UWA Handbook 2025

Course overview

Overview

The UWA Foundation Program provides international students with a pathway into the first year of a comprehensive suite of Bachelors degrees at the University of Western Australia. The aims of the program are:

• To equip international students with the English language competence they need to study at an undergraduate level at UWA;
• To provide students with study skills and the intellectual development they need to be academically capable of studying at undergraduate level;
• To provide students with appropriate subject specific knowledge and understanding to prepare them for undergraduate study at UWA;
• To enable students to develop confidence in communicating academic matters with native speakers of English;
• To increase familiarity with Australian academic practices including the practical experience of university teaching methods;
• To provide an appreciation of culture for studying and living in Australia.

Students who pass the program with the required grades will be able to transition into the first year of an appropriate UWA undergraduate program. The course offers a range of core and elective units designed to ensure breadth of study and to provide students with the opportunity to study a wide range of majors, providing progression into the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Biomedical Science, Commerce, Engineering, Mathematics, Science and Computing. The range of progression options is reflected in the choice of disciplines available to students. All subjects are comparable in standard to an Australian Year 12 curriculum.

As a generalist program, the program has been designed to provide a broad educational base from which students are able to launch into undergraduate studies, achieved through building a multi-faceted program:

• First, the program provides students with the opportunity to build on existing language and academic skills. The development of language and study skills runs throughout the program with an emphasis on building confidence in the productive use of language in both an academic and non-academic context.
• Second, the program ensures that students begin their undergraduate courses with a solid understanding of mathematics. This is achieved through the provision of three Mathematics-based units with all students required to complete one and many students required to complete further unit/s depending on choice of major. Mathematics Fundamentals (MATX720) is a prerequisite for all students with little or no maths background or who have failed Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent. Mathematics Foundations: Methods (MATX721) provides students with a solid understanding of functions, introducing them to the fundamentals of calculus and statistics. Mathematics Foundations: Specialist (MATX0722) covers specialist mathematics required to pursue a major in engineering science, mathematics or physics.
• Third, the program provides a wide range of subject-based units with students required to complete at least one unit in Mathematics, as previously stated, and also at least one unit in the Arts, Social Science/Humanities and Science/ Technology. These units are comparable in standard to Australian Year 12 which ensures that, upon completion of the program, students are of the appropriate academic standard for undergraduate study. The range of units additionally provides students with the opportunity to explore subjects of interest, and subsequently impact their choice of major.
• Last, the curriculum ensures that students develop a multi-cultural awareness that will serve them throughout their university studies at UWA. Australian Society (ANTX0407) is a compulsory unit with further units, building on students' global awareness.

Course code

UWC00

Course type

UWA College Non-Award course

Status

current / 2025

Points

48

Coodrinator

TBA

Course structure

Rules

Title

1. These rules are the UWA Foundation Program - 8 months Course Rules.

Terms Used

2. The Glossary provides an explanation of the terms used in these rules.

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

3.(1) The Student Rules and the UWA College Student Rules apply to students in this course.

(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

(3) The UWA College policy and procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

English Language competency requirements

To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have achieved an IELTS score of at least 6, (with no band less than 5.5) or equivalent as recognised by UWA.

Admission requirements

5. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have achieved an WAM of at least 70, in Australian Year 11 subjects or equivalent as recognised by UWA.

Course structure

6.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 48 points.

(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules. Students may not take units which are not specified in the unit sequence. Students must ensure they complete all specified core units in the course.

Satisfactory progress

7. To make satisfactory progress in a teaching period a student must —

(a) achieve a pass in units with a total credit point value of more than half the total credit point value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty;

(b) not fail the same unit on more than one occasion;

and

(c) satisfy any additional requirements stated in the rules of the course, including the successful completion of the Academic Conduct Essential (ACE) module prior to the final teaching period of the program.

Progress status

8.(1) A progress status is assigned by the relevant school or board to each student once every standard teaching period or equivalent.

(2) A student who makes satisfactory progress under rule 7 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.

(3) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances a student who does not make satisfactory progress under rule 7 may be assigned one of the following —

(a) 'On Probation', in which case the student must see their Student Adviser to discuss enrolment and conditions that may apply to re-enrolment;

(b) Suspended', in which case the student is not permitted to re-enrol in the course for the following teaching period or equivalent; or;

(c) ‘Excluded', in which case the student is not permitted to re-enrol in the course;

(4) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances, a status of ‘Suspended' or ‘Excluded' may not be assigned to a student who has completed only one teaching period of study at the University.