Admissions Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to detail the admissions requirements for Alphacrucis University College (AC) coursework courses of study.

Scope

This policy applies to all AC Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) coursework qualifications. For Higher Degree Research (HDR) course admission requirements please refer to the Higher Degree Research Candidature Policy

Policy

DEFINITIONS 

For the purpose of this policy, the following definitions apply:

1. Compassionate and compelling circumstances refer to situations where a student experiences serious, unforeseen events that significantly impact their ability to meet academic or visa requirements. Compassionate and compelling circumstances are generally those beyond the control of the student and which have an impact on the student’s course progress or wellbeing. These circumstances may include but are not limited to: 

• Serious illness or injury to the student or a close family member, supported by medical certificates
• Bereavement of close family members (parents, grandparents, children) [where possible a death certificate should be provided]
• Family emergencies requiring unexpected and urgent travel or caregiving responsibilities.
• Major political upheaval or natural disaster in a student’s home country
• Traumatic experiences: Involvement in or witnessing an accident or crime, or a crime committed against the student or their family.
• Genuine delays to visas impacting their ability to commence their course on their starting day
• Situations where a student's safety or wellbeing is threatened
• Sudden and significant financial difficulties that impact a student's ability to continue studying.

2. Domestic Student: A student who is an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, or holds an Australian permanent visa (including humanitarian visas). 
3.  ESOS Act means Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000.  
4. International student: is defined as an Overseas student per the ESOS Act 
5. Offshore student: An offshore student is a student who is studying at an overseas location and not in an Australian campus or at an Australian address. 
6. Overseas student:   An overseas student is defined as a person who holds an Australian student visa, whether they are within or outside of Australia. 
7. PRISMS is means the Provider Registration and International Student Management System 
8. Provisional Entry: A conditional admission status granted to students who do not meet standard academic entry requirements but are admitted on the basis that they must demonstrate satisfactory academic performance during an initial Qualifying Period.  
9. Provisional Entry Qualifying Period: The initial period of study during which a student admitted under Provisional Entry must demonstrate satisfactory academic performance to confirm their enrolment. Unless otherwise specified this is usually defined as the first semester for full-time students or the first four completed subjects for part-time students.  
10. Satisfactory Course Progress: Academic performance that meets the minimum requirements for progression in a course, as outlined in the Course Progression Policy. 
11. Professional entry: Professional entry is an option which recognises that many aspects of a person’s life experience may result in the development of skills, abilities and knowledge that relate directly to the ability to undertake tertiary study successfully. 
12. Professional entry applicants: Professional entry applicants are those who are applying for a postgraduate coursework (Levels 8 or 9) or HDR (Level 9 or 10) course of study without having a prior required degree but can demonstrate an appropriate level of professional experience 
13. Full-Time Equivalent (FTE): FTE is a measurement of workload that equates a full-time workload. 
14. Statement of Service: An official document provided by an employer confirming the applicant’s employment history, including role(s), responsibilities, duration, and relevance to the proposed course of study. 
15. AQF Levels: The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) categorises qualifications from Level 1 (Certificate I) to Level 10 (Doctoral Degree). 

 

POLICY STATEMENT

AC aims to attract, select and retain the genuine, best-fit students for courses of study. To facilitate this AC has established: 

• minimum admission requirements to ensure that all commencing students will be able to meet the standards and succeed in their studies; 
• admission requirements that are merit-based, but may be reconsidered on particular educational diversity, equity or inclusivity grounds; 
• course specific admission requirements as benchmarked and set out in accreditation documents to ensure that commencing students have the appropriate academic preparedness, including cognate knowledge and language skills required for success; 
• open, fair and transparent admission procedures for making decisions about student selection and assessment of all applicants. Students are admitted regardless of gender, race, national origin, marital status, faith or disability; 
• applicants who are ineligible for the course they have applied will be considered for alternative courses where applicable; 
• consistency of admission decisions across delivery sites through the Online Application Form which is processed at AC Sydney Campus by the Student Services Team. The processes for establishing applicant student identification are published as part of the student application process; 
• original documents (or certified copies) may be requested in the case of degree testamurs and/or transcripts, related academic awards, and, where relevant, character references, employers’ testimonials, and certification or licences to practice where professional accreditation bodies are relevant. This practice applies equally to students who apply for advanced standing (other than former students or alumni of AC). All applicants must be properly identified, usually through sighting of a birth certificate or passport, and verification of any qualifications they have achieved. It is a condition of application that the applicant must provide permission for AC to verify any supporting documents, including the academic qualifications and/or transcript(s) of academic record presented by the applicant from the issuing institution. 

