International students

International students, welcome!

With single subjects, we make studying at university level accessible to everyone. But there are some language and document requirements that you’ll need to be aware of when you’re getting started.

English proficiency requirements

All degrees and subjects offered through OUA are taught in English, so you'll need to show that you’ve got a working knowledge of the English language. We suggest that you take an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. You’ll need an overall score of at least:

• 6.5 for undergraduate study
• 7.0 for postgraduate study

You can prepare for your IELTS test with Macquarie University’s English language test preparation subjects.

Documents in languages other than English

If we ask you to submit documents—things like medical certificates, prior academic results or application documents for a postgraduate degree—make sure that any foreign-language documents are accompanied by certified English translations from a professional translator.

Australian student visas

If you’re studying with a leading Australian university through us, remember that this doesn’t actually make you eligible for an Australian student visa. For that, you’ll have to be an on-campus student studying at an Australian higher education provider.

Because you’ll study most of your subjects through OUA online, usually you won’t meet the Australian student visa requirement.

Study skills

You might be new to study, coming back to it after a break—or maybe you’ve never studied in the Australian education system. No matter what your background is, we recommend taking some time to fine tune your study skills. See Study Preparation for a list of short courses that will help get you started

Australians studying overseas

The great thing about online study with us? Even if you're an Australian citizen or permanent resident living, working or holidaying overseas, you’re able to get an Australian qualification.

And studying online doesn't mean you're studying alone. Because OUA opens doors to students from all walks of life, you’ll find yourself networking with people from all over the world.

If you ever need study support, you can email your uni tutors questions about your subjects and assessments.

Fees for Australians overseas

Worried about international student fees? If you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the good news is that they don’t apply to you when you're studying abroad.

This means that you'll never have to pay any additional surcharges or fees for studying overseas—though standard fees will still apply, and they’ll vary depending on the subjects you enrol in.

That said, there are residency conditions that will come into play if you’re thinking about taking out a student loan. See Student loans for more information, or visit Study Assist for information about government assistance for financing your higher education.

Get organised

If you’re studying though OUA outside Australia, you’ll need to be extra organised when it comes to time-frames. Whilst almost everything through OUA is online, on the occasion where you need to rely on postage, be aware that international mail delivery services can be unpredictable!

Our hints and tips:

• Enrol early: it’s true that the majority of your study materials will be online, but you’ll have to allow time for any extra material to be mailed by your uni.
• Buy textbooks early: this way you’ll get them well before the start of your study.
• Complete assignments early: while most of your assignments will be completed online, occasionally you’ll need to put aside time to send assessment items through the post.