Ranked among the top 100 Young Universities in the World by Times Higher Education in 2023, Charles Darwin University is known for higher education in Australia. Apart from over 300+ courses ranging from foundation pathway programs to undergraduate, postgraduate and higher degrees by research, CDU also offers excellence in research, a supportive and personalised academic environment and multicultural campus life.

The University currently enrols over 21,000 students out of which over 2,000 are international students from around 60 countries. The female to male ratio is 67:33 and the ratio of students to faculty is 23:7. Admissions at Charles Darwin University is offered for February and August Intake. However, a separate summer semester is also conducted for Vocational and foundation pathway programs. Students who meet the academic requirements can apply for admission in the second semester till 18 July 2023.

While the tuition fees at CDU ranging between 25,000 AUD to 40,000 AUD can be a bit steep, the University also provides financial support to international students through an array of scholarships in Australia such as the CDU Global Excellence Award, Vice-Chancellor's International High Achievers Scholarships (VCIHAS), Vocational Education and Training (VET) Distinction Scholarship, CDU International College Pathway Scholarship etc. The University also generates significant job opportunities for international students and has ranked 2nd in Australia for graduate salary outcomes and full-time employment by Good University Guide 2023.

Charles Darwin University Top Courses

Charles Darwin University offers a plethora of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in different disciplines ranging from business, law engineering, psychology, accounting, data science, art to culinary science, community service and social work, communications and design, creative and performing arts, nursing & midwifery, tourism. Besides these courses, CDU ranking 99 in the world for global impact according to THE 2023 also offers pathway programs for both domestic and international students.

Some of the major undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered by Charles Darwin University are as follows -

Charles Darwin University Admission Deadlines 2023-24

Charles Darwin University offers admissions for two semesters commencing in February and August respectively. Currently, admissions for semester 1, 2023 have closed but students can apply for Semester 2, 2023. The major deadlines have been given below:

Students can also check out the application deadlines for CDU international College and VET programs for Semester 2, 2023 given in the table below:

Students can also check: Common Admission deadlines for other Australian Universities

Charles Darwin University Admissions

At Charles Darwin University, students can apply for admission by visiting the online application portal or through an agent. However, they should check the country-specific academic and English language requirements before applying. Overseas candidates wishing to be considered for financial aid should also check the list of scholarships for international students for eligibility requirements.

How to Apply

Application Portal: Online

Application Fee: No Fee

Documents Required

Candidates need to submit the following documents while applying for their course of choice -

• Academic Transcripts
• Award Certificates, Grade reports(including grading system information)
• Officially certified English translated copies(if transcripts and grade reports are in original language)
• Resume
• Statement of Purpose

Students who have completed previous studies and wish to apply for advanced standing, credit, or recognition of prior learning need to submit the following documents -

• Duly filled-in HE113 Application for Exemption Form
• Academic transcripts of previous study along with unit outlines

Prospective international candidates applying for Higher Degree by Research are required to submit an Expression of Interest(EOI) to the HDR. After submission and consideration of their EOI, they will be invited to apply for admission.

Student Visa Requirements

It is mandatory for applicants arriving in Australia for study to have a student visa to authorise their stay in the country for the duration of their course. However, candidates can only apply for a student visa after receiving their Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for a full-time, CRICOS-registered course of study at CDU.

Applicants are required to visit the official website of the Department of Home Affairs to access the Australian Student Visa Application Form.

What is required?

The following documents will be required during the visa application process:

• ID proof
• Financial proof
• IELTS, TOEFL score as proof English language proficiency
• Health insurance
• Migration forms
• SOP for Australian Visa
• Employment history (if applicable)
• Details of any person accompanying the student

Note: Students planning to work and study at the same time while in Australia should also have an Australian work visa.

English Proficiency Requirements

Charles Darwin University accepts the below-mentioned tests as proof of proficiency in English:

Country-Specific Requirements

Apart from English Language Requirements, applicants also need to fulfil the minimum score requirement. This will vary depending on the country where they have completed their grade 12 education from.

Undergraduate Admissions

Undergraduate programs at Charles Darwin University encompasses a wide range of study areas which includes accounting, business, engineering, tourism and hospitality, nursing and Midwifery, public health and so on. Students seeking admission to undergraduate courses must meet the following requirements -

• Successful Completion of Secondary School Education equivalent to Australian Grade 12
• The minimum overall average score of 65-75% or equivalent GPA score in four subjects including English
• Fulfilment of country-specific and English Language Proficiency requirements such as IELTS score of 6.0
• Submission of Statement of Purpose and/or Employment Experience

Postgraduate Admissions

Charles Darwin University offers Graduate, Masters’s well as higher degrees by research on few specific courses such as which includes but is not limited to accounting, arts, business, health sciences, engineering, information technology and network engineering. However, since not all courses are available to international candidates, students must check their preferred course page before applying.

Students applying for postgraduate programs at CDU must meet the following requirements:

• Successful completion of a recognised bachelor degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, master's degree or equivalent international qualification in the same or related discipline
• English Language Requirements
• Letter of Recommendations
• Resume
• Academic Transcripts
• Statement of Purpose(If applicable)

Students can also explore: SOP for MBA in Australia

Charles Darwin University evaluates the application of a candidate on the basis of their academic performance, English language proficiency, fulfilment of course and country-specific admissions criteria and meeting the criteria as a GTE(Genuine Temporary Entrant) and GS(Genuine Student).

Students who have met all the requirements for admission will either be offered a conditional or an unconditional letter of offer of Admission. In case of a conditional letter of offer, students may have to provide additional documents or meet other conditions specified by the University.

Candidates planning to study at CDU can accept their offer of admission by uploading a signed copy of the Terms of Agreement on their application portal along with payment receipts and other supporting documents.

After a candidate has completed these steps, Charles Darwin University will issue an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment(CoE) on the basis of which one can apply for a Student Visa. Candidates will also have to activate their student account and enrol for the units recommended in their course study plan.