 

Entry Requirements 

1.  An applicant is qualified for entrance to AC courses of study if they: 

• satisfy all the relevant minimum requirements as prescribed in the course regulations. 
• satisfy the requirements of an alternative entrance or specific admissions scheme and/or hold a qualification approved by the Program Director (or equivalent) to be at least equivalent to the entrance requirements. 

2. An interview between a representative from the Student Services Team, Program Director (or equivalent) and applicant may be warranted especially for students who are entering under 'Special Admission' or 'Provisional Entry' categories to ascertain the student’s suitability to their specified program. 
3. If an applicant does not have an ATAR (or equivalent) or any other qualification and is 21 years old and older, they may be admitted on Provisional Entry on the basis of work and life experience. 
4. Students applying for VET courses must meet specific regulatory requirements. These include: 
5. Completion of a Pre-Training Review (PTR) to assess course suitability and support needs; 
6. Undertaking a Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) assessment; 
7. Provision of a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to enrolment finalisation; 
8. Development of a Training Plan detailing units of competency, delivery mode, and assessment arrangements. 

 

Other Essential Requirements for Admission 

1. An interview with an applicant may be warranted especially for students who are entering under 'Special Admission' or 'Provisional Entry' categories to ascertain the student’s suitability to their specified program. This will occur as part of the admission procedure and prior to the applicant receiving a letter of offer. 
2. Where the course may require students to participate in work-integrated learning involving vulnerable groups, applicants must provide a valid Working with Children Check (or state-based or overseas equivalent) and Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for admission into a course of study, 
3. Certain AC delivery sites have pastoral or other requirements that must be met in order to study at that campus. These will be made clear to applicants during the application process. 
4. All AC students require access to computer and internet facilities, as written assignments are submitted online in typescript with some assignments requiring database and internet research. Applicants are advised before admission that computer and internet literacy and access are essential skills. 
5. AC will not issue a letter of offer to overseas students who are under 18 years of age.  

 

Access and Equity Entry Criteria 

A student’s admission requirements may be reconsidered on access and equity grounds if the applicant meets one or more of the following criteria: 

1. socioeconomic reasons (such as low-family income or poor living conditions); 
2. language difficulties; 
3. learning difficulties; 
4. disrupted schooling; 
5. physical disability; 
6. serious family illness; 
7. excessive family responsibility; 
8. geographical isolation of home and/or school and lack of support, time or facilities for study at home or school; 
9. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent where the normal HSC entry path has not been followed; 
10. home schooling and with evidence of being able to manage tertiary study; 
11. an IELTS result is awaited; 
12. completion of a prescribed program of non-award study (four units or subjects or 40 credit points) with an overall GPA of 1.8 or better. 
13. A student in this category may be placed on a 'Provisional Entry Qualifying Period' as deemed appropriate by the Program Director (or equivalent). 

 

Special Admission Pathways 

For applicants who meet the Access and Equity Entry Criteria listed above, there are various special admission pathways which facilitate an applicant undertaking a suitable course of study, including: 

1. Prior educational experience – documentation including awards, certificates and other evidence of educational achievement; 
2. Secondary School recommendation – a letter from the school (usually the School Principal) outlining why the school leaver applicant is suitable for the course of study; 
3. Leadership experience – demonstrated leadership experience and/or community service e.g. in the community, profession, church, etc. which demonstrates sufficient engagement in extra-curricular activities; 
4. Provisional Entry Criteria as per policy; 
5. Evidence of a Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT); 
6. Pathway for students of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent: applicants may participate in a testing day to demonstrate required skills of literacy and/or numeracy; 
7. For Education courses of study – completion of Mathematics and/or English subjects that align to the Band 4 Higher School Certificate subject descriptors; 
8. Special admission is also available for Year 12 students whose ATAR (or equivalent) falls within 5 points of the published guaranteed entry ATAR but have done well in subjects relevant to the course of study. 
9. Professional Entry Criteria as per policy 
10. These Special Admission Pathways are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director (or equivalent). For Higher Education students, the Program Director’s (or equivalent) recommendation is then submitted to the Registrar. 

