All international research degree applicants are required to be proficient in English comprehension and expression.
All English language proficiency evidence must be valid on the date of your commencement. If you defer your offer, you may need to provide additional evidence of your English language proficiency.
Your application may be more competitive if you provide evidence of your English language proficiency when you apply.
English language requirement and proficiency can be demonstrated by:
- Passing an approved test or,
- Academic experience (including through teaching or publications) or,
- Completing an Academic English program, including a UTS Insearch Academic English Program (in Bahasa Indonesia)
Passing an approved test
|
Duolingo - We do not accept the Duolingo English language test as evidence of English language proficiency for research degree applicants in any circumstances. The only tests we accept are detailed below. |
You can demonstrate English language proficiency in the form of an English test result that is valid on your intended date of commencement. English tests accepted by the University of South Australia are:
- IELTS - Academic stream
- TOEFL iBT
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
- University of Cambridge: ESOL Examinations for Cambridge C2 Proficiency OR Cambridge C1 Advanced.
Different programs have different English requirements (please see the table below)
English rich program minimum entry scores
| Academic Units with English rich programs: UniSA Creative, UniSA Allied Health and Human Performance, UniSA Education Futures, UniSA Business, UniSA Justice and Society. Additionally UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences programs in Nursing, Pharmacy and Public Health may be considered English rich*. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS (overall) | TOEFL iBT (overall)* | PTE | Cambridge B2 First/C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency |
| 7.0 | 94 | 65 | 186 |
| IELTS min for all sub scores | TOEFL iBT min for all sub | PTE min for all communicative scores
|
Cambridge B2 First/C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency min for all sub scores |
| 6.0 | 18 | 50 | N/A |
*UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences English Requirements (PDF)
Non English rich program minimum entry scores
| Academic Units with non English language rich programs: UniSA STEM, UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences excluding Nursing, Pharmacy and Public Health as above. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS (overall) | TOEFL iBT (overall)* | PTE | Cambridge B2 First/C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency |
| 6.5 | 79 | 58 | 177 |
| IELTS min for all sub scores | TOEFL iBT min for all sub scores |
PTE min for all communicative scores | Cambridge B2 First/C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency min for all sub scores |
| 6.0 | 18 | 50 | N/A |
*We are unable to accept TOEFL ‘ITP’ tests.
Academic experience
If you do not have a valid English language test result, you may be able to meet the University’s English language requirements via the alternative ways below.
Qualifications
Previous degrees completed within Australia:
Within the last 2 years prior to the date of commencement: Successful completion of a tertiary qualification at a Bachelor level or above completed in Australia.
Previous degrees completed in English:
Within the last 5 years prior to the date of commencement: Successful completion of at least two years of tertiary study at a Bachelor level or above at an institution where the language of instruction and assessment is English. Where previous study was conducted in English, applicants must provide official documentation from the educational institution certifying that the medium of instruction and assessment was in English.
Academic teaching experience in English and/ or publications in English
If you have previously taught in English for at least 2 of the last 5 years or have at least 2 pieces of work published in English in scholarly books or internationally recognised journals in the last 5 years you may be able to meet the University’s English language requirements. Evidence will be required. If, at the point of application, you indicate this as your preferred method of meeting English language requirements, your teaching experience and / or publications in English will be assessed by the relevant panel, only if your application is shortlisted.
For applicants who have previously taught in English, you should be able to provide official documentation or a letter from your employer confirming your teaching position and that the medium of instruction, teaching and assessment was conducted in English.
For applicants wishing to meet by prior publications in English, at least two pieces of work published in English in scholary books or internationally recognised journals within the last five years will be required. Only publications in which you were the lead / first author will be considered.
In the case where a Principal Supervisor and/or relevant Dean of Research are not satisfied with the evidence provided, it may be a condition of your offer that you sit and pass an English test result.
Completing an Academic English program
CELUSA
If you do not meet the University of South Australia's English entry requirements, you may undertake an English language program at the Centre for English Language at the University of South Australia (CELUSA) or another University of South Australia approved provider. Note, this is not an option for Research Training Program international (RTPi) Scholarships.
CELUSA offers the Academic English (AE) program for students planning to study at an Australian education institution. Students must succeed to the level determined by CELUSA:
- Completed and passed CELUSA AE5 – non English language-rich programs
- Completed and passed CELUSA AE6 – English language-rich programs
UTS Insearch Academic English Program (in Bahasa Indonesia)
The UTS Insearch Academic English Program delivered in Bahasa Indonesia is a recognised way of meeting UniSA’s English language requirements. Applicants in Indonesia who do not meet the English language requirements may undertake a UTS Insearch Academic English Program in order to satisfy these requirements. If you have an IELTs (or equivalent test) score which is 0.5 below the requirements, UniSA may make an offer that is conditional on you meeting the required IELTS score either by sitting another IELTS (or equivalent) test, or by successfully completing the 10 week UTS Insearch Academic English Program.
Students who have successfully completed the UTSInsearch AE 5 Academic English program at Distinction and High Distinction Levels will satisfy the English language requirements for programs at the University of South Australia where the current entry is IELTS 6.5, and
Students who have successfully completed the UTSInsearch AE 6 Academic English program at Distinction and High Distinction Levels will satisfy the English language requirements for programs at the University of South Australia where the current entry is IELTS 7.0.
