Australian higher education acronyms explained

If you are looking at course descriptions and handbooks you will come across a lot of special terms used by institutions in Australia, which can be confusing to all new students, especially when English isn’t your first language.

To assist you in your search for the perfect course in Australia, we've mapped out the main terms that you will need to know.

Terminology in Australian tertiary education

ATAR

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank — the ranking system used across Australia (except Queensland — they use Overall Position or OP) to determine tertiary admission of school leavers. Institutions will often set a required ATAR to get into their courses. Contact the institution to find out the entry requirements for international students.

CRICOS

Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students — an Australian Government website that lists Australian education providers that are registered to offer courses to people studying in Australia on a student visa.

DIAC

Department of Immigration and Citizenship — the federal government department that handles applications for international student visas and permanent residency.

EAP

English for Academic Purposes — the name given to education programs designed to prepare international students with the necessary levels of English language proficiency for tertiary study.

eCoE

Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment — an online confirmation of a student’s enrolment, which details subjects and fees.

ELICOS/ESL

English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students/English as a Second Language — the name given to courses designed to prepare international students with the necessary levels of English language proficiency required for study in Australia.

IELTS

International English Language Testing System— a popular English language testing system used by Australian institutions to determine a student’s English language proficiency.

TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign Language — a popular English language testing system used by Australian institutions to determine a student’s English language proficiency.

WIL

Work Integrated Learning — work experience that is integrated into a course and forms a part of the course assessment. A number of courses offer WIL to give students practical experience in their field.

Terms that apply to Australian students only

CSP

Commonwealth Supported Place — a government-subsidised place in a higher education program available to domestic students only. International students are required to pay full fees.

FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP

federal higher education loan schemes for domestic students only.

For more information, see our full list of Australian higher education terms.