This scheme aims to help domestic applicants over the age of 21, who do not already hold a recognised qualification, to gain admission to eligible undergraduate degrees.
You are eligible to apply for admission through the Mature-age Entry Scheme if you:
If you do not meet the above criteria, you may still be eligible to apply for admission without going through this entry scheme. Learn more about how to apply.
You must complete an approved preparation course to apply through the Mature-age Entry Scheme. Then you apply for your course through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). There is no additional application form or process.
Preparation courses are open to everyone, you don't need any previous qualifications to enrol.
Admission into the University of Sydney is competitive and places are awarded based on academic merit. Completing an eligible preparation course does not guarantee an offer to your degree. You will be assessed based on your academic results.
We recommend you consult the institution providing your preparation program to see how your academic results will convert into a selection rank.
Applicants can apply to Sydney with a Limited ATAR, calculated using the best five units of courses completed (rather than the 10 used for a standard ATAR). A Limited ATAR is usually significantly higher than an ATAR.
The TAFE Statement in HSC Studies allows you to study all or part of the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC).
The Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation prepares you for university study. You will receive a Tertiary Entrance Score (TES), that you can use to apply for admission to the University.
The University Preparation Program (UPP) at UNSW can be undertaken in humanities, science, engineering or business, and can be used for admission to some degrees at the University of Sydney.
The Open Foundation program at the University of Newcastle can be used for admission to some degrees at the University of Sydney.
The following courses and the associated preparation courses are eligible for entry via the Mature-age Entry Scheme.
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
|
|
All |
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
|
|
All |
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP (business, engineering or science):
UON Open Foundation:
|
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP (business, engineering or science):
UON Open Foundation:
|
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
All |
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP (engineering or science):
UON Open Foundation:
|
* Includes all specialisations and combined degrees.
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
|
|
All |
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
|
|
|
|
All |
|
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP (Science) UON Open Foundation:
|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP (engineering or science) UON Open Foundation:
|
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
All |
| Course/s | Accepted preparation course/s |
|---|---|
|
TAFE Statement in HSC Studies:
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP (engineering or science) UON Open Foundation:**
|
|
Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP UON Open Foundation:**
|
| B Science and M Mathematical Sciences | Limited ATAR:
TAFE TPC:
UNSW UPP (engineering) |
* Any specialisations except for the advanced and Dalyell Scholars streams.
** If applying to a science course with the UON Open Foundation you must complete 60 units.
The following courses do not accept applications through the Mature-age Entry Scheme.
If you have an ATAR over 70, a diploma, an advanced diploma, at least one year of bachelor’s degree studies, or the equivalent of these in another recognised qualification then you already hold a qualification that you can use to apply for an undergraduate course at the University of Sydney. This means you cannot apply using the preparation programs accepted under the Mature-age Entry Scheme.
If your qualification does not meet the entry requirements for your preferred degree you can do one of the following:
There is no additional application form or process. We will know that you are applying through the Mature-age Entry Scheme based on the personal and educational details included in your UAC application and because you are applying with a preparation program.
Contact admission.pathways@sydney.edu.au if you have any questions.