Foundation Units

Foundation units are a pathway to undergraduate courses at the University of Tasmania, so congratulations on taking the first step towards that journey.

Regardless of whether you're a recent school leaver or a mature aged student, the foundation units are designed for all students.

The units are developed to ensure you have the background knowledge to achieve success in your first-year of undergraduate study.

Meet a pre-requisite

Foundation units can help you meet a pre-requisite entry requirement for your degree, for example if you have been out of school for a few years or didn’t study a subject in year 11/12. You may have already been made a conditional offer indicating that you need to complete one or more foundation units available via this page.

Refresh your knowledge

Foundation units are also a great way to ensure your knowledge is up to date so that you are prepared and confident for when you start your degree. For example, if you completed pre-tertiary chemistry in year 11, but haven’t touched it since, the foundation unit is your way to refresh that knowledge so you’re fully prepared for first year.

Flexible and convenient

Foundation units are offered multiple times per year, and most can be studied online. This means you can meet a pre-requisite and/or refresh your knowledge, then step straight into your Bachelor degree in without any lost time.

How to study a foundation unit

Foundation units are offered through the Undergraduate Certificate in Science.

If you have received a conditional offer because you lack a course entry pre-requisite (e.g. Mathematics Methods (MTM415117) for 73G Bachelor of Surveying and Spatial Sciences) you should:

STEP 1: accept the conditional course offer (e.g. 73G)
STEP 2: change your application preferences to include the Undergraduate Certificate in Science (Z0T), listing it as your first preference
STEP 3: when you receive and accept an offer for the Undergraduate Certificate in Science, you can then enrol in the foundation unit(s) that are needed (e.g. KMA100) by logging into estudent when enrolments open in October.

Please note – most foundation units start early in January so that you can be ready for a Semester 1 start in February.

What happens once I complete my foundation unit(s)?

Once you’ve successfully passed the foundation unit(s) you need to meet the entry requirements for a course, our admissions team will contact you and let you know that you can progress with enrolling (e.g. for 73G Bachelor of Surveying and Spatial Sciences)

Need Assistance?

Please contact us on course.info@utas.edu.au or 1300 363 864

Available Foundation Units

KYA103 Introductory Physics

Offered: 5 week session Jan A

Location: Hobart, Launceston, Cradle Coast, Online

This unit can be used to meet the following pre-requisite requirements:

PHY415115 Physics
PSC315114 Physical Sciences

Please note that this unit is only offered once per year during the above study period.

KMA100 Introduction to University Mathematics

Offered: 5 Week Session Jan A*, Semester 2

Location: Hobart, Online

This unit can be used to meet the following pre-requisite requirements:

MTG315115 General Mathematics
MTM415117 Mathematics Methods

*5 Week Session Jan A only.

KRA161 Introduction to Chemistry

Offered: 5 Week Session Jan A*, Semester 1, Semester 2

Location: Hobart, Launceston, Online**

This unit can be used to meet the following pre-requisite requirements:

CHM415115 Chemistry**
PSC315114 Physical Sciences

* 5 Week Session Jan A is online only.

**Satisfactory completion of an on-campus laboratory component is an essential requirement for online study

If using this unit to satisfy the Chemistry 1A and 1B pre-requisite you must also have completed General Mathematics or Mathematics Methods, or enrol in KMA002 or KMA100.

KMA002 Applied Mathematics Foundation

Offered: Semester 1, Semester 2

Location: Hobart, Online

This unit can be used to meet the following pre-requisite requirements:

MTG315115 General Mathematics

KIT100 Programming Preparation

Offered: Semester 1, Semester 2

Location: Hobart, Launceston, Cradle Coast

This unit is recommended for study options that have a programming focus, such as the Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology, and Computer Science major of the Bachelor of Science.

Foundation and Supported Studies Units