Aboriginal Pathway
Degree Level Non Standard
Year 2025
This degree is only available to Australian students
You're considered an Australian student if you are any of the following:
- Australian or New Zealand Citizen
- Australian Permanent Resident (including Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders)
Entry Scores
2025 Guaranteed Entry
TAFE/RTO: N/A
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2024 Cut-Offs
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Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry into the program, students must identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Applicants who have not completed SACE or equivalent must be 17 years of age or over before January 1st of the year of intended enrolment.
Essential requirements for admission
Prerequisites
NoneAssumed Knowledge
None
Courses will be taught in one of five locations: Ceduna, City West, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln, and Whyalla. The program is taught over 1.5 years in a combination of intensive mode and weekly workshops.
Degree overview
- Great start to university life, preparing you for further studies in the discipline you’re interested in, with the added bonus of being fee-free1.
- Open to all people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
- Taught in five locations – Metropolitan Adelaide (City West campus), Ceduna, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln and Whyalla.
- Designed for people who don’t meet entry requirements for their desired degree, including school leavers without an ATAR
- Satisfies eligibility requirements for Centrelink benefits to assist you while studying.
- Receive support from enrolment through to program completion with enrolment help sessions, mentoring, small class sizes and access to peer-assisted study sessions.
1You will not be charged course fees, but you may have to pay Student Amenities Fees as determined by the Australian Government.
Snapshot
The Aboriginal Pathway program is a free1, one and a half year program to prepare Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students for university study. It is open to all people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and can lead to entry into a university degree at UniSA.
It is taught at five locations: Metropolitan Adelaide (City West campus), Ceduna, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln and Whyalla. You will study on campus for the intensive sessions. While studying on campus, you will have face-to-face teaching and support. When you successfully complete this program, you can use your competitive grade point average (GPA) to apply for any UniSA degree.
1 You will not be charged course fees, but you may have to pay Student Amenities Fees as determined by the Australian Government.
You’ll build your academic and professional skills throughout the program, including:Study hours
Your study schedule will be divided into the time you spend attending classes and watching lectures as well as independent study, including your personal research and assignment work. Generally, full-time study is equivalent to 40 hours per week.
The Aboriginal Pathway program has a combination of 8-week and 13-week courses. The 8-week courses have an intensive delivery of classes one day a week between 9:00am–5:00pm. The 13-week courses follow the standard university schedule of a weekly one-hour lecture and a two-hour tutorial.
Assessment
Your assessments may include:
- research papers
- assignments
- group assignments
- reflective journals
- presentations
- continuous assessment
- in-class participation and attendance, including a Land Management excursion
Global opportunities
Enrich your studies and your life – make overseas study part of your qualification. You may have the option to undertake an exchange, short-term program or study tour overseas while you study. We have links with universities worldwide, as well as a range of travel grants available to make going overseas much more accessible.
You can choose short-term or semester-long study from a range of universities and countries depending on your area of study and cultural interests.
Take a look at the global opportunities available.
Why Aboriginal Pathway
Our programs prepare you for university study by building your academic and professional skills. You will experience life as a UniSA student, and have access to the full range of support services that the University provides. By successfully completing the Aboriginal Pathway program you will have the opportunity to transfer into a UniSA undergraduate degree.
Online study
With interactive online course materials and a 24/7 digital environment, you can also:
- access your lectures online, plus study and course resources
- submit your assignments and get feedback
- use forums and discussion boards for team work and communication.
Pathways into university study in Mount Gambier
Scholarships
Every year, over 2,500 UniSA students are supported in their studies through scholarships and grants worth millions of dollars. Check out the scholarships below. One of them may be perfect for you. Visit our scholarships page for more.
UniSA Excellence Scholarships
$5,000 scholarship for South Australian students with an ATAR of 99 who enrol to study a UniSA undergraduate degree.
UniSA Outstanding Achievement Scholarship
Up to $10,000 per annum (full time) for South Australian students who obtain an ATAR of 99.95 or IB equivalent and enrol to study at UniSA.
