University of Sydney March 2025 Update

Please see the following updates from the University of Sydney for March 2025.

1. Impact of Priority Processing of Student Visas

We would like to remind our partners once again that since the Australian government implemented Ministerial Direction 111 (MD111), the priority processing of student visas has had an impact on recruitment.

Due to the popularity of courses across various faculties at the University of Sydney, we have reached 80% of the government-set cap for new student visas (this percentage does not represent the actual enrollment capacity of each course at the University of Sydney).

The government currently estimates that the processing time for 2025 visas will be 12 to 16 weeks. Like other members of the 'Group of Eight' (Go8) in Australia, we are actively assisting students to apply early, accept offers, and complete the visa process as soon as possible.

Although we are closely monitoring visa processing times, we have not yet found that all visas can fully comply with the government's stipulated processing timelines.

2. New Undergraduate Courses for 2026

We are very pleased to announce new undergraduate courses at the University of Sydney for 2026. The relevant course pages are currently under construction, and the application portal will open in late March 2025.

1. Bachelor of Biomedicine and Health Duration: 3 years full-time CRICOS code: 117352D Course highlights: Combines biomedical and health sciences to provide students with a comprehensive educational experience Collaborates with clinicians and healthcare consumers to offer immersive learning that integrates classroom and hospital settings Lays the foundation for entering the healthcare industry or continuing postgraduate studies in clinical specialties Admission requirements: International student ATAR requirement: 90 English requirement: IELTS overall score of 7.0, with no band less than 7.0
2. Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences Duration: 3 years full-time CRICOS code: 117213D Course highlights: Provides a core foundation in mathematics and statistics Allows students to choose different specializations, gaining data analysis and computational skills Offers strong mathematical and data analysis capabilities for the job market or further studies Admission requirements: International student ATAR requirement: 90 English requirement: IELTS overall score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0
3. Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences (Honours) Duration: 1 year full-time CRICOS code: 117214C Course highlights: Deepens the study of mathematical sciences on the basis of undergraduate education Provides advanced cognitive and technical skills training, including independent research projects Lays the foundation for career development or further research degrees

3. Updates to the Undergraduate Special Admissions Process (Conditional COE)

To better support international students, we have optimized the **Special Admissions Process (SAP)**:

1. Adjustment of the special admissions application deadline Predicted/Forecast scores: First semester: The SAP application form and predicted score letter (signed by the principal/vice-principal/registrar) must be submitted after June of the previous year Second semester: The SAP application form and predicted score letter must be submitted after December of the previous year High school diploma (only applicable to the second semester): The SAP application form and graduation certificate must be submitted after December of the previous year
2. Adjustment of the admission score line for predicted/forecast scores Applies to the following international qualifications: GCE A Level, Singapore A Level, IB Diploma, Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Malaysian STPM, South African National Senior Certificate, Irish Leaving Certificate Students applying for the Undergraduate Special Admissions Process (UG Special Admissions Process) and admitted based on predicted/forecast scores (except for Singapore A Level) must have predicted scores at least 2 points higher than the minimum admission requirements for the applied program.

• Students must remember that even if they receive an unconditional offer through the Undergraduate Special Admissions Process (UG Special Admissions Process) based on predicted/forecast scores, they still need to take the exams and meet the necessary score requirements.

3. Dalyell Scholars Program

• Students admitted through the special admissions process will not be directly invited to join Dalyell Scholars in their first year, but they can apply to join based on their grades after the first year of study.

4. GCE A Level January 2025 exam results can be used for SAP admission for the second semester of 2025

• Due to adjustments in student visa processing times, we will accept predicted scores from the January 2025 GCE A Level exams as part of the Undergraduate Special Admissions Process (UG SAP) for the second semester of 2025 (S2 2025).
  
• Applicants participating in this process need to provide the following materials:
  
• Completed and signed UG SAP application form;
• Predicted score letter/form(must be signed by the principal, school director, deputy director, or registrar, and not issued earlier than October 2024);
• The applicant's predicted scores must be at least 2 points higher than the minimum admission requirements for the program
• Final score submission deadline: March 31, 2025, eCOEs for those who do not meet the admission requirements may be canceled.

