Upgrading

Only a limited number of places are available in programs at UQ and each year there is much competition for entry. If you are unsuccessful in gaining entry to your preferred program, you should note that undertaking another tertiary program is one method you can use to improve your selection chances, before reapplying through QTAC for the program you really want.

Upgrading is a very complex process. If you require further explanation relating to your situation, please contact UQ Admissions.

The following information applies only to the University of Queensland. If you are trying to upgrade to a program from a university other than UQ, you need to contact that university to find out about their policy on upgrading.
 

  • For UQ purposes, to upgrade a rank substantially, you must complete the equivalent of one full-time year of study in a degree program. That is, for upgrading purposes, if you are enrolled at the University of Queensland you must complete at least 16 units to have the equivalent of one full-time year of tertiary study, before you can increase your rank high enough to gain entry to the more competitive courses.
     
  • You can be allocated a new rank if you have done less than one full-time year of study (less than 16 units if you are a UQ student), however, the rank assigned would normally be inadequate for entry to the more competitive courses. For example, a student with ¾ of a year of degree studies can only achieve a maximum rank of 94 (approximately an OP 4).
     
  • If you cancel a course by the due date for cancellation, or you are granted 'withdrawal without academic penalty', the course will not contribute to the total number of units studied.
     
  • Schedule 2 of the Admission Rules, which is the schedule UQ uses to determine an entry rank for students who have completed one full-time year of tertiary study, now slightly advantages students from comprehensive, research-intensive universities including UQ. It is based on a four-tier system of assigning entry ranks.
     
  • UQ students are assigned slightly higher entry ranks than if they had achieved the equivalent grades in a bachelor degree at another Queensland university. This differentiation is only made for ranks above 96 (ie. GPA of 5 or better).
     
  • Students from other Queensland institutions are assigned entry ranks based on the standard QTAC schedules.
     
  • If a student has completed one full-time year of tertiary study at a Group 1 Institution as their most recent study, all studies undertaken at Group 1 Institution(s) will be used to allocate a rank, unless a higher rank would result from including studies completed at a Group 2 Institution(s), if any has been completed.
     
  • The minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) required for a UQ student to be assigned a rank of 99.0 is a 5.8.
     

Please see the University’s Entry options publication for further details.

Please click here for links to the most recent cut-offs for UQ programs.

Click here for a guide to the cut-off points table

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