Process_

Apply for an undergraduate course

A guide to the admissions process for domestic students
Follow these steps to apply for a bachelor's degree as a domestic student.

This page outlines the admission process for domestic students. 

You are a domestic student if you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen (including dual citizens), a permanent resident of Australia or a holder of a permanent Australian humanitarian visa or a Pacific Engagement visa. Otherwise, please find out how to apply as an international student.

General process

Use our course search to browse our wide range of courses. Use the filters to search for undergraduate courses in your area of interest, then click on a course to find out more about: 

  • what you'll study
  • admissions criteria
  • application deadlines
  • potential career paths. 

You might want to bookmark the course page, as you'll be referring back to it as you prepare your application.

Guaranteed Entry

To help your decision-making, we publish a list of Guaranteed Entry selection ranks for many of our courses. This can help you compare your options, based on your expected ATAR results. 

Inherent requirements

When choosing a course, you should see if it has any inherent requirements (this will be noted on the course page). These usually apply to courses that are preparing you for a career where you will be working closely with people or animals.

They aren't assessable admissions criteria but are required for you to successfully complete the course. Understanding the inherent requirements will allow you to make an informed decision about the course/career.

The course page (found in step 1) will list all of the admission criteria for your course. 

If you've recently completed high school in Australia, then your admission will likely be based on your ATAR/IB score. Most course pages will list the guaranteed selection rank required for admission. 

However we also recognise overseas high school qualifications, tertiary studies that include studies in a bachelor’s degree, completed diplomas or advanced diplomas and preparation programs.

Find out more about our recognised qualifications.

Additional admissions criteria

For some courses, there may be additional admissions criteria such as an interview, audition or portfolio. This will be listed on the course page.

Prerequisites

Some courses have a mathematics course prerequisite, this will be listed on the course page. This means that you need to have completed and achieved a specified result in a recognised mathematics subject (e.g. Year 12 subject).

Some education courses also have prerequisites required by the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA), this will be listed on the course page.

From 2025, we’re replacing the advanced mathematics prerequisite for most of our degrees with more individual and targeted mathematics support upon commencement. Find out more.

English language requirements

English language requirements depend on the course, your country of origin and your educational background. For most courses, you may be able to meet the University’s English language requirements by completing a recognised Year 12 qualification in English in an English-speaking country. Find out if you need to prove English language proficiency.

Double degrees

Our double degrees have separate progression requirements that must be satisfied before you can be admitted to the second degree. These will be listed on the course page.

For some courses or units of study, we expect that you have reached a certain level of knowledge or have passed a relevant subject at Australian Year 12 level or equivalent.* This will be listed on the course page.

Students are generally advised against taking a unit of study or course for which they do not have the assumed knowledge as they may be at a disadvantage.

If you do not have the assumed knowledge for your course, we strongly recommend that you undertake a bridging course.

We run bridging courses in mathematics, biology, statistics, chemistry and physics for undergraduate students. Each course is held as a workshop that runs for several days, introducing the fundamentals of a complex subject. 

*If you have completed an interstate Australian Year 12 qualification or the IB Diploma, check UAC for equivalent subjects. For any other qualifications, you can refer to the syllabus for HSC subjects to find out if they are equivalent to your subjects.

Before applying, you should understand the fees you will need to pay. These include:

You should also learn about financial support options that may be available to you. Most domestic undergraduate students are eligible for the Australian Government's HECS-HELP and SA-HELP loan schemes.

In addition, we have a number of scholarships available for domestic bachelor's degree students.

To apply for a bachelor's degree as a domestic student, you will need to apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Make sure you're aware of the UAC application process and key dates.

Supplementary application forms

Some courses require supplementary application forms. These will be listed on the course page, and you will be prompted to upload this during your UAC application. Find out more about submitting documents to UAC.

Sciences Po Dual Degree

If you are applying for a Sciences Po Dual Degree, you need to apply directly to the University of Sydney, even if you are applying through UAC for your other preferences. You do so by selecting 'Apply now' on the course page.

Optional steps

If you’re not sure whether you’ll reach the ATAR (or equivalent) for your preferred course, we encourage you to explore our different admissions pathways.

We know that everyone's journey to university is different. We offer a number of admissions pathways, in recognition of the different circumstances and commitments that our students face. 

There are also other ways to get into your chosen course/field, like starting in a similar degree and then applying to transfer.

You may be able to have previous related study credited to your degree if the subject is assessed as being equivalent. This means you won’t have to repeat similar units and could graduate sooner. This is available for equivalent:

  • Units of study taken at another recognised university or higher education institution.
  • Qualifications from a higher education institution or vocational education and training institution approved by the University.

How to apply

If you are applying for a bachelor’s degree as a domestic student through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), you can apply for credit after you have accepted your offer.

Types of credit available

The following types of credit are available (subject to assessment of credit eligibility):

  • Specific credit: This is credit granted for a specific unit of study when you’ve previously undertaken its exact equivalent at another institution.
  • Non-specific credit: When there is no equivalent unit of study here, credit may be considered for a certain number of credit points at a specific level.

You may also be eligible to apply for a waiver, if the unit you’ve completed is substantially similar to a University of Sydney unit, but credit cannot be given. Unlike credit, waivers don’t reduce the duration of your award course and you’ll need to complete another unit in its place.

Please note:

Accepting credit can change your study load, fees or course duration. This may also affect your government assistance eligibility and full-time concession benefits.

Most scholarship applications are due by early October, so you will apply for them around the same time you submit your university application to the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Deadlines and application requirements may differ depending on the scholarship.