Entry pathways

High school students

Do the exams. Get your results. Join our crew! 

If you're doing your HSC and your sights are set on uni, make sure you apply through the Universities Admissions Centre, (UAC). For advice on applying through UAC please contact the UOW Sutherland Campus on 8536 2000.

Admission for school leavers to most UOW undergraduate degrees is determined by your ATAR - which you’ll find out from UAC - normally in December. Remember the ATAR isn’t the be-all and end-all of getting into uni. We want people who work hard and can get results where it matters.

We’ll give you Adjustment factors (formerly called bonus points) if you do well in HSC subjects relevant to your UOW degree. You can also apply for adjustment factors if you live in our neighbourhood or in regional NSW. If your ATAR’s not what you hoped, we also offer a range of alternative entry options and university preparation options to get you started.

Pathways to UOW

There’s more than one way to the future that you want, but sometimes things can be happening in your life that makes studying to get there hard. The Pathways team wants to help you find a way to pursue your career and study goals in a way that works for you:

UOW College's University Entrance Program (UEP)

The UEP is a 14-week course to give you the fundamental skills required for university-level study and to maximise your chance of success.  

The course is specifically designed for students who may not meet the requirements for direct entry to UOW, but would like to start their academic journey and are interested in studying a Bachelor degree course at UOW in future.

The University Entrance Program is now available online via online learning and can guarantee* you entry into a Business degree at the University of Wollongong (UOW Sutherland). To study this course online, please select ‘UOW College Online campus’ in the application form.  Find out more about the University Entrance Program.

No ATAR is required to get in! Full scholarships and Commonwealth government subsidies available^.

Apply at uow college/university entrance program  or call 1300 367 869

 *subject to UOW entry eligibility criteria

Indigenous admission program (IAP)

The Woolyungah Indigenous Centre at UOW offers an Indigenous Admissions Program (IAP) to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It assesses applicants’ suitability for study at UOW based on a series of tests and interviews instead of the ATAR.

It is available to all students of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who are 17 years old or older.

Vocational qualifications

The following qualifications may be submitted for assessment of entry eligibility:

• Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level IV Certificate 
• Diploma 
• Advanced Diploma 
• Associate Diploma 

There are a number of TAFE Colleges in the South Sydney region that offer eligible courses at these levels. To find these College locations and investigate their courses visit the TAFE NSW website.

* Some Credit transfer may be granted for these awards.

Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

If you have no formal qualifications on which to base your application to a UOW, you may be eligible to be considered for entry to a course by sitting STAT.  STAT is a series of tests designed to assess a range of competencies considered important for success in tertiary study.

It assesses your ability to think critically and analyse the material given, rather than testing your knowledge of specific academic subjects.  You may gain entry to UOW by achieving sufficient results in the multiple choice STAT. 

Registration and payment for STAT is managed through the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).  Dates, fees, locations and booking information for STAT test sittings in NSW/ACT can be found on the ACER STAT Website

Completed or partially-completed tertiary studies

If you have gained admission to another university and/or partially completed a university degree, you may use this as entry into our degree courses. You need an appropriate record of achievement from an approved university.

You may also be eligible for some advanced standing (credit transfer) from subjects completed. Documents must be accompanied by an official English translation if they were produced in another language.