English language requirements

Senior Secondary results completed in a recognised English-speaking country will meet our English language requirements if they:

• Were taught and examined in English
• Were attempted no more than two years before your intended start date.

UNSW recognises some academic qualifications (including the International Baccalaureate) completed in non-English speaking countries.

Qualifications from Germany, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore or the United Kingdom will meet our English language requirements provided they were:

• gained 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 also a citizen of an English-speaking country. Check below to see if your situation meets our requirements.

Note: Not applicable for the Bachelor of Education (any program), Graduate Diploma in Psychology, Master of Teaching (Primary and Secondary) or Master of Psychology (Clinical, Forensic and Organisational) including combined PhD/Master.

COMPLETED QUALIFICATION

If you hold a completed qualification, and you hold citizenship of a recognised English-speaking country, 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:

• 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,
• proof of citizenship.

If you hold a completed qualification, and you do not hold citizenship of a recognised English-speaking country, 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,
• gained within the two years before you start your degree at UNSW.

Please provide:

• 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.

If you hold a completed qualification, and you do not hold citizenship of a recognised English-speaking country, you will meet our English language requirements if your qualification was:

• a minimum three years in length from a recognised university,
• taught and examined in English,
• gained more than two years before you start your degree at UNSW, 
• you have been a resident in Australia or another recognised English-speaking country since graduation and meet one of the following conditions:

- You can prove you have seven years’ experience in an English-language environment either academic or work in the following way: your qualification was a minimum three years in length from a recognised university, taught and examined in English, gained more  than two years before you start your degree at UNSW plus you have direct work experience in an English-speaking country where the sole language of business was English for at least four out of the seven years prior to the start of your degree at UNSW.* OR

- You can prove you have seven years’ experience in an English-language environment either academic or work in the following way: your qualification was a minimum four years in length from a recognised university or from UNSW, taught and examined in English, gained more than two years before you start your degree at UNSW plus you have direct work experience in an English-speaking country where the sole language of business was English for at least three out of the seven years prior to the start of your degree at UNSW.*

Please provide:

• 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,
• a CV, and a letter from your previous employer/s stating that the sole language of business communication was English.

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 
• undertaken no more than two years prior to commencement of UNSW degree,
• taught and examined in English,

Please provide:

• 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.