Entry requirements for international students

Regardless of whether you’re going to be studying in Melbourne or from your home country, you need to meet the minimum English language and academic requirements for the course you want to study.

To accommodate the current situation, you can now take your entry test online. Swinburne currently accepts online versions of these tests: TOEFL iBT® Special Home Edition, DuoLingo English and LinguaSkill.

Please see the English Requirements table.

Academic requirements

Foundation Year, UniLink diplomas, vocational education and bachelor degrees

Enter your details to find entry requirements for your chosen course.

Other qualifications

To confirm entry requirements using an overseas qualification that does not appear on the list, please call 1300 275 794 (within Australia)
+61 9214 8444 (outside Australia) operating hours 9am - 5.30pm AEST or complete the enquiry form.

Master and research degrees

Use Course Search to find the entry requirements for your chosen course.

English language requirements

Each Swinburne online course has a minimum English language entry requirement. Use our Course Search function to find the English language requirements for your chosen course or use the table, below. 

Your course may have an additional prerequisite English test called the PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic). When you’re allowed to travel to Australia, you’ll be able to take this test at our Hawthorn campus. Visit PTE Academic for more information.

Approved English Language Tests and Minimum Required Entry Scores for non-award and VE programs, study abroad and exchange and higher education (HE) diplomas

Provider / Program

Level of Entry

Foundation Year
Extended

Foundation Year
(8 months) & VE

HE Diploma - one year program
post Y12 (including UniLink & UniLink Bridging programs)

Study Abroad & Exchange

PQP

IELTS (Academic Module)

Overall 5.0
No individual band below 5.0

 Overall 5.5
No individual band below 5.0		 Overall 5.5
No individual band below 5.0		 Overall 6.0
No individual band below 5.5		 Overall 6.0
No individual band below 5.5

PTE Academic

36
(no communicative skill less than 36) 

 42
(no communicative skill less than 36) 		 42
(no communicative skill less than 36) 		 50
(no communicative skill less than 45)		 50
(no communicative skill less than 45)

TOEFL iBT

 -

 50
(no less than 5 in reading, 5 in listening, 14 in speaking, 15 in writing)

50
(no less than 5 in reading, 5 in listening, 14 in speaking, 15 in writing)

60
(no less than 10 in reading, 9 in listening, 16 in speaking, 19 in writing)

60
(no less than 10 in reading, 9 in listening, 16 in speaking, 19 in writing)

TOEFL iBT Home Edition Test^

- 

50
(no less than 5 in reading, 5 in listening, 14 in speaking, 15 in writing)

50
(no less than 5 in reading, 5 in listening, 14 in speaking, 15 in writing)

60
(no less than 10 in reading, 9 in listening, 16 in speaking, 19 in writing)

60
(no less than 10 in reading, 9 in listening, 16 in speaking, 19 in writing)

C1 Advanced*

154, no band less than 154 

 162, no band less than 154 162, no band less than 154 169, no band less than 162 169, no band less than 162

Common European Framework

B1 

 B1 B1 B2 B2

Linguaskill – General^

- 

 Overall score of 140-159 with no band less than 120 Overall score of 140-159 with no band less than 120 - Overall score of 160-179 with no band less than 140

Duolingo English Test^

- 

 Overall score of 85-90 Overall score of 85-90 Overall score of 95-100 Overall score of 95-100

* formerly Cambridge English: Advanced [CAE]

^ Valid for students commencing Swinburne programs in 2022-2023 teaching periods only.

Approved English Language Tests and Minimum Required Entry Scores for undergraduate and postgraduate courses

Provider / Program

Level of Entry

Undergraduate

(excluding courses listed in note (1) below) 

Undergraduate

education

law

professional degrees

psychology honours

psychological science

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Nursing

Postgraduate coursework

Psychological science honours

Bachelor of Exercise & Sport Science

Master of Dietetics

Master of Occupational Therapy

Master of Physiotherapy

 Masters of Teaching (Primary) & (Secondary

IELTS (Academic Module)

 Overall 6.0
No individual band below 6.0

 Overall 6.5
No individual band below 6.0		 Overall 7.0
No individual band below 7.0^^		 Overall 6.5
No individual band below 6.0		 Overall 7.0
No individual band below 7.0		 Overall 7.0, No individual band below 7.5 in speaking and Listening 

PTE Academic

50
(no communicative skill less than 50)  

 58
(no communicative skill less than 50)		 65
(no communicative skill less than 65)^^		 58
(no communicative skill less than 50) 		 66
(no communicative skill less than 58)		 66
(no communicative skill less than 58)

TOEFL iBT

64
(no less than 13 in reading, 12 in listening, 18 in speaking, 21 in writing)

79
(no less than 13 in reading, 12 in listening, 18 in speaking 21 in writing)

94
(no less than 24 for reading, 24 for listening, 23 for speaking, 27 for writing)^^

79
(no less than 13 in reading, 12 in listening, 18 in speaking 21 in writing)

94
(no less than 25 in reading, 24 in listening, 23 in speaking, 27 in writing)

94
(no less than 25 in reading, 27 in listening, 25 in speaking, 27 in writing)

TOEFL iBT Home Edition Test^

64
(no less than 13 in reading, 12 in listening, 18 in speaking, 21 in writing)

 - -

79
(no less than 13 in reading, 12 in listening, 18 in speaking 21 in writing)

 - -

C1 Advanced*

169, no band less than 169 

 176, no band less than 169 - 176, no band less than 169 185, no band less than 185 185 (No band less than 185)

Common European Framework

B2

 B2 - B2  C1 C1

Linguaskill – General^

Overall score of 160-179 with no band less than 160

 - - - - -

Duolingo English Test^

Overall score of 95-100

 -  -  Overall score of 105-110  -  -

Occupational English Test (OET)

-

 -

Minimum of B (>350 marks) in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking^^ 

  -  -  -

(1) Education, exercise and sport science, law, nursing, psychological science and honours in psychology & psychological science and professional degree courses.

* formerly Cambridge English: Advanced [CAE].

^ Valid for students commencing Swinburne programs in 2022-2023 teaching periods only.

^^ NMBA Registration Standard: English Language Skills includes requirements around the number of test sittings from which results will be accepted.  

Swinburne English Language Centre

Swinburne offers English language courses that can help you meet the minimum English language requirement for study. On successful completion of English for Academic Purposes at Swinburne, you may be granted direct entry to your chosen degree, diploma or certificate provided you also meet other (academic) entry requirements.

Alternative English language entry

There are also a number of alternative ways to meet the English language requirements for courses, depending on where you completed your secondary education.