Your study experience and support
Our campuses have advanced facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, workshops, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments. The Aboriginal Pathway program incorporates both face-to-face classes and online engagement. You’ll discover that your journey at UniSA is also about social experiences, healthy living and getting involved. If you are attending a campus, there are campus sport activities to keep you active, and if you’re keen to explore the social side of university life, there may be movie screenings, cooking demonstrations, parties and more. Depending on your campus, you may also find student gyms, pools, tech zones and chill-out spaces. Check with your Campus Central to see what is available in your region.
Student services
You will have full access to our student support services to help you settle in to university life before you begin studying a bachelor degree. We want you to be successful, and if you need help you’ll have it. We provide a full range of support services, including:
- academic counselling
- personal counselling
- Wirringka Student Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
- access and inclusion services
- social support services, including family support and nearby childcare
- library services
- common rooms
- prayer rooms
- security officers
- wellbeing resources and advice
- scholarship opportunities
- accommodation
- community health clinics
- services offered through our student association, USASA.
24/7 digital environment
Our learnonline facilities include a personal learning environment with virtual classrooms, lecture recordings, emails, learning support, administration, library access and results. The environment is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can tailor your learning to your life. We are continually investing in innovative digital technologies for a high-quality student learning experience.
Your program director
I am passionate about teaching, empowerment, and social justice. It is a privilege to help students follow their goals and guide them in becoming stronger communicators, critical thinkers, and enthusiastic lifelong learners. My research is focussed on enabling education, social sciences, popular culture, and youth culture.
Ask UniSA
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How do I apply?
The way you apply for UniSA will depend on the undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree you're interested in studying.
The majority of applications are made via the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC). Check out more information on the SATAC website and follow the appropriate process for your degree of interest.
There are a small number of degrees that you need to apply for through direct application processes. The process you need to follow will be listed on the 'How to Apply' section of the degree homepage, but you'll also be taken to where you need to go if you hit the 'apply' button.
If you are interested in studying one of our 100% online degrees you'll need to apply directly to UniSA Online.
You can find more information about the application processes for UniSA on our How to Apply webpage.
If you're more interested in applying for a postgraduate degree by research, check out and follow the information in our step by step guide to applying. -
Is there a closing date for applications?
Applications for all degrees will close ahead of study commencing, but the timelines may vary for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Undergraduate
The deadline to apply to study a degree at UniSA for semester one (commencing late February) and be guaranteed equal consideration is generally in very late November or early December. While you may be able to apply after this date, you are not guaranteed to be considered equally with other applicants and your application may not be assessed in time for the main round of offers. More competitive degrees may not make any offers after the main offer round. Find more information on the Key Dates section of the SATAC website, but you can also call the Future Student Enquiries team for more information on 08 8302 376.
Postgraduate
Many postgraduate by coursework degrees do not have set closing dates. The exceptions are highly competitive degrees, so it is best to check – either on the degree homepage on the SATAC website or by checking with our Future Student Enquiries team.
As most postgraduate applications are assessed as they are submitted and offers are continuous, there are no set closing dates for applications. Degrees can be filled and closed with little notice so it is best to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on a place. For more information, please contact our Future Student Enquires team on (08) 8302 2376 or submit an enquiry.
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What credit can I receive for previous studies?
You may be eligible for credit or advanced standing for your chosen UniSA degree based on your previous studies, if they are in a related area and completed within a certain timeframe. Receiving credit or RPL will reduce the number of courses you undertake within the degree, and may also reduce the overall duration of your degree. You can read more about our pre-existing credit agreements through our online Credit Assessor. If you have related industry experience, you may also be eligible to receive recognised prior learning (RPL) for this experience. Credit and RPL is assessed by the Program Director once you've received an offer, and you apply through UniSA's current student experts, Campus Central.
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Can I speak to someone regarding my study options?
Future Student Enquiries welcomes the opportunity to meet with you to discuss your study options at UniSA. We can discuss degree information, entry requirements and pathways, applications, general career outcomes and student life, so you have the information to make the best study decision for your future. Head to our Book an Appointment webpage to find a date and time to speak with us, and take your next steps on journey to university study.
What others are saying
The Aboriginal Pathway is probably the best designed program for myself, being a mum. The support services have been amazing and probably what got me through. They believed in me and made realise, ‘You can do this!’
Hayley Sumner
Aboriginal Pathway
