Key facts
Domestic students course information. This course is currently not available to international students.
Entry is based on the intention to seek admission to an undergraduate course, and you have not completed any part of a course at UNE.
View full entry requirements- Up to 4 years part-time
| Start Dates and Campus | Trimester 1 – February 2026 | Trimester 2 – June 2026 | Trimester 3 – October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Armidale Campus | Not Offered | Not Offered | Not Offered |
| Sydney Campus | Not Offered | Not Offered | Not Offered |
Course information
Download course brochure
Thinking about university but not sure where to start? UNE’s Foundation Program (previously known as the Pathways Enabling Course) is a fee-free, flexible way to test the waters and build the skills you need for future success. Designed specifically for students with no prior university experience, it helps you grow your academic confidence while exploring your study interests.
Delivered entirely online, this course offers guaranteed entry into most UNE undergraduate degrees – those with ATAR requirements up to 77.10 – and can be completed part-time in just two trimesters. You can also earn credit for up to two units, saving time and money once you start your degree.
Why study the Foundation Program with UNE?
If you’ve never studied at university before but want to give it a go – without the financial risk – our Foundation Program is the perfect place to start. Designed for students with no previous university study, this course helps you build essential academic skills and the confidence to pursue a degree, all without accumulating HECS debt.
Once completed, the course guarantees entry into most UNE undergraduate degrees (those with ATAR requirements up to 77.10), including popular areas like nursing, business, science, and education. You may also receive credit for up to two units, reducing the cost and length of your future degree.
Whether you’re looking to change direction, pursue a long-held ambition, or explore your options, our Foundation Program is your starting point for a university education.
What makes this course different?
Delivered fully online and fee-free, the Foundation Program lets you ease into study on your terms. You’ll learn how to write academically, manage your time, and engage with university-level materials – all in a supported, flexible environment. You will gain the knowledge and skills you need for tertiary admission, and the self-assurance to help achieve your goals. Plus, there are other advantages and opportunities that come with enrolling into this course:
- Study without the financial stress – It’s completely fee-free, giving you the chance to explore university without building HECS debt.
- Specifically for first-time university students – If you've never studied at university before, this course is designed just for you.
- Entry into most UNE degrees – Completion provides admission into courses with an ATAR requirement up to 77.10.
- Get a head start on your degree – Earn up to two units of credit toward your future studies, saving time and money.
- Learn 100% online and part-time – Designed for busy lives, you can complete the course in as little as two trimesters of part-time study.
TRACKS Indigenous Foundation Program
If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you can also explore our TRACKS Indigenous Foundation Program. At the heart of the TRACKS program is the Oorala Aboriginal Centre—the central hub of your student experience. The Centre is made up of a tight-knit community of specialist lecturers, tutors and engagement staff, working together in a culturally safe space who provide support at every stage of your learning journey.
Over two trimesters you will complete core units that build your confidence and academic skills, as well as a unit in your area of interest which may be credited towards your future UNE degree. With 1:1 tutor support, career planning services and flexible study options, TRACKS is a great way to start your university journey.
Study online
Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.
* 24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist you and help you to succeed.
Entry requirements
You can apply for this course if you are not eligible for and intend to seek admission to an undergraduate course at UNE. You must also meet both of the following entry requirements:
- You have not completed any part of a course leading to a qualification from UNE
- AND you believe that completion of the Foundation Program will better prepare you to undertake an undergraduate course at UNE.
If you meet the above entry requirements, you will be eligible for admission into the Foundation Program.
Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.
These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.
When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.
Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.
Some courses require you to provide documentary evidence, or interviews to support your application. The following documents are required to support your application:
A completed Foundation Program Information Pro-forma. This document must be added to your online application.
Advanced Standing is credit or recognition of your previous study, work and/or life experience. This can reduce the cost and length of your studies.
Individual Unit Advanced Standing
If you are admitted into this course and believe you have already completed the equivalent of one or more of the units in your Course Structure (Program of Study) within the last ten years, you can apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing.
Please note: The maximum amount of Advanced Standing that can be granted towards this course is 12 credit points. Advanced Standing is granted at the discretion of the Course Coordinator.
Course structure
1. To complete the Foundation Program and qualify for admission to an undergraduate course candidates shall satisfactorily complete a program of study comprising a total of 24 credit points including:
(a) three Core units listed in the Program of Study; and
(b) any one Enabling elective unit listed in the Program of Study.
2. (a) A maximum of 12 credit points may be taken in a trimester; and
(b) the elective unit automatically has ENAB102 as a co-requisite, except under exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the course coordinator.
18 credit points
Complete the following units:- Preparation for University Studies (ENAB101) – 6 credit points
- Developing as a University Student (ENAB102) – 6 credit points
- Demonstrate Your Professional Preparation (DYPP100) – 6 credit points
6 credit points
Complete 6 credit points from the following units:
- Understanding Crime (CRIM100) – 6 credit points
- The Criminal Justice System (CRIM101) – 6 credit points
- English Language in Use (EDEE100) – 6 credit points
- Primary Mathematics 1: Numeracy (EDME145) – 6 credit points
- Introduction to Exercise and Sports Science (EXSC120) – 6 credit points
- Where in the World? Australia's Human Geography (GEPL112) – 6 credit points
- Planning for Land Use and Built Form (GEPL124) – 6 credit points
- The Academic Practice of Research and Critical Analysis (HASS101) – 6 credit points
- Information and Evidence in Health and Social Care (HLTH101) – 6 credit points
- Communication for Health Professionals (HLTH103) – 6 credit points
- Introduction to Legal Studies (LSU100) – 6 credit points
- Communication for Business (MM105) – 6 credit points
- Fundamentals of Management (MM123) – 6 credit points
- Encounters in Music (MUSI111) – 6 credit points
- Introductory Psychology I (PSYC101) – 6 credit points
- Introductory Psychology II (PSYC102) – 6 credit points
- Science in Practice (SCI100) – 6 credit points
- The Craft of Academic Writing (WRIT101) – 6 credit points
- Life on Earth (ZOOL100) – 6 credit points
See UNE Handbook for more details. The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course plans, exit awards, intensive schools, and work placement requirements.
