As you approach the end of high school, thinking about university can feel like a huge leap, and sometimes it’s hard to even know where to begin. University is the start of an exciting new chapter – one where you’ll explore study areas that inspire you, meet new people, and start shaping your future.
This guide will help you navigate each step of the process, from choosing a course to accepting your offer, clearly outlining the essential steps you must take and optional considerations to explore. Whether you’re looking for clear answers, practical advice, or just a bit of reassurance, this page will guide you through it all, helping you stay focused on your studies and make the right decisions for your future.
If you still need help after reading this you can submit an enquiry online or book a 1:1 in-person appointment.
Step 1. Find a course/s
- Choose one or more courses that suit your interests, skills and goals. You can preference up to eight courses in VTAC
- How to find a course:
- Search by keyword or career
- Search by study area
- Search within majors. Exploring majors can help you find the right course, but you don't need to select a major when you apply
- Search by ATAR score
- Find pathways to common careers.
Optional:
- Download our comprehensive undergraduate course guides
- Attend Open Day on Sunday 17 August at our Parkville and Southbank campuses. Register now.
- If you're a high-achieving student in Year 11, you can apply for our Year 12 Extension Program
- Attend an information session
- Explore the UniMelb On-Demand video library covering course information, career pathways and much more
- Considering accommodation near campus? Check out University accommodation or our Off-campus Housing Network for share houses
Step 2. Check your eligibility
- Each undergraduate course has minimum eligibility requirements you need to meet, including achieving the minimum ATAR (or equivalent) and the required marks for any prerequisite subjects. You can find these requirements on all undergraduate course pages
- Check your eligibility for Access Melbourne, our Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS)
- If you're an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant and your results are below the minimum ATAR for entry, Murrup Barak can help you transition to university studies.
Optional:
- Find out if you're eligible for financial help via a scholarship. Start with our Scholarship Guide
- If you don’t yet meet the prerequisites, you can bridge the gap through the free Uni Ready Enabling Program, the Diploma in General Studies, or targeted single-subject study.
Step 3. Apply
When: From August - see VTAC Key Dates.
Need help applying? Contact us.
- All Year 12 students must apply online via VTAC and pay a fee. See our How to apply page
- You can apply for up to eight undergraduate courses, in order of preference. There are set times when you can rearrange your course preferences
- If you're planning to apply mid-year, the application dates are different. Visit our mid-year guide to learn more.
Optional:
- If you're eligible for Access Melbourne (SEAS), choose one or more of the categories that suit your circumstances and submit a SEAS application through VTAC by the due date in early October. See our Access Melbourne how to apply checklist
- Looking for accommodation on campus? Places in our University accommodation open from April and fill up quickly.
Step 4. Receive an offer
When: December–February - see VTAC Key Dates
- Offers start from December, via VTAC. Your secondary school curriculum will determine what offer rounds you'll be eligible to participate in and what your change of preference window periods will be
- If your application is successful, you'll receive an official offer email from the University of Melbourne with instructions about how to accept and enrolment next steps
- You will receive notifications from VTAC about both successful and unsuccessful applications. Check your VTAC account and email for updates.
Optional:
- Our support centre has extended hours from December–February to help you during offer round periods. Submit an enquiry online, call us or book a 1:1 in-person appointment
Step 5. Accept your offer
When: December–February - see VTAC Key Dates
Need help with your offer? Contact us.
- To accept your offer, follow the instructions in your offer email
- If you've been sent an unconditional offer, you can accept it online immediately. If your offer is conditional, you'll need to meet the conditions before accepting it.
Optional:
- Check out our Academic Skills program that helps you develop the communication and study skills to succeed at university
- Learn about the support on offer from our Melbourne Peer Mentor Program (MPMP). As a first-year student, you are automatically part of the program.
Step 6. Enrol
When: December-February
- Look out for your invitation to register for orientation events, including your Melbourne Commencement Ceremony
- To enrol in your degree, go to Get Started at Melbourne
- Congratulations! Complete your New Student Checklist to prepare for a successful first semester.
Optional:
- If you have a disability, health condition or eligible commitments, you can register for ongoing support for study adjustments.
Common questions about the journey to university
Find out more about the subjects you can study, the assessments to expect, the costs and how to 'speak uni' with our A-Z glossary of terms!
There's also information on study options, costs, student clubs you can join and how to study a semester abroad.
