How to Apply for Chemistry at the University of Wollongong: Chemistry Is a Major in the Three-Year Bachelor of Science, Plus a Four-Year Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) Degree and a One-Year Science (Honours) - Entry Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Chemistry at the University of Wollongong (UOW) is taught in the science programs of the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, on the Wollongong campus. The website does not list a stand-alone "Bachelor of Chemistry": chemistry is a major inside the Bachelor of Science, and there is also a four-year Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) and, after a bachelor's degree, a one-year Bachelor of Science (Honours). This guide summarises the 2027 entry information for domestic students, international students (including applicants from China) and transfer students. Teaching degrees (such as Secondary Education with a chemistry method), medicine and nursing are outside this guide; see the UOW website for those.

1. Degrees where you can study chemistry

• Bachelor of Science (course name carries "SMAH"): three years full-time (or part-time equivalent), 24 subjects, CRICOS 003283D, UOW course code 742, on-campus at Wollongong. The majors listed are Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, and Ecology and Conservation Biology. The website says you can start your major immediately if you know it, or take foundation subjects in first year and begin the major in second year; in the final year you complete a substantial original research project (examples given: pollutants in water leachate and the chemical composition of vapes). Double degrees listed pair the Science degree with Engineering (Honours), Laws, Business, Arts and Computer Science. Bachelor of Science (Chemistry major).
• The chemistry major: the page says it teaches how to apply chemistry across physics, molecular biology, life sciences, geochemistry, environmental science, engineering and health sciences, with emphasis on analytical and problem-solving skills and instrument use, in the new Sciences Teaching Facility at Wollongong. The list of subjects in the major is in the course handbook and is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.
• Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours): four years full-time, CRICOS 084858K, UOW course code 1773, on-campus at Wollongong, with ATAR-SR shown as 80. The website says it combines chemistry and biology across the full drug discovery process; in third year students work as a team on a research proposal, budget and experiments, and in fourth year they join a research group for an integrated honours project; it mentions links with ANSTO and equipment such as HPLC. Medicinal Chemistry (Honours).
• Bachelor of Science (Honours): a one-year research degree after a three-year bachelor, CRICOS 003126F, UOW course code 741; majors listed include Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry. See section 6. Science (Honours).
• Study-area page: the Maths, Physics and Chemistry page lists Science (Chemistry) and Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) as the chemistry degrees, says maths, physics and chemistry are offered at Wollongong only, and says UOW College offers a Diploma of Science and foundation studies that lead into first or second year of various bachelor's degrees. Study-area page.

2. How admission works and what to study first

• Chemistry major: for the Bachelor of Science you apply to the degree and can pick chemistry at the start or in second year; whether the chemistry major has a grade threshold or a quota is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website. Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) is applied for directly.
• Prerequisite subjects: the course pages only say you should have completed relevant subjects in senior high school or other qualifications and refer to the entry requirements page; they do not name specific high school chemistry or mathematics subjects, so this is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask UOW's Future Students team. Applicants must hold a qualification equivalent to 13 years of schooling in Australia.
• Workload: the website says a full-time student should expect about 48 hours of study a week (class time plus independent study), more in exam periods or with practical work.

3. Domestic applicants (Australian and New Zealand citizens, permanent residents)

• Routes: current Australian Year 12 (including the NSW HSC) or IB students apply with an ATAR through UAC, or through UOW Early Admission (which looks at Year 11 results and personal attributes; the website says the application period is usually June to August); non-school leavers can apply directly. The website says that in many cases guaranteed entry is available based on the Selection Rank (ATAR plus adjustment points). Admission information.
• Autumn 2027 dates: UAC early bird 30 September 2026; direct applications 31 December 2026; UAC final round 28 January 2027; session starts 1 March 2027, census date 31 March, recess 19-23 April, session ends 24 June 2027.
• Reference scores: the Bachelor of Science page shows ATAR-SR 70; for ATAR-based offers in 2025 the highest ATAR was 96.95 (selection rank 99.95), the median 72.70 (77.25) and the lowest 60.05 (65.05). Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) shows ATAR-SR 80; the page shows five students starting in 2025 and no ATAR-based offer scores.
• Fees: the undergraduate course pages show only the international fee table; domestic fees (Commonwealth-supported student contribution) are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.