4. Updates to the Postgraduate Special Admissions Process

We will continue to offer a special admissions process (SAP) for some postgraduate courses to allow international students to receive offers early and apply for visas.

Latest updates:Onshore and Offshore Special Admissions Processes,The following updates have taken effect:

1 Offshore Special Admissions Conditional COE outside Australia

1. New applicable countries (Offshore SAP) New countries: Malaysia, UK, USA Students from non-listed countries can still be assessed on a case-by-case basis, requiring a complete application and materials, which will be reviewed by the admissions team.
2. Onshore Special Admissions in Australia Students who have completed their qualifications at overseas campuses of Australian universities are now eligible for onshore special admissions in Australia.
3. Master of Economics and related courses are included in SAP Applicants must have an excellent penultimate semester GPA, at least 2 points higher than the final admission requirements.
4. Students from non-participating countries can still be assessed on a case-by-case basis. We encourage you to submit the application form and relevant materials, and our admissions team will review the application and inform you of the final result.

2 Onshore Special Admissions Conditional COE in Australia

Students who have completed their studies at overseas campuses of Australian universities can now apply for the Onshore Special Admissions Process (OSAP).

This includes current undergraduate students at the University of Sydney, so please encourage your undergraduate students to submit their applications through OSAP as early as possible to secure their admission spots.

3. Deadlines for Special Admissions Process Requests Conditional COE deadlines

5. Overseas Student Health Insurance (OSHC) Rate Adjustment

A small number of students who received unconditional offers before November 1, 2024, will have their OSHC fees adjusted according to the new 2024 rates. To avoid price increases, we recommend that students accept their offers and pay the fees by March 20, 2025.

6. Scholarship Information

1. Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship (VCIS) No separate application is required Students must receive an offer letter by the deadline of the corresponding admission round (see here).
2. Sydney International Undergraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship This scholarship is highly competitive, mainly targeting students who have achieved excellent results in high school, come from diverse backgrounds, and are studying various courses at the University of Sydney. Due to the large number of applicants, the scholarship selection will comprehensively consider the applicant's background and course diversity, and not all applicants will be successfully selected. Students applying for this scholarship need to submit a separate application and have already received an unconditional offer letter at the time of application. Limited places are available for the second semester of 2025, but applications for 2026 are now open. If students are willing to defer their admission by one semester, they can apply for this scholarship.
3. Faculty and program scholarships Students can visit the scholarship page to check specific application requirements.

Over the past year, the International Recruitment and Admissions team have worked collaboratively with all partners, making significant contributions to the University. We achieved all our planned objectives and effectively managed changes in response to government policies, such as the international student CAP. We adjusted our offers and quotas accordingly, aligning with the Government’s NOSC and NON-NOSC requirements. This later transitioned to the University’s combined target, which was a challenging process given the tight timeframe. However, we successfully overcame these difficulties. The outcome for Semester 1, 2025 is positive, and we couldn't have achieved this without your support. Thank you, everyone, for your continued dedication and support to the University of Sydney.

As Semester 1 has now commenced, we will be focusing on the upcoming Semester 2, 2025 plus the 2026 applications.

We would like to remind our partners again of the impact of the priority processing of student visas with the introduction of Ministerial Direction 111 (MD111). Due to the popularity of our programs across various faculties and schools, we have reached 80% of visas in effect for the government's definition of new commencing students' threshold for 2025.(Please note that this percentage is not a reflection of the capacity of each program at the University of Sydney).

The government advises that the current visa processing time for 2025 may be between 12 to 16 weeks. Like many other Go8 universities who have also reached 80%, we are working with our partners to ensure students have enough time to apply, accept and secure their visa. We are monitoring for any pattern on the actual visa processing times and have not seen a clear pattern yet on whether all visas are now falling within the timeline the government has stated.

As part of our ongoing commitment to process improvement and client service, we have recently reviewed and enhanced our Special Admissions process. These improvements are aimed at helping your students receive an earlier offer, ensuring a smoother journey to the University.

