Admission - Procedures & Rules

Undergraduate Admissions

Offers of student places in the University are made by the Vice-President and Registrar in accordance with the rules, resolutions, policies and procedures set by the University. Neither oral advice nor any form of written advice will commit the University to make an offer.

In accordance with University requirements, the Vice-President and Registrar prescribes procedures for admissions and enrolments and the dates by which the procedures are to be completed or conducted, and by which any fees or charges are to be paid.

CQU reserves the right to withdraw an offer and cancel the enrolment of any person where an offer was made on the basis of incomplete or inaccurate information supplied by the applicant or a certifying authority.

For all programs offered through QTAC, successful applicants are forwarded a notice of offer, and QTAC response to offer form from QTAC and an enrolment guide, orientation material and a Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) payment option form from CQU.

To accept an offer of a quota place, an applicant must:

• Return the response to offer form to QTAC (not to CQU) by the lapse date indicated on the form, or respond to the QTAC 1900 phone service on 1900 971 166. If the response is not received by this date, the offer of a quota place will lapse and the applicant may not be considered in any subsequent round of offers.
• Log on to e.rolment via CQU’s website at http://www.cqu.edu.au and accept the offer of a quota place. Alternatively, call the Student Service Line on 1300 550 900 for assistance.
• After accepting an offer with both QTAC and CQU, a student may choose to postpone the commencement of their studies. You do this by lapsing your enrolment and not enrolling in any courses at that time. When you wish to become enrolled, you should contact the Student Services Line on 1300 550 900 for assistance.

If an offer is not accepted with QTAC and CQU by the respective lapse dates as described above, the offer of a place will lapse. If the student decides to seek a place at the University at a later date, they are required to submit a new application to QTAC and will not be eligible to apply for readmission to the University directly.

Entry to undergraduate programs in the vocational education and training area, and to the graduate entry programs in primary and secondary teaching are made by application direct to the University. Information on application procedure for these programs may be obtained from the Postgraduate Admissions Office, Student Administration.

Postgraduate and Honours Admission

Research Higher Degrees

Applications for admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education or the Master’s Degree by Research may be submitted at any time of the year on an application form obtained from the Research Services Office (Ph: 07 4923 2606/Fax: 07 4923 2600). Intending Applicants are advised to discuss their research proposal in the first instance with the Associate Dean (Research) responsible for their area of interest.

Postgraduate Programs

The University offers a wide array of postgraduate programs. All applications for postgraduate study are made directly to CQU. Information on application procedures for postgraduate certificates, diplomas, and masters programs may be obtained from the Postgraduate Admissions Office, Student Administration.

Honours Degrees

Applicants who have completed appropriate degree studies may apply for direct entry into the relevant CQU honours program. The following factors are taken into account in the selection of honours candidates:

• the applicant’s academic record;
• the availability of an appropriate supervisor or supervisors for the applicant, and agreement between the applicant and nominated supervisor(s) on a suitable dissertation topic; and
• the lapse of time since an applicant qualified for the award of the previous degree.

In addition, Faculties may prescribe other prerequisite conditions for admission to specified honours programs.

Information on application procedures may be obtained directly from the Postgraduate Admissions Office, Student Administration.

International Admission

Students who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia can study in Australia only on a full-fee-paying basis. They must pay the full cost of their tuition and support and meet all other associated expenses.

Students who remain in their home country are able to enrol in some programs as distance education students and would normally study on a part-time basis.

Our international student fees are established under the guidelines of the Australian Government with all fees meeting the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs minimum requirements.

Please contact CQU International directly for further information regarding fees and admission (Ph: 61 7 4930 9746 or Fax: 61 7 4930 9803). (CQU’s CRICOS Provider Codes: Queensland -00219C; Sydney - 01315F; Melbourne: 01624D.)

Students wishing to apply must obtain and complete an Application for Admission form for full-fee international applicants.

The only exception to this procedure is any student undertaking Year 12 examinations in Queensland. In this instance, students are also able to apply directly through QTAC as Standard Admission applicants.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

International applicants for all programs are required to have an acceptable level of competence in writing, reading, speaking and understanding English. Students wishing to undertake undergraduate programs and postgraduate coursework and research programs are required to have the equivalent of an overall IELTS band score of 6 (with no individual band score of less than 5), or a TOEFL score of 550, including a TWE of 4 (computer-based score of 213). Exceptions to the above include programs which have built-in English language support and/or credit award courses specifically designed to improve students’ level of English.

Readmission of Former CQU Students

(including former UCQ, UCCQ and CIAE students)

Students whose enrolment in a program has been cancelled and who wish to recommence their studies in that program, may apply directly to CQU (NOT through QTAC) for readmission.

Information on application procedures for readmission and eligibility to apply for readmission may be obtained from the Admissions Office, Student Administration.

Students who are seeking readmission to CQU, but in a program of study offered by a different faculty, must apply for admission, either through QTAC (for undergraduate) or directly to CQU (postgraduate), using the relevant application form.

At the completion of a period of exclusion from a specific program of study, a student must apply for readmission to that program to re-enrol.

