Selection and Admission Policy

ADMISSION PRINCIPLES

1. Candidates for the award of an NTI degree must be admitted to NTI before commencing study for that degree.

2. NTI admits applicants based on merit and makes offers of a place to applicants assessed as having a reasonable prospect of succeeding in their chosen course.

3. NTI admission criteria are determined by the NTI’s Academic Board and require applicants to achieve the specified minimum academic and English proficiency levels.

4. NTI admission processes and admission requirements are transparent, applied fairly and consistently and are clearly communicated to prospective applicants.

5. Course admission requirements for international students will be equivalent to the minimum requirements for domestic students.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

6. To be eligible for admission, an applicant must satisfy:

a) the minimum academic requirements for the selected course, including any course prerequisites;

b) the minimum English language proficiency requirements for the selected course.

7. To be admitted to a course, an applicant must lodge an application for admission by the specified closing date, with specified supporting documentation.

8. Eligibility for admission, or submission of an application for admission, does not guarantee selection into a course.

9. NTI reserves the right to vary the arrangements for any course or subject for reasons including, but not limited to:

a) legislative or regulatory requirements;

b) commitment to ensure courses can be completed within a reasonable timeframe;

c) natural disaster or pandemic.

10. With reasonable notice, changes or variations to arrangements for courses and subjects may include:

a) imposing limitations on admission to any course and on enrolments in any subject;

b) changing the content, assessment and method of delivery of any course or subject;

c) varying tuition fees for any course or subject, or

d) withdrawing a course or subject or changing its availability.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

11. Following the Education Committees endorsement, the Academic Board approves course admission requirements for a maximum period of five (5) years. Course admission requirements include minimum academic requirements and minimum English language requirements.

12. Some courses may have additional admission requirements, including but not limited to, prerequisite study or assessment of suitability via portfolio or interview.

13. Admission requirements for each course are published on NTI’s website, in the NTI Student Handbook and in the NTI Student Guides.

14. Admission requirements for each course are reviewed at least every five (5) years. Any variations to admission standards must be endorsed by the Education Committee and approved by the Academic Board.

GENERAL ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS (POSTGRADUATE COURSES)

15. Applicants for admission will generally be required to have completed a Bachelor degree (Australian Qualifications Framework Level 7), a higher level qualification, or an equivalent overseas tertiary qualifications. Variations to this requirement are at the discretion of NTI’s Academic Dean.

16. NTI has absolute discretion to determine whether an overseas qualification submitted for admission is equivalent to the required admission standard.

17. Applicants who have completed a lower level qualification and substantial relevant professional experience, or a combination of formal and informal learning including substantial relevant professional experience, as specified for the course, may be considered for admission by the Head of Program on a case-by-case basis.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

18. All applicants for admission to an NTI course must provide evidence that their English language ability meets the minimum requirement for admission.

19. Domestic students whose qualifications presented as the basis for admission were not studied in English will be asked to provide evidence of English language proficiency with their application form.

20. English language requirements for each course are recommended by the Education Committee and approved by the Academic Board. They are formally reviewed every five (5) years and any variations outside the five-year review cycle must be endorsed by the Education Committee and approved by the Academic Board.

Previous Study in English

21. Applicants who can demonstrate that they have successfully completed a substantial component (at least one year full-time) of an Australian higher education degree (at AQF Level 7 or higher), within the past two (2) years (and while studying on a student visa), may meet NTI’s English language requirements. Students can demonstrate this by providing their academic transcripts from a accredited Australian higher education institution.

22. Applicants will be deemed to have satisfied NTI’s English language requirements if they have successfully completed a minimum of two years of tertiary study at an institution within the last two years where:

a) the language of instruction was English; and

b) the institution is located in a country where the official language is English.

23. Applicants from countries where the official language is not English, but whose prior academic study has partially or fully been undertaken in English, will be assessed via ‘Assessment of previous studies by country’ list maintained by the Admissions Team within Student Services. The list will be reviewed at least every three years. These applicants must have successfully completed two years of full-time (or equivalent) studies in English in the last two years.

24. For the purposes of clause 20 successful completion is considered to be a pass result in no less than 50 per cent of attempted units/courses in any assessable period in the academic year.

25. For the purposes of clause 21 documentary evidence confirming the language of instruction and assessment of the relevant qualification must be submitted.

English language tests

26. Satisfactory performance in an accepted English language test will meet NTI’s English language requirements, provided the test was taken no more than two years prior to the commencement of the NTI course.

27. NTI recognises a number of English language tests, the primary one being the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The list of accepted tests is provided on the NTI website and as an attachment to this policy.

