Undergraduate degrees

An undergraduate degree or course is the first university qualification you complete outside of high school. Undergraduate certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor degrees are all considered undergraduate courses.

These courses are designed to give you the skills and knowledge you need to pursue a career in the industry of your choice.

You can enrol in an undergraduate course at any stage of your life—and for any reason. Your fellow students may be fresh out of Year 12, or professionals who want a formal qualification. Online courses tend to have a more diverse mix of students from all age groups, which can enrich your learning experience.

We partner with leading universities from across Australia, meaning you're never short of choice. You can read more about each university here.

It varies from course to course, but here’s a general guide:

When you study through Open Universities Australia, you decide the number of subjects you take on per study period. This allows you to control the time it takes to complete a course. If you’re in need of a break, you can even put your course on hold between study periods until you’re ready to resume.

Yes. We help facilitate your enrolment and simplify the administrative side of university for you. But your course is delivered by your university. It is exactly the same qualification you would earn as an on-campus student—it’s just delivered more flexibly.

It differs from course to course. Here’s a quick guide, but it’s important to check the entry requirements for your specific course carefully:

We exist to help everyone access higher education, so we have an exclusive arrangement in place with our university partners. It means we can offer you another way into undergraduate courses.

If you don’t meet entry requirements, you can get around this by enrolling in 2 to 4 single subjects from that qualification through us—or an undergraduate certificate. Once you successfully pass those subjects or that certificate, you will be permitted to enrol in the full degree, with academic credit for the work you’ve already done.

Look at the entry requirements section on your course's page to see if this is an enrolment option. There will be information about the single subjects you’ll need to complete through us to qualify.

We have helped thousands of students start university this way, and we would love to help you too.

You can read more about enrolling without entry requirements here.

Yes, all undergraduate courses delivered through Open Universities Australia are covered by the HECS-HELP government loan scheme, including single subjects.

This means that if you’re eligible, you won’t need to pay your tuition fees upfront. You can nominate to pay through HECS-HELP when you enrol. You will only pay back the cost of your course once you’re working full-time and earning over a certain amount.

You can read more about HECS-HELP here.

Many first-time undergraduate students worry if they are suited to online study. The trickiest part can be organising your time. We recommend allowing about 10 hours of study per week for each subject, and planning out your calendar as soon as you receive your list of deadlines for that subject (which usually happens in your first week). You’re responsible for watching recorded lectures and completing assessment activities on your own schedule, so you’ll need to develop strong organisational skills.

But you’ll quickly come to love the flexibility. Since you don’t need to commute or attend lectures at set times, you have the freedom to focus on other things that matter to you, like full or part-time work, family and friends.

Plus, your classmates and tutors are always nearby. You will have the chance to connect with them through discussion boards, private study groups, emails and video calls. Rest assured, you’re still part of a community who will motivate and inspire you.

We make starting an undergraduate subject or qualification as straightforward as possible.

First, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different courses using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

If you're choosing a single undergraduate subject, click 'Enrol now' on the relevant subject page. In many cases, you will be enrolled instantly.

If you're selecting a full qualification, click ‘Apply now’ and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether your application has been successful. We’ll still be around to help you manage the administration of your studies, right up until graduation.

*With some courses on offer, you may be directed straight to the website of the university that delivers the course—the university will then enrol you directly.

Contact us and we’ll step you through it. We can even help you apply over the phone.

You can also read more detailed instructions on how to enrol.