Uni in July

Arts and Humanities

In our technology-driven world, critical skills and knowledge in languages, art, history, ethics, philosophy, psychology and human development are more important than ever. What you learn today can transform tomorrow.

Our arts and humanities degrees will equip you with the skills you need for a career in the dynamic media and cultural sectors. With dozens of subject areas to choose from, you can become a specialist in your chosen field by tailoring a degree with shared majors.

You will gain transferable skills that are highly valued across all sectors, such as communication, analysis, critical thinking and problem-solving. Also, by delving deeply into human society, culture, history and philosophy, our graduates emerge with strong cultural awareness, empathy and the ability to build creative capacities and communication effectiveness.

Career opportunities are diverse for arts and humanities graduates and might include work in cultural institutions like museums and galleries, as journalists or media professionals, in social media management and content creation or in policy or analytical roles that require a deep understanding of human culture and its various expressions.

Business

Business professionals of tomorrow need more than an understanding of core business disciplines. They need adaptability, curiosity and agility to respond to a changing future.

At Southern Cross University, we want to give our graduates the knowledge and skills to transform tomorrow. That’s why our business degrees have a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, applied knowledge and ethical practice.

You’ll study in the unique Southern Cross Model, an academic model designed for student success with momentum and motivation as you achieve milestones quickly.

Many degrees have the opportunity for internships or study abroad, developing your networks and professional experience. Our campuses are located in ideal environments for work placements – with thriving business communities and leisure industries on the doorstep.

Careers in business are diverse. Whether it’s an undergraduate qualification in accounting or financial services, a bespoke business degree with a wide choice of majors to focus your studies, or a postgraduate qualification to advance your business career, you can look forward to a world of opportunity.

Education and Teaching

Southern Cross graduate teachers have a lasting and profound impact on the lives of their students, from children in the early childhood years right through to students in secondary schools.

Our degrees engage with contemporary and transformative thinking in education, nurtured by a dynamic community of researchers and thought leaders at the University who contribute to Australian and international curriculum and policy. Whether it’s a degree to prepare you as an early childhood educator, a primary or secondary school teacher, a postgraduate qualification in an area of specialist knowledge or a research degree to tackle the pressing issues in our education sector, you’ll be taught by sector-leading academics.

Initial teacher education courses include extensive and meaningful professional experience placements, ensuring that graduates are profession-ready. Accreditation of all our teaching courses provides career opportunities in New South Wales, Queensland and across Australia.

Your knowledge, skills and opportunities are enhanced by learning under our unique Southern Cross Model – designed to deliver greater momentum and motivation, achieve milestones quickly, and to set you up for success at university and beyond. 

Engineering

If you are fascinated by how the world works – and how you might make it work better – our engineering degrees will prepare you for tackling and solving the biggest civil and mechanical challenges of our times. What you learn today can help you transform tomorrow.

Engineering is a rapidly evolving discipline that touches just about every facet of modern life, from mining to robotics, and infrastructure to managing natural environments.  

Employers are seeking job-ready engineers with strong skills, instincts and problem-solving abilities. Our accredited undergraduate degrees include 60 days of supervised work placement in an engineering environment. It pays off – most of our students have jobs before they graduate. Postgraduate qualifications can extend your skills and your career possibilities in management, business development and enterprise.

You’ll learn in engineering laboratories fitted with state-of-the-art technology, including a 10-tonne self-reacting frame, climate-controlled rooms, a 10-metre tilting water flume, concrete technology, universal machine testing and 3D printers.

Health

Australia's expanding healthcare industry needs qualified professionals more than ever.  If you have an interest in human health and a passion for helping people in need, we deliver training of the highest standard for the professionals our communities need, with a global focus on practice and learning. 

Our accredited degrees are designed in consultation with health sector professionals and associations and fulfil the academic prerequisites for professional registration. Professional placements are extensive, complemented by two on-campus health clinics that provide safe and supervised environments for student practicums.

Our undergraduate and postgraduate health courses are taught in state-of-the-art laboratories and span a wide range of clinical and social sciences, from biomedical science to nursing and midwifery and mental health to naturopathy and social work.

You’ll benefit from learning under our unique Southern Cross Model, which is designed to deliver greater momentum and motivation as you achieve milestones quickly, setting you up for success at university and in your health career.

Indigenous Knowledge

Discover how learning, knowledge and wisdom are shared in the world’s oldest living cultures with courses that explore Indigenous histories, knowledge systems, health and wellbeing, and ways of living.

