How to Apply to Mathematics at the Australian National University: the Three-Year Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences (February Entry Only), Honours, Mathematics Majors and the February 2027 Online Maths Bridging Module, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The Australian National University (ANU) is in Canberra, Australia’s capital. Its mathematics-focused undergraduate degree is the Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences, run by the Mathematical Sciences Institute in the ANU College of Systems and Society; you can also take a mathematics major in the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science (Advanced) and Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) offered through the College of Science and Medicine. This guide sets out the main points for 2027 entry from ANU’s website, for Australian domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer students.

1. Which degrees include mathematics

• Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences: ANU describes it as an elite, research-focused program for exceptional students. It is three years full-time with Semester 1 (February) entry only, and is available as part of a flexible double degree. It can be tailored towards theoretical mathematics or towards applied areas such as mathematical modelling, mathematical finance, mathematical economics, mathematical physics and quantitative biology. You apply directly to this degree.
• Other degrees that offer mathematics: the Mathematical Sciences Institute lists the Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences, the Bachelor of Philosophy, the Bachelor of Science (“a general science degree with the option to specialise in mathematics”), the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (“with the option to specialise in mathematics”) and Honours. The College of Science and Medicine lists the Bachelor of Science as three years and the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) as four years including an honours year, both with Semester 1 and 2 intakes.
• Majors, minors and specialisations: the Institute’s majors are Mathematics, Mathematical Economics (jointly with the Research Schools of Economics and of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Applied Statistics), Mathematical Finance (jointly with Finance, Actuarial Studies and Applied Statistics), Mathematical Modelling (jointly with the Fenner School), Statistics (jointly with Finance, Actuarial Studies and Applied Statistics) and Theoretical Physics (jointly with Physics). The minor is Mathematics, and the specialisations are Advanced Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Mathematical Physics. When you choose a major, and any conditions, are not given on the pages used for this guide; check with the College.
• Honours: Honours in Mathematical Sciences is a one-year, research-focused program. The Institute says Honours in Mathematics runs for 10 months from early February to the end of November, with coursework 50%, thesis 47% and seminar talks 3%; it can also start mid-year or be taken part-time, and combined honours with subjects such as economics, computer science, philosophy, physics, statistics or theoretical physics can be considered. You should contact the contact person named by the Institute before applying; admission requirements are in the program catalogue.
• Economics and computer science have their own programs; here we only note that the Mathematical Economics major is offered jointly with the economics and finance schools.

2. Prerequisites and the Maths Bridging Module

• Selection Rank and school subjects: the required rank and school mathematics prerequisites for the Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences are in ANU’s Programs and Courses catalogue and are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the catalogue. ANU’s pages do not mention an admissions mathematics test or interview.
• First-year mathematics courses: the Institute describes MATH1115 (Advanced Mathematics and Applications I), part of the advanced stream, for students who think they might do Honours in Mathematics; MATH1013 (Mathematics and Applications 1), the mainstream first-year course for many STEM students covering single-variable calculus and introductory linear algebra, which is a prerequisite or co-requisite for many ANU courses in engineering, physics, quantitative biology and environmental modelling; MATH1003 (Algebra and Calculus Methods), required in several science majors and a pathway to higher-level mathematics; and MATH1005 (Discrete Mathematical Models), needed in some computing degrees.
• If you lack the background: for students who need MATH1003 or MATH1013 but lack the prerequisite knowledge, ANU recommends the February Maths Bridging Module, or taking MATH1003 in Semester 1 and MATH1013 in Semester 2. For MATH1115 it suggests the highest level of school mathematics available in your state; you can still enrol without it, but should study independently first, and the page names Chapters 1 to 6 of Stewart’s Essential Calculus as assumed knowledge. The page links to a table of prerequisite knowledge expectations on the ANU site.
• Maths Bridging Module: fully online, nine consecutive working days from 2 to 12 February 2027, with two hours of lectures in the morning and a two-hour workshop in the afternoon (10am to 3pm Canberra time). The fee is AUD 500. It covers sets, functions, polynomials, exponentials and logarithms, trigonometry, vectors and basic calculus. After registering you take an online diagnostic test that indicates whether the module is recommended; the test link opens by the end of November.

