Pathways to get into university

The path to university study isn’t always linear. You may think you need to go straight from high school into university; while this study pathway is one option, it's not the only option. 

All students at CDU have a unique study pathway. Some start studying with us right after high school; many join us later in life, after travelling for a few years, starting a family or to change careers. Read on to discover some of the most common ways to get into an undergraduate degree at CDU and start your university studies. 

Using your Year 12 ATAR 

ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank and is awarded when you complete Year 12. Regardless of how long ago this was, if you hold an ATAR score of at least 60, you can gain entry to most undergraduate degrees at CDU. You simply need to complete your application to study with us. 

Via an enabling or pathway program

Pathway programs are designed to prepare you for university studies and help you meet entry requirements for undergraduate degrees. There are a few options at CDU: 

• A free, 16-week Tertiary Enabling Program (TEP) that's offered online or on campus. You'll work on building the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed at uni. Learn more or find out how to apply. 
• An Undergraduate Certificate is a university-level qualification that you complete in as little as 6 months to help you meet entry requirements for an Undergraduate degree. Learn more. 

If a pathway program sounds like it may be right for you, explore all the options. If you need some help choosing the right option, contact our friendly team of student advisors. 

(Or if you need some inspiration, why not see how other CDU students have used pathway programs to get into university? Read their stories.)

Using your VET or TAFE qualifications

If you've successfully completed a VET or TAFE Certificate IV (or higher), you can use this to gain entry to most undergraduate degrees at CDU. 

Alternatively, you can start your tertiary study journey with a VET or TAFE qualification to get a 'taste' of your chosen subject. You can decide later whether to continue with an Undergraduate degree and if you do, you'll already have a solid understanding of the key principles in your field of study. Explore VET or TAFE courses at CDU. 

Sit a Special Tertiary Admission Test

The STAT - short for Special Tertiary Admission Test - is an exam you can sit to determine your readiness for university. If you achieve a score of 140-145 (depending on when you sat your test), you'll be eligible to apply for most undergraduate degrees at CDU. 

The exam will assess the skills and knowledge that you're likely to need in tertiary studies. For example, you may be required to read and think about a prose passage, interpret a graph, use basic mathematical relationships or make inferences from a table of data.

Learn more about STAT.

Use your life and work experience

You may also be able to get into university on the basis of a personal competencies statement, which outlines how you life and employment experience makes you a good candidate for your preferred undergraduate degree.

Bonus tip: Fast-track your degree

If you’ve already got some study and life experience behind you, you may be able to fast-track your degree with a credit transfer from previous study and/or a professional assessment to gain credits on the basis of your work history. This advanced standing (or ‘exemption’) means you can complete your degree sooner and don’t have to re-learn knowledge and concepts you’ve already covered in prior studies or in your work life. 

Learn more about pathways to study at CDU or how to apply. If you need help navigating your options, contact our friendly team of student advisors.