Your guide to getting into QUT

Entry to university might be closer than you think. If you’ve finished school, started another course, completed a TAFE qualification, or spent time working, your experience could help you qualify for university entry.

Jump to:

Getting into your undergraduate course

• ATAR and selection rank
• Subjects
• Boosting your rank with adjustment schemes
• What to do if your ATAR or selection rank isn't high enough

Getting into your postgraduate course

• Entry with a bachelor degree
• Other requirements
• If you don't meet the entry requirements
• If you have other study/experience

Getting into your undergraduate course

In this section, you’ll learn:

• about entry pathways to bachelor degrees, double degrees, diplomas, undergraduate certificate and degree/master combinations
• what an ATAR and selection rank are (and how they’re used)
• how Year 12 results, TAFE/VET study, uni study, and work experience can support your application
• what happens if you have more than one qualification
• ways to boost your rank or upgrade if you don’t meet the threshold yet

ATAR and selection rank

For most QUT undergraduate courses, you’ll need an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) or selection rank. Course thresholds can change from year to year, but the most recent thresholds on our website are an indication of the ATAR or selection rank you’ll need for entry.

ATARs are obtained by Year 12 students and range from 0.00 and 99.95. Selection ranks are allocated to other qualifications such as vocational education and training (VET) study, other university study or work experience. Selection ranks are on the same scale as ATARs, with 99.95 as the highest, and are treated the same for admission.

Some courses have additional entry requirements. For example, our Bachelor of Creative Arts (Acting) requires a successful audition rather than ATAR or selection rank, and some courses require prior study (such as graduate-entry or master programs in law, teaching, social work, paramedic science, podiatry, nursing).

If you finished Year 12 (recently or a while ago)

If you’ve completed Year 12, you may be considered for entry to QUT bachelor degrees based on your school results — for example, your ATAR or the selection rank for your completed International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

You can also be considered based on selection ranks for VET qualifications such as a certificate IV or diploma, a school‑based seventh‑grade AMEB or equivalent performing arts qualification or university subjects completed at school, such as START QUT or equivalent programs (a minimum of 0.25 of a full‑time year of university degree study).

If you want to study a QUT diploma or the undergraduate certificate, in addition to the above we’ll also consider an IB Career‑related Certificate (IBCC) or incomplete IB Diploma, or a VET certificate III or above.

QUT also accepts non‑standard Australian Year 12 qualifications including Accelerated Christian Education (ACE), Rudolph Steiner Education schools and some home schooling as well as overseas Year 12, and past school results.

ATARs don’t expire but are converted to a selection rank that can be used for university entry many years after graduation. QTAC will allocate a selection rank based on your non-standard or past school results that can be considered by QUT for entry.

Read more and see what your selection rank could be based on recent secondary education.

If you’ve studied at TAFE or completed a VET qualification

Here’s a quick guide to the minimum selection ranks typically awarded for VET qualifications (TAFE or private providers). These can be considered for entry to QUT bachelor degrees:

• certificate IV – 74.00
• diploma – 87.00
• advanced diploma – 93.00.

Higher selection ranks can be awarded if you achieved strong grades in a graded VET qualification, or by sitting the Skills for Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) and receiving strong results if you completed an ungraded VET qualification.

For QUT diplomas or the undergraduate certificate, we’ll also consider the selection rank for a completed certificate III (68.00).

The Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation (ATP), which is equivalent to an Australian Year 12 high school qualification, can also provide a selection rank.

Read more and see what your selection rank could be based on VET study.

If you’ve already started (or completed) university study

If you’ve already undertaken some university study (even if it was some time ago), you may be considered for entry to QUT using your grade point average (GPA).

As a quick guide, here are the selection ranks awarded for different periods of degree study with different GPAs:

• One full-time year equivalent with a GPA of 4.00 – 93.00
• One full-time year equivalent with a GPA of 6.00 – 98.00
• One quarter of a full-time year equivalent with a GPA of 4.00 – 75.00

We also recognise many tertiary preparation courses from other institutions. You must have successfully completed one or more semesters full time to count towards a selection rank for a QUT application.

Read more and see what your selection rank could be based on higher education study.

If you’ve been working (with or without formal qualifications)

If you’ve been working for a number of years, your work and life experience may give you the selection rank for entry, even if you haven’t completed Year 12 or other formal qualifications.

Your work skills and experience can be translated by QTAC into a selection rank, based on the skill level and the length of time of your employment. The work does not have to be in an area related to your proposed field of study.

Selection ranks range from 55.00 to 93.00 depending on the skill level involved and length of service. Your selection rank may be further improved by a good result in the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT).

While you can be allocated a selection rank based on a minimum of six months full‑time work experience, you would need to have three years or more of paid work experience to gain a selection rank suitable for entry to QUT degree courses.

Read more about entry based on work experience.

Defence force service and qualifications

We value the skills, experience and qualifications developed through service in the Australian Defence Force. Your service history can be used to gain a selection rank for entry and potential advanced standing (credit) in QUT courses. Our Veterans Academic Success Program provides tailored support. Read more about entry based on defence force service.