New Undergraduate Degrees for 2026

We are thrilled to announce our new undergraduate degrees for 2026. Course pages are currently being developed, and applications will open in late March 2025.

1.Bachelor of Biomedicine and Health (3-year, full time) - CRICOS code: 117352D

The Bachelor of Biomedicine and Health offers students a thorough and integrated education in biomedical science and health. Developed in collaboration with clinicians and health consumers, the degree provides an immersive learning experience in both educational and hospital-based settings. Students will gain a deep understanding of the health sector, acquiring foundational skills and knowledge to pursue careers in health or apply for postgraduate study in clinical practice in the future.

Admissions Criteria:

· International entry score: ATAR 90

· English requirement: A minimum result of 7.0 overall and a minimum result of 7.0 in each band or equivalent.

2.Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences (3-year, full time) - CRICOS code: 117213D

The University of Sydney has long been a leading choice for students eager to pursue both broad and specialized studies in mathematics and statistics. The Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences offers students a solid foundation in mathematical and statistical skills, along with the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge in areas of their choice through various majors. Graduates will be well-equipped with mathematical, computational, data, and transferable skills for the workforce, as well as for further academic pursuits in the field.

Admissions Criteria:

· International entry score: ATAR 90

· English requirement: A minimum result of 6.5 overall and a minimum result of 6.0 in each band or equivalent.

3.Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences (Honours) (1-year, full time) - CRICOS code: 117214C

The Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences (Honours) allows students to build upon the knowledge acquired during their bachelor's degree. It provides an opportunity to develop advanced cognitive and technical skills in the mathematical sciences, with hands-on experience in complex problem-solving and an independent research project. This program prepares students for professional careers or further academic study, including higher research degrees.

Special Admissions Process - Undergraduate

As mentioned in the January edition of the Admissions update, we have implemented changes to ourSpecial Admissions Processand to better support our prospective students:

1. Revised deadline to request special admissions:

a. For Predicted/ Forecast scores:

- Semester 1: Both SAP form and Predicted letter (signed by the Principal/ School Director/ Deputy Director/ Registrar can be provided no earlier than June of the preceding year.

- Semester 2: Both SAP form and Predicted letter (signed by the Principal/ School Director/ Deputy Director/ Registrar can be provided no earlier than December of the preceding year.

b. For High School Diploma – only applicable to Semester 2:

Both SAP form and completion letter can be provided no earlier than December of the preceding year.

2. New cut off requirement for Predicted/ Forecast scores:

The qualifications accepted for Predicted/ Forecast scores are:

· GCE A Level

· Singapore A Level

· International Baccalaureate

· Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education HKDSE

· Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia STPM

· South African National Senior Certificate

· Irish Leaving Certificate

To request the UG Special Admissions Process based on Predicted/ Forecast results, for all qualifications (except Singapore A Level), applicants are required to have achieved a predicted score that is at least 2 points higher than the required for the degree applied.

Example:

Students must be reminded to continue to sit their exams and secure the necessary score even if they receive an unconditional offer via the predicted/forecast results under the UG Special Admissions Process.

3. Dalyell Scholars

Applicants who received entry under Special Admissions Process for Predicted/ Forecast results, or Vietnamese Gifted High School Year 12, Semester 1 transcript, will not be invited for Dalyell Scholars Program as a new student. However, you can let your students know that applicants may be invited to join the stream after first year of study based on their results.

4. We are also implementing a new change - GCE A level – Jan 2025 exam is accepted for UG SAP – Predicted/ Forecast results for S2 2025

Due to the change in visa processing time, we will accept the predicted results of Jan 2025 exam for S2 2025. To participate in the process, applicants will need to provide the following:

·Completed and signed UG SAP Form.

·Predicted letter/ form issued no earlier than Oct 2024. The letter/ form must be signed by Principal/ School Director or Deputy Director/ Registrar.

·Students will need to have achieved a score that is at least 2 points higher than the scores required for the degree applied.

·The deadline to provide final documents to us is 31 March 2025. Any students whose final results do not meet our entry requirement may get their eCOEs cancelled.

