What will I study at uni?

While some students already know what they would like to do before they reach Years 11 and 12, there are just as many students who don't have any idea, and these days knowing what you want to do is not so important.

Today's student is likely to change their career three or more times in the course of their adult life. It is most important to choose to study what you enjoy most. You are more likely to do well in it, and that translates to success in life after uni.

Studying at CSU

CSU's courses offer diversity and flexibility. You can study something as focused as:

• dentistry
• accountancy
• veterinary science
• primary school teaching
• jewellery
• medical radiation science.

If you want to keep your options open, investigate one of our general studies degrees, available in:

• Arts
• Business
• Education
• Science

These courses offer open entry - so you don't need a high ATAR to get in.

Another option is one of our widely recognised degrees, such as the Bachelor of Arts, which allows you freedom to select a course of study to suit your interests. Majors are available in Art History, English, History, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology, providing an excellent start into a wide range of careers.

Visit our course search page to find out more information on the courses available across our key study areas.

Courses Available

Start researching courses of interest to you. Know the course entry requirements such as prerequisite subjects or extra criteria.

CSU course options

How will I be selected into a course?

NSW and interstate school leavers are normally offered a place in a university course based on their ATAR or interstate equivalent. You may also be admitted on the basis of a strong performance in subjects relevant to your course preferences. Some courses have other selection processes such as interviews, auditions, submission of portfolios and/or completion of questionnaires in addition to or supplementing standard University entry requirements. Some study areas that have these include:

• Communication and Creative Industries (e.g. graphic design, jewellery, journalism)
• Some Allied Health and Medical Science courses (e.g. Pharmacy and Dentistry)
• Exercise Science
• Veterinary Science

Check the admission requirements for the course you may be interested in, by viewing the course information.

What are prerequisite subjects?

Some university courses require that you complete certain subjects in Year 11 and 12 that relate to the course content so you will have the background knowledge needed to understand the course. These required subjects are called prerequisite subjects.

At CSU, we understand you may change your mind about your career. As such, we do not have mandatory prerequisite subjects that block entry to our courses.

What is assumed knowledge?

Some university courses assume a level of prior knowledge. For example, some science courses expect you to have studied chemistry, biology or physics in Year 11 and 12, while all education courses assume a certain level of English, and some may require maths at a higher level.

If you find that you don't have some of the assumed knowledge when you get to uni, you can do some CSUSTUDYLINK subjects to get you up to speed on the subject.

Extra Criteria

Extra Criteria is an additional action to undertake to gain entry into a course such as a questionnaire, interview, audition, portfolio or essay.

Portfolio

If the course you are interested in studying requires you to submit a portfolio during the application process, you should start collecting examples of your work now and add to your portfolio during the final years of schooling. If you have a wide range of examples by the time you finish school, you are in a better position to refine your portfolio. Work completed while on work experience should also be included in your portfolio.

Where to go next:

• Career planning
• CSU MyDay - your university for a day
• What is uni like?
• STUDY LINK
• Course chooser
• University terms glossary