Semester at University of Newcastle

Most courses at The University of Newcastle are 10 Newy credit points or “units” which is the equivalent of 3-4 US semester credits (as determined by your home institution). Students will enroll in 3-4 courses (12-16 US credits) at UoN.

The University of Newcastle academic year begins each February. As you review course options, keep this in mind to ensure that you select courses from the correct semester.

• Semester 1: February – June (US Spring Semester)

• Semester 2: July – November (US Fall Semester)

You'll enroll in 3 - 4 courses for the semester. Your eligibility to enroll in courses will be determined by UoN faculty based on previous coursework reflected on your college transcript(s).

In Australia, “courses” typically refer to degree programs, while “units” or “subjects” refer to classes.

Courses are not set in stone. You will be able to make changes to your initial list throughout the enrollment process. Although courses do not change tremendously from year-to-year, please be aware that you may need to make additional selections once units are officially published, past when courses are submitted.

How to find courses:

1. Visit the University of Newcastle’s online catalog. 

2. On the left-hand side, filter courses by:  

   1. Key: Course is available 

   2. Availability: Semester 1 (February – June) or Semester 2 (July – November) 

   3. Location: Callaghan (this is your main campus) 

      • You may also select courses at the Newcastle City campus, which is about 15 minutes from the Callaghan campus by free shuttle bus 

   4. Level: 1000-3000 (do not choose Enabling or levels 4000-6000) 

   5. Note: refer to the key on the left-hand side of the page to ensure the courses you select are currently available. 

3. Use the Search function at the top of the page to sort by keyword, or scroll to browse by subject. 

4. Confirm that you have met any “Assumed knowledge” and/or “Requisite” requirements for each course. 

5. Once you identify 6-8 courses that match your criteria, enter them into your application under “Course Selection”. 

Some subjects may indicate prerequisites. UoN will review your transcript to ensure you have met these prerequisites with equivalent classes, though not necessarily the exact class named in the prerequisite.

Generally, when you view courses you’ll see them organized by 1000-4000 levels:

• 1000-level course is the equivalent of a 200-level/sophomore level US course.

• 2000-level course is the equivalent of a 300-level/junior level US course.

• 3000-level course is the equivalent of a 400-level/senior level US course. (Note: These courses require a high level of competency and you will most likely need to fulfill numerous pre-requisites.)

• 4000-level + courses are graduate level and for the most part, are not open to study abroad students.

If your GPA is between 2.2 - 2.5, we encourage you to apply as exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis. If you attend a two-year institution, acceptance will be considered on a case-by-case basis.