Useful links
Key benefits
- Gain entry to your degree course at the University of Sydney.
- Connect with the academic culture of the University of Sydney before your degree starts.
- Build resilience for success at university.
- Develop academic English language competence.
- Master 21st century skills for future employment.
- Build global and social peer networks.
Entry requirements
- A conditional offer from the University of Sydney.
- An international English test result (e.g. current and most recent IELTS).
- Course length depends on the gap between your current and most recent IELTS score and the English requirement of your degree course.
For complete details about DEC entry requirements, please see "Outline of entry requirements" heading below.
What will I learn?
- Develop your English language and academic skills through units of study based on discipline specific themes, an integrated approach to skills development, and genre based assessments.
- Develop your academic digital literacy skills through collaborative project based research assignments.
- Refine your academic study skills by using reflective practise in your study pattern.
- Strengthen your academic voice by developing your academic style, academic vocabulary and academic essay writing, report writing and case study skills as well as academic discussion skills.
- Learn 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving and multimedia presentation skills through collaborative projects.
- Improve your individual language learning needs through online self-study resources.
- Receive personalised feedback from highly qualified English Language Teachers.
Student video
Alison Yang
Direct Entry Course (DEC) student
During the DEC course I applied to be a CET Student Leader. This experience actually inspired me to be a volunteer overseas. I built houses and taught English to students in the second poorest village in Sri Lanka. I am really proud of myself after that experience.
Course features
- Assessment: Micro-skills, academic genres.
- Personalised feedback: Face to face and online.
- Digital literacy: Synthesis and comparison.
- Collaborative learning: Student-centred.
- Blended learning: Interactivity and adaptivity.
How long will I need to study?
36, 25, 15, 10 or 5 teaching weeks (up to 40 calendar weeks). Please see "DEC course schedule" below for course details.
Outline of entry requirements
To be accepted into a DEC English course as an ESL student, you will need a Conditional Offer of Admission to the University of Sydney and your current and most recent IELTS test result or equivalent. The University accepts IELTS, PTE, Cambridge English and TOEFL as recognition for English language entry requirements.
For students with IELTS test results
First, answer the following three questions:
- What is your IELTS score now (your current and most recent IELTS)?
- What University course do you want to study?
- What is the IELTS score required for that University course (your target IELTS)?
Then, using the table and the Additional conditions below, choose the Direct Entry Course (DEC) that matches your English language proficiency and your chosen University course.
For further information, please see Entry requirements for DEC 36 and DEC 25.
For students with other test results
If you have a test result other than IELTS, check the test concordance table below for the IELTS score that matches your English language score.
Then, answer the following three questions:
- What is your current equivalent IELTS score (your current and most recent IELTS)?
- What University course do you want to study?
- What is the IELTS score required for that course (your target IELTS)?
Finally, using the table and the Additional conditions above, choose the Direct Entry Course (DEC) that matches your English language proficiency and your chosen University course.
Test concordance table
Notes:
- All IELTS and PTE requirements refer to the academic test. Non-academic tests are not accepted.
- All English tests have a validity of two years.
- Further details at the University of Sydney website.
- Entry requirements may be subject to change without notice.
Learning support
Our learning support program provides face-to-face and online support to further strengthen your skills throughout the course and for university.
Learning support features
- Individual progress monitoring, intervention, and guidance.
- Targeted assessment-focused input.
- Up to 20 hours additional support per course.
- Dedicated online support via independent adaptive-learning modules.
- Individual consultations with teacher or counsellor.
- Motivation and confidence-building workshops.
