Skip to main

Other pathways to undergraduate

If you don't meet the undergraduate entry requirements, consider taking a pathway course to build the academic skills you need to do a degree.

We want you to pursue your passion no matter what. If you can’t take the most direct route, consider an alternative. Build your general literacy and numeracy skills with our FAST course, or get specific with a diploma of business, IT or engineering or a degree in education. The best part? When you’ve completed your pathway course, you’ll get guaranteed entry into a relevant bachelor degree.  

Our support is tailored to your needs.
Go straight from a diploma to second year.
Same goal, different route.
Boost your academic confidence.

Hear from our staff

Kelly Hart talks about the FAST course. 

Hi, I'm Kelly Hart. I'm a lecturer in education. I teach across various education courses with our pre-service teachers as well as the Master of Specialist Teaching and the FAST program too. The FAST program is a one-semester pathway program and we help students prepare and learn everything that they need to know to succeed at university. I also provide English support sessions for our international students and that's actually part of what I love about all of our programs, just the level of support that we have for all our students. We have so many options to get help along the way through past sessions, peer mentors, studios, city writing space and learning skills advisors and so much more. So students always know there's plenty of support whenever they need it. And a fun fact about me, I lived in China for nine years and I speak fluent Mandarin. 

Pathway options

FAST is a 6-month course designed to lay the foundations of university-level study. You’ll learn how to research, write academically and use university systems. When you complete the course, you’ll be eligible to study: 

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Biomedical Science
Bachelor of Business
Bachelor of Community & Human Services
Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
Bachelor of Education Studies
Bachelor of Environmental & Conservation Science
Bachelor of Exercise & Sport Science
Bachelor of Information Technology
Bachelor of Information Technology (AI & Data Science)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Business Analysis)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Cybersecurity)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Software Engineering)
Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours)
Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) (Honours)
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (Honours)
Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) (Honours)
Bachelor of Nursing
Bachelor of Psychological Science
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Social Work
Bachelor of Sport, Physical & Outdoor Education.

Keen on IT, engineering or business? Completing a one-year specialised higher education diploma will build a solid foundation in your interest area – enough to get guaranteed second-year entry into a relevant degree course. Pathways include: 

Diploma of Information Technology (Higher Education)

Bachelor of Information Technology
Bachelor of Information Technology (AI & Data Science)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Business Analysis)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Cybersecurity)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Software Engineering)

Diploma of Engineering (Higher Education)

Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours)
Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) (Honours)
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (Honours)
Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) (Honours)

Diploma of Business (Higher Education)

Bachelor of Business.

If your dream is to become a teacher, the Bachelor of Education Studies or the Bachelor of Sport, Physical and Outdoor Education will put you on the right track. Pathways include:

Bachelor of Education studies 

  • Complete first year and transfer into the second year of a teaching degree 
  • Complete the full degree then do a Master of Teaching 

Bachelor of Sport, Physical and Outdoor Education

I discovered Federation is one of the only universities that offers an entry pathway without steep fees (no tuition fees, actually!) with guaranteed entry into any undergraduate degree. "
— Beatrice, Federation Access Studies (FAST) and Bachelor of Psychological Science