Search this site Search

The University of Sydney Foundation Program

Your pathway to the University of Sydney

Take the most effective pathway to the University of Sydney. The University of Sydney Foundation Program (USFP) is a rigorous, focused program. It provides you with the training you need to succeed at Australia's most prestigious university.

We offer a range of start dates and programs throughout the year to suit your timing, your academic level and your planned university degree. The combined educational expertise of both the University of Sydney and Taylors College has been employed to create this foundation program.

Number of semester:2
Number of subjects per semester: 5
Total hours in class per week: 25
Intake start dates: January, July

Number of semester: 3
Number of subjects per semester: 6
Total hours in class per week: 30
Intake start dates: April, October

Note: you need a higher level of English for this program.

Number of semester: 3
Duration: 59 weeks
Intake start dates: February, August

The Extended Program consists of two parts:

In the first 19 weeks you will study Extended English, Australian Identity, and the Essential Computing Skills and Study life Skills Course, PLUS two subjects from the 40 week Standard Program;
At the end of the first 19 weeks you must pass Extended English, and meet the academic requirements of the elective subjects to continue with the remaining 40 weeks of the program.

Course structure

You will have the choice of five Streams to study, which will be dependent on the undergraduate degree that you wish to study:

Science / Engineering and IT / Health Science
Economics / Commerce
Arts / Media
Music
Visual Art and Design

As part of each stream you will study a number of subjects. To determine which subjects you should study in relation to your chosen undergraduate degree, see below for more details.

Standard and Intensive Programs

Science/Engineering & IT/Health Science

Compulsory Core Subjects

English A & B
Mathematics (Science) A & B

Group 1 Elective Subjects (choose 1 subject)

Advanced Mathematics A^# & B
Biology A^# & B^#
Chemistry A^# & B
Information Technology A^# & B^#
Physics A^# & B^#

Group 2 Elective Subjects (choose 1, 2 or 3 subjects)

Accounting A^# & B
Advanced Mathematics A^# & B^#
Australian Studies A^# & B^#
Biology A^# & B^#
Chemistry A^# & B
Foundations of Social Science A^# & B
Foundations of Visual Art and Design Elective A^#& B
Government and Law A^#& B^#
Information Technology A^#& B^#
International Studies A# (Politics)
Mathematics (Humanities) A^#& B
Media Studies and Communication A^#& B
Music Elective A^#& B
Physics A^#& B

Subject Minors: Subjects marked with a # can be taken as one semester long minors. Only 2 minors can be taken for each program.
Note: Subjects offered are conditional on student numbers/preferences.

Economics/Commerce

Compulsory Core Subjects

English A & B
Mathematics (Humanities) A & B

Group 1 Elective Subjects (choose 1 subject)

Accounting A^# & B
Economics A^# & B^#
Government and Law A^# & B

Group 2 Elective Subjects (choose 1, 2 or 3 subjects)

Accounting A^# & B
Advanced Mathematics A^# & B^#
Australian Studies A^# & B^#
Biology A^# & B^#
Chemistry A^# & B
Economics A^# & B^#
Foundations of Social Science A^# & B
Foundations of Visual Art and Design Elective A^#& B
Government and Law A^#& B
Information Technology A^#& B^#
International Studies A^# (Politics)
International Studies B^# (Economics)
Mathematics (Humanities) A^#& B
Media Studies and Communication A^#& B
Music Elective A^#& B
Physics A^#& B^#

Arts/Media

Arts/Media^*

Compulsory Core Subjects

English A & B

Group 1 Elective Subjects (choose 1 subject)

Group 2 Elective Subjects (choose 1, 2 or 3 subjects)

Accounting A^# & B
Advanced Mathematics A^# & B^#
Australian Studies A^# & B^#
Biology A^# & B^#
Chemistry A^# & B
Economics A^#& B^#
Foundations of Social Science A^# & B
Foundations of Visual Art and Design Elective A^# & B
Government and Law A^# & B
Information Technology A# & B^#
International Studies A^# (Politics)
International Studies B^# (Economics)
Mathematics (Humanities) A^#& B
Media Studies & Communication A^# & B
Music Elective A^# & B
Physics A^#& B^#

^*April and October intakes not available.

Music

Music^*

Compulsory Core Subjects

English A & B
Music Core Theory and Performance
Music Core Theory and Performance B

Group 1 Elective Subjects (choose 1 subject)

Group 2 Elective Subjects (choose 1, 2 or 3 subjects)

Accounting A^#& B
Advanced Mathematics A^# & B^#
Australian Studies A^#& B^#
Biology A^# & B^#
Chemistry A^# & B
Economics A^# & B^#
Foundations of Social Science A^# & B
Foundations of Visual Art and Design Elective A^# & B
Government and Law A^# & B
Information Technology A^# & B^#
International Studies A^# (Politics)
International Studies B^# (Economics)
Mathematics (Humanities) A^# & B
Media Studies & Communication A^# & B
Music Elective A^# & B
Physics A^#& B^#

Subject Minors: Subjects marked with a ^# can be taken as one semester long minors. Only 2 minors can be taken for each program.
Note: Subjects offered are conditional on student numbers/preferences.

