Policy Library > Student Policies > Admission and Enrolment

Admissions Policy

Intent

To specify arrangements for admission to all coursework courses, and for cross-institutional and miscellaneous admission, whether by application through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC), directly to JCU or through an agent.

Scope

This policy applies to admission for domestic and international students to all coursework courses and to cross-institutional and miscellaneous admission.

Definitions

Definition of terms used in this policy are as per the ‘Glossary of terms for policies in the Student and Teaching & Course Management chapters’ of the Policy Library.

Policy and Procedures

1. Availability of places

The Vice-Chancellor or nominee, after consultation with the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellors, will determine the number of commencing places available for each course in each intake period, year, teaching location, attendance mode and liability category.

2. Basis for admission

a. Offer of place for a course is made with reference to intake period, year, teaching location, attendance mode and liability category and is determined on the basis of merit, perceived probability of success, availability of a place in the course and other criteria as shown in Schedule I - Pre-requisites and Selection Procedures.

b. Offers are made on the authority of the authorised delegate as listed in the Enrolment Delegations Schedule.

c. The University may award special consideration for educational disadvantage including disabilities, compassionate, traumatic and medical considerations, social disadvantage or other circumstances beyond an individual’s control which have affected their studies. Special consideration may be used to increase the Overall Position (OP) or selection rank, although academic merit will remain central to admission decisions.

d.For some courses, the University may support affirmative action in the selection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, in accordance with the advice of the relevant Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

e. Admission takes effect when the applicant accepts the terms and conditions of offer.

3. Domestic applicants - coursework courses

a. Admission to undergraduate courses

i. Application for admission to most undergraduate courses is made through QTAC. For some courses, additional application procedures apply.

ii. To be eligible for consideration for admission to a course an applicant must have:

1. obtained the appropriate pre-requisites as shown in Schedule I;

2. obtained the required Overall Position (OP) or selection rank as determined by the University for the specified course in the specified intake period, year, teaching location, attendance mode and liability category.

3. met any other requirements set out in Schedule I.

iii. Pre-requisite requirements may be met by:

1. obtaining an exit assessment in Queensland years 11 and 12 of not less than ‘Sound Achievement’ in 4 semester units for each prescribed subject, or

2. demonstrating competence in a pre-requisite subject through the successful completion of a different but equivalent subject or qualification, bridging course or appropriate work experience, as determined by the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

iv. An applicant who has qualified for an OP in the year immediately preceding the year for which admission is sought will be considered for admission on the basis of that OP.

Applicants for courses listed in Schedule III who:

1. have completed at least half a year of study at another tertiary institution will be considered for admission on the basis of their Grade Point Average;

2. qualified for an OP two years prior to the year for which admission is sought and who have not completed at least half a year of study at another institution will be considered for admission on the basis of that OP.

All other applicants will be considered for admission on the basis of a selection rank.

v. Calculation of the selection rank is based on the QTAC schedules which assess formal study at year 12 or equivalent level, tertiary, preparatory, professional or vocational qualifications, military training, achievement in formal admissions tests and/or work experience.

b. Admission to postgraduate coursework courses

i. Application for admission to a postgraduate coursework course is made directly to the University.

ii. The pre-requisites for entry are shown in the Award Requirements for each course.

ii. Admission is normally offered only to those who have an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.

c. Admission to non-award courses

i. Application for admission to a non-award course is made directly to the University.

ii. The pre-requisites for entry are shown in the Course Requirements for each course.

4. International applicants - coursework courses

a. Application for admission by international applicants is made directly to the University or to its authorised agents.

b. Applications are assessed as per the Academic and English Language Entry Requirements specified in the International Admissions Manual.

c. Entry requirements for international students shall be no less than the minimum requirements for domestic students, and shall be determined by the International Student Entry Requirements Committee. The membership and terms of reference of this Committee shall be determined by the Academic Policy Advisory Committee.

5. Miscellaneous and cross-institutional admission

a. Application for miscellaneous or cross-institutional admission is made directly to the University.

b. Miscellaneous or cross-institutional admission may be available to those who wish to enrol for a particular subject or subjects but not for any course.

c. Enrolment in a subject must be acceptable to both the Head of School which offers the subject and the appropriate Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

d. Enrolment will normally be permitted to a maximum of six credit points for miscellaneous admission and twelve credit points for cross-institutional admission.

e. Cross-institutional enrolment in a subject for credit to another institution must be approved by the other institution before an offer will be made.

f. Successful completion of a subject or subjects by a person who has gained miscellaneous or cross-institutional admission does not of itself entitle that person to admission to a course.