You’ll be part of an education process founded on cultural integrity, inclusion, social justice and a profound understanding of issues affecting Indigenous people.

Delivered through the Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples based at our Northern Rivers campus and guided by our Elders Council, Indigenous Knowledge courses prepare you for careers in a range of professional sectors, including health, community services, tourism, business, justice, policy and research.

Whether you choose a shared major as part of your undergraduate degree or you are interested in a research degree, you’ll be part of a University renowned for its unique approach to Indigenous knowledge.

Computing and IT

The jobs of tomorrow require innovative Computing and IT specialists who can master technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Immersive and Pervasive Computing. They need to solve real-world problems, create and distribute software, content and resources with excellent user experience across channels and technologies in both physical and virtual worlds.

Our undergraduate degrees offer a strong foundation to develop the problem-solving skills you need to be successful as a specialist in the IT industry, whether you dream of a career as a software developer, user experience designer, a network and cybersecurity specialist, or a Big Data technologist.   

If you are already working in the industry and you are looking to expand your career possibilities, our postgraduate courses take your skills to the next level in computing, project management and entrepreneurship.

Not only do IT students have the opportunity to work on real-world projects in the Digital Enterprise Lab at our Gold Coast campus, our strong links with industry form a fundamental part of internship programs that give students experience in real jobs before they graduate. And by studying under our unique Southern Cross Model, you can translate teaching innovation into career innovation.

Law

Whether it’s defending a client in court, challenging a ruling before a tribunal, building a case to protect the environment or a career in corporate law, a Southern Cross law degree offers flexibility and an academic model that sets you up for success at University and beyond.

Your study options are various. You can dive straight into a three-year undergraduate law degree, where a wide range of elective units lets you shape your law degree to suit your interests and to pursue the many opportunities the law offers. Alternatively, you might choose to explore an associate degree in paralegal studies with the option of specialising in conveyancing or you may be pursuing a postgraduate specialisation to expand your career options.

As a Southern Cross student, you’ll be part of an engaged student community, taught by leaders and practitioners who know what it takes to succeed.

With a focus on social justice, critical thinking, academic rigour and work-ready skills, our professionally-accredited qualifications open the way to a range of careers, from paralegal conveyancing and criminology to a future as a specialist or generalist lawyer or an advocate for human rights and the environment.

Music and Creative Arts

Do you dream of showcasing your creative work in galleries or on stages around the world? Or what about creating film and media for national or international audiences? 

Our creative industries degrees are offered at the Lismore campus, in the vibrant heart of the Northern Rivers, while our Coomera campus on the Gold Coast also welcomes contemporary music and digital media students.

Whether it’s music, digital media, art and design or creative writing that gets your artistic blood pumping, you’ll be taught by esteemed practitioners who have an intimate knowledge of what it takes to make a successful creative career.

You’ll study in beautiful studios, creative laboratories and state-of-the-art performance venues with the opportunity to study overseas at international art hubs or do a professional placement close to home at signature events and festivals.

Science and Environment

Southern Cross University’s science degrees cover every aspect of the understanding and management of our natural and built environments. You can specialise in a field of professional practice such as regenerative agriculture, environmental, marine or forest science or create a bespoke science degree by choosing a science major or a shared major from disciplines across the University.

Advanced analytical laboratories and a strong field focus prepare you for a range of careers in science that might see you working as managers of natural environments, agriculture, fisheries or other natural resources, or as policy-makers and program directors, researchers, educators or leaders of tomorrow’s scientific advances.

Passionate academics nurture your knowledge and skills, whether it’s learning how to use drones and GIS technology or surveying wildlife on field trips to the living laboratories on our doorstep. World Heritage rainforests, reefs and rivers are all within easy reach of our campuses.

Learning under our Southern Cross Model is an immersive and satisfying experience as you achieve milestones quickly, and gain greater clarity for the scientific career you plan to pursue.

Tourism

Whether you’re studying an undergraduate or postgraduate course, you’ll be taught by one of Australia’s premier tourism universities, the first in Australia to offer studies in tourism.

A unique partnership with global hotel investment group Mulpha Australia means our students can choose from a range of courses in tourism and hotel management at The Hotel School in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or even on Hayman Island.

You can also choose to study Tourism and Event Management as a shared major in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business and Enterprise, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge or Bachelor of Psychological Science.

Practical training in hotels and tourism structures – with mentorship from experienced management professionals – forms a fundamental part of your course. It means you will be well-prepared for the demands of this dynamic sector once you graduate and for the diverse careers on offer – from hotel management and restaurant operations to major event planning and ecotourism.

