Key dates

The application process and key dates for your course will depend on what type of student you are and what course you’re applying for.

If you’re an Australian or New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder, you’re classed by UC as a ‘domestic student’.

If you’re a domestic student applying straight out of Year 12 or through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), you’ll need to follow the key dates outlined by UAC.

If you’re a domestic student applying directly to UC, you can do so at any time. We recommend you submit your application through the online application portal no later than one month before Orientation Week of your first semester of study. This will allow enough time for your application to be processed. 

If you’re a citizen from a country other than Australia or New Zealand, and you don’t hold an Australian permanent resident or humanitarian visa, you’re classed by UC as an ‘international student’.

As an international student, you can apply directly to the University of Canberra at any time through the online application portal.

Applications close around two months before the start of your first semester of study. Before applying, you’ll also need to consider the time it takes to organise items like your student visa, accommodation and travel to Australia.

If you’re applying for a higher degree by research, you can apply directly to the University of Canberra at any time through the HDR application portal.

Applications need to be submitted at least two months prior to the beginning of the semester you want to start in. If you submit your application after this date you’ll be considered for the next semester. 

Universities differ from secondary school and college – and from each other – in how they structure their academic year and calendar.

At university, the year is broken into different parts. There are teaching periods – the time when classes take place – and non-teaching periods, when you’ll get a break. It’s important to know how UC’s academic year works, so you can understand when and how your units are offered and plan your year.

The UC academic calendar includes four standard teaching periods:

• Semester 1 – which runs from February to May
• Semester 2 – which runs from August to November
• Winter Term – a shorter intensive term which runs from June to July
• Summer Semester – a shorter intensive semester which runs from December to January.

Semester 1 and Semester 2 are compulsory teaching periods, while Winter Term and Summer Semester are optional. It’s worth noting that not all units are offered across all four teaching periods. We also offer several additional teaching periods that are specific to a course or unit. 

Each teaching period includes the following:

• Orientation – the period before the start of semester where you can get to know UC
• Census date – the date, a few weeks into the start of a teaching period, when you become financially accountable for a unit. After this date, you can’t add a new unit, withdraw from a unit without incurring a fee, or complete certain tasks relating to your fees such as submitting HELP-loan forms
• Examination period – during this time exams are scheduled and there are no classes.

Semester 1, Semester 2 and Summer Semester also include a period where classes don’t run for a short time. This is known as a ‘mid-semester break’ or ‘teaching period break’. 

Many of the pathways programs at University of Canberra College run multiple times throughout the year.

This gives you the opportunity to enrol in and complete the program before the start of the next UC teaching period.