You don't need to have studied specific subjects at school to apply for our undergraduate courses, except for our Bachelor of Education courses, which have specific prerequisite subjects that you must have studied.
For all our other courses, we assume you have a minimum level of knowledge in certain subject areas before you start your course. We call this 'assumed knowledge'.
You can still apply if you don't have the assumed knowledge for your course, but we strongly encourage you to undertake bridging courses to get the knowledge you'll need.
What's the assumed knowledge for my course?
All of our courses have English (which includes English for ESL learners) with an exit of four semesters sound achievement (4, SA) as assumed knowledge.
From 2021, in addition to English (Units 3 & 4, C) the following Queensland Year 12 subjects are also acceptable:
- Literature
- English and Literature
- English as an Additional Language (Units 3 & 4).
If you're currently in high school and set to finish school in 2020 or later, there will be some changes. Find out more about starting uni in 2021 and beyond.
Some courses have additional assumed knowledge in one or more of the following subjects:
| 2018 and 2019 Queensland OP subjects | 2020 and onward Queensland ATAR subjects |
|---|---|
| Maths A (4,SA) | General Mathematics (Units 3 & 4 C) |
| Maths B (4,SA) | Mathematical Methods (Units 3 & 4, C) |
| Maths C (4,SA) | Specialist Mathematics (Units 3 & 4, C) |
| Biology (4,SA) | Biology (Units 3 & 4, C |
| Chemistry (4,SA) | Chemistry (Units 3 & 4, C) |
| Physics (4,SA) | Physics (Units 3 & 4, C) |
Check your course information to find out what the assumed knowledge is for your course.
Bachelor of Education courses
Our Bachelor of Education courses have prerequisite subjects instead of assumed knowledge.
That means you must have studied the required subjects to gain entry to these courses.
How much knowledge do I need?
We assume that you have knowledge equivalent to four semesters at high school level (Years 11 and 12) with at least Sound Achievement (SA).
You'll see this in course information as (4, SA).
I don't have the assumed knowledge for my course
If you don't have the assumed knowledge you might have trouble keeping up in your classes.
You can do extra studies to help you catch up on what you've missed.
For English
You can successfully complete a year of vocational or tertiary study (university or TAFE) or complete one of the other options listed in our assumed knowledge equivalent subjects.
For Maths, Chemistry and Physics
We recommend that you complete bridging or preparatory studies before or during your first semester.
We offer paid bridging courses through our Continuing Professional Education (CPE) unit, or you can complete one of the other options listed in our assumed knowledge equivalent subjects.
Recommended study
Some courses also list subjects as recommended study.
If you've completed these subjects at school it may help you understand the material in your course.
But if you haven't, you won't be disadvantaged or need to catch up on anything.
I didn't complete Year 12 in Queensland
Check our assumed knowledge equivalent subjects to see if you have equivalent knowledge if you've completed:
- Year 12 in another state
- the International Baccalaureate (IB)
- studies at university or TAFE.
Assumed knowledge equivalent subjects
If you plan to complete preparatory studies before your course commences, or want to make sure your previous studies meet our assumed knowledge guidelines, check our guide to assumed knowledge equivalent subjects for secondary school subjects, tertiary and bridging studies.
English equivalent subjects
Secondary school studies
| Qualification/State | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate | One of:
|
| ACT | One of:
|
| NSW | One of:
|
| SA and NT | One of:
|
| TAS | One of:
|
| VIC | One of:
|
| WA | One of:
|
Tertiary and bridging studies
| Institution | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| QUT | Completion of at least 1 year full-time (or equivalent) of study at degree level with a passing grade point average (GPA). |
| TAFE Queensland | Completion of at least 1 year full-time (or equivalent) of study at diploma or advanced diploma level with a passing grade point average (GPA). |
| Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation | Before October 2013, successful completion of both Language and Learning units:
From October 2013 onward, successful completion of both Language and Learning units:
|
| Unilearn/Open Universities Australia (OUA) | UNL14 Senior English |
| CQUniversity | One of:
|
| University of Southern Queensland (USQ) | One of:
|
| Griffith University College | One of:
|
| UQ College | UPRENG401 Employ English language skills commensurate with academic purpose |
| Other tertiary institutions | Completion of at least 1 year full-time (or equivalent) of study at degree, diploma or advanced diploma level with a passing grade point average (GPA) within Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom or United States of America (USA). |
Maths equivalent subjects
Secondary school studies
Maths B
| Qualification/State | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate |
|
| ACT |
One of:
|
| NSW | One of:
|
| SA and NT | One of:
|
| TAS | One of:
|
| VIC |
|
| WA | One of:
|
Maths A
You can also meet the assumed knowledge requirements for Maths A by completing any of the studies listed for Maths B.