You may also find these pages helpful:
How much it costs to live in Melbourne will depend on your individual circumstances. Our Student Life page breaks down common expenses as a starting point. You can also calculate your budget using the cost of living calculator.
Scholarships can help with costs while you study, visit our Scholarship Guide to learn more.
If you're relocating from a regional or remote area, you may be eligible for the Narrm Scholarship or Melbourne Relocation Scholarship to help with your costs.
Once you've enrolled, you can access our student jobs board if you're interested in part-time work.
University isn't just about studying, it's also about meeting new people, joining clubs, volunteering and even studying abroad. It's a time when you're growing not just academically, but personally too.
At Melbourne, you'll have access to more than 200 student clubs and societies as well as tailored support programs and resources to help you thrive in your studies and fully embrace student life.
Depending on the subjects you pick there can be exams, essays, reports, presentations to the class (often in a group) and projects that can be practical tasks, like solving real-world problems.
Each assessment type helps your lecturers see how well you've understood the material and how you can use it in different ways. It's different from high school because you have more freedom in how you approach your work however, it also means taking responsibility for your studies.
You'll need to learn independently, stay organised and keep up with assignments.
Our Academic Skills program can help you develop study skills for university.
As a domestic undergraduate student, you'll be offered a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) subsidised by the Australian Government. That means you don't pay your subject fees upfront, instead you slowly pay it back when you're working over a few years, like after-pay but better!
Tuition fees vary depending on the degree you choose. Some courses, especially in fields like medicine or engineering, may have higher fees.
Find out more about Tuition fees and other study fees.
You may be eligible for scholarships to help with costs while you study. Visit our Scholarship Guide to learn more.
We offer bachelor degrees in arts, biomedicine, commerce, design, fine arts, music, and science. Within those degrees you can choose from over 100 different study areas.
We also have two specialist bachelor degrees in agriculture and oral health, where everything you study is structured for your chosen discipline
During your degree, you’ll study a mix of subjects – including compulsory subjects (required to complete the relevant major or minor), capstone subjects, elective subjects, and breadth subjects, which can be taken outside your study area. For example, if you're enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts, you can take a science subject in breadth.
Find a bachelor degree.
You're a domestic student if you're an Australian or New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or have a permanent humanitarian visa. This applies even if you're studying abroad or have dual Australian citizenship.
Interstate applicants can find more information here.
International prospective student information can be found here.
After you finish Year 12, your first degree at University will be a bachelors degree, which is also known as undergraduate study. If you study full-time you can finish a bachelors degree in three years.
Graduate study is the second degree you study at University after your bachelors degree, called a masters or post-doctoral (PhD). Graduate study is optional but may be necessary for some careers.
Choosing a course to study is about finding something that excites you and matches your strengths and goals. Take time to explore your options and make a decision that feels right for you!
If you're graduating high school and know the career path you want to follow, you can bundle your undergraduate degree offer with a graduate degree offer by applying for a Graduate Degree Package through VTAC.
The unique VTAC code for each package is on its information page.
You must enrol in your preferred Graduate Degree Package immediately after Year 12, unless granted a deferral by the University.
We're here to help you feel supported and answer any questions you may have. There are many factors to consider when starting university.
- Call us on 13 6352 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
- Submit an online enquiry
- Book an in-person meeting
Our Future Students team are available to answer your questions about specific course details, the Melbourne curriculum, scholarships, equity programs, University Accommodation or guaranteed graduate study pathways and more.
Making up one third of your subjects, a major is the subject area you’ll focus on during your undergraduate degree. Each degree has a different set of majors. In some of our courses you can choose to do a double major.
In your first year you can focus on your major straight away or explore other subjects before deciding on what major you want to pursue.
Learn more about majors, minors and specialisations.
Check out our future students glossary for definitions of terms and acronyms you may come across at the University of Melbourne.
Aligned to VTAC's Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS), Access Melbourne allows us to get a fuller sense of who you are and where you've come from to help you gain entry when you apply to study with us.
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Support for Indigenous students
My experience so far as a Narrm Scholar has been life changing. This program has helped me succeed in my studies and make my forever friends.
Crystal, Naarm scholar
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The Narrm Scholarship offer was a sign that the University saw me and valued me. And it gave me confidence that I would be taken care of at Melbourne."
Thomas, Naarm scholar
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