Key facts

Domestic students course information. This course is currently not available to international students.

Entry requirements

Entry is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students seeking admission to an undergraduate course or seeking further tertiary preparation.

View full entry requirements
Duration
  • 1 year full-time
  • Up to 4 years part-time
Number of Units (Subjects)
  • 6 units (36 credit points)
View course structure
Fees
  • Commonwealth Supported Place (quotas apply) - Fees Exempt for Course
View more fees information
Start Dates and Campus
Trimester 1 – February 2024Trimester 2 – June 2024Trimester 3 – October 2024
OnlineOfferedOfferedOffered
Armidale CampusOfferedOfferedNot Offered
Sydney CampusNot OfferedNot OfferedNot Offered

Course information

Download course brochure
Young Indigenous woman in front of poster at Oorala Centre UNE

If you are an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student and want to develop the knowledge and skills to prepare you for undergraduate studies, the UNE TRACKS Tertiary Preparation Program is here to help.

In partnership with Oorala’s Student Experience Team at UNE, the TRACKS program will provide you with the assistance you need to develop study skills and transition to a mainstream university course.

Be part of a strong community where your unique strengths are recognised. Draw upon your own experiences and values. The TRACKS program will help make your education goals a reality.

Why study the TRACKS Tertiary Preparation Program with UNE?

The TRACKS program is dedicated to preparing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students for undergraduate study. We provide a supportive community, flexible learning and strong partnerships. And we understand that establishing your pathway to university and preparing for study can often feel daunting. That's why we become your partner right from the start – giving you the guidance and access to explore tertiary education and make informed choices about your future.

Whether you are starting or continuing your study, UNE’s TRACKS program is here to help you on your journey to study and find your career path with the support you need.

What makes our course different?

At the heart of the TRACKS program is the Oorala Aboriginal Centre — the central hub of your student experience. The Centre is made up of a tight-knit community of specialist lecturers, tutors and engagement staff, working together in a culturally safe space who provide support at every stage of your learning journey. The program offers opportunities to:

  • Attend the pre-orientation program to get help with entry options, study preparation and career paths — and speak with a TRACKS lecturer and course coordinator about what you can expect from being a student at UNE.
  • Experience what university study is about, over two trimesters, to prepare, get supported, and learn in a collaborative environment.
  • Develop confidence and academic skills in five core units, with the flexibility to explore a range of areas that match your natural strengths.
  • Choose an undergraduate unit to study, in your area of interest, that may count toward your UNE undergraduate degree.
  • Get assistance from a highly-experienced tutor, matched to you, for up to two hours per week of 1:1 support per unit, during our teaching periods.
  • Collaborate with our Oorala scholars, high-achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peers working alongside you in the TRACKS program, to discuss the issues that matter most to you.
  • Gain support and guidance when you step into the workplace, with everything from building your confidence with cross-cultural interactions to individual career planning in line with your goals.
  • Study flexibly — the fully online TRACKS Program allows you to balance study with your family, work and other commitments, and collaborate with your tutor and peers, no matter where you live. We help you learn in a flexible timeframe alongside a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander online community, with 1:1 support and advice.

Would you prefer to study on campus in Armidale? We provide advice and assistance to apply for the available, generous scholarships that include accommodation packages, strong cultural and social support, and excellent study facilities.

UNE has a 30-year history of offering facilities and nationally recognised programs and services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The Oorala Aboriginal Centre has been partnering with students throughout this time, dedicated to giving the assistance you need for a bright and rewarding future.

UNE is a leader in the provision of online learning. Year after year, students award us the maximum 5-star ratings in The Good Universities Guide for Overall Experience and Student Support.

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 an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who meets at least one of the following criteria:

  1. You want to be admitted to an undergraduate course at UNE but do not yet meet the entry requirements.
  2. You believe that completion of this enabling course will help you to succeed in studying an undergraduate course at UNE.
  3. You have previously been unsuccessful in undergraduate studies and believe that completion of this enabling course will help you to succeed in studying an undergraduate course at UNE.

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.

English Language Requirements

When applying you may be required to show how you satisfy the English Language Requirements for this course.

Intensive Schools

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.

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.

Advanced Standing is not applicable for this course.