The University reserves the right to refuse an application for readmission based on previous results in that program.

A student (other than a research higher degree candidate) who was enrolled in a postgraduate program as a HECS student and is applying for readmission into the same program which is now fee-paying will not retain their HECS standing, and will become subject to full-fees for that program.

Research candidates should refer to the Research Services Office for relevant readmission information.

Cross-Institutional Studies

Students enrolled in undergradate or coursework postgraduate programs at other tertiary institutions may apply to undertake CQU courses for credit towards their award programs. This category of admission is termed cross-institutional enrolment. Information on application procedures for cross-institutional enrolment may be obtained from the Postgraduate Admissions Office, Student Administration.

Students are responsible for obtaining information on course availability, suitability of their background, including the status of their preparation in terms of prerequisites, and timetables.

A letter of approval for the course(s) selected from the student’s home institution must accompany the application.

An offer of cross-institutional enrolment applies only to the academic year in which the offer was made. Students wishing to continue their enrolment into subsequent academic years must apply again in full.

Cross-institutional students are liable for the same level of HECS as they are paying at their home institution. However, any HECS liable student who chooses to enrol in a course that is offered only as a fee-paying course at CQU will be required to pay the full fee.

Change of Program

Within the same Faculty

Students, other than research higher degree candidates, wishing to change their program within the same Faculty can do so by completing an Application for Change of Program form. This applies for all students, whether postgraduate or undergraduate.

To be eligible to apply for Change of Program, students must have successfully completed at least one course in their current program, and be eligible for admission into the new program.

To another Faculty

Undergraduate students wishing to apply for a program in another Faculty will need to complete a QTAC Tertiary Study Application form. These may be obtained by contacting Student Administration.

Postgraduate coursework students wishing to apply for a program in another Faculty will need to complete an Application for Admission form available from Student Administration.

Non-Award Studies

Single Non-Award Admissions

A person who wishes to complete a course offered by the University, without undertaking an award program, may seek admission in single, non-award courses. This category of admission is used for those who wish to undertake a course to update or expand their knowledge in a specific area without committing themselves to an entire degree or diploma program.

To be admitted, an applicant must satisfy normal entry and prerequisite requirements for admission to the program from which the course or courses are drawn and must complete all assessment requirements. Information on application procedures and available courses may be obtained from the Postgraduate Admission Office, Student Administration.

Students who wish to take further courses in subsequent terms or years are required to apply again for admission to study those courses.

Students are not liable for HECS payments; they are required to pay fees, which vary depending on the course(s) undertaken.

Students must comply with the University’s policies and procedures relating to admission, enrolment, the payment of fees and student charges, and assessment.

Those who successfully complete courses are not entitled to claim a degree or other award of the University. In some circumstances, students admitted to award programs may apply to have work completed credited towards future award program requirements.

School-links Non-Award Admission

The School-links Non-Award Program (SNAP), is designed for gifted and talented Year 11 and 12 school students to undertake individual courses at a first year university level while still completing the requirements for the Senior Certificate and gaining an OP.

Students will be able to seek credit for studies completed as SNAP students in award university programs in which they may subsequently enrol. Information on application procedures is available from the principals of participating secondary schools or the Postgraduate Admissions Office, Student Administration.

Students are not liable for HECS. Fees are calculated on the discounted differential HECS rate applicable to the Faculty that delivers the course selected. Students must comply with the University’s policies and procedures relating to admission, enrolment, payment of fees and student charges, and assessment. Those who successfully complete courses are not entitled to claim a degree or other award of the University.

Exclusion Cases

Any applicant for admission who is under suspension or permanent or temporary exclusion from any tertiary institution or program of tertiary study, whether in Australia or elsewhere, is required to inform QTAC and/or the University in the space provided on the application for admission form.

If exclusion was on academic grounds within the past five years and the applicant has no successful tertiary study subsequent to the exclusion, the applicant may be admitted to the University only with the approval of the Faculty concerned.

If exclusion was on any grounds other than academic, the applicant may be admitted to the University only with approval of the Vice-Chancellor or nominee.

Applicants are encouraged to provide full details of exclusion together with relevant documentation with their applications. Factors such as changed circumstances, academic or vocational performance since exclusion, maturity and motivation may be considered in the determination of the admission application.

A student who is under exclusion from a program under rules for unsatisfactory academic performance may not apply for readmission to any other program of the same level offered by that faculty for a prescribed period (one to four terms) from the date of exclusion.

However, a student who has been excluded may apply for admission to another program at a lower level or a program offered by a different faculty, admission to which may be refused by the Faculty Education Committee controlling the program or by the Admissions Committee.

Applications for admission to a different CQU program must be made through QTAC on an application form.

At the completion of the period of exclusion from a specific program of study, a student is eligible to apply for readmission to that program, under conditions determined by the Faculty Education Committee responsible for that program.

Transfers to Other Institutions (International Students)

Department of Immigration & Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) regulations state that international students are required to remain at the institution which originally recruited them for the first 12 months of their program, unless they have obtained permission from DIMA to transfer.