Foundation Studies

It’s a free university pathway program that helps you get into a Flinders degree if you don’t meet the usual entry requirements. Think of it as your stepping stone to uni - you’ll build your academic skills, get used to university-style learning, and prepare for the degree you want to study next.

You’ll do a mix of assignments and practical tasks designed to build your confidence for uni. There aren’t any big exams. It’s all about learning how to study, write assignments, manage your time, work with others, and apply feedback to improve your work.

No, the program is government-funded and there are no tuition fees for eligible students. 

You’ll need to be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or New Zealand citizen. You must not have previously studied at university or hold a TAFE/VET Advanced Diploma, and you shouldn't be currently completing SACE (or equivalent) in the year you wish to start.

It means if you successfully complete the Foundation Studies course, then Flinders will guarantee your place in certain undergraduate degrees without you having to meet the standard competitive entry requirements for those degrees. You can find the full list here.

For degrees that don’t offer guaranteed entry, you’ll still need to apply and be selected based on your results and other requirements, like prerequisites or available places. In other words, you’ll be competing with other applicants for a spot.

A “competitive score” is the result you need (or hope to exceed) to be considered in that pool of applying students. The exact number changes depending on how many people apply and how many places there are.

With guaranteed entry, you know ahead of time: satisfy the Foundation Studies requirements and you will have a place in certain degrees.

With competitive entry, even if you finish Foundation Studies, you still need to apply and hope your results, your fit and other criteria stack up better than other applicants.

In both cases you’re using Foundation Studies as a stepping-stone, but guaranteed gives you more certainty.

No worries, it just means your preferred degree isn’t part of the guaranteed entry group or may have extra requirements like a portfolio, interview, or prerequisites. Common degrees without guaranteed entry include nursing, paramedicine, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy. You can still use Foundation Studies as your pathway and apply through competitive entry. Make sure to book a chat with our team to check the exact requirements for your chosen degree.