Pathway Programs

SCU College

If you don’t meet the Bachelor degree entry requirements, SCU College offers a range of alternative pathways to university study. SCU College classes are small and extra support is available for all students.

Preparing for Success

Program The Preparing for Success Program (PSP) can be completed full-time over 12 weeks or part-time in one year, either on campus or online. PSP is fee-free and equips you with the study skills needed for success at university. Students who complete the program can proceed directly to a Southern Cross University degree with the confidence that they are well-prepared*.

Transition to Uni

Transition to Uni is a fee-free, intensive preparatory course designed for current ATAR-eligible Year 12 students or school leavers who have completed Year 12 with an ATAR (or equivalent). The course develops the key academic literacies and foundational scientific and quantitative concepts you will need at university. Passing the Transition to Uni program will guarantee you entry into a Southern Cross University undergraduate degree*.

SCU College Diplomas

The College also offers a range of Diplomas, which are guaranteed pathways to a Bachelor degree. Whether it’s business, education, information technology, engineering, health, or science, SCU College has a pathway Diploma to suit you. Diplomas can be a one-year standalone qualification or provide up to one year of credit towards a Bachelor degree. Classes are small and focus on improving your academic skills and discipline knowledge. Diploma students also have access to the College Connect academic support workshops.

Veterinary

Veterinary program to launch in 2025

Vets play a critical role in our communities and economy. They are the first line of defence in our biosecurity and an essential part of our food production and animal welfare. There is a chronic shortage of vets and veterinary technologists in Australia, particularly in rural and regional areas. Building on our established expertise in agriculture and animal husbandry and backed by a vibrant community of health leaders, Southern Cross University is delivering new veterinary courses at the Northern Rivers (Lismore) campus.

The Bachelor of Veterinary Technology is offered in March 2025 and the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (Honours)* in 2026.

Design your degree

Want to study Arts, but also passionate about helping solve global environmental challenges? Or perhaps you’re interested in psychology but also in digital media? Depending on which course you are enrolled in, you may be able to combine more of your interests by choosing a shared major from a wide range of disciplines across the University. A shared major is the equivalent of eight units or one year of full-time study.

Arts and Humanities

In our technology-driven world, critical skills and knowledge in languages, art, history, ethics, philosophy, psychology and human development are more important than ever. What you learn today can transform tomorrow.

Our arts and humanities degrees will equip you with the skills you need for a career in the dynamic media and cultural sectors. With dozens of subject areas to choose from, you can become a specialist in your chosen field by tailoring a degree with shared majors.

You will gain transferable skills that are highly valued across all sectors, such as communication, analysis, critical thinking and problem-solving. Also, by delving deeply into human society, culture, history and philosophy, our graduates emerge with strong cultural awareness, empathy and the ability to build creative capacities and communication effectiveness.

Career opportunities are diverse for arts and humanities graduates and might include work in cultural institutions like museums and galleries, as journalists or media professionals, in social media management and content creation or in policy or analytical roles that require a deep understanding of human culture and its various expressions.

Business

Business professionals of tomorrow need more than an understanding of core business disciplines. They need adaptability, curiosity and agility to respond to a changing future.

At Southern Cross University, we want to give our graduates the knowledge and skills to transform tomorrow. That’s why our business degrees have a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, applied knowledge and ethical practice.

You’ll study in the unique Southern Cross Model, an academic model designed for student success with momentum and motivation as you achieve milestones quickly.

Many degrees have the opportunity for internships or study abroad, developing your networks and professional experience. Our campuses are located in ideal environments for work placements – with thriving business communities and leisure industries on the doorstep.

Careers in business are diverse. Whether it’s an undergraduate qualification in accounting or financial services, a bespoke business degree with a wide choice of majors to focus your studies, or a postgraduate qualification to advance your business career, you can look forward to a world of opportunity.

Education and Teaching

Southern Cross graduate teachers have a lasting and profound impact on the lives of their students, from children in the early childhood years right through to students in secondary schools.

Our degrees engage with contemporary and transformative thinking in education, nurtured by a dynamic community of researchers and thought leaders at the University who contribute to Australian and international curriculum and policy. Whether it’s a degree to prepare you as an early childhood educator, a primary or secondary school teacher, a postgraduate qualification in an area of specialist knowledge or a research degree to tackle the pressing issues in our education sector, you’ll be taught by sector-leading academics.

