Choosing courses
Things you should consider
- There are a number of questions you should ask yourself when you choose your courses. These include:
- What types of courses are available?
- What courses am I interested in?
- What are my chances of being selected for the course?
- Am I eligible for the course?
- Does the course have additional requirements?
- What kind of career does the course lead to? Where can I get more advice on my future career?
What types of courses are available?
The course search lists all courses available through UAC. You will see when you look at the course search that each institution has a number of courses across many areas of study.
The Australian Government is phasing out places in undergraduate domestic fee-paying (DFEE) courses from 1 January 2009. Therefore there are no DFEE courses available for 2009 admissions.* All courses available in 2009 are Commonwealth-supported place (CSP) courses. Remember that CSP courses used to be called HECS courses – you only have to pay part of the cost of your course. *There are some exceptions, including arrangements for continuing and deferred students, for students who enrol in employer-reserved places and for students who have consumed their Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). |
What courses am I interested in?
You need to think about what you would really like to do. Many students enrol in courses that they are not interested in and then drop out in the first year. Poor course choices are made for a number of reasons. Beware of things like peer pressure (“I picked the same course as my friend”), family expectations (“It’s what my mum and dad wanted me to do”), lack of direction (“I don’t know what I want to do and this course is at the uni closest to home”) and misguided perceptions (“My UAI was better than I thought and I didn’t want to ‘waste’ it”).
^topWhat are my chances of being selected for the course?
Although you should choose courses that you are interested in, remember that you also need to balance that with a realistic appraisal of your chances of being selected. Choosing something that you are good at as well as interested in is the first step towards doing well at University.
The course search shows the UAI cut-offs required by Year 12 applicants for entry into each course in 2008. You can use these cut-offs as a guide when considering your chances of being selected.
Remember that UAI cut-offs for 2009 will not be known until selection is actually made during the offer rounds as the cut-offs are determined by a number of factors – for more information read Secondary studies (Australian and New Zealand).
^topAm I eligible for the course?
- To be eligible to be considered for a course you must:
- meet the admission requirements of the institution offering the course, and
- meet the entrance requirements of the course – some courses have course prerequisites or additional selection criteria.
For more information check the institution entries and course descriptions in the course search.
You must have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) to be eligible for a place in a Commonwealth-supported place (CSP) course. Your SLE allows you study in a CSP course or courses for seven years full-time. Once you have used up your SLE you are no longer eligible for a place in a CSP course and will need to contact your institution for advice about completing your studies. When you enrol in a CSP course you will be given a Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN). Your CHESSN is used to monitor your SLE consumption. For more information visit www.goingtouni.gov.au. |
Does the course have additional requirements?
A number of courses have additional selection criteria that you must meet. For more information, check the course descriptions in the course search. In addition, the NSW Government has special policies for students in both health-related and education courses.
^topWhat kind of career does the course lead to?
Where can I get more advice on my future career?
Information on career opportunities for each course can be found in the relevant course description in the course search. There are a number of places where you can get careers information and advice – read Careers information and advice for further information.
^topDistance education courses
Some distance education courses are offered through UAC – check the course search.
In addition to the courses offered and processed through UAC, some institutions offer distance education courses – table 3 through direct application to the relevant institution.
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