About U@Uni Academy

Your unique path into uni

We value the wide range of skills that you can bring to UTS, so we want to support you to get here.

The U@Uni Academy is an alternate, non-ATAR entry pathway to study at UTS, exclusive to our U@Uni partner schools. It is offered free of charge.

The program runs for two years, starting at the end of Year 10. It provides a select cohort of students with university experiences, academic support, and opportunities to develop key capabilities that will give you an edge in university study and beyond.

Over the program, students take part in a variety of on-campus experiences and in-school mentoring and tutoring. These experiences will provide industry connections, enhance HSC studies, and help develop skills in areas like communication, critical thinking and innovation.

Upon successfully completing the program, participants will receive an offer into one of our undergraduate courses!

Participating students will keep track of their progress through an online portfolio - see further information below.

The program

Take a look at our visual map to walk through each step of the two-year program and see how your journey could take shape.

There are disruptions to the planned timetable of U@Uni program due to the evolving situation with COVID-19. You can read our full update here.

How to join

Applications are managed through each participating school (see list of partner schools). Applications open for Year 11 students of partner schools from around March each year. Please note that places are limited. Speak to your school to find out more.

U@Uni Academy graduation criteria

In order to successfully complete the U@Uni Academy and receive an offer to study at UTS through the program, students must:

1. Successfully complete the HSC
   • Undertake HSC pattern of study (however, you don’t have to be on an ATAR pathway). See the NSW Education Standards Authority NESA Rules and Procedures Guide for HSC pattern of study requirements. Note that life skills courses are not considered eligible.
   • Sit all HSC exams, including optional exams for VET and category B subjects.
   • Pass the minimum standards exam.
2. Attend 75% of all U@Uni Academy program activities
3. Demonstrate achievement and progress through the U@Uni Academy experience. This involves online submissions demonstrating achievements in capabilities such as collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Specific online submission requirements will be communicated during the program.
4. Complete a personal statement. At the end of the two years we want you to tell us what you learned while in the Academy, and what your aspirations are for university. Completing this personal statement is included as part of the U@Uni Academy process, and assistance will be provided to students in putting this together.

U@Uni Portfolio

Students will document the skills they develop, as well as personal self-reflection throughout the program, in an online portfolio.

This will include written pieces of self-reflection, examples of the work produced in workshops, and monitoring of the learning process. The portfolio is here to ensure that students are learning from the program and thinking about their goals.

We will provide support and mentoring for adding content to the portfolio, and feedback along the way.

Many of the online tools used in the portfolio are also used by students studying at UTS. So U@Uni Academy students will be one step closer to becoming university ready!