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University records 22% rise in QTAC first preferences
The University of the Sunshine Coast is riding a wave of popularity with potential students following a swell of interest in USC’s new course offerings for 2007.
Applications to study at USC in Semester 1 next year are still open. With more than 70 undergraduate degrees on offer next year, there’s sure to be a degree to suit you. New degrees include nursing, justice and legal studies, social work, software engineering and more. Apply through Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre.
Figures released from the first round of Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) applications this week showed USC had by far the greatest percentage increase in the number of first preferences of any university in Queensland with a 22% rise over this time last year.
The increase goes against a state-wide trend towards fewer applications, with first preferences for all universities across the state falling by almost 1.5%.
Also, USC is one of only two universities in Queensland that have recorded back-to-back increases in first preferences for courses. The 22% rise follows a 23% increase in first preference applications at this time in 2005.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said he was delighted with the QTAC figures for both USC’s existing courses and its new course offerings for 2007.
“Given the QTAC figures show that there’s been a further decline in demand in Queensland, it’s a fantastic result for us,’’ Prof Hill said.
“It will put us in a very good position to get more new places from the government in the future.
“Our existing degrees have maintained an interest in them and what we are picking up now are students who otherwise would have been going to Brisbane to do these high-demand programs.
Prof Hill said many of the new courses offered for 2007 had attracted plenty of interest, particularly the Bachelor of Nursing course which had 150 first preferences and 352 overall preferences.
“With nursing, up until now we’ve had a joint program with Central Queensland University, but the number of places has been fairly limited,’’ he said.
Prof Hill said other standout new offerings were the new Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (70 first preferences and 244 preferences overall), the Bachelor of Justice and Legal Studies (25 first preferences and 82 preferences overall) and a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood (54 first preferences and 194 preferences overall).
“We’ve worked hard to get new programs where we knew there was a lot of local demand,” he said.
Prof Hill said many of the new courses had been accredited through professional associations, guaranteeing employment and good starting salaries for graduates.
And existing accredited courses like the Bachelor of Regional and Urban Planning and the Bachelor of Accounting also have had strong interest, up 40% and 19% in first preferences respectively.
In preparation for increased student numbers in 2007, USC this week advertised nationally for 13 new teaching and research positions in the biggest single staffing recruitment drive the University has undertaken since it opened in 1996.
Vice-chancellor Professor Paul Thomas said these positions included seven academic staff in the Faculty of Science, Health and Education, five in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and one in the Faculty of Business.
“This reflects the growth and diversification of the University's programs and research areas, including the introduction of the new Bachelor of Justice and Legal Studies and Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2007,’’ Prof Thomas said. “This is an exciting phase of our development.”