Australian domestic applicants (Year 12 graduates)

• How to apply: ANU says students completing the Australian Year 12 (or an IB finishing in November) apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), and ANU makes offers in UAC rounds. Other applicants use ANU’s direct application or UAC, as set out in the pathway finder on the ANU site. ANU also runs an Early Offer application for school leavers (based on Year 11 results). The key-dates table on the page used for this guide is labelled 2024, so check ANU and UAC for 2027 entry dates.
• Selection Rank and adjustment factors: ANU converts results into a Selection Rank. Adjustment factors can be added to the rank for a particular preference but do not change your ATAR. Your rank before adjustment must be 70 or above, you can receive up to 15 in total, and the Elite Athlete and Subject schemes share a combined cap of 5. Subject adjustments are assessed automatically after Year 12 and the Diversity Scheme automatically if you are eligible; the Education Access Scheme and similar schemes need an application and documents.
• Cut-offs and prerequisites: each degree’s required rank and prerequisites are published in ANU’s Programs and Courses catalogue. The pages used for this guide do not give each degree’s specific scores, so check the catalogue.
• Domestic tuition: Commonwealth Supported Place fees are not given on the pages used for this guide; check ANU’s domestic undergraduate fees page.

International applicants

• How to apply: international students completing the Australian Year 12 (in or outside Australia), the IB Diploma or the New Zealand NCEA apply through UAC International; other international applicants apply directly to ANU, optionally through an ANU-approved education agent.
• Assessment: ANU converts your qualification into an ANU Selection Rank out of 99.95 and compares it with your chosen degree. ANU stresses that entry is competitive and meeting the minimum does not guarantee an offer.
• Preferences and fee: direct applicants list up to three preferences and receive one offer for the highest eligible preference; ANU suggests not listing three programs with the same requirements. The direct application fee is AUD 150 per application. ANU says most applications are assessed within ten business days.
• Predicted results: if you are still completing A-levels, the IB or the HKDSE, you can apply directly with predicted results, but only for Semester 2 (July) entry and only for programs requiring 94 or below; predicted results must be on school letterhead and signed by the principal or registrar. If you have already completed the IB, ANU recommends applying through UAC, because adjustment factors are considered only there.
• Documents: proof of English, and academic records with a grading scale. ANU says documents must be scanned in colour and unaltered, and non-English documents need an English translation from an organisation ANU accepts (such as a NAATI-accredited translator).
• English: ANU lists prior secondary or tertiary study in English, IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, PTE Academic, or citizenship of a “Group A” country with education there. The English requirements page gives no specific scores; the scores required depend on your degree, so check ANU’s English language policy and the program catalogue. ANU may issue a conditional offer if your English is not yet at the required level.
• Genuine Student requirement and visa: ANU says every applicant must be assessed as a Genuine Student before a Confirmation of Enrolment is issued, and may ask for financial evidence or a personal statement at any time; an offer letter may require you to return an ANU GS assessment form before accepting or paying a deposit. A student visa and Overseas Student Health Cover are also steps in the process.
• Accommodation: ANU says it guarantees an on-campus accommodation offer to international undergraduates starting in Semester 1 of their first year.