Performing arts qualifications

The skills and experience you’ve gained through completing non‑AQF performing arts qualifications can give you a selection rank for entry to our courses ranging from 84.00 to 87.00, depending on your qualification. The course you apply for does not need to be in a performance‑based field. Read more about entry based on performing arts qualifications.

Do you have more than one qualification?

If you’ve completed Year 12 and other study (or you have work experience), you may have an ATAR as well as one or more selection ranks. If that’s the case, we’ll generally use the highest rank available.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

We offer a culturally responsive admission pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people looking to study at QUT.

The Centralised Assessment and Selection Program (CASP) recognises life experiences, any previous study undertaken, skills, commitment and potential to succeed.

If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander via QTAC and list QUT in your top three preferences, QUT will contact you to participate in CASP.

Subjects

For most courses, QUT has an assumed knowledge scheme. This means that you can gain entry without completing specific subjects, as we don’t use subjects as entry criteria for most of our courses. However, we assume you have this knowledge when you study with us either through school studies, bridging programs or equivalent studies, so you may struggle with your QUT course studies if you don’t have the assumed knowledge.

Some courses such as our Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science Advanced (Honours) have prerequisite subjects that you must have completed to be considered for a place in the course. Nursing courses have specific English requirements.

You may be able to undertake a bridging program to gain the required subject knowledge. QUT offers bridging programs in mathematics and we also accept bridging programs from other institutions.

Read more

Boosting your rank with adjustment schemes

We offer a number of adjustment schemes that provide an adjustment to your ATAR or selection rank, making you more competitive for a course offer. These include:

• Equity adjustment—educational access (financial hardship, home environment and responsibilities, English language difficulty, personal illness and disability, and school environment)
• Regional and remote adjustment
• Elite sport adjustment
• First generation adjustment
• Subject adjustment
• Priority school adjustment.

You can apply for as many adjustment schemes for which you are eligible and receive a maximum adjustment of 10.00 ranks across all schemes. Adjustments may not apply to all courses.

Read more about adjustment schemes.

What to do if your ATAR or selection rank isn’t high enough for your course

If you’ve checked the ATAR/selection rank threshold for your chosen course and you don’t think your ATAR or selection rank is high enough to get an offer, it’s not the end of the story. You can undertake further study or another course to receive a new selection rank. This is called upgrading.

Your options can include:

• Start with a QUT diploma or undergraduate certificate and move into a related degree with guaranteed entry.
• Complete university study (one year or less) to achieve a new selection rank.
• Undertake further TAFE/VET study (certificate IV, diploma or advanced diploma) to receive a new selection rank.
• Choose a TAFE/QUT dual award, which can provide guaranteed entry to the QUT course after you successfully complete the TAFE component.
• Complete the free University Preparation Program to gain a new selection rank (if you pass all units) and build confidence for university-level study.

Quick recap

There’s no single “right” way to get into university. Your past study, training, and work experience can all contribute to an ATAR or selection rank — and in many cases, you can be considered using more than one option.

Need advice?

If you'd like to talk to someone about your best pathway to QUT, our future student advisers are ready to help. Book a phone appointment to talk through your options, chat online or call us.

Getting into your postgraduate course

If you're looking to study a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or master by coursework qualification, then you're in the right place.

Postgraduate entry can be based on your bachelor degree, your professional experience, or a mix of course-specific requirements. The exact pathway depends on the course you’re applying for.

Entry with a bachelor degree

A bachelor degree is the most common pathway into postgraduate study. Some courses require a specific prior discipline (or major) because the content builds on what you’ve already studied, while other courses accept any bachelor degree. In some cases, the postgraduate course might be shorter based on having a related undergraduate degree.

Some courses require a minimum grade point average (GPA) for your bachelor degree for entry.

Other requirements

Depending on the course, there may be additional requirements or an extra step as part of the application process, such as:

• professional registration
• professional experience (in a specific area and/or for a required duration)
• written application/response/questionnaire
• resume/curriculum vitae (CV)
• a specific test or assessment
• access to field experience during the course
• a portfolio of work
• references
• an interview.

If you don’t meet the entry requirements

In some cases, postgraduate study is offered as a suite. This means a graduate certificate (often around six months) or graduate diploma (often around one year) can be a pathway into a master degree in the same field.

Entry to a graduate certificate or graduate diploma is often less restrictive. The units you complete can count towards the master in the same field/suite, so you may be able to progress with credit once you’ve successfully completed the graduate certificate/diploma.

If you have other study and/or experience

For some courses, you may be able to use diploma study and/or substantial professional experience as an alternative pathway into postgraduate study. Entry can be based on:

• a completed diploma in a relevant area, plus at least two years (full-time or equivalent) professional experience in a relevant area, or
• at least five years (full-time or equivalent) professional experience in a relevant area.

Check the list of eligible courses to see what’s available and what evidence you’ll need.

Next steps

Once you’ve chosen a course, review the requirements on the course page, make a checklist of any documentation you'll need and allow time to get your application together. By having everything ready for your application, it can be assessed quickly and avoid delays by requesting additional information.

We encourage you to submit an application even if you are unsure about your eligibility. When you're ready to apply check out our step-by-step guide to applying.