Key facts
Domestic students course information. This course is currently not available to international students.
Entry is based on the intention to seek admission to an undergraduate course, and you have not completed any part of a course at UNE.
View full entry requirements- Up to 4 years part-time
| Start Dates and Campus | Trimester 1 – February 2024 | Trimester 2 – June 2024 | Trimester 3 – October 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Armidale Campus | Not Offered | Not Offered | Not Offered |
| Sydney Campus | Not Offered | Not Offered | Not Offered |
Course information
Download course brochure
Unlock your potential with the UNE Pathways Enabling Course, a leading online course to empower you with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence to pursue tertiary study.
You will learn how to use smart writing, research and critical thinking skills to fuel your successful university study and professional goals. Plus, you can select an elective unit of study that match your interests, which may later count towards your undergraduate degree.
No matter what your educational background is, or what area you are interested in studying, the flexibility of the UNE Pathways course will help you reach your goals – in a timeframe that suits your lifestyle.
Why study the Pathways Enabling Course with UNE?
Perhaps you have not studied at university before and want to build your academic skills. Maybe you left school before completing your HSC or equivalent, or your results were not enough to enter a university degree. Or, that you finished high school and been in the workplace and need an entry path into university with academic skills to build your confidence with tertiary study.
Do not let your educational background prevent you from the possibility of pursuing tertiary study. You can get university ready with UNE's Pathways Enabling Course. It is flexible and delivered entirely online, aligned to your interests, and detailed without being overwhelming.
Each component of the UNE Pathways Enabling Course is designed to help you to build your knowledge and skills to step into undergraduate study with confidence. The elective unit you choose to study could count as credit towards a UNE undergraduate degree — with an ATAR requirement of up to 77.10 — after successful completion of your pathways course.
Whatever your background, you will gain the skills and strategies for admission to undergraduate study. And use them to create a pathway to pursue your goals, wherever you want to go next.
What makes our course different?
You will gain the knowledge and skills you need for tertiary admission – and the self-assurance to help achieve your goals. Plus, there are other advantages and opportunities that come with enrolling into this course:
- Pace your study to suit your other commitments. The course is structured to help you balance your study part-time over two trimesters. You can complete it in as little as eight months, or up to four years.
- Develop your key academic skills in three core units, where you will build your writing, research, referencing and critical thinking skills to help you become a strategic, self-assured tertiary student.
- Choose an elective from a wide range of UNE subject areas, from education and nursing to psychology, sciences, arts, business and more. Your elective may later count towards a relevant tertiary degree.
- Get support from UNE's Academic Skills Office for help with your academic work and organising your study.
- Get advice on your professional direction and career goals from UNE's Employability and Careers Office.
- No course fees — you will be exempt from the student contribution amount from HECS — this course is funded by the Australian Government.
- Study flexibly in UNE's 5-star rated online environment. In some cases, you may prefer to study with us on campus in Armidale, which can also be arranged.
NOTE: If you are an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student and you want to develop the knowledge and skills to prepare for undergraduate studies, the specialist UNE TRACKS Tertiary Preparation Program may be the course for you. Learn more here.
Study online
Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.
Study on campus
Many of our students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.
* 24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist you and help you to succeed.
Entry requirements
You can apply for this course if you are not eligible for and intend to seek admission to an undergraduate course at UNE. You must also meet both of the following entry requirements:
- You have not completed any part of a course leading to a qualification from UNE
- AND you believe that completion of the Pathways Enabling Course will better prepare you to undertake an undergraduate course at UNE.
If you meet the above entry requirements, you will be eligible for admission into the Pathways Enabling Course.
Please note: all admissions are subject to UNE’s Admission, Credit and Enrolment Policy. Please read and familiarise yourself with the details of the policy. See our Glossary for help with university terms.
These requirements are in addition to the entry requirements above.
When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.
Mandatory intensive schools on campus may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. Please see the UNE Course Handbook for the specific requirements of each unit.
Some courses require you to provide documentary evidence, or interviews to support your application. The following documents are required to support your application:
A completed Pathways Enabling Information Pro-forma. This document must be added to your online application.
Advanced Standing is credit or recognition of your previous study, work and/or life experience. This can reduce the cost and length of your studies.
Individual Unit Advanced Standing
If you are admitted into this course and believe you have already completed the equivalent of one or more of the units in your Course Structure (Program of Study) within the last ten years, you can apply for Individual Unit Advanced Standing.
Please note: The maximum amount of Advanced Standing that can be granted towards this course is 12 credit points. Advanced Standing is granted at the discretion of the Course Coordinator.
Course structure
1. To complete the Enabling Course and qualify for admission to an undergraduate course candidates shall satisfactorily complete a program of study comprising a total of 24 credit points including:
(a) three Core units listed in the Program of Study; and
(b) any one Enabling elective unit listed in the Program of Study.
2. (a) A maximum of 12 credit points may be taken in a trimester; and
(b) the elective unit automatically has ENAB102 as a co-requisite, except under exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the course coordinator.
18 credit points
Complete the following units:- Preparation for University Studies (ENAB101) – 6 credit points
- Developing as a University Student (ENAB102) – 6 credit points
- Demonstrate Your Professional Preparation (DYPP100) – 6 credit points
6 credit points
Complete 6 credit points from the following units:
- Understanding Crime (CRIM100) – 6 credit points
- The Criminal Justice System (CRIM101) – 6 credit points
- English Language in Use (EDEE100) – 6 credit points
- Primary Mathematics 1: Numeracy (EDME145) – 6 credit points
- Where in the World? Australia's Human Geography (GEPL112) – 6 credit points
- Planning for Land Use and Built Form (GEPL124) – 6 credit points
- Foundations of Academic Research (HASS100) – 6 credit points
- Information and Evidence in Health and Social Care (HLTH101) – 6 credit points
- Communication for Health Professionals (HLTH103) – 6 credit points
- Introduction to Legal Studies (LSU100) – 6 credit points
- Communication for Business (MM105) – 6 credit points
- Fundamentals of Marketing (MM110) – 6 credit points
- Introductory Psychology I (PSYC101) – 6 credit points
- Introductory Psychology II (PSYC102) – 6 credit points
- Science in Practice (SCI100) – 6 credit points
- The Craft of Academic Writing (WRIT101) – 6 credit points
See UNE Handbook for more details. The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course plans, exit awards, intensive schools, and work placement requirements.