4. International applicants

• How to apply: the website encourages international students to apply through an approved UOW agent (free for students); eligible applicants can also apply directly through UOW Apply, and onshore Australian Year 12 students can use Early Admission. It recommends applying at least four months before your intake and says some courses have set closing dates on their course pages. International applications.
• 2027 closing dates: for the Autumn 2027 session the Bachelor of Science page says only "see the International students page for key application cut-off dates", and the apply page gives no fixed date. For reference, the same page shows the international deadline for Autumn 2026 as 9 December 2025; that is the previous cycle, so check whether 2027 is the same.
• English: the Bachelor of Science, Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) and Science (Honours) pages all show IELTS Academic 6.0 overall and 6.0 in each band, or a pass in UOW College English for Tertiary Studies (weighted average 50 overall, at least 50 in academic reading and writing). The English page lists accepted tests as Cambridge C1/C2, Duolingo (coursework only), IELTS Academic and Academic for UKVI, LanguageCert Academic, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT; it does not accept IELTS Indicator/Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition or PTE Academic Online, and tests must be within two years of the start. Cambridge equivalents: 169 for IELTS 6.0 and 176 for 6.5. TOEFL moved to a 1-6 band scale on 21 January 2026, and the page says the redesigned test is not currently accepted for Australian visa purposes (students needing a visa can take TOEFL iBT Australia). English requirements.
• Fees (2026 figures, international, AUD): Bachelor of Science AUD 20,664 per session and about 123,984 for the course; Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) 21,096 per session and about 168,768; Science (Honours) 20,904 per session and about 41,808. The website says these are indicative, confirmed at the time of offer, reviewed annually, and exclude Overseas Student Health Cover and the Student Services and Amenities Fee. The course pages default to 2026 and have a 2026/2027 selector, so switch to 2027 on the website to check.
• International scholarships: (1) the Country Scholarship, a 20% tuition reduction for citizens of listed countries starting a coursework degree in 2027 or later, awarded automatically with an eligible offer and with no cap on numbers; the list includes China Mainland. (2) The University Excellence Scholarship, a 30% reduction for international students with outstanding results in a recognised pathway, considered automatically. Both say they cannot be combined with other UOW tuition scholarships for the same course, and neither excludes the Bachelor of Science or the Medicinal Chemistry degree. Country Scholarship; University Excellence Scholarship; International scholarships.

5. Applicants from China (only what the website states)

• Gaokao and high school results: the international entry requirements page lists, for China Mainland, bachelor degrees in Group 1 (which includes Science) at Gao Kao 60% or Senior High School Year 3 at 80%. In the same table Group 2 (Economics and Finance, Social Work) needs Gao Kao 70% or Year 3 at 85%, and Group 3 (including Dean's Scholar and Advanced degrees) needs 75% or 90%. Scores are based on the overall reported average. The page lists disciplines, not individual degrees, so which group Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) falls in is not stated; ask admissions. International entry requirements.
• Foundation and diploma routes: the same table gives Senior High School Year 3 at 60%, 60% and 65% for the two-session foundation, three-session diploma and two-session diploma, and Year 2 at 70% for the foundation program. UOW College's science diploma and foundation courses are described on the study-area page.
• Scholarships: mainland China citizens are on the Country Scholarship list (20%, automatic for 2027 entry onward). The page also says applicants who meet the Group 3 score (Gao Kao 75% or Year 3 at 90%) may be automatically considered for the University Excellence Scholarship (30%). Only one tuition scholarship applies to the same course.
• Other: the pages used for this guide give no chemistry-specific rules for Chinese applicants; accreditation and interview details are not given; ask admissions.

6. Honours year and transfers

• Bachelor of Science (Honours): the website describes it as a research degree for high-achieving students. Entry requires a completed three-year full-time bachelor's degree with a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least a distinction (75%), acceptance from a potential supervisor, and a Project Proposal form attached to the application; admission is competitive. Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry are among the listed majors. The 2026 international fee is AUD 20,904 per session and about 41,808 for the course. In Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) the honours research project is built into the four years. Science (Honours).
• Credit and transfers: the website says completed study or relevant work experience can earn credit or subject exemptions, which shortens the degree and cost; you tick the option in step 5 of the online application and supply an official transcript and a subject outline for each subject (translated into English if needed). UOW has arrangements with many overseas institutions but not every course qualifies; see the course page. Transfer applicants need evidence of at least 0.5 full-time-equivalent study (1.0 for Law and Western Civilisation). How much credit applies to the chemistry major is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions. Credit for prior learning; Admission information.
• Completed degrees: the website says people who have already completed a bachelor's or master's degree can use those results to apply for a different degree, and may receive credit.

Checklist

• There is no stand-alone chemistry bachelor: apply to the three-year Bachelor of Science and take the chemistry major, or apply directly to the four-year Medicinal Chemistry (Honours).
• International applicants: IELTS 6.0 (6.0 in each band); most apply through an approved agent; apply at least four months ahead and check the 2027 closing date on the website.
• Chinese applicants: Gao Kao 60% (Senior High School Year 3 at 80%) for science bachelor degrees; confirm which group Medicinal Chemistry falls in; mainland China citizens receive the 20% Country Scholarship automatically.
• Specific high school chemistry and mathematics prerequisites are not on the course pages; ask admissions, and switch the fee view to 2027.

Sources: University of Wollongong, Bachelor of Science (Chemistry major); Bachelor of Science (Honours); Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours); Maths, Physics and Chemistry; International entry requirements by country; English language requirements; International applications; Country Scholarship; University Excellence Scholarships; International scholarships; Credit for prior learning; Admission information. Fees are 2026 figures. Check the University of Wollongong for the latest details.