News Archive

For the first time, The University of Western Australia will allow Year 12 students to apply – six months earlier than usual – for a guaranteed place in engineering, based on an ATAR score predicted by their school.

Applications will open on Monday 4 July for students whose schools confirm they have a predicted ATAR of 92 or higher, as long as they are enrolled in the subject prerequisites.

UWA Dean of Coursework Studies Professor Grady Venville said the Engineering Direct Pathway early offer would be open to all students participating in the WA Certificate of Education (WACE) or the International Baccalaureate (IB) in WA schools.

School leavers can choose from a Bachelor of Commerce, Science or Arts as a direct pathway to the Master of Professional Engineering, which is undertaken at postgraduate level.

Professor Venville said the time lag between school exams in November, the publication of results in late December and receiving a university offer in January was traditionally long and took place in the busy lead-up to and during the Christmas and New Year period.

“We wanted to reduce that long wait for students by letting them know they had a guaranteed place at UWA,” she said.

Students have until October 18 to register for the early offer through this website and must put UWA as their first preference with TISC. They then have until December 18 to accept the offer of a 2017 place.

“An early offer is an assurance to the student that they have a place in engineering at UWA,” Professor Venville said. “If something goes wrong along the way we will accept that and work with students to ensure they succeed.”

Once a student has accepted their offer they will be invited to special events on campus, receive information about their course choice and meet staff from the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics.

“UWA is ranked as the state’s top engineering university, our engineering and technology graduates are among the highest paid in their field and our students benefit from the University’s close links with industry,” she said.

“As an additional incentive, students who achieve an actual ATAR of 96 or higher and enrol in engineering at UWA will receive a $5,000 Engineering Pursuit Scholarship.”

Professor Venville said students who changed their minds wouldn’t be locked into completing engineering once they accepted an early offer.

“If a student accepts an Engineering Direct Pathway early offer but then decides they want to do Law for example, it’s not a problem,” she said. “All they have to do is put Law at UWA as their first TISC preference and provided they achieve the ATAR and any other requirements for their preferred course, we’ll upgrade their offer.”

The pilot project coincides with the launch of UWA’s new Direct Pathways – course packages that combine an undergraduate degree with a postgraduate degree.

The university will offer 38 pathways from seven areas of study from second semester in 2016, including architecture, arts, engineering, health, law, psychology and teaching.

“These pathways are unique in Western Australia and will prepare our students for not just a job, but a career, and support them to become the leaders of tomorrow,” Professor Venville said.

Media references

David Stacey (UWA Media and Public Relations Manager) (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716