Initial teacher education courses include extensive and meaningful professional experience placements, ensuring that graduates are profession-ready. Accreditation of all our teaching courses provides career opportunities in New South Wales, Queensland and across Australia.

Your knowledge, skills and opportunities are enhanced by learning under our unique Southern Cross Model – designed to deliver greater momentum and motivation, achieve milestones quickly, and to set you up for success at university and beyond. 

Engineering

If you are fascinated by how the world works – and how you might make it work better – our engineering degrees will prepare you for tackling and solving the biggest civil and mechanical challenges of our times. What you learn today can help you transform tomorrow.

Engineering is a rapidly evolving discipline that touches just about every facet of modern life, from mining to robotics, and infrastructure to managing natural environments.  

Employers are seeking job-ready engineers with strong skills, instincts and problem-solving abilities. Our accredited undergraduate degrees include 60 days of supervised work placement in an engineering environment. It pays off – most of our students have jobs before they graduate. Postgraduate qualifications can extend your skills and your career possibilities in management, business development and enterprise.

You’ll learn in engineering laboratories fitted with state-of-the-art technology, including a 10-tonne self-reacting frame, climate-controlled rooms, a 10-metre tilting water flume, concrete technology, universal machine testing and 3D printers.

Health

Australia's expanding healthcare industry needs qualified professionals more than ever.  If you have an interest in human health and a passion for helping people in need, we deliver training of the highest standard for the professionals our communities need, with a global focus on practice and learning. 

Our accredited degrees are designed in consultation with health sector professionals and associations and fulfil the academic prerequisites for professional registration. Professional placements are extensive, complemented by two on-campus health clinics that provide safe and supervised environments for student practicums.

Our undergraduate and postgraduate health courses are taught in state-of-the-art laboratories and span a wide range of clinical and social sciences, from biomedical science to nursing and midwifery and mental health to naturopathy and social work.

You’ll benefit from learning under our unique Southern Cross Model, which is designed to deliver greater momentum and motivation as you achieve milestones quickly, setting you up for success at university and in your health career.

Indigenous Knowledge

Discover how learning, knowledge and wisdom are shared in the world’s oldest living cultures with courses that explore Indigenous histories, knowledge systems, health and wellbeing, and ways of living.

You’ll be part of an education process founded on cultural integrity, inclusion, social justice and a profound understanding of issues affecting Indigenous people.

Delivered through the Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples based at our Northern Rivers campus and guided by our Elders Council, Indigenous Knowledge courses prepare you for careers in a range of professional sectors, including health, community services, tourism, business, justice, policy and research.

Whether you choose a shared major as part of your undergraduate degree or you are interested in a research degree, you’ll be part of a University renowned for its unique approach to Indigenous knowledge.

Information Technology

The jobs of tomorrow require innovative information technology specialists who can master technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Immersive and Pervasive Computing. They need to solve real-world problems, create and distribute software, content and resources with excellent user experience across channels and technologies in both physical and virtual worlds.

Our undergraduate degrees offer a strong foundation to develop the problem-solving skills you need to be successful as a specialist in the IT industry, whether you dream of a career as a software developer, user experience designer, a network and cybersecurity specialist, or a Big Data technologist.   

If you are already working in the industry and you are looking to expand your career possibilities, our postgraduate courses take your skills to the next level in computing, project management and entrepreneurship.

Not only do IT students have the opportunity to work on real-world projects in the Digital Enterprise Lab at our Gold Coast campus, our strong links with industry form a fundamental part of internship programs that give students experience in real jobs before they graduate. And by studying under our unique Southern Cross Model, you can translate teaching innovation into career innovation.

Law

Whether it’s defending a client in court, challenging a ruling before a tribunal, building a case to protect the environment or a career in corporate law, a Southern Cross law degree offers flexibility and an academic model that sets you up for success at University and beyond.

Your study options are various. You can dive straight into a three-year undergraduate law degree, where a wide range of elective units lets you shape your law degree to suit your interests and to pursue the many opportunities the law offers. Alternatively, you might choose to explore an associate degree in paralegal studies with the option of specialising in conveyancing or you may be pursuing a postgraduate specialisation to expand your career options.

As a Southern Cross student, you’ll be part of an engaged student community, taught by leaders and practitioners who know what it takes to succeed.

With a focus on social justice, critical thinking, academic rigour and work-ready skills, our professionally-accredited qualifications open the way to a range of careers, from paralegal conveyancing and criminology to a future as a specialist or generalist lawyer or an advocate for human rights and the environment.