Applicants from China

• Gaokao: ANU publishes a dedicated Gaokao conversion table for tests taken from 2017 onwards. For “other provinces” (750 total): Selection Rank 80 needs 525, 85 needs 544, 90 needs 570 and 95 needs 630. Shanghai (from 2017) needs 462, 479, 502 and 554; Hainan needs 630, 653, 684 and 756. From 2021, Jiangsu and Yunnan tests with a total of 750 use the “other provinces” schedule. This is only the minimum reference for entry to ANU; each degree sets its own rank and prerequisites.
• AP: students completing a Chinese or US high school diploma can apply with 3 to 4 AP exams; only scores of 3, 4 or 5 count (A/A+ = 5, A-/B+/B = 4, B-/C+/C- = 3). A 4-subject aggregate of 14 equals rank 80, 15 equals 85 and 17 equals 90; a 3-subject aggregate of 10 equals 80, 11 equals 85 and 13 equals 94. Results must be sent directly from the College Board.
• A-level and IB: ANU publishes separate conversion tables for A-levels and the IB, in the paged list on its indicative entry requirements page; check the ANU site.
• Pre-bachelor programs: ANU has an International Tertiary Preparatory Programs page listing accepted Chinese Pre-Bachelor programs and a score conversion; applicants using these programs cannot apply for some degrees. ANU also lists recognised Australian Foundation programs. See the pages for the lists and conversions.
• Anything further for Chinese applicants: beyond the Gaokao, AP and pre-bachelor pages, the pages used for this guide give no separate interview or accreditation requirement for applicants from China; confirm with the ANU admissions office.

Transfer and credit

• ANU’s assessment page says you can meet the minimum requirement for an undergraduate degree with one completed year of an Australian bachelor degree or another qualification ANU accepts as comparable. After you accept an offer, you apply for credit at enrolment; the College responsible for the degree decides, and ANU does not promise that every course will be credited.
• If you have completed a bachelor degree elsewhere, ANU says you can transfer in for the final Honours year; admission is at the discretion of the College responsible for your field.

Timeline (2027 entry)

• Semester 1 (February 2027): direct applications close on 15 December 2026; the offer acceptance deadline is 15 January if you are overseas and 31 January if you are in Australia.
• Semester 2 (July 2027): direct applications close on 15 May 2027; the acceptance deadline is 30 June if you are overseas and 10 July if you are in Australia.
• Degrees with additional selection criteria may have different deadlines; for UAC applications, follow the dates UAC publishes.

Fees and scholarships

• International tuition (2027): ANU’s 2027 schedule sets tuition by broad discipline in bands. Per 48 units (a full-time year) the international rates are AUD 47,940 for Band 1, AUD 57,640 for Band 4 and AUD 64,130 for Band 6. In the schedule, “Natural & Physical Sciences” undergraduate is Band 4 (AUD 57,640). The schedule is organised by discipline field; which band a particular degree falls in is shown by the indicative fee in the program catalogue.International students also pay the Services and Amenities Fee (stated by ANU, with no amount on that page). Fees are reviewed and indexed each year and may rise during your studies.
• Vice-Chancellor’s International Achievement Award: for international students with residential status in China (including Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR), Japan, Mongolia or Korea, with an undergraduate Selection Rank of 85 or above, 20% off first-year tuition. No separate application is needed; you are considered automatically when you apply. It is offered once per level of study and is not available alongside external sponsorship that covers tuition.
• International Achievement Award: for international students with residential status elsewhere, undergraduate Selection Rank 85 or above, with values of 20%, 25% or 50% listed by ANU, for up to 4 years, also assessed automatically.

Sources: The Australian National University, International applications; Assessment; Undergraduate indicative entry requirements; China Gao Kao; Advanced Placement; Tertiary preparatory and foundation programs; International tertiary preparatory programs; English language requirements; Documentation requirements; Domestic undergraduate; Adjustment factors; International tuition fees; Schedule of Tuition Fees 2027; Vice-Chancellor’s International Achievement Award; International Achievement Award; Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences; Honours in Mathematical Sciences; MSI bachelor degrees; Honours in Mathematics; Choosing a first-year mathematics course; Maths Bridging Module; Majors, minors and specialisations; Bachelor degrees (College of Science and Medicine). Information is for 2027 entry. Check ANU for the latest details.