ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The University admits new students from three main areas:

  1. Grade 12 from National High Schools, Secondary Schools and other matriculation schools (to all courses).
  1. as non-school leavers (to all courses).
  1. from neighbouring Pacific Countries (to all courses).

Each course expresses its entry requirements in terms of Grade 12 Higher School Certificate of Papua New Guinea.  Applicants who do not have these qualifications - those in (b) and (c) above - must have equivalent qualifications and the University has set up an Admissions Committee which decides on equivalence.

To be admitted to a particular course, a student must have reached the minimum entry requirement stipulated for that course, or its equivalent. Entry requirements vary from course to course. Details can be found in the appropriate section of each department.

‘NON SCHOOL LEAVER’ is a category which includes all applicants from within Papua New Guinea who have not just left a Secondary or National High School.  Of course, many of these will have been to such schools in previous years and will have obtained results which will allow the Departments to decide easily whether or not they are qualified for admissions. Many of these category of students go through adult matriculation programs to upgrade their results to meet the required marks in order to gain entry into the programs of their choice.  Others, however, will be mature students who are not able to obtain the usual School Certificate qualifications.  Each such applicant will be considered on his/her merits by the relevant department and if necessary the Admissions Committee.

Students from neighboring Pacific Countries - the University welcomes about 100 each year depending on places available, will usually have qualifications which have been accepted before and which the University is quite familiar with.

There is therefore usually very little difficulty in equating the qualifications of these applicants with those Papua New Guinean students and making a decision accordingly.  A small number of student will come from other countries.  Again the University will evaluate their qualifications in terms of those obtainable in Papua New Guinea and will admit accordingly.

ADMISSION QUOTAS

The University Council, acting through the Academic Board, imposes limits on the numbers of students who may be admitted to particular course.  Although the University would like to take as many students as possible who were qualified for admission, limitations of space, for example student accommodation, classroom size, as well as numbers of staff, prevent it from doing so.  It may be that for certain courses there are more applicants with the minimum qualifications for admissions than there are places for them, in which case the University will admit those who are most qualified.  

ADMISSION PROCEDURES

GRADE 12 SCHOOL STUDENTS

Grade 12 students should apply for admission to the University on a School Leaver form available from their school by early, August every year. This form will be sent to the Office of Higher Education, and a copy will be sent to the University to enable it to begin its selection procedures.

Those intending to enroll at Unitech please check the STAT P Website for further information.

NON-SCHOOL LEAVERS AND OVERSEAS STUDENTS

  1. Applicants applying for re-admission will be required to complete and submit a Re-Admit Application Form
  2. Applicants applying for admission as new intakes will be required  to complete and submit a New Intake Application Form. The application form should be completed and submitted together with documented evidence of qualifications and should reach the University before the closing date, 29th July 2016. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

LATE APPLICATIONS

The University will not, in general, consider applications for admission which are received after the closing dates.  There may, however, be particular circumstances surrounding late applications which it will consider sufficient to warrant consideration of the applications.  Normally an additional non-refundable late fee of K40.00 is imposed on late applications on top of the application processing fee of K50.00. This is a total of K90.00 for submission of a late application.

NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS OF APPLICATIONS

Applications are considered by the department responsible for a given course and, where necessary, by the Admissions Committee.  A preliminary decision is made on a Grade 12 applicant which is confirmed only after the Grade 12 School Certificate results are available.  Offers will then accordingly be made to applicants individually only after the release of these results which is expected to be at the beginning of December.  Similarly, offers will not in general be made to applicants in other categories until the end of December.

The University will also notify in the Post Courier and the National newspapers of the names of all those who have been accepted for admission at the beginning of January.  In additional letter of offer will be sent to each successful applicant containing relevant information about the University and an acceptance slip which is for completion and return.

EXEMPTIONS AND ADMISSIONS WITH ADVANCED STANDING

Certain students, especially those with a previous background at University or in an institution of higher education, may be granted exemptions from subjects which form a part of their course, or may even be granted admission into later year of particular course.  The University‟s Admissions Committee makes decisions of this nature, and applicants are able to request approval at the time of application.  Alternatively, they may apply after admission with the support of the Heads of their Departments.

TESAS AND OTHER SOURCES OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT

In general, fresh school leavers from Papua New Guinea entering the University receive a government grant commonly referred to as TESAS according to quotas and their grading achieved at year 12 to each course as a TESAS.  This is awarded automatically for School leavers, however Non-School Leavers are required to self-sponsor for one full year before being considered for TESAS. Once again the award of TESAS will depend on how well they perform in their total weighted average. Continuity of TESAS entirely depends on how well one perform in his/her academic gradings.

The following fess are charged to the students coming under HECAS as user pay of the 10% for TESAS students:

Book Allowance

Variable from course to in the range of K350.00 to K600.00 per year.

Travel Allowance

Variable

Board and Lodging

K240.00 per year.(AES) K474.00 per year (HECAS) 

 

This is paid direct to the University.

Tuition Fee          

K55.00 per year (AES) K1100.00 per year HECAS “B‟ category.

                               

(paid direct to the University) - Citizen rate.

Students in later years of courses may be selected for sponsorship by private sponsors and Government Departments.

Students who have failed a year of course which was funded by TESAS, or by a private sponsor, are not eligible for TESAS support if they repeat the year.  Such students are required to finance themselves, and the University will ask them to provide evidence of their ability to do so before permitting them to register.

Most private sponsors provide their students with appropriate vacation employment during the long vacation.  A salary is normally paid.

All students should note that the University requires at the start of the year a K265.00 maintenance fee of which K85.00 is refundable on leaving the University upon presentation of a completed clearance form to the University.

REGISTRATION AND ORIENTATION

During the first week of the first semester, all students are required to register with the University.  In addition there is an interesting programme of talks and activities designed to introduce new students to life at the University during orientation weeks.

New students are required to arrive a few days before the beginning of Orientation Week in order to settle into their accommodation and to find their way around the University campus.  The University endeavors to meet students at the airport as they arrive and to transport them to the campus.