Thursday 7 June 2012

Should you consider a Preparation Course?


MUPC stands for ‘Murdoch University Preparation Course’ and is run by The Murdoch Institute of Technology (MIT).  It’s the same as doing a bridging course as it prepares you for uni study and gives you the qualifications you need for entry if you don’t have an ATAR.





Key points you need to know from this video

  • Why you should do a MUPC, for example, if you don’t qualify for OnTrack or need to do some prep units to get into your chosen course at Murdoch.
  • That you apply to Murdoch uni straight through MUPC when you have finished. 
  • That although you don’t get credits towards towards a uni degree for completing a MUPC, it provides great preparation for courses like Law and for completing foundation units that you may have missed in school – such as physics or math.
We also chatted to Games Art and Design student David about how he came to Murdoch Uni through a course at MIT and how he chose his uni course:


“Every single time I told someone I was studying at MIT they would say, oh so you failed year 12 and I would be like no I didn’t fail year 12, this is my year 12. By the end of that time, I was at that level that the uni wanted me at and I was familiar with the campus already.”

Read about how he did it here

Is MUPC the right option for you? You can also explore these options for your pathway into uni:

Why we recommend OnTrack to gain entry into Murdoch
The Low Down on sitting the STAT
You don’t have to be a school leaver to use your ATAR
Using previous uni qualifications to apply for a new course
Is TAFE your Ticket into a uni course?
Breaking up with your ATAR and finding a new pathway into uni
The top question we get asked when ATAR results are released



Wednesday 6 June 2012

Why we recommend OnTrack to gain entry into Murdoch


Many students are surprised to learn that they are eligible for the Murdoch Uni OnTrack program. In this video, Nazli explains a bit about what OnTrack is and who is eligible and how you should apply. 





The key points from the video to know

  • OnTrack is a 14 week free program that once completed will be used to give you entry into Murdoch.
  • You can apply if you are:
    • A school leaver who experienced disruption during your year 12 exams; this could be something like moving schools, living in a regional area, or receiving poor advice from your school on getting into uni.
    • Non-school leavers who are in a difficult situation such as; you have a medical condition or disability, English is your second language, you have been unemployed for a long time.
  • The video also discusses TOP (Tertiary Options Project), which is for students who have had something severe happen during their year 12 studies that prevented them from getting the results they needed to get in to uni.

To apply for OnTrack call (08) 9360 2609 or email ontrack@murdoch.edu.au
To apply for TOP call (08) 9360 6084 or email equity@murdoch.edu.au

If you have any questions, or even if you think your situation may not count, contact our Student Centre and chat to someone and you may find that you are eligible for the program. If not, our lovely Student Centre staff can help you find a way of making your goal of studying at uni come true!

Have you considered any of these pathways into uni?

The low down on sitting the STAT
You don’t have to be a school leaver to use your ATAR
Is Tafe your Ticket into a uni course?
Breaking up with your ATAR and finding a new pathway into uni
The top question we get asked when ATAR results are released

Using previous uni qualifications to apply for a new course


In this video our friendly Student Centre advisor Tanya explains how and when you would use your previous uni qualifications to apply for uni at Murdoch.





Key tips from this video about previous uni study

  • Once you start uni you are not locked in! You can switch courses and you can change universities to find the course that is right for you.
  • We look at your highest level of prior learning, so once you have done at least two units of uni study we no longer consider other qualifications you may have, such as an ATAR score or Tafe. This also means you do not need to sit the STAT test!
  • There is no expiry on uni study, we will consider you for entry forever – however it may not be valid to gain credits or Advanced Standing
  • If you are switching courses or took some time out of uni and now want to come back and do a different course, you can possibly get some credits toward your new degree if it wasn’t too long ago.
How you should go about applying

You apply through TISC to start Semester 1 and apply using our online form if you want to commence in Semester 2 (Mid year start).

Exceptions to the rule


Courses like Law, Chiro, Vet and Psych honours require a certain level of qualifications, so come and chat to us about this or any other queries you may have about how you may qualify for Murdoch.

Read other students stories about changing courses and changing unis


Jack reckons It’s ok, you are allowed to change your mind.

Christian gives his advice On making changes and being a First Year student the second time round.