28. NTI sets the minimum IELTS (or equivalent) standard for its postgraduate courses at an overall score of 6.5 with no sub-band score less than 6.0. The list of equivalence for other tests is published on NTI’s website and in the Student Guide.

English for Academic Purposes Courses

29. International applicants with an IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent) may be admitted if they complete an English for Academic Purposes course with an NTI-recognised provider prior to their course commencement. This condition of admission will be recorded in the Letter of Offer.

Individual Assessment of English Language Proficiency

30. Where English language test results’ score is just below the required threshold, or where alternative evidence of English language proficiency exists, an application may be referred to the relevant Head of Program for additional assessment.

31. The Head of Program may request additional information be submitted by the applicant to support this assessment of English language proficiency. Examples of evidence that may be taken into consideration include, but are not limited to:

a) interview with the applicant;

b) sample of written work attested to by an independent source;

c) evidence of work experience requiring English language proficiency.

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

32. The following information is required by NTI to enable processing of applications:

a) All applications are to include:

i. a completed online application form;

ii. copies of transcripts and award certificates from previous tertiary education;

iii. proof of citizenship or residency, where relevant; and

iv. evidence of English language proficiency, where relevant.

b) Additional requirements for international students are:

i. evidence of English language proficiency; and

ii. a completed Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) form for international applicants.

33. An official translation must accompany all documents written in a language other than English.

34. Where false documentation is identified on the application, the applicant will not be admitted. Where a student is found to have been admitted on the basis of false documentation, the student will be immediately suspended from NTI. The student may appeal the facts of the matter under the provisions of NTI’s Student Grievance Policy.

35. All applicants will receive a formal notification of the outcome in the form of:

a) an unconditional offer (Letter of Offer); or

b) a conditional offer (Letter of Offer); or

c) a packaged offer (Letter of Offer); or

d) no offer (Application Outcome Letter).

ADMISSION

36. An offer of a place in a course is issued to the successful applicant in writing on the NTI Letter of Offer.

37. The Letter of Offer is NTI’s contract with the student and will clearly set out the student’s rights and obligations, including all known fees and charges associated with the proposed course; as well as information on changes to or withdrawal from offers, acceptance and enrolment, course commencement date and refunds of charges.

38. In addition, the Letter of Offer will set out any particular conditions of admission or enrolment that might apply, such as progression rules requiring completion of certain subjects before enrolling in other subjects or successful completion of an English for Academic Purposes course prior to the commencement of the principal NTI course.

39. On receipt of a written Letter of Offer, an applicant will either:

a) accept the offer;

b) apply to defer entry;

c) decline the offer; or

d) take no action, in which case the offer will lapse after the period specified in the offer.

40. To accept an offer, the applicant must complete the Acceptance Form and return it to NTI with the payment of the enrolment fee, where applicable. International applicants are also required to pay the specified amount of tuition fees, upon receipt of which NTI will issue an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment.

41. The admission process will be deemed to be completed when an applicant has accepted an offer and enrolled in subjects as per the NTI Student Enrolment Policy.

42. If an applicant fails to enrol in any subjects in the first semester of the course into which they have been admitted and has not been granted a deferral or leave of absence, the offer will be considered to have lapsed.

PACKAGED OFFERS

43. A packaged Letter of Offer may be granted where a student does not meet NTI’s direct entry requirements and is required to complete a preparatory course such as an English language program or the pathway program.

44. Students will be admitted into the next level of study only once their eligibility to progress has been confirmed. A new application is not required.

45. A packaged offer may include an offer to study a relevant English for Academic Purposes course and/or an academic pathway program at NTI. Students gain entry to the principal NTI course on successful completion of the English language program or the pathway program.

DEFERMENT

46. An applicant, who has received a Letter of Offer, may request to defer the commencement of their studies for up to 12 months.

47. Applicants must submit a formal request by completing NTI Deferment Application Form available from Student Services Office.

48. Applicants accepted for deferral will be issued a new Letter of Offer with a new commencement date.

49. Deferred entry is not transferable from one course to another, and applicants who do not take up the deferred offer within 12 months will be required to submit a new application for admission.

50. An applicant taking up their deferred offer will be admitted to the current curriculum of their course, provided that the course has not been discontinued, in which case the applicant will be offered admission to a comparable course, where available.