| Qualification/State | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureeate | Mathematical Studies |
| ACT | Mathematical Applications |
| NSW | One of:
|
| SA and NT | One of:
|
| TAS | One of:
|
| VIC | Further Mathematics |
| WA | One of:
|
Tertiary and bridging studies
Maths B
| Institution | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| QUT | One of:
|
| TAFE Queensland | One of:
|
| Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation | Before October 2013, successful completion of all three Pure Mathematics units:
From October 2013 onward, successful completion of all three Pure Mathematics units:
|
| Unilearn/Open Universities Australia (OUA) | UNL32 Senior Mathematics |
| CQUniversity | MATH40252 Technical Mathematics for University |
| University of Southern Queensland (USQ) | One of:
|
| Griffith University | Maths B Bridging Course |
| Griffith University College | One of:
|
| UQ College | One of:
|
| University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) | One of:
|
| Other tertiary institutions | One of:
|
Maths A
You can also meet the assumed knowledge requirements for Maths A by completing any of the studies listed for Maths B.
| Institution | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| TAFE Queensland | A completed diploma in the same area. For example, a completed Diploma of Business (Accountancy) for business courses. |
| Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation | Before October 2013, successful completion of both General Mathematics units:
From October 2013 onward, successful completion of both General Mathematics units:
|
| Unilearn/Open Universities Australia (OUA) | UNL31 Introductory Mathematics |
| CQUniversity | One of:
|
| University of Southern Queensland (USQ) | One of:
|
| Griffith University College | One of:
|
| UQ College | Pre-University Mathematics A |
| University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) | TPP105 Statistics |
| Other tertiary institutions | One of:
|
Physics equivalent subjects
Secondary school studies
| Qualification/State | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate | Physics |
| ACT | Physics |
| NSW | One of:
|
| SA and NT | Physics |
| TAS | One of:
|
| VIC | Physics |
| WA | One of:
|
Tertiary and bridging studies
| Institution | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| QUT | One of:
|
| TAFE Queensland | EA011 Science |
| Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation | Before October 2013, successful completion of all three physics units:
From October 2013 onward, successful completion of all three physics units:
|
| Unilearn/Open Universities Australia (OUA) | UNL71 Physics |
| CQUniversity | Introductory Physics |
| University of Southern Queensland (USQ) | Preparatory Physics |
| Griffith University College | One of:
|
| Other tertiary institutions | Any physics subject at degree or advanced diploma level. |
Chemistry equivalent subjects
Secondary school studies
| Qualification/State | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate | Chemistry |
| ACT | Chemistry |
| NSW | One of:
|
| SA and NT | Chemistry |
| TAS | Chemistry |
| VIC | Chemistry |
| WA | Chemistry |
Tertiary and bridging studies
| Institution | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| QUT | One of:
|
| TAFE Queensland | No equivalent subject |
| Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation | Before October 2013, successful completion of all three chemistry units:
From October 2013 onward, successful completion of all three chemistry units:
|
| Unilearn/Open Universities Australia (OUA) | UNL21 Chemistry |
| CQUniversity | Introductory Chemistry |
| University of Southern Queensland (USQ) | Chemistry: An Introductory Course |
| Griffith University College | One of:
|
| University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) | TTP103 Chemistry |
| UQ College | UPRCHE401 Investigate chemical science problems (Chemistry) |
| Other tertiary institutions | One of:
|
Biology equivalent subjects
Secondary school studies
| Qualification/State | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate | Biology |
| ACT | One of:
|
| NSW | Biology |
| SA and NT | Biology |
| TAS | Biology |
| VIC | Biology |
| WA | One of:
|
Tertiary and bridging studies
| Institution | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| QUT | BVB101 Foundations of Biology. |
| Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation | Before October 2013, successful completion of both biology units:
From October 2013, successful completion of both biology units:
|
| Unilearn/Open Universities Australia (OUA) | UNL44 Biology |
| CQUniversity | BIOL40108 Introductory Biology |
| Griffith University College | One of:
|
| University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) | TTP109 Biology |
| UQ College | UPRBIO401 Investigate biological science problems (Biology) |