Music and Creative Arts

Do you dream of showcasing your creative work in galleries or on stages around the world? Or what about creating film and media for national or international audiences? 

Our creative industries degrees are offered at the Lismore campus, in the vibrant heart of the Northern Rivers, while our Coomera campus on the Gold Coast also welcomes contemporary music and digital media students.

Whether it’s music, digital media, art and design or creative writing that gets your artistic blood pumping, you’ll be taught by esteemed practitioners who have an intimate knowledge of what it takes to make a successful creative career.

You’ll study in beautiful studios, creative laboratories and state-of-the-art performance venues with the opportunity to study overseas at international art hubs or do a professional placement close to home at signature events and festivals.

Science and Environment

Southern Cross University’s science degrees cover every aspect of the understanding and management of our natural and built environments. You can specialise in a field of professional practice such as regenerative agriculture, environmental, marine or forest science or create a bespoke science degree by choosing a science major or a shared major from disciplines across the University.

Advanced analytical laboratories and a strong field focus prepare you for a range of careers in science that might see you working as managers of natural environments, agriculture, fisheries or other natural resources, or as policy-makers and program directors, researchers, educators or leaders of tomorrow’s scientific advances.

Passionate academics nurture your knowledge and skills, whether it’s learning how to use drones and GIS technology or surveying wildlife on field trips to the living laboratories on our doorstep. World Heritage rainforests, reefs and rivers are all within easy reach of our campuses.

Learning under our Southern Cross Model is an immersive and satisfying experience as you achieve milestones quickly, and gain greater clarity for the scientific career you plan to pursue.

Tourism

Whether you’re studying an undergraduate or postgraduate course, you’ll be taught by one of Australia’s premier tourism universities, the first in Australia to offer studies in tourism.

A unique partnership with global hotel investment group Mulpha Australia means our students can choose from a range of courses in tourism and hotel management at The Hotel School in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or even on Hayman Island.

You can also choose to study Tourism and Event Management as a shared major in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business and Enterprise, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge or Bachelor of Psychological Science.

Practical training in hotels and tourism structures – with mentorship from experienced management professionals – forms a fundamental part of your course. It means you will be well-prepared for the demands of this dynamic sector once you graduate and for the diverse careers on offer – from hotel management and restaurant operations to major event planning and ecotourism.

Veterinary

Veterinary program to launch in 2025

Vets play a critical role in our communities and economy. They are the first line of defence in our biosecurity and an essential part of our food production and animal welfare. There is a chronic shortage of vets and veterinary technologists in Australia, particularly in rural and regional areas. Building on our established expertise in agriculture and animal husbandry and backed by a vibrant community of health leaders, Southern Cross University is delivering new veterinary courses at the Northern Rivers (Lismore) campus.

The Bachelor of Veterinary Technology is offered in March 2025 and the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (Honours)* in 2026.

Design your degree

Want to study Arts, but also passionate about helping solve global environmental challenges? Or perhaps you’re interested in psychology but also in digital media? Depending on which course you are enrolled in, you may be able to combine more of your interests by choosing a shared major from a wide range of disciplines across the University. A shared major is the equivalent of eight units or one year of full-time study.

Pathway Programs

SCU College

If you don’t meet the Bachelor degree entry requirements, SCU College offers a range of alternative pathways to university study. SCU College classes are small and extra support is available for all students.

Preparing for Success

Program The Preparing for Success Program (PSP) can be completed full-time over 12 weeks or part-time in one year, either on campus or online. PSP is fee-free and equips you with the study skills needed for success at university. Students who complete the program can proceed directly to a Southern Cross University degree with the confidence that they are well-prepared*.

Transition to Uni

Transition to Uni is a fee-free, intensive preparatory course designed for current ATAR-eligible Year 12 students or school leavers who have completed Year 12 with an ATAR (or equivalent). The course develops the key academic literacies and foundational scientific and quantitative concepts you will need at university. Passing the Transition to Uni program will guarantee you entry into a Southern Cross University undergraduate degree*.

SCU College Diplomas

The College also offers a range of Diplomas, which are guaranteed pathways to a Bachelor degree. Whether it’s business, education, information technology, engineering, health, or science, SCU College has a pathway Diploma to suit you. Diplomas can be a one-year standalone qualification or provide up to one year of credit towards a Bachelor degree. Classes are small and focus on improving your academic skills and discipline knowledge. Diploma students also have access to the College Connect academic support workshops.