6. General

a. Acceptance of offer

i. In order to accept an offer, an applicant must complete and return by the due date all forms stated as required in the letter of offer, including the submission of online forms where appropriate.

ii. Where an applicant fails to accept an offer by the due date, the offer of admission will lapse, unless an application to defer commencement of study has been submitted and approved.

b. Deferral

i. Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellors will determine each year the courses for which deferral is available.

ii. Where deferral is available, domestic applicants for undergraduate award courses are eligible to apply to defer commencement of their study for up to one year if admission is offered at the start of a year, or for six months if offered mid-year.

iii. Where deferral is available, domestic applicants for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery are eligible to apply to defer their study only if they are participating in a 12 month Youth Exchange or other similarly recognised program as determined by the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

iv. Where deferral is available, a domestic applicant who has applied through QTAC must apply to QTAC for a deferment by the deadline for reply to an offer of place.

v. Postgraduate coursework applicants are eligible to apply to defer commencement of their study for up to one year.

vi. Under exceptional circumstances, international applicants for coursework courses may apply to defer commencement of their study for up to one year, as determined by the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

c. English language proficiency

i. An international or domestic applicant from a non-English speaking background must satisfy the English language proficiency requirement for the course to which the applicant seeks admission, as set out in Schedules I and II.

ii. For domestic applicants from a non-English speaking background:

1. satisfaction of the Senior English pre-requisite set out in Schedule I will satisfy the English language proficiency requirement;

2. satisfactory completion of at least two years of tertiary education where the language of instruction was English may satisfy the English language proficiency requirement, subject to the approval of the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

iii. For international applicants from a non-English speaking background, the base standard for English language proficiency is equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.0 or a TOEFL score of 550 or better, as shown in Schedule II, although the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor may set a higher score for individual courses.

d. Joint degree

An applicant seeking admission to a joint degree must meet the admission requirements for both parts of the joint degree.

e. Retaining a place in a course

To retain a place in a course for the following calendar year a commencing student must:

i. receive a result in at least one subject in that course in the current calendar year, or

ii. satisfy the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty to which that course belongs that special circumstances exist which entitle the student to retain a place in the course, or

iii. have been granted a deferral.

f. Failure to enrol

If a person who has accepted an offer of admission fails satisfactorily to complete enrolment processes as specified in the letter of offer and by the date specified in the letter of offer, the admission shall lapse, unless an application to defer commencement of study has been submitted and approved.

g. Change of course, intake period, year, teaching location, attendance mode and liability category

i. An offer of place is specific to a course, intake period, year, teaching location, attendance mode and liability category.

ii. Applications for change of course, intake period, year, teaching location, attendance mode and liability category are determined on the basis of merit and availability of places.

h. Applicants suspended or excluded

A person who has been suspended or excluded from a course at this or another tertiary educational institution may be refused admission to any course at this University.

i. Inaccurate information

Where an applicant has been offered a place and it is later found that incomplete or inaccurate information was provided by or on behalf of the applicant that influenced judgement in relation to the applicant’s offer of a place, the offer may be withdrawn or the student’s enrolment cancelled, or both.

j. Right to withdraw offers

James Cook University reserves the right to withdraw an offer where an offer of place was incorrectly made.

k. Scedules

Schedules I, II and III shall be approved by Academic Board.

l. Saving clause

Nothing in these rules will exempt a person from complying with any other provisions of these rules or any other rule of the University which specifies conditions for enrolment in the course, or limit the right of the University to refuse a person’s admission or enrolment.

Policy sponsor:	Director, Student Services & Administration
Approval authority:	Vice-Chancellor
Version no.:	07-1
Date for next review:	03/2012 (Admission schedules to be approved by Academic Board annually)

Version no.	Approval date	Implementation date	Details
07-1	22/03/2007	23/03/2007

Admissions Policy

Intent

Scope

Definitions

Policy and Procedures

Related documents, legislation or JCU Statutes