DEC course schedule
All DEC courses are 20 hours per week of English learning at CET, with additional tasks to complete independently.
| Course | Start date | Finish date | Uni start | Uni semester | CET application deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC 36 (36 teaching weeks) |
4 May 2020 | 12 Feb 2021 | 22 Feb 2021 | Sem 1 2021 | 10 April 2020 |
| 6 Oct 2020 | 9 Jul 2021 | 2 Aug 2021 | Sem 2 2021 | 28 Aug 2020 | |
| 3 May 2021 | 4 Feb 2022 | 21 Feb 2022 | Sem 1 2022 | 26 Mar 2021 | |
| 5 Oct 2021 | 8 Jul 2022 | 2 Aug 2022 | Sem 2 2022 | 27 Aug 2021 | |
| DEC 25 (25 teaching weeks) |
20 Jul 2020 | 12 Feb 2021 | 22 Feb 2021 | Sem 1 2021 | 26 Jun 2020 |
| 4 Jan 2021 | 9 Jul 2021 | 2 Aug 2021 | Sem 2 2021 | 27 Nov 2020 | |
| 19 Jul 2021 | 4 Feb 2022 | 21 Feb 2022 | Sem 1 2022 | 11 Jun 2021 | |
| DEC 15 (15 teaching weeks) |
6 Oct 2020 | 12 Feb 2021 | 22 Feb 2021 | Sem 1 2021 | 14 Sep 2020 |
| 22 Mar 2021 | 9 Jul 2021 | 2 Aug 2021 | Sem 2 2021 | 12 Feb 2021 | |
| 5 Oct 2021 | 4 Feb 2022 | 21 Feb 2022 | Sem 1 2022 | 27 Aug 2021 | |
| DEC 10 (10 teaching weeks) |
9 Nov 2020 | 12 Feb 2021 | 22 Feb 2021 | Sem 1 2021 | 19 Oct 2020 |
| 3 May 2021 | 9 Jul 2021 | 2 Aug 2021 | Sem 2 2021 | 26 Mar 2021 | |
| 8 Nov 2021 | 4 Feb 2022 | 21 Feb 2022 | Sem 1 2022 | 1 Oct 2021 | |
| DEC 5 (5 teaching weeks) |
9 Jun 2020 | 10 Jul 2020 | 3 Aug 2020 | Sem 2 2020 | 1 May 2020 |
| 4 Jan 2021 | 5 Feb 2021 | 22 Feb 2021 | Sem 1 2021 | 27 Nov 2020 | |
| 7 Jun 2021 | 9 Jul 2021 | 2 Aug 2021 | Sem 2 2021 | 30 Apr 2021 |
Course fees
2020 course fees
| Course name | Tuition fee | Admin fee | Materials fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEC 36 (36 teaching weeks) | $21,060 | $300 | $460 |
| DEC 25 (25 teaching weeks) | $14,625 | $300 | $350 |
| DEC 15 (15 teaching weeks) | $8,775 | $300 | $250 |
| DEC 10 (10 teaching weeks) | $5,850 | $300 | $200 |
| DEC 5 (5 teaching weeks) | $2,925 | $300 | $150 |
2021 course fees
| Course name | Tuition fee | Admin fee | Materials fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEC 36 (36 teaching weeks) | $21,960 | $300 | $460 |
| DEC 25 (25 teaching weeks) | $15,250 | $300 | $350 |
| DEC 15 (15 teaching weeks) | $9,150 | $300 | $250 |
| DEC 10 (10 teaching weeks) | $6,100 | $300 | $200 |
| DEC 5 (5 teaching weeks) | $3,050 | $300 | $150 |
For terms and conditions related to fees please see: Terms and conditions.
Important Fee Information
Terms and conditions
Please read the terms and conditions that apply to your offer, enrolment and course at CET: CET Terms and Conditions.
Credit card surcharges
Course payments made by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) will incur a surcharge of 1.53% of the total cost.
Overseas Health Cover (OSHC)
If you are intending to study under a student visa, you will need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). CET can arrange OSHC for you with Allianz as part of the application process. Simply indicate the type of insurance required (single/dual/family) on step 2 of the application form. You may also arrange your own cover from any of the government approved providers below:
- Allianz OSHC
- Australian Health Management
- BUPA Australia
- CBHS International Health
- Medibank Private
- nib OSHC
For more information, please review the University of Sydney's Overseas Student Health Cover page.
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