 

Early Entry for Australian School Leavers 

1. Early Entry to Australian school leavers may be available at the discretion of the Head of School. Students admitted through an early entry pathway will still be required to meet the normal requirements for entry into their course 

 

Refusal of Admission 

1. Admission may be refused if the person: 
2. has been excluded from another AC award due to 'Unsatisfactory Academic Progress', 'Academic Misconduct' or breach of AC Code of conduct; 
3. Has outstanding fees owing from a previous AC award; 
4. has been excluded from another institution for reasons of unsatisfactory progress or reasons of discipline; 
5. is deemed to be unlikely to cope academically, or if the application form or personal references indicate that a student is likely to struggle with AC life and AC discipline. 
6. e application form or personal references indicate that a student is likely to struggle with AC life and AC discipline. 

 

Deferral of Course Commencement 

1. Deferral relates to postponing an offer of a place in an AC course before the course or the first course in a package of courses has commenced. This may take place on application to the Student Services Team, and shall remain in force for a maximum of one year, after which time either the student shall enrol or the Student Services Team may withdraw the offer of a place. 
2. International students can only defer their commencement of studies on the grounds of compassionate or compelling circumstances. International students will be required to provide evidence of those circumstances. 
3. Where a medical certificate is provided as evidence, the medical certificate must:  
   • be issued by a registered medical practitioner and include their professional contact details 
   • state that the student has a medical condition and is unfit to study  
   • state the length of time the student will be unfit to study  
4. Where a death certificate is provided as evidence, the death certificate must be certified and translated into English if applicable.  
5. Where deferral is sought due to a traumatic experience, evidence must include a police report or report from a psychologist or qualified professional and must include the issuer’s contact details.  
6. In cases of mental health related conditions, the student must provide evidence of professional counselling and/or psychiatric treatment. This evidence must show that the student is receiving ongoing treatment for their condition. It should also show how and when this treatment plan will enable the student to resume study.  
7. AC informs international students that deferral of their enrolment may affect their visa, and subsequently recommends seeking advice from the Department of Home Affairs on the potential impact on their student visa. 
8. Where a deferral is granted, AC will report the change to the international student's enrolment via PRISMS as required by the ESOS Act (Section 19). 

 

English Proficiency for International Students from Non-English Speaking Background 

1. International students are required to have attained an International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) score or equivalent according to the admission criteria of each specified course. 
2. IELTS (or equivalent) is not required for applicants who have successfully completed at least one year of full-time study (or equivalent) of a secondary or tertiary qualification at AQF Diploma level or higher, where the medium of study was English. Some courses have external registration/accreditation requirements which have additional English language requirements. These will be specified on the individual course pages. 
3. For Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses, IELTS (or equivalent) is not required for applicants who have successfully completed at least two years of full-time study (or equivalent) of a secondary or tertiary qualification at AQF Diploma level or higher, where the medium of study was English and completed no earlier than two years prior to the commencement of the course of study to which the student seeks admission.  
4. Processing a student requiring an IELTS or equivalent includes: 

• confirming the score meets the entry requirements for the course; 
• verifying that the IELTS result is from a registered IELTS provider as listed on the IELTS website (http://www.ielts.org) or equivalent. 

 

English Entry waivers for offshore students 

1. Students who have previously studied in English in another country may be eligible for entry without demonstrating English proficiency. See guidelines for information on which countries are eligible and the requirements for students. 

 

Roles and Responsibilities 

The following roles and responsibilities apply in relation to this policy: 

1. Student Services Team: The Student Services Team is responsible for the processing of student applications and the proper recording of all information related to student admissions. They are also the main point of contact for students seeking admission to AC. 
2. Registrar: The Registrar is responsible for overseeing the implementation, review, and alignment of this policy with institutional standards and regulatory frameworks. The Registrar is also responsible for coordinating communication of policy revisions to stakeholders. 
3. Program Directors (or equivalent): Program Directors (or equivalent) may be required to be involved in reviewing submitted documentation (e.g. CVs, Statements of Service, Personal Competence Assessments) and conducting student interviews for alignment with course requirements. 
4. International Student Officers: International Student Officers are responsible for managing compliance related to international students under provisional entry, including timely updates to PRISMS when enrolment or progress changes occur.   

Responsible for implementation

Student Services Team
Program Director (or equivalent)
Registrar
Quality Assurance Committee

Key stakeholders

Prospective Students
Student Experience Team
Registrar
Faculty

Related legislation

Higher Education Standards Framework

National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Outcome Standards for Registered Training Organisations) Instrument 2025

National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Compliance Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations and Fit and Proper Person Requirements) Instrument 2025

Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act)

The National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code 2018)

Related documents

English Language Proficiency Waiver Guidelines

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Procedures

Admission Procedure

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