Special Admissions Process – Postgraduate

The University is also dedicated to supporting our future postgraduate students throughout the admissions process. We are pleased to continue offering a range of special admissions processes to future international students for selected postgraduate programs.

Given the current visa processing times, we kindly ask you to encourage your students to take advantage of securing early offers.

Following a review of ourOnshore and Offshore Special Admissions Processes, the following updates have been made:

1. Offshore Special Admissions

The following countries have been added to the offshore special admissions process:

·Malaysia

·UK

·USA

Please note, students from countries not listed under Participating Countries may still be considered on a case-by-case basis. We encourage you to submit our request form and required documents, and our Admissions team will advise you of the outcome.

2. Onshore Special Admissions

Students completing qualifications at Australian universities' offshore campuses are now eligible for consideration under the Onshore Special Admissions Process. This includes current University of Sydney students, so please urge any of your undergraduate students to apply via the onshore special admissions process (OSAP) and secure their place early.

3. Deadlines for Special Admissions Process Requests

Students must complete the request form and submit ALL required documents by the specified deadlines to be considered for the process.

4. Special Admissions process for Master of Economics and Embedded Programs

The Master of Economics and its embedded programs are now included in all special admissions processes. Applicants must demonstrate an excellent penultimate semester GPA, which must be at least two points higher than the final GPA required for the program they have applied for.

We strongly encourage you to utilise these special admissions processes to help your students receive their unconditional offers earlier, enabling them to apply for their visas for Semester 2, 2025, as soon as possible.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) premium rise

Impacting a small number of students who were quoted 2023 OSHC rates in their unconditional offer

^{There will be an increase in the OSHC premiums for a small number of applicants who received their offer dated from before 1st November 2024. This rate increase is to bring the previously quoted OSHC aligned to the current 2024 rates. We understand that any increase in costs can be concerning, and we want to assure you that this change is solely related to the OSHC provided by Bupa and not the University or tuition fees.}

The University will be emailing the impacted students to inform them of this change and provide guidance on how to secure their current OSHC rate. The impacted students who do not accept and pay before the rate increase will be quoted the latest rates during the acceptance task and will differ slightly from the amount listed on the offer letter.

To help the impacted students avoid the higher rates, we encourage them to accept their university offer and pay their fees by the 20th March 2025, thereby securing the current rate for their OSHC.

We appreciate your support if impacted students reach out to you. Should you have any questions relating to the new rates, you can contact the campus team at

Bupa’s review of rates will occur annually, considering rising costs and increased demand for healthcare services. There will be another rate increase planned for the end of June 2025. Itis important to note that Bupa is committed to keeping healthcare affordable for our students.

Scholarship reminders

Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship (VCIS)

The VCIS does not require a separate application but to be eligible, students must have an offer by the deadline of the offer rounds (seehere). In 2024 we managed to secure additional funding for the VCIS so that more top-quality students applying for the University of Sydney could be recognised.

Sydney International Undergraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship

In 2024 we launched theSydney International Undergraduate Academic Excellence Scholarshipwhich is the University’s most prestigious and lucrative scholarship for undergraduate international students (we believe it is one of its kind in Australia too). This is a highly competitive scholarship targeting students with top marks in their high school curriculum who come from diverse backgrounds and study across a diverse range of programs at the University of Sydney. Students need to apply for this scholarship and have an unconditional offer at the time of their application. Limited places are available for semester 2 2025 but applications for 2026 are open if students wish to consider a gap semester and target this scholarship.

You can read more about the commencing Semester 1 scholars here:https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2025/02/28/scholarship-brings-best-and-brightest-international-students-to-sydney.html

We’d like to thank our partners who have supported the promotion of this scholarship and congratulate those who have secured a student who has been successful in being selected. As applications are very strong and one element of the process is to award on diversity of background and course, not all applicants can be successful but please keep promoting the opportunity and highlighting this to your networks.

Other scholarships

Faculties and school also have their own scholarships, some of which may require and application. Students will need to read about those via the scholarship website and follow the processes as they relate to those opportunities. All scholarships can be foundhere.