Fees and scholarships
How much will it cost?
| Fee type | Cost |
|---|---|
Commonwealth Supported Place (quotas apply) - Fees Exempt for Course | $0* |
*An Australian Government subsidised university place, only granted where Commonwealth Supported Places are still available, and where students are exempt from paying the student contribution amount and the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). Students in these places still incur expenses such as textbooks and other resources.
Scholarships
UNE scholarships are open for all to apply and offer financial help while you are studying. There are scholarships for students with high academic achievement, from rural areas, studying specific degrees, in disadvantaged groups, who excel at sport or want to live in a UNE residential college.
UNE scholarship applications are free and confidential. You may apply for more than one scholarship.
Your career
Many students who have completed this course go on to have rewarding careers in a broad range of areas. Whatever you aspire to study, this course opens the door to studying a tertiary degree in a wide range of areas, such as:
- health
- education
- business administration and management
- arts and media
- science and technology.
For many people, the Foundation Program is an opportunity to gain entry into university study. The course teaches writing skills, how to research, and how to think critically. These skills are valuable and transferable across many careers and workplaces.
Course outcomes
- demonstrate familiarity with university procedures, culture, and values;
- demonstrate independence and confidence in the application of effective learning strategies to suit their personal circumstances and chosen discipline;
- prepare and submit assessable work to an acceptable university standard;
- apply digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and feedback literacy strategies in a chosen disciplinary context;
- use digital technologies to select, organise, synthesise, manage, and communicate information that demonstrates acceptable scholarly, ethical and discipline specific standards appropriate for undergraduate study;
- demonstrate competence in the application of a range of discipline-specific academic literacies; and
- develop an appropriate study plan that aligns with personal and career aspirations.
- Knowledge of a Discipline
Students gain discipline knowledge through their engagement with foundational work in the enabling core units and their choice and study of an enabling elective unit.
- Communication Skills
Students develop and practise communication skills through their participation in the online learning environment, collaborative group activities and assessment tasks.
- Problem Solving
Students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These skills are practised and assessed through a range of online activities and assessment tasks.
- Information Literacy
Students' engagement with the enabling core units presents them with opportunities to enhance their information literacy skills, including discipline specific capabilities, information technology skills, and the finding, accessing, evaluating, organising, comprehension, and communication of information.
- Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility
Students learn the importance of and demonstrate academic integrity and the principle of fairness in their attribution of existing works; participation in learning and teaching activities; and in the production of assessment that demonstrates an awareness of how their words and actions can impact on others.
- Lifelong Learning
Students will engage in a learning and teaching experience requiring them to undertake a range of tasks involving inquiry and reflection on their own academic practice; they will become autonomous, self-managed learners who are open to new ideas and actively seek out new ways of learning and understanding.
- Independence and Collaboration
Students develop the ability to work independently through the completion of individual assessment tasks, and develop collaborative skills through online interactive activities where they will learn the importance of engaging with others in a professional and respectful manner.
Excellence in experience, equity and employability
Five Stars,
20 Years in a Row
UNE is the only public uni in Australia awarded 20 straight years of five stars for Overall Experience.
Good Universities Guide 2007-2026
Five Stars for
Social Equity
UNE rates among the top 20% of universities nationally and is #1 in NSW for Social Equity.
Good Universities Guide 2026
Five Stars for
Graduate Employment
UNE rates among the top 20% of universities for Graduate Full-Time Employment and Starting Salary.
Good Universities Guide 2026 (Undergraduate)
Diamond-Rated Digital Learning
UNE’s leadership in digital learning earned the highest ‘Diamond’ rating in a peer review.
ASCILITE TELAS 2025
Studying online
At UNE we know it takes more than just being online to be a great online university. It takes time and experience. We pioneered distance education for working adults back in the 1950s, so we’ve been doing this longer than any other Australian university.
We understand the challenges faced by busy adults studying at home. We know that a vital part of online study is your engagement with the learning community. Communication with your classmates, teaching staff and university support staff will enhance your study experience and ensure that your skills extend beyond the subject matter. UNE’s teaching staff are experts in their field which is why UNE consistently receives five stars from students for teaching quality, support and overall experience.*
*The Good Universities Guide
Stay connected
Join our mailing list for updates and helpful tips to support your study plans. You can unsubscribe at any time.
- •Course updates and important changes as they happen
- •Key dates for intakes, deadlines, and enrolment steps
- •Application guidance, including supporting documentation requirements
- •Next steps and what to expect after you apply or enquire
Ready to stay in the loop?
GET IN TOUCH
Why study with us?
The Pathways course was a combination of learning how to learn at a university level and testing a few units. I dipped my toe into criminology and English literature, falling in love with the latter.
How to apply
Preparing to apply
You should always provide the details of past or current studies in your application. You may also need to include documents to support your application.
The kind of documents you need will depend on:
- Your preferred course/s
- Your personal circumstances
Important Dates
Different application methods and courses can have different closing dates. To find your correct application method click the Apply Now button below. Please check the appropriate application website for opening and closing dates.
If you are applying online direct to UNE please see below for application dates.
| Intake | Application Closing Date | Trimester Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | 24 February 2026 | 23 February 2026 |
| Trimester 2 | 23 June 2026 | 22 June 2026 |
| Trimester 3 | 9 October 2026 | 19 October 2026 |
