Higher Education Admissions Criteria for Local Students

Melbourne Polytechnic admits students on the basis of the following categories. Specific entry requirements are located on the relevant course information page. In addition to these categories, some courses have additional entry requirements such as attendance at an interview, presentation of a folio and having a working with children’s check.

Head to How to Apply for information on how to apply and enrol into your chosen Melbourne Polytechnic course.

Applicants With Recent Secondary Education (Within The Past Two Years)

If you completed secondary school in the past two years at a high school, TAFE or other VET or higher education provider (Australian or overseas equivalent) that was (or will be) completed either in the current year or within the previous two years you are considered an Applicant with Recent Secondary Education.

• You may have undertaken or completed some VET or higher education study while still at school.
• You may have undertaken secondary education interstate or overseas

Applicants With Vocational Education And Training (VET) Study

If your highest level of study enrolment since leaving secondary education is a VET course (completed or not) at a public TAFE or other VET provider you will be an Applicant With Vocational Education and Training.

• You may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

Applicants With Higher Education Study

If your highest level of study enrolment since leaving secondary education is a higher education course you are an Applicant With Higher Education.

• This includes study at university and non-university higher education providers, whether recent (such as students seeking to transfer to another higher education provider or changing course at the same provider) or some time ago.
• You may have completed a bridging or enabling course delivered by or on behalf of a higher education provider.

Applicants With Work And Life Experience (includes those who left secondary education more than 2 years ago)

If you left secondary education more than two years ago and have not undertaken VET or higher education study since then you are an Applicant with Work and Life Experience.

• “Experience” could include a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education. Includes mature age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience.
• Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study such as community involvement or work experience.

Additional information:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Melbourne Polytechnic welcomes all applications from Indigenous students. Please see individual courses for additional admission criteria.

Domestic students with overseas qualifications

Domestic students with overseas qualifications should refer to Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning for information on how their qualification will be assessed for entry.

English language proficiency

Melbourne Polytechnic requires students to demonstrate that they can speak, write, read and comprehend English to a specified standard. Please refer to the ‘Entry Requirements’ section of individual courses for specific English language proficiency requirements.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

You can seek RPL where your work or qualifications of an advanced and related nature have been undertaken. Academic Credit is granted on a case-by-case basis, according to our Academic Credit Policy and associated procedures. Applications for academic credit will be assessed by relevant Melbourne Polytechnic academics and where appropriate, industry experts.