Course structure

To complete the TRACKS course and qualify for admission to an undergraduate course candidates shall satisfactorily complete a program of study comprising five TRAX units (total of 30 credit points) listed in the Program of Study and:
(a) attempt one undergraduate unit listed in the Program of Study; and
(b) satisfy all requirements as set out by the course coordinator, including attendance at all mandatory intensive schools.

A maximum of 18 credit points may be taken in a trimester.

30 credit points

Complete the following units:

6 credit points

Complete 6 credit points from the following list of undergraduate units or any other undergraduate unit at 100-level with permission of the TRACKS course coordinator.

The following units are NESA-approved bridging units and may be counted towards admission to undergraduate teaching degrees where three Band 5 HSC results, including one in English, are required.
Note that EDEE100 is the English bridging unit, and that any bridging units taken must match separate HSC courses i.e. students cannot do multiple bridging units in the one HSC subject area.

ANCH111, ARPA100, ARPA104, BIOL110, CHEM100, COMM102, CRIM100, EDCX135, EDCX177, EDEC102, EDEC105, EDEE100, EDIT102, EDME145, EDPE150, EDSE101, EDSP100, EDSP101, EXSC101, GEPL111, GEPL112, HIST150, HIST151, LAW100, LAW101, MM110, MTHS100, MUSI101, MUSI111, OORA100, PAIS101, RELS180, RELS182, RELS184, RSNR110, RSNR120 COMM101, SOCY100, SOCY110, THEA110, and THEA111

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 typeCost
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

Career outcomes

The TRACKS program 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.
Other career information

Many students who have completed the TRACKS program go on to have rewarding careers in a broad range of areas. Some are now lecturers at UNE, teachers in our schools, and nurses and social workers in our hospitals and local community services. Others have discovered a love of study and continue in post-graduate programs such as zoology or history. Others have chosen to go into the workforce and take up traineeships and employment opportunities in their local area.

Whatever you aspire to be, the UNE team at the Oorala Aboriginal Centre will help you get there.

Course outcomes

TRACKS is a tertiary preparation program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who would like to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake undergraduate studies at UNE.
  1. use personal strategies to deal with university education;
  2. apply the highest ethical standards and prioritising skills necessary to successfully undertake tertiary study;
  3. identify significant policies and the impact they have had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
  4. use relevant Information and Communication technology to access, record and act on information from varied sources appropriate to subject disciplines and to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise;
  5. apply literacy, numeracy and communication skills to assessments used in university courses, including analytical thinking to solve problems; and
  6. make an informed choice about their plans for undergraduate study.
Knowledge of a Discipline

Students will possess foundational knowledge across a range of learning areas and some specialist discipline or technical knowledge. Students will possess a global perspective on the impact of significant policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Communication Skills

Students will demonstrate literacy, numeracy and communication skills to present knowledge and ideas to others.

Problem Solving

Students will solve problems, and use flexible and analytical thinking.

Information Literacy

Students will demonstrate information communication technology skills to access, record and act on information from varied sources appropriate to subject disciplines and to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise.

Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility

Students demonstrate understanding and practice of the highest standards of ethical behaviour associated with their discipline or profession, including an appreciation of own ethical responsibilities towards colleagues, research subjects, the wider community and the environment.

Lifelong Learning

Students will possess knowledge, skills and values for diverse pathways to further learning, work and effective participation in civic life, as well as foundational knowledge across a range of learning areas and some specialist discipline or technical knowledge.

Independence and Collaboration

Students take responsibility for personal and team outcomes within defined parameters.

A five-star experience

2024 Overall Experience Good University Logo

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
2024 Student Experience Good University Logo

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
2024 Teaching Quality Good University Logo

Five Stars for
Teaching Quality

UNE rates among the top 20 per cent of universities in Australia for Teaching Quality

Good Universities Guide 2024
Woman studying online at home

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

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Why study with us?

TRACKS graduate and Bachelor of Arts (Archaeology) student Colin Ahoy on a rock beside a local river

TRACKS developed my confidence in my abilities and helped me realise my potential.

Colin Ahoy, graduate, TRACKS and current student, Bachelor of Arts (Archaeology)

How to apply

Applying to UNE is quick and easy. If you are applying as a
, the application process may be a little different depending on who you are and what you want to study.

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.

IntakeApplication Closing DateTrimester Start Date
Trimester 116 February 202426 February 2024
Trimester 214 June 202424 June 2024
Trimester 311 October 202421 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.

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