Fees and scholarships
How much will it cost?
| Fee type | Cost |
|---|---|
Commonwealth Supported Place (quotas apply) - Fees Exempt for Course | $0* |
*An Australian Government subsidised university place, only granted where Commonwealth Supported Places are still available, and where students are exempt from paying the student contribution amount and the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). Students in these places still incur expenses such as textbooks and other resources.
Scholarships
UNE scholarships are open for all to apply and offer financial help while you are studying. There are scholarships for students with high academic achievement, from rural areas, studying specific degrees, in disadvantaged groups, who excel at sport or want to live in a UNE residential college.
UNE scholarship applications are free and confidential. You may apply for more than one scholarship.
Your career
Many students who have completed this course go on to have rewarding careers in a broad range of areas. Whatever you aspire to study, this course opens the door to studying a tertiary degree in a wide range of areas, such as:
- health
- education
- business administration and management
- arts and media
- science and technology.
For many people, the Pathways Enabling Course is an opportunity to gain entry into university study. The course teaches writing skills, how to research, and how to think critically. These skills are valuable and transferable across many careers and workplaces.
Course outcomes
- demonstrate familiarity with university procedures, culture, and values;
- demonstrate independence and confidence in the application of effective learning strategies to suit their personal circumstances and chosen discipline;
- prepare and submit assessable work to an acceptable university standard;
- apply digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and feedback literacy strategies in a chosen disciplinary context;
- use digital technologies to select, organise, synthesise, manage, and communicate information that demonstrates acceptable scholarly, ethical and discipline specific standards appropriate for undergraduate study;
- demonstrate competence in the application of a range of discipline-specific academic literacies; and
- develop an appropriate study plan that aligns with personal and career aspirations.
- Knowledge of a Discipline
Students gain discipline knowledge through their engagement with foundational work in the enabling core units and their choice and study of an enabling elective unit.
- Communication Skills
Students develop and practise communication skills through their participation in the online learning environment, collaborative group activities and assessment tasks.
- Problem Solving
Students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These skills are practised and assessed through a range of online activities and assessment tasks.
- Information Literacy
Students' engagement with the enabling core units presents them with opportunities to enhance their information literacy skills, including discipline specific capabilities, information technology skills, and the finding, accessing, evaluating, organising, comprehension, and communication of information.
- Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility
Students learn the importance of and demonstrate academic integrity and the principle of fairness in their attribution of existing works; participation in learning and teaching activities; and in the production of assessment that demonstrates an awareness of how their words and actions can impact on others.
- Lifelong Learning
Students will engage in a learning and teaching experience requiring them to undertake a range of tasks involving inquiry and reflection on their own academic practice; they will become autonomous, self-managed learners who are open to new ideas and actively seek out new ways of learning and understanding.
- Independence and Collaboration
Students develop the ability to work independently through the completion of individual assessment tasks, and develop collaborative skills through online interactive activities where they will learn the importance of engaging with others in a professional and respectful manner.
A five-star experience
Five Stars,
18 Years in a Row
UNE is the only public uni in Australia awarded 18 straight years of five stars for Overall Experience
Good Universities Guide 2007-2024
No.1 in NSW for
Student Experience
QILT (government-endorsed) ranks UNE as the top public NSW uni for Student Experience
QILT Student Experience Survey
Five Stars for
Teaching Quality
UNE rates among the top 20 per cent of universities in Australia for Teaching Quality
Good Universities Guide 2024
Studying online
At UNE we know it takes more than just being online to be a great online university. It takes time and experience. We pioneered distance education for working adults back in the 1950s, so we’ve been doing this longer than any other Australian university.
We understand the challenges faced by busy adults studying at home. We know that a vital part of online study is your engagement with the learning community. Communication with your classmates, teaching staff and university support staff will enhance your study experience and ensure that your skills extend beyond the subject matter. UNE’s teaching staff are experts in their field which is why UNE consistently receives five stars from students for teaching quality, support and overall experience.*
*The Good Universities Guide
Stay connected
Register your interest and we'll keep you updated
Why study with us?
The Pathways course was a combination of learning how to learn at a university level and testing a few units. I dipped my toe into criminology and English literature, falling in love with the latter.
How to apply
Preparing to apply
You should always provide the details of past or current studies in your application. You may also need to include documents to support your application.
The kind of documents you need will depend on:
- Your preferred course/s
- Your personal circumstances
Important Dates
Different application methods and courses can have different closing dates. To find your correct application method click the Apply Now button below. Please check the appropriate application website for opening and closing dates.
If you are applying online direct to UNE please see below for application dates.
| Intake | Application Closing Date | Trimester Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | 16 February 2024 | 26 February 2024 |
| Trimester 2 | 14 June 2024 | 24 June 2024 |
| Trimester 3 | 11 October 2024 | 21 October 2024 |
Important Notice for Prospective Students
For accurate, up-to-date details on entry requirements, course structure, and other essential information, please consult the UNE Student Handbook before applying or enrolling. The Handbook provides comprehensive guidance to assist in your decision-making process. We apologise for any inconvenience.
