Student Recruitment - Study Pathways
What is a study pathway?
A study pathway refers to mapping a way (pathway) that will lead you to satisfying the admission requirements into your chosen course.
Generally at Charles Darwin University, certificate II and III level courses require a Year 10 level of education, certificate IV to advanced diploma level require Year 12 and most bachelor degree level courses require a Year 12 NTCE level of education with a Tertiary Entrance Ranking (TER) score of at least 60, or equivalent qualification.
If a TER score of 60 has not been attained, please refer to our bonus points scheme for Northern Territory school leavers or school leavers from a high school in a rural area that borders on the NT.
Meeting the minimum admission requirements
At CDU, the options available to all potential students to meet the minimum admission requirements of a course will depend on the level of the course you want to get into, and your age. These options are:
- If entry requires a Year 10 level of education complete the Certificate II in Introductory Vocational Education; or
- Start from a VET certificate level course and progress onwards from there (refer to the study pathways chart);
- If entry requires a Year 11 or Year 12 level of education or a TER score:
- complete your NTCE; or
- complete the Tertiary Enabling Program if you are at least 18 years of age; or
- Apply to sit a Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) if you are at least 19 years of age. Usually you need to attain a minimum score of 145, but for some degrees, you may require a higher score, so check with the relevant course coordinator.
- If you are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, you have the option of completing an Indigenous preparatory program such as the Indigenous Pre-Law, Business and Arts program, depending on the course you want to study.