^*January intake only.

Visual Art and Design

Visual Art/Design^*

Compulsory Core Subjects

English A & B
Foundations of Visual Arts and Design Core A&B
Foundations of Visual Art and Design Elective A &B

Group 1 Elective Subjects (choose 1 subject)

Group 2 Elective Subjects (choose 1, 2 or 3 subjects)

Accounting A^# & B
Advanced Mathematics A^# & B^#
Australian Studies A^# & B^#
Biology A^# & B^#
Chemistry A^# & B
Economics A^#& B^#
Foundations of Social Science A^# & B
Foundations of Visual Art and Design Elective A^# & B
Government and Law A^# & B
Information Technology A# & B^#
International Studies A^# (Politics)
International Studies B^# (Economics)
Mathematics (Humanities) A^#& B
Media Studies & Communication A^# & B
Music Elective A^# & B
Physics A^#& B^#

^*January intake only

Extended Program semester 1

All streams

Compulsory Subjects (all streams)
All compulsory subjects are available for each stream

Australian Identity
Extended English
Essential Computing Skills (ECS)
Essential Student Skills (ESS)

Elective Subjects (choose 2 subjects)
All subjects are available for each stream

Accounting A
Australian Studies A
Chemistry A
Economics A
Mathematics for Humanities A

Then Semester 2 and 3 with English A and B and a choice from all Standard subjects
^♦January Standard and Extended August intake only.

Note: These courses are delivered by Study Group Australia Pty Limited trading as Taylors College on behalf of the University of Sydney

Subjects

We recognise that you are most likely to do well in the subjects that interest you, so after completing your compulsory subjects, you can choose different elective subjects to study towards your chosen stream, which can help build the foundation for your future undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney.

Learn more about our subjects.

“USFP is a really good program designed not only to allow you to study at a prestigious uni, but also to be able to do well in it.”

Andrew, from Taiwan
Graduated from USFP
Now studying a combined degree – Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney

Entry requirements

Learn about the required level of English and academic grades you need to achieve to be accepted into our foundation program.

View entry requirements.

Term dates

Standard Program

Orientation: 31 January 2017

Start university in March 2018

Intake: January
Term 1	31 January - 07 April 2017
Term 2	24 April - 30 June 2017
Term 3	17 July - 22 September 2017
Term 4	09 October - 15 December 2017

Orientation: 17 July 2017

Start university in July 2018

Intake: July
Term 1	17 July - 22 September 2017
Term 2	09 October - 15 December 2017
Term 3	06 February - 13 April 2018
Term 4	30 April - 06 July 2018

Intensive Program

Orientation: 24 April 2017

Start university in March 2018

Intake: April
Term 1	24 April - 30 June 2017
Term 2	17 July - 29 September 2017
Term 3	09 October - 15 December 2017

Orientation: 09 October 2017

Start university in July 2018

Intake: October
Term 1	09 October - 15 December 2017
Term 2	06 February - 13 April 2018
Term 3	30 April - 06 July 2018

Extended Program

Orientation: 06 February 2017

Start university in July 2018

Intake: February
Term 1	06 February - 07 April 2017
Term 2	24 April - 30 June 2017
Term 3	17 July - 22 September 2017
Term 4	09 October - 15 December 2017
Term 5	06 February - 13 April 2018
Term 6	30 April - 06 July 2018

Orientation: 07 August 2017

Start university in March 2019

Intake : August
Term 1	07 August - 28 September 2017
Term 2	03 October - 15 December 2017
Term 3	06 February - 13 April 2018
Term 4	30 April - 06 July 2018
Term 5	23 July - 28 September 2018
Term 6	15 October - 21 December 2018

Assessments

Whether you wish to understand how your English and academic progress are graded, or what GPA is required for you to get into the degree program of your choice at the University of Sydney, learn more about assessments today.

The University of Sydney Foundation Program

Your pathway to the University of Sydney

Standard Program (40 weeks)

Intensive Program (30 weeks)

Extended Program (59 weeks)

Did you know...?

Course structure

Standard and Intensive Programs

Science/Engineering & IT/Health Science

Economics/Commerce

Arts/Media

Arts/Media^*

Music

Music^*

Visual Art and Design

Visual Art/Design^*

Extended Program semester 1

All streams

Subjects

Entry requirements

Term dates

Standard Program

Intensive Program

Extended Program

Assessments

The University of Sydney Foundation Program

Your pathway to the University of Sydney

Did you know...?

Course structure

Standard and Intensive Programs

Arts/Media*

Music*

Visual Art/Design*

Extended Program semester 1

Subjects

Entry requirements

Term dates

Assessments

Arts/Media^*

Music^*

Visual Art/Design^*