Alternative Tertiary Entry Program
The Alternative Tertiary Entry Program gives Year 12 students the chance to gain entry to a Swinburne degree or UniLink program without an ATAR. It is ideal for students who are already demonstrating the ability to be independent learners but are seeking an alternative to the traditional ATAR-based entry system.
You will undertake a selection of two first-year Swinburne subjects based on your interests. Upon completion of the program (and provided you meet entry requirements), you will be guaranteed an offer into a Swinburne course that aligns with your broad career goals.
The Alternative Tertiary Entry Program is run in conjunction with a student’s school and is not available independently.
Duration
1 year part-time (2 semesters)
Intakes
Hawthorn (Semester 1) - View application and start dates
Study mode
- Part-time
Course information in detail
- Course detail, course structure and units of study.
Course description
The program is run in conjunction with a student’s school and cannot be undertaken independently.
Upon completion of the course requirements, students will be guaranteed an offer into a Swinburne course in line with the marks achieved and their broad career goals.
Click here to download the Course FAQ for information on the course and application process
Course structure
To qualify for admission to a Swinburne course, students must achieve a VCE study score of at least 25 in Units 3 and 4 English (EAL 30), or for those undertaking the IB Diploma, a score of 4 or higher in any English unit, or a higher score as required by particular Swinburne courses. Other VCE English studies are not accepted.
As well as English units at school, students will:
- complete one Swinburne unit per semester from a prescribed list
- undertake specified transition activities.
Although this program is specifically designed to be an alternative to the ATAR system, Swinburne recognises that students may have already undertaken, or wish to undertake, other VCE units. Under the ATEP, students may take up to three assessed VCE 3 and 4 units (English plus two others) and still qualify for admission to a Swinburne course under the ATEP system.
The ATEP is used entirely to assess a student’s eligibility and capacity to enter Swinburne and the units undertaken as part of the ATEP will not be counted towards their degree course requirements.
Units of study
ADV00001 Principles of Advertising
BIO00001 Concepts of Biology
BUS00001 Innovative Business Practice
CHE00002 Introduction to Chemistry
COM00001 Professional Communication Practice
COS00001 Web Development
COS00002 Introduction to Programming
COS00003 User-Centred Design
CRI00002 Fundamentals of Criminology
DIA00001 History of Interior Architecture
DIG00001 Introduction to Digital Imaging
ECO00002 Economic Principles
ENG00001 Engineering, Design and Innovation
ENT00001 Entrepreneurship and Opportunity
ENT00002 Creativity and Innovation
FIN00001 Financial Statistics
FOR00001 Introduction to Forensic Psychology
GAM00001 Introduction to Game Studies
HEA00001 Introduction to Health Sciences
HRM00001 Human Resource Management
ICT00003 Problem Solving with ICT
INB00001 Foundations of International Business
INF00001 Database, Analysis and Design
INF00002 Introduction to Business Information Systems
INS00001 Indigenous Australian Experiences
LIT00001 Writing Fiction
MDA00001 Introduction to Media Studies
MDA00002 Innovation Cultures: Perspectives On Science & Technology
MGT00001 Introduction to Management
MKT00002 Fundamentals of Marketing
MTH00010 Preliminary Mathematics
SOC00002 Sociological Foundations
SOC00003 Environment and Society
SPO00001 Introduction to Sports Psychology
SPH00002 Introduction to Exercise and Sport Science
STA00001 Foundations of Statistics
TNE00001 Network Administration
Careers and graduate outcomes
- Career opportunities and course aims and objectives.
Career opportunities
Aims and objectives
Students undertaking the ATEP may expect to develop capacity to:
- play an active role in their own learning
- think deeply and logically, and obtain and evaluate evidence in a disciplined way
- be creative, innovative, and resourceful, and solve problems in ways that draw upon a range of learning areas and disciplines
- plan activities independently, collaborate, work in teams and communicate ideas.

Pathways and scholarships
- Pathways.
Course fees and requirements
- Fees, entry requirements and non-year 12 entry.
Course fees
Entry requirements
Students must have attained a pass in VCE English Units 1 and 2 and in the school’s estimation have completed Year 11 to a satisfactory level.
Students undertaking the International Baccalaureate Diploma are required to have completed their Year 11 curriculum to a satisfactory level in the school’s estimation.
How to apply
Applications close on 25th November 2020.
Applications have now closed and there will be no future applications in this course for 2021.
Find out more
Tel: 1300 SWINBURNE