Postgraduate study

Documents you might need when applying to uni

When you’re made an offer to study with Charles Sturt, it may be conditional on you providing some documents. To help you prepare for your application, we’ve put together a list of documents you might need when applying to uni.

If you have these on the ready, it’ll help make the application process a speedy one.

But firstly, here are some pearls of wisdom from Alex Chubb, Admissions team member at Charles Sturt.

“My high school business studies teacher once told me “to fail to plan, is to plan to fail” and I have lived by that motto ever since. I think it’s a really important thought to keep in mind when you’re looking at applying to university. If you know what is required for your application and you have all your documentation and application information ready to upload, it makes the process so much easier for you and means our team can get your application assessed as quickly as possible. Which could mean getting your offer sooner too!”

Types of documents you may need to apply for uni

The types of documents that you may need for entry to your course will be relevant to the level of study you have chosen. Generally, you’ll need evidence of one or more of the following.

  • Previous study in a related field
  • Previous study in a different field
  • Relevant work experience
  • Professional accreditation or registration in a relevant field

If you’re applying for certain degrees, you might need to complete a supplementary application form or provide specified documents for graduate-entry courses.

Cue the documents…

Education documents

If you’re applying for a course that requires relevant prior qualifications, such as a postgraduate or graduate-entry course, you’ll need to provide evidence of your qualifications. This may include academic transcripts and copies of your certificates or qualifications from previous institutions. These need to be your official documents. If you’re applying for a postgrad course, this will often be your prior undergraduate or other recognised tertiary studies that meet the requirements for entry to postgraduate studies.

Education documents that you may need to provide include:

  • college, TAFE or VET transcript
  • university transcript.

So, track down those hard-copy documents or download an electronic transcript so you can easily scan/upload any education documents with your application.

Employment documents

Want recognition of prior learning for your industry or professional experience? If you’ve worked in a field related to your chosen course, either through paid or volunteer work, this could help you meet the entry requirements for the course you want to study. Note that you’ll need to provide evidence of employment or industry experience if you’re applying for graduate entry or a postgraduate course.

Employment documents could also be needed if you want to apply for credit based on relevant industry experience or recognition of prior learning. If you’re applying for credit, you’ll need to provide transcripts and subject outlines from previous institutions.

Employment documents may include:

  • proof of proficiency, such as a letter from your employer
  • your résumé
  • position description
  • accreditation from relevant professional bodies.

Check the entry requirements on the course pages to see if you need to provide employment documents for entry to your course.

Residency documents

You’ll need to provide proof of residency if you were born overseas and currently hold an Australian Permanent Resident or Permanent Humanitarian Visa. To do this, upload a copy of your passport and visa. If you were born overseas and you’re now an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you’ll need to provide your citizenship documentation.

Identity documents

You may need to verify your identity with a birth or citizenship certificate. If any of the documents that you’ve submitted are in a former name, you’ll need to provide evidence of your change of name, such as a marriage certificate or official change of name confirmation from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

English language proficiency documents

If you were born overseas, you’ll be required to prove that you’re proficient in the English language. This will need to be provided at the time of application. Read more English language requirements and the application process.

Will my documents need verification?

Here is when you will and won’t need to include verified official documentation with your application. It’s important to note, that documents not correctly verified will result in delays in the processing of your application and its consideration for admission.

  • You will need to have your documents certified if you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident and obtained your qualifications overseas.
  • You will need to have your documents verified if you are an international applicant and your documents were obtained overseas.
  • But you won’t need to have your transcripts of previous studies verified as a true copy if you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident. The only exception to this is if you’re applying for our graduate-entry teaching courses or select psychology courses.

Remember, upload a copy of your documents with your online application. Please don’t send a copy of your documents and not the originals as we are unable to return documents.

Who can verify my documents?

If you do need to verify your documents, you have a few options. Australian documents or qualifications can be verified by:

  • the official records department of the institution that originally issued the document(s)
  • anyone currently employed as a professional person
  • a bank manager or credit union branch manager; accountant (must be a member of a professional organisation); barrister, solicitor or patent attorney; police officer of the rank of sergeant and above; postal manager; principal of an Australian secondary college, high school, primary school or TAFE college
  • a Justice of the Peace with a registration number.

Read more about the application process including document verification.

Ready to get started? Apply now!

Here’s the good news. When it comes to documents you might need when applying to uni, whether you’ve got your documentation in order at this point or not, you can still start the process and apply now. If you need to upload any further documents, we’ll let you know via email once we’ve received your application. Then, we’ll work with you to fulfil all requirements. It really is that simple.

And if you have any questions or need assistance, we’re here to guide you through. Get in touch or book a consult. As Alex Chubb says, “Our team is here to support you, so they are ready and waiting to answer any questions and help you on your journey to study with us at Charles Sturt!”