If you haven’t done any units at uni you may like to consider these other entry pathways

The Low Down on sitting the STAT
You don’t have to be a school leaver to use your ATAR
Breaking up with your ATAR and finding a new pathway into uni
The top question we get asked when ATAR results are released

Is TAFE your Ticket into a uni course?


It’s super straight forward to apply for uni using a TAFE qualification and this video gives you the run down of it all.




A quick recap of the key points in the video

  • You need to have at least a certificate IV from TAFE to qualify, certificate III is not enough.
  • If you want to apply for Semester 1 you need to put your application in through TISC – even if you are not a Murdoch student!
  • If you want to apply to start in Semester 2 (Mid year entry) then you can apply directly with us using our online application form (and don’t forget to attach your academic transcript!).
  • If you have completed at least two units of a uni degree this will override your TAFE qualifications so watch our video on applying using previous uni qualifications.

Don’t have a TAFE certificate? Watch our other videos on other entry pathways that might be your ticket in


Breaking up with your ATAR and finding a new pathway into uni
The top question we get asked when ATAR results are released

Can I use my work experience to qualify for uni?


We get a lot of people asking about applying to university using work experience as their admission qualification.

In this video Tanya from our Student Centre explains what this really means. To be honest, it’s a pretty hard way to get in – you need to have heaps of experience to qualify and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis.






A few key points from the video that you need to know if you are thinking of applying this way:

  • You need lots of experience – we’re talking 10 years plus.
  • The experience needs to be directly related to the course you are applying for.
  • People who have this level of work experience may be better suited to applying for a Postgraduate or Masters degree rather than an Undergraduate degree.

One of these options may be better for you to get into uni, have you considered these other forms of admission?

Breaking up with your ATAR and finding a new pathway into uni
The top question we get asked when ATAR results are released

Be our friend on Facebook for advice, tips and fun stuff!

You don’t have to be a school leaver to use your ATAR


Did you know that the score you got in year 12 for your exams into uni is valid for entry into Murdoch forever?

Amazed? So many people are! They think they have to sit the STAT test because it has been 10 years since they graduated high school. Not so!

Watch this video to find out how easy it is to apply with your ATAR or TEE or TES, or whatever it was called when you went through school!





Key takeouts from the video

Some need-to-knows about applying with your high school qualification:
  • You can use your ATAR to start uni Midyear
  • If you are applying from August to January you need to go through TISC but outside these times you can apply directly to Murdoch University with our online application form.
  • If you have done any further study, such as Tafe or a couple of units at uni, these override your school exams score and we will consider these as your qualifications instead.

Check out if you qualify for entry into Murdoch via these options:

Breaking up with your ATAR and finding a new pathway into uni
The top question we get asked when ATAR results are released

Be our Friend on Facebook for tips, advice and fun stuff!


The low down on sitting the STAT


In this video, the lovely Nazli from our Student Centre gives you what you need to know about sitting the STAT (Special Tertiary Admissions Test). 

The STAT is used to apply for uni when you don't have a year 12 certificate (or other qualifications such as a Tafe certificate IV or Diploma).





Here is a quick recap of the key points from the video:

  • You can sit the STAT test if:
    • You are over 20 years old. 
    • You don’t have any other qualifications or you didn’t finish high school.
  • You do NOT need to sit the STAT test if:
    • You have a TAFE certificate IV or more. 
    • You’ve completed at least two or more units at any uni. 
    • You sat your high school exams longer ago than you care to admit. 
  • You sit the STAT test by:
    • Booking through TISC  (check their site for test dates in Perth - they hold them through May to January each year).
  • Don’t worry if you feel like you’ve been out of the system for a while as there are STAT prep courses you can do and plenty of example questions on Google.
  • You can also just sit the English component of the STAT test. So if you have a decent ATAR score but you failed English in year 12 you can just do this part of the test and it’s way easier than the Year 12 curriculum exams! (FYI this is only on ONE day in January, so make sure you are around then if you need to sit this).
  • If you are applying for Semester 1 you apply through TISC – even if you are not a school leaver!
  • The STAT test won’t get you directly into some of our courses, such as Vet, Chiro, Law and Psychology Honours.

If you have any more questions and would like to chat to someone like Nazli about getting into Murdoch uni – come visit us in the Student Centre or give us a call!

You may also be interested in these videos and articles:

    Breaking up with your ATAR and finding a new pathway into uni
      The top question we get asked when ATAR results are released