Macquarie University
Admission criteria and entry schemes
To be offered a place in a degree you must meet the degree鈥檚 entrance requirements and be selected in competition with other eligible applicants.
At Macquarie, we鈥檙e all about success. With Macquarie Entry, we recognise that students have different strengths, interests and personal circumstances, and so we look at a variety of criteria. To best help you follow your passion at Macquarie, we鈥檝e created a simple entry program navigator that allows you to compare all of our entry programs to work out which ones suit you the best.
Undergraduate applicants
Australian Year 12 students
Admission is based on the selection rank you receive after completing your Australian Year 12 qualification or International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2024. The selection rank considers your ATAR or equivalent rank, plus any adjustment factors you鈥檙e eligible for.
Selection rank adjustments
Selection rank adjustments may allow you to receive an offer to a degree even though you have an ATAR below the published lowest selection rank. Macquarie University takes into account a number of adjustment factors when calculating your selection rank. You can receive up to a maximum of 15 adjustment factor points depending on the degree you鈥檙e interested in.
For more information, refer to .
Equity-based factors
Educational Access Schemes
Macquarie recognises that life circumstances or events beyond your control can impact education, opportunity and achievement. That鈥檚 why we consider your individual situation. If you鈥檝e experienced educational or social disadvantage, or other special circumstances, you may be eligible to receive up to five additional points.
Macquarie University EAS applications are processed centrally through 91桃色.
Achievement-based factors
The following factors recognise your record of accomplishment in a range of interest areas and activities:
Elite Athletes and Artistic Performers Scheme
If performing, training or competitive commitments have affected your HSC or study preparation, you may be eligible for selection rank adjustments under the Elite Athletes and Artistic Performers Scheme. Macquarie considers individual circumstances to determine if you鈥檙e eligible.
Academic Advantage
Academic Advantage applies to the majority of Macquarie鈥檚 degrees and recognises your achievements in Year 12 subjects that relate to Macquarie鈥檚 degrees.
Depending on your performance in certain subjects related to your degree of interest, you may receive up to a maximum of six adjustment factor points. 91桃色 will automatically adjust your selection rank if a Macquarie University degree is listed in your preferences.
Duke of Edinburgh's, Queen鈥檚 Scout and Queen鈥檚 Guide Awards Scheme
If you鈥檝e completed the Duke of Edinburgh's, the Queen鈥檚 Scout or the Queen鈥檚 Guide awards, you may be eligible to receive up to six additional points. This adjustment factor scheme recognises your commitment, discipline and determination to venture outside of your comfort zone to excel and develop your interpersonal, employability and practical skills.
Location-based factors
Regional Entry Scheme
If you鈥檙e from regional or remote Australia and don鈥檛 have access to the same resources as students in cities and larger towns, you may be eligible to receive up to nine additional points through the Regional Entry Scheme, depending on the remoteness of your primary residential postcode. This scheme applies to the majority of Macquarie鈥檚 degrees.
You can enter your postcode into the online calculator to estimate how many points you鈥檙e eligible for.
Catchment Adjustment Factors
If you live in Macquarie鈥檚 catchment region, you may be eligible to receive five additional points.
Note: If you qualify for both Catchment Adjustment Factors and the Regional Entry Scheme, you鈥檒l only receive adjustment factors for one, from whichever scheme awards you the highest amount.
Criteria that may apply in addition to the ATAR
In addition to achieving the standard of performance required for admission, for certain degrees you may be required to also satisfy additional selection criteria. This may involve completing a personal statement, questionnaire, portfolio of work, audition, interview or test. These criteria are taken into account either instead of, or in conjunction with, your ATAR or equivalent.
Details of additional selection criteria and how you can meet these requirements are outlined in the degree descriptions.
If you鈥檙e undertaking your Year 12 studies outside of Australia and you鈥檙e applying for a degree that has additional selection criteria that you think you鈥檒l find difficult to meet, .
Assumed knowledge
Assumed knowledge is specified in the degree descriptions. While it鈥檚 not a requirement for acceptance into a degree, you may find the degree difficult if you haven鈥檛 completed the specified HSC subjects.
Bridging courses
Our bridging courses provide learning support, a useful refresher and a solid foundation for your university studies.
Mathematics and statistics
The Numeracy Centre offers free help with the mathematics or statistics component of any first-year degree, including statistics, psychology, economics, physics, accounting, actuarial studies, electronics, biology, chemistry and mathematics. The centre works on a drop-in basis during the week and runs a variety of bridging courses at the beginning of every session.
The Numeracy Centre also offers a number of courses at the start of each year on a fee-paying basis.
Our Preparatory Course in Mathematics is an intensive course and is ideal if you plan to enrol in first-year mathematics units or if you need a solid review of introductory mathematical concepts.
Two different streams are available. Review sessions are also run to refresh prerequisite knowledge early in the session.
For more information, , call (02) 9850 8924 or email
Chemistry
Our chemistry bridging course is ideal if you plan to study university science but you didn鈥檛 study chemistry at HSC level, if you need to gain confidence in chemistry, or if you who want a refresher course in chemistry.
The course is excellent preparation for anyone interested in any of the following units:
- CHEM1001/CHEM102
- BMOL1001
- BIOL1620
For more information, contact or call (02) 9850 8275.
Physics
The physics bridging course prepares you for studies in physics, astronomy, engineering, medical sciences and related disciplines. It provides learning support, a useful refresher and a solid foundation for your university studies in physics.
If you haven鈥檛 completed physics to HSC level or equivalent, this course is recommended if you plan to enrol in:
- PHYS1510/PHYS1520 or PHYS1010/PHYS1020
- WPHY1510/ WPHY1520
It's also excellent preparation for:
- PHYS1210 and a foundation for the GAMSAT
- Foundations for engineering units, such as MECH1001, CIVL1001, ENGG1000 and ENGG1050.
For more information, contact or call (02) 9850 4244.
Other admission options
Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme
The Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme considers your Year 11 academic performance alongside your extracurricular activities, casual work experience and community involvement to assess your eligibility for an early offer into a Macquarie degree. The scheme is available for most Macquarie degrees.
Academic Entry Program
Our Academic Entry Program matches your strengths to our world-class degrees. The program considers your performance in individual subjects and matches your strengths to a degree that suits you.We review your results in NSW HSC Board Developed Courses (Category A subjects) that correspond to select Macquarie degrees and make you an offer dependent on your performance in these subjects. The program is available for most Macquarie degrees and is processed centrally through 91桃色.
Schools Recommendation Schemes
The Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) allows your school to recommend you for an early university offer. Your Year 11 academic achievements, as well as your school鈥檚 rating of your aptitude and learning ability, will be considered. If you are found to be suitable, you'll be made an early offer. The scheme is available for most Macquarie degrees and is processed centrally through 91桃色.
Limited ATAR
Under certain circumstances, you may be admitted based on a Limited ATAR.
If you鈥檝e previously undertaken tertiary studies, you鈥檒l be considered for selection on the basis of your overall record of academic merit 鈥� for both secondary and tertiary study. If you have tertiary award studies but you haven鈥檛 completed a Year 12 certificate, you鈥檒l be considered for selection on the basis of your tertiary rank.
Former Macquarie University students
If you鈥檙e a Macquarie student applying to return to the same undergraduate degree, you may apply via 91桃色. If you鈥檝e been previously excluded from Macquarie University and have finished the exclusion period, apply via 91桃色.
Admission is competitively based on academic merit. We recommend that you undertake further studies to improve your academic performance to gain entry into your desired program.
If you鈥檝e previously undertaken VET studies, you鈥檒l be considered for selection on the basis of your overall record of academic merit 鈥� for both secondary and VET study. If you have VET award studies but haven鈥檛 completed a Year 12 certificate, you鈥檒l be considered for selection on the basis of your VET rank. If you鈥檝e completed a specified diploma or advanced diploma, you could be eligible for articulation into specified Macquarie degrees.
Other entry programs
Macquarie University College
Macquarie University College offers diplomas, and foundation and intensive programs. Developed specifically to meet Macquarie鈥檚 entry requirements, our pathway programs are designed so that upon successful completion, you can seamlessly transition to the first or second year of your chosen undergraduate degree, provided you meet the entry criteria.
If you don鈥檛 receive a competitive offer based on your academic ranking, Macquarie University offers other pathways to a degree.
Next Step
Next Step allows non-school applicants to study Macquarie units alongside current degree students. Once you successfully complete your units, you may use the results to gain entry into a range of Macquarie degrees.
Open 91桃色 Australia
Open 91桃色 Australia allows you the flexibility to study Macquarie units at your own pace, building towards a full Macquarie degree. Study is completely online for most units and is open to students with an ATAR below entry requirement, or even no ATAR at all.
If your highest level of education is the Higher School Certificate (or equivalent), you鈥檒l be assessed on the basis of those results.
Some degrees require you to attend an interview. Visit to learn more about entry requirements for your chosen degree.
If you don鈥檛 have adequate formal education qualifications, but you do have informal learning and work experience, you can submit a portfolio for entry into a diploma, foundation or intensive program offered by .
Pathways
If the above entry programs don't meet your personal circumstance, you still have options. Explore the following pathways:
- internal transfer programs (enrol in a degree with a lower ATAR and transfer into your desired degree)
- . 鈥� for non current school leavers only.
If you鈥檙e an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia with overseas qualifications, check the commonly accepted overseas secondary qualifications.
If you apply on the basis of overseas qualifications, you may be required to sit an English language proficiency test.
The provides tertiary study opportunities for Indigenous Australians who may not have completed their HSC or acquired a necessary selection rank for entry into their degree of choice.
This pathway involves a two-stage process: an online application and then a face-to-face interview. Offers will be made according to merit, based on demonstrated capacity and readiness to undertake university study.
91桃色 are encouraged to contact the Indigenous Student Support Officer prior to applying. Call (02) 9850 8624.
In recognition of your ADF service, your selection rank for an undergraduate degree will be increased by 5 points. The points will be allocated when you declare and provide valid proof of your ADF service in your 91桃色 application.
Postgraduate applicants
The basic admission qualification for postgraduate courses is completion of a relevant recognised bachelor degree. Admission is competitive and you鈥檒l be considered on the basis of academic merit and any other criteria as specified by the university. Details of admission qualifications and any additional requirements such as work experience, supplementary forms or interviews are listed in the individual course descriptions in the course search.
Overseas qualifications and English language proficiency
If you鈥檝e undertaken studies overseas, you may have to provide proof of English language proficiency.
You may have to submit additional material as part of your application process; this will depend on the course/s for which you鈥檙e applying. Submit your material by the date specified in the individual course descriptions.
For details, check individual course descriptions in the course search.
In recognition of ADF service, successful applicants may be eligible for a 10 per cent discount on their postgraduate coursework fee.
General information for Macquarie University
Courses available
Location
Ground Floor, 18 Wally's Walk, Macquarie University,
North Ryde NSW 2109
Website
Phone
(02) 9850 6767
+61 2 9850 7346 (international students)