TPP allows you to experience university life before committing to a degree program, and courses completed as part of the TPP program are free-of-charge for Commonwealth-supported students (fees for international students can be found at USC International fees and costs). If you are from a non-English speaking background you will be required to meet English language entry requirements for your chosen USC program.

Upon successful completion of the TPP, you will be able to gain direct entry into most USC degree programs through the standard USC direct entry application process. You will be required to meet any subject prerequisites for the undergraduate degree you want to study so check these before enrolling in your TPP courses to make sure you choose the right courses.

TPP will not meet the entry rank required for direct entry into some high demand degree programs including the Bachelor of Midwifery and the Bachelor of Nursing Science/Bachelor of Midwifery. Your entry rank will depend on how many TPP courses you complete and the grades you achieve in your TPP courses. Your entry rank must be high enough to meet the program cut off in order to gain direct entry.

If selecting to attend another university, you will need to apply through the standard QTAC application process or via the admission procedures as outlined by the institution at which you plan to study.

Please note that courses completed through TPP cannot be used as credit towards a degree.

Courses in the TPP are Austudy approved.

Indigenous TPP students may be eligible for an Indigenous Commonwealth scholarship.

Flexible study options

TPP courses are offered in Semesters 1 and 2 and Session 8 (Summer Session) and you can study full-time (four courses over one semester) or part-time. Only a full-time study option at Sippy Downs campus is available to international students on a student visa. Courses are offered at a number of study locations currently including Sippy Downs, Gympie, Noosa, North Lakes, Caboolture and Fraser Coast.

Recommended TPP courses for USC programs

A list of the study plans (recommended TPP courses) for USC programs for 2016 is available to assist with your enrolment. We highly recommend that prior to enrolling, you read the courses synopsis and course outlines by clicking onto the TPP course codes.

Admission requirements

• Entry age: you must be a minimum of 17 years of age at time of entry (international students must be 18 years old).
• TPP is taught in English (both in classes and in written material), therefore students from a non-English speaking background will need to have sufficient English skills to achieve an overall score of 6.0 and a minimum of 5.5 in all subtests of an IELTS test. Upon completion of TPP and prior to being admitted into any USC program, applicants must satisfy the minimum entry English language requirements (eg English Language proficiency and subject prerequisites).
• International applicants academic history will be assessed for entry in to TPP.

Upon completion of TPP

Domestic students (Australian citizens, Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens) who wish to apply for admission into an undergraduate degree program at USC after completing the TPP should visit Apply for an undergraduate program from TPP for instructions to submit an online application.

International students should go to the Application forms for International students page for more information and to download the application form.

More information

Download the Tertiary Preparation Pathway 2016 brochure (PDF 357KB)

For PDF documents you must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded from the Adobe Download page.