education provider rather than through a tertiary admission centre. |
| Enabling course | A course designed to provide students with skills needed for success in further study, to assist in the transition to tertiary education – for example study techniques or English language skills. Successful completion helps prepare a person to be admitted to a course that leads to a higher education award. |
| Overall Position (OP) | The Overall Position (OP) refers to a Queensland student’s position in a state-wide tertiary entrance rank order based on their overall achievement in senior secondary subjects. It indicates how well a student has done compared to all other OP-eligible students in Queensland. Students are placed in one of 25 OP bands from OP1 (highest) to OP25 (lowest). Queensland students seeking admission to higher education in other states can have their OP converted to an ATAR. Interstate students looking to study in Queensland can have their ATAR converted to a Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) Selection Rank. Queensland will adopt the ATAR instead of the OP for students who commence Year 11 in 2019 and beyond. |
| Prospective student | A prospective student is generally taken to be a person who is thinking about lodging an application to study a particular course but has not yet done so. |
| Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) | A process used to assess an individual’s relevant prior learning (including formal, informal and non-formal learning) to determine the credit that may be granted towards completion of a qualification (adapted from Australian Qualifications Framework definition). |
| Selection rank | The ranking that tertiary admission centres and most universities actually use to assess admission to a course. A person’s course Selection Rank can include their ATAR, any adjustments they are eligible for, such as equity or subject adjustments, other contributions calculated on the basis of work experience or previous non-secondary study, portfolio assessments, results of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test, other supplementary tests, etc. |
| TAC application | Application made through a tertiary admission centre, namely QTAC, UAC, VTAC, SATAC, TISC and University of Tasmania, in relation to applications to study in that state. |