Southern Cross University
Admission criteria and entry schemes
To be offered a place in a course you must meet the course entrance requirements and be selected in competition with other eligible applicants.
An applicant who has one or more of the following qualifications is eligible for admission to the university. However, an applicant who is eligible for admission may not necessarily gain a place in a particular course when competing with other candidates. Some courses require interviews, portfolios and/or tests for admission – read course descriptions in the course search for additional selection criteria.
Undergraduate applicants
Australian Year 12 students
If you are a 2023 or 2024 Australian Year 12 student you will be selected for admission on the basis of your ATAR or equivalent. You may also be admitted on the basis of a strong performance in individual subjects relevant to the course you want to study.
Selection rank adjustments
Selection rank adjustments may allow 2024 Year 12 applicants to receive an offer to a program even though they have an ATAR below the published lowest selection rank.
Equity adjustments
Southern Cross University has an Educational Access Scheme (EAS) to assist applicants who believe they have been educationally or financially disadvantaged. EAS applications are processed centrally through UAC.
Elite athlete and performer program adjustments
Southern Cross University is a member of the Australian Sports Commission’s Elite Athlete Friendly University program. Elite athletes and exceptional performers may be considered for ATAR adjustments based on in recognition of competitive commitments which may have impacted your high school academic performance and to assist you in gaining entry into your chosen course.
Location adjustments
At Southern Cross University we recognise that Year 12 students from our region may not always have the same opportunities as students from non-regional areas. If you completed Year 12 at a regional high school or TAFE you will automatically be considered for five selection rank adjustment points.
Criteria that may apply in addition to the ATAR
Consideration of other specified criteria may also be applied in addition to your ATAR; for example, strong performance in selected Year 12 subjects, personal interview, and submission of additional supporting documentation, statements and portfolios.
Other admission options
Early Offer Scheme
Our Early Offer Scheme is a Principals Recommendation Scheme available to current Year 12 students who attend school in the Greater Gold Coast, Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Upper Hunter, Namoi, New England, or North West NSW regions. If you have been recommended by your principal and have satisfied specific University entry criteria, you will be considered by the University under this scheme.
Learn more about the Early Offer Scheme
Limited ATAR
Southern Cross University accepts the Limited ATAR for applicants sitting the NSW HSC.
If you have attempted any tertiary studies, you will be considered for admission on the basis of your grade point average in these studies. Applicants who are currently under exclusion that extends into 2024 are not usually eligible for admission.
Applicants 18 years of age and over
Applicants aged 18 and over on 28 February 2023 who do not meet the admission criteria outlined above may be considered for admission on the basis of a satisfactory level of performance in one or more of the following:
- completion of a one-year foundation or enabling course, including the TAFE Tertiary Preparation Certificate
- completion of the Preparing for Success at SCU Program
- study equivalent to at least six months full-time at a university, TAFE or accredited private institution at Certificate III level or higher
- completion of the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
- work or field experience equivalent to at least one-year full-time
- post-secondary qualifications, including healthcare qualifications, commissioned officer qualifications, apprenticeships and traineeships
- interview.
Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
The University strongly advises applicants who have no formal qualifications or who have performed poorly in other studies to sit the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) Multiple Choice test.
The STAT is accepted for:
- post-school applicants
- applicants who are 18 years or over on 28 February 2023.
Enabling course options
Southern Cross University offers a range of associate degree qualifications that provide pathways into our degree programs for students who do not meet the direct entry requirements.
The Preparing for Success at SCU Program is available at every teaching session to people who have a passion for learning and who may not meet the formal entry requirements for enrolment in a degree.
If your only qualification is an Australian Year 12 before 2020, you will be selected for admission on the basis of your ATAR or equivalent.
Personal competencies statement
If you do not have formal qualifications or your formal qualifications are not sufficient for entry, you can provide a Personal Competencies Statement.
Applicants 18 years of age and over
Applicants aged 18 and over who do not meet the admission criteria outlined above may be considered for admission on the basis of a satisfactory level of performance in one or more of the following:
- completion of a one-year foundation or enabling course, including the TAFE Tertiary Preparation Certificate
- completion of the Preparing for Success at SCU Program
- study equivalent to at least six months full-time at a university, TAFE or accredited private institution at Certificate III level or higher
- completion of the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
- work or field experience equivalent to at least one-year full-time
- post-secondary qualifications, including healthcare qualifications, commissioned officer qualifications, apprenticeships and traineeships
- interview.
Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
The University strongly advises applicants who have no formal qualifications or who have performed poorly in other studies to sit the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) Multiple Choice test.
The STAT is accepted for:
- post-school applicants
- applicants who are 18 years or over.
Southern Cross University offers a range of pathways into our degree programs for students who do not meet the direct entry requirements.
The Preparing for Success at SCU Program is available at every teaching session to people who have a passion for learning and who may not meet the formal entry requirements for enrolment in a degree.
The Transition to Uni Program is an intensive six-week program available to Year 12 students who may not meet the formal entry requirements for a degree.
There are commonly accepted overseas secondary qualifications that SCU may take into consideration. Check your qualification.
Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia with overseas qualifications should contact Southern Cross University to discuss eligibility for admission before applying through UAC.
English language proficiency
If you have qualifications from countries where English is not the standard language of instruction, you must provide evidence of English language proficiency.
If you are an Indigenous Australian who has applied to study at Southern Cross but have not yet been made an offer based solely on your application, there is a pathway scheme available. The Testing and Assessment Program allows you to sit an assessment task and then discuss your options for University admission. This may include you receiving an offer into the course you have applied for or considering a pathway into your preferred course.
Indigenous Australian Student Services (IASS) provides an extensive service to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are studying at Southern Cross University. There are IASS officers at each campus.
General information for Southern Cross University
Courses available
UndergraduateLocation
Lismore Campus
Military Road, East Lismore NSW 2480