English language requirements

Senior Secondary qualifications from a recognised English-speaking country will meet our English language requirements if they were:

• taught and examined in English
• attempted no more than two years before your intended start date if you are from a non-English speaking background.

UNSW recognises some academic qualifications completed in non-English speaking countries.

Qualifications from Germany, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Switzerland will meet our English language requirements provided they were:

• completed no more than two years before your intended start date, and
• meet the minimum scores for your desired course.

Check below to see if your qualification is eligible for your desired course.

Qualifications from Denmark, Sweden or Norway will meet our English language requirements provided they were:

• completed within four years before your intended start date , and
• meet the minimum scores for your desired course.

Check below to see if your qualification is eligible for your desired course.

Check to see if your qualification meets our minimum entry scores for your desired course.

UNSW accepts completed or incomplete post-secondary or tertiary qualifications* completed in English to meet our English language requirements depending on whether you are from an English-speaking background or non-English speaking background. 

English-speaking background: 

• Citizens of English-speaking countries, or
• Permanent Residents of English-speaking countries, or
• Minimum of ten years in an English-speaking country and completed secondary or tertiary education in an English-speaking country. 

Note: 

• *Not applicable for Graduate Diploma in Psychology, or Master of Psychology (Clinical, Forensic and Organisational) including combined PhD/Master. 
• Bachelor of Education programs accept at least one-year studies at AQF Bachelor or higher levels and Master of Teaching programs accept completed AQF Bachelor or higher levels for meeting the English requirements. Please note you must comply with the NESA English Language Proficiency Requirements and provide the necessary evidence when you apply for provisional and conditional accreditation.

COMPLETED QUALIFICATION

If you are from an English-speaking background, you will meet our English language requirements if your qualification was:

• an AQF Diploma or higher from a recognised institution,
• taught and examined in English.

Please provide:

• official academic transcript
• proof of citizenship or residency.

If you are from a non-English-speaking background, you will meet our English language requirements if your qualification was:

• an AQF Bachelor or higher from a recognised institution,
• taught and examined in English,
• completed within the five years before you start your degree at UNSW.

If you are from a non-English-speaking background, you will meet our English language requirements if your qualification was:

• an AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree,
• taught and examined in English
• gained within the two years before you start your degree at UNSW.

Please provide:

• official academic transcript
• a statement or certificate issued by the Registrar, or equivalent, confirming that the sole language of instruction and assessment was in English. Your statement or certificate must be on official letterhead and you will need to provide the original document.

INCOMPLETE QUALIFICATION

If you hold an incomplete qualification, you will meet our English language requirement for specific degrees if your studies were:

• completed for at least one year full-time at AQF Bachelor level or higher from a recognised institution 
• taught and examined in English,
• undertaken no more than two years prior to commencement of UNSW degree, if you are from a non-English speaking background

Please provide:

• official academic transcript
• a statement or certificate issued by the Registrar, or equivalent, confirming that the sole language of instruction and assessment was in English. Your statement or certificate must be on official letterhead and you will need to provide the original document.

English Language Test Scores – between two-five years ago

You completed the IELTS, TOEFL IBT, TOEFL PBT, PTE, C1 Advanced Cambridge, C2 Proficiency Cambridge or the ANU Access program between two to five years ago and achieved our minimum scores.

Please refer to English tests section above to see our minimum scores.

Please provide:

• Your test results.

English Language Test Scores – no more than two years before your intended start date

You completed the IELTS, TOEFL IBT, TOEFL PBT, PTE Academic, UNSW UEEC, C1 Advanced Cambridge or C2 Proficiency Cambridge within the last two years. Use the table to see if your English Language Test scores meet the scores required for your desired course.

Please provide:

• Your test results

Directly relevant Work Experience for at least the last two years – any program

You have at least two years of directly relevant work experience, in the relevant industry or equivalent discipline practice, in an English-speaking country or workplace where the sole language of business was English.

Please provide:

• A letter from your employer on company letterhead which states your position title, the duties you undertook and an idea of what level of English was spoken and how English was used in terms of written or verbal communication.

Directly relevant Work Experience for at least five years out of the last seven – AGSM @ UNSW program only

You have five years, out of the last seven, of directly relevant work experience, in the relevant industry or equivalent discipline practice, in an English-speaking country or workplace where the sole language of business was English.

Please provide a letter from your employer on company letterhead for any employment which is not already covered by the referee letters you have already submitted with your AGSM application.

Please provide:

• A letter from your employer on company letterhead which states your position title, the duties you undertook and an idea of what level of English was spoken and how English was used in terms of written or verbal communication.

If you can demonstrate this experience, you will not need to satisfy a second condition for an English waiver.

You successfully completed at least one year of full-time study, in an assessable qualification, at a university or other post-secondary educational institution where the sole language of instruction and assessment was English.

Please provide:

• A statement or certificate by the institution’s Registrar, or equivalent, confirming this, which is an official document from the institution or on official letterhead.

You lived in a recognised English-speaking country for at least five years before you plan to start your course at UNSW.

Please provide:

• References which state whether a basic, medium, high or academic level of English speaking and writing skills was needed.
• Copies of passports and/or visas to prove your residency in the English-speaking country was for at least five years.

You hold a current valid NAATI accreditation as a Professional Interpreter or Translator, formerly known as Level 3 accredited.

Please provide:

• Your certificate of NAATI accreditation.

You sat the GMAT within the last five years and you scored a minimum overall GMAT score of 550 with a minimum score of 25 in Verbal, 35 in Quantitative and 4.0 in the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA).

Please provide:

• Your test results.

You are a qualified doctor/health professional overseas, hold a current registration with the Medical Board of Australia and are currently employed in the health system in Australia.

Please provide:

• Your CV with referees.
• Proof of your current registration with the Medical Board of Australia.

You can supply evidence of successfully completing a UNSW Study Abroad or Exchange program within the last two years.

Please provide:

• Your transcript.

You can supply evidence of successfully completing a program within the last two years, which is recognised by UNSW as a defined qualification pathway.

Please provide:

• Your transcript.