Many Indian applicants don't realise that the University of Queensland will consider you for a 25% tuition scholarship without a separate application. The UQ International Excellence Scholarship is assessed automatically for eligible 2027 entrants, so the strength of your application itself becomes your scholarship application. Knowing that from the start changes how carefully you present your marks.
UQ is a Group of Eight research university based on a riverside campus at St Lucia in Brisbane. With a place in the QS global top 50, it is one of the most popular choices for Indian students planning to study in Australia. This guide explains how to study at the University of Queensland as an international student: programs, fees, entry, deadlines, the visa and your post-study options.
UQ at a Glance
UQ is a member of the Group of Eight, Australia's coalition of research-intensive universities. It is ranked =40 in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (up from =42 in 2026), and its program pages cite QS 2026 subject rankings placing it first in Queensland for computer science and information systems, and for mathematics.
What Can You Study at UQ?
1. Computer Science and Data Science
The Master of Computer Science (program code 5522) offers nearly 50 courses to choose from, across advanced computer science, software engineering, information systems, communication systems and interaction design, plus a research project. It takes 1 year if you hold a relevant bachelor honours degree (or equivalent), or 1.5 years from a standard relevant bachelor's degree. The Master of Data Science (5660) runs for 1.5 or 2 years. Both are taught at St Lucia with February and July intakes.
2. Engineering
The four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (2455) has a flexible first year: you try several engineering disciplines before choosing your specialisation in your first or second year. That suits students who know they want engineering but haven't yet chosen between, say, electrical, mechanical or chemical.
3. Sciences, Health and Business
Beyond technology, UQ is a comprehensive university with strong life sciences, health, agriculture and business programs. Program codes, durations and entry rules differ across faculties, so shortlist two or three programs and compare their pages side by side before you apply.
Popular with Indian applicants: Master of Computer Science, Master of Data Science, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), and master's programs in business, life sciences and health.
Entry Requirements for Indian Students
Postgraduate
- GPA: the Master of Computer Science asks for a GPA of 5.0 on UQ's 7-point scale. Each program page includes a GPA-equivalent tool: select where you studied and your qualification to see the Indian marks you need. UQ calculates your GPA with its own grading scale and includes any failed subjects.
- Relevant subjects: for the 1.5-year Master of Computer Science, applicants without a computer science or software engineering degree must have completed data structures and algorithms, at least two programming courses, discrete maths or algebra, and at least three of: computer architecture, networks, operating systems, databases, and probability and statistics.
- A built-in fallback: when you apply, you can ask UQ to consider you for a longer duration of the same program if you don't meet the entry requirements for your first preference, so one application covers both options.
Undergraduate
- Apply direct: if your senior schooling is from outside Australia, you apply to UQ directly (or through an approved UQ agent), not through QTAC.
- Prerequisites: the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) expects equivalents of Queensland Year 12 English, Mathematical Methods, and Chemistry or Physics. Your Class XII subjects need to cover these.
- Entry score: UQ compares your result with its minimum Australian ATAR equivalent for the program. Check your board's conversion using the tool on the program page.
English Language Requirements
- IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, with 6 in reading, writing, speaking and listening (for the programs above).
- TOEFL iBT: 87 overall with Listening 19, Reading 19, Writing 21 and Speaking 19.
- PTE Academic: 64 overall, with at least 60 in every section. OET is not accepted for these programs.
Fees and the 25% Scholarship
| Program (St Lucia) | Duration | Indicative annual fee (2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | 4 years | A$60,952 |
| Master of Computer Science | 1 or 1.5 years | A$60,952 |
| Master of Data Science | 1.5 or 2 years | A$60,952 |
UQ's figures are the approximate cost of a full-time year of 16 units. Your actual fees depend on the courses you take and your study load, and fees are reviewed each year. Choosing a program length you qualify for makes a real difference: the 1-year Master of Computer Science costs about a year's tuition, while the 1.5-year version costs roughly one and a half.
- UQ International Excellence Scholarship
- A 25% reduction in tuition fees each semester for the normal duration of your program, for international students starting full-time in 2027 in an eligible program. UQ assesses you automatically, and awards go to applicants with a competitive score among offer holders for that semester. You are not eligible if you have already received another UQ scholarship, fee reduction or rebate, apart from the UQ English Language Scholarship.
- Other UQ scholarships
- UQ lists more than 100 scholarships on its program pages, many of them faculty- or field-specific. Search UQ's scholarship finder for your program and intake. Some awards are archived between rounds and reappear when new dates are set.
Two numbers to plan around. The Student visa needs evidence of A$29,710 for 12 months of living costs plus your first year's tuition and A$2,000 for travel, or evidence that a parent or partner earned at least A$87,856 in the 12 months before you apply (A$102,500 if family members are coming). Put that next to UQ's A$60,952 fee, subtract a possible 25% scholarship, and you have a realistic first-year budget. Talk to us and we'll work through it with your family.
Deadlines and Intakes
Your UQ timeline for 2027 entry
- 1
Now: shortlist programs, check your GPA equivalent on each program page and book IELTS, TOEFL or PTE.
- 2
For February 2027 (Semester 1): apply directly to UQ by 30