51. International students can only defer their studies because of compassionate or compelling circumstances. 

52. Circumstances considered to be compassionate or compelling include, but are not limited to:

a) medical illness or injury to the student or the student's immediate family member/s that requires hospitalization and/or impairs the student's ability to commence their studies - this includes episodes of mental illness or cognitive function impairment;

b) the bereavement of an immediate family member;

c) an adverse experience that has impacted on the student's physical or mental wellbeing;

d) documented instances where the student is unable, through no fault of their own, to commence their studies;

e) situations where the student is unexpectedly required to care for a close relative;

f) major political upheaval or natural disaster in a student's home country that have negatively impacted on a student's ability to commence their studies;

g) changes to family circumstances in the student's home country that have negatively impacted on a student's ability to pay tuition fees or reasonable personal living expenses.

53. International students must state the reason and provide supporting documentation for deferring their studies, as NTI is obliged to report this information to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

54. All applications for deferment will be assessed by the relevant Head of Program within ten (10) working days from receipt of application and students will be informed of the outcome in writing.

55. If an international student's application to defer is approved, the student will receive a new Letter of Offer for the following (or subsequent) semester and a new electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) will be issued when the student accepts their second offer. 

ADMISSION TO NON-AWARD STUDY

56. Individuals may apply to NTI for permission to study one or more subjects on a non-award basis.

57. Applications for admission to non-award study are made by completing the online application form. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their reasons for seeking admission to non-award study and provide documentary evidence that allows NTI to assess the likelihood of the applicant to successfully complete the intended subject.

58. Admissions to non-award programs are coordinated by Student Services and are subject to the availability of places in the particular subject.

59. Any applicant who has been excluded from NTI will not be permitted to undertake non-award study during the period of exclusion.

60. Where an applicant does not satisfy the selection criteria for a course, the Head of Program may recommend that they be admitted to study a single subject on a non-award basis.

61. Satisfactory completion of a non-award subject may be used as a basis for determining eligibility for admission into a course but does not guarantee admission into that course.

ADMISSION TO CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL STUDY

62. Applicants from other higher education institutions who wish to undertake an NTI subject as part of their award course must apply to NTI by completing the online Cross-institutional Application for Admission.

63. NTI requires applicants to provide documentary evidence that their home institute has approved the concurrent enrolment, and that any proposed subjects are appropriate for the student. This documentary evidence must specifically refer to the approved subjects for a particular semester.

REFUSAL OF ADMISSION

64. NTI may refuse admission to an applicant, who otherwise meets the admission requirements for the selected course, on the following grounds:

a) the applicant has previously been suspended or excluded from NTI or any other tertiary institution for academic reasons, including but not limited to academic misconduct or unsatisfactory academic progress;

b) the applicant has outstanding fees owing to NTI;

c) the applicant fails to meet the genuine temporary entrant requirements specified for international students;

d) where evidence from the applicant’s history, as determined by the Head of Program in consultation with the Academic Dean, makes them unsuitable to study the course for which they have applied on academic or non-academic grounds;

e) the quota of available places for a course has been reached;

f) the applicant fails to meet any of the standards or criteria as outlined within this policy.

RECORD KEEPING

65. NTI will maintain appropriate records of the basis of admission of applicants so that:

a) the effectiveness of admission criteria can be evaluated; and

b) the performance of student cohorts by admissions pathways can be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis.

RIGHT OF APPEAL

66. An applicant refused admission has the right of appeal against the decision on the following grounds:

a) the applicant satisfies all NTI admission requirements;

b) the application for admission was lodged on time, in the correct manner, with all relevant documentation included to enable the application to be assessed;

c) the applicant was not admitted due to incorrect application of the principles outlined in this policy; and

d) the applicant believes NTI has not taken account of all relevant circumstances in arriving at a decision to refuse admission.

67. In the first instance, the unsuccessful applicant will raise the concern with NTI’s Student Services and Academic Support Manager who will review the application and inform the applicant whether an offer will be made or not.

68. If the applicant is dissatisfied with the decision of NTI’s Student Services and Academic Support Manager, they must lodge a written statement, specifying the grounds on which the appeal is being made, to the Academic Dean within twenty (20) working days of receiving notification that their application for admission has been unsuccessful.

69. The Academic Dean will consider the appeal and review the admission application, in consultation with the Student Services Office. Upon consideration of the appeal, the Academic Dean will determine whether the appeal is denied or upheld and notify the applicant of the appeal outcome within ten (10) working days of receipt of their written statement.

70. If an appeal is upheld, the Academic Dean will recommend for the Student Services Office to issue a Letter of Offer to the course for which the application was made.

71. If the appeal is denied, the applicant will be notified that they will not be receiving a Letter of Offer to study at NTI.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

72. NTI staff responsible for making decisions and issuing Letters of Offer must not participate in any decisions affecting applicants where a potential or actual conflict of interest arises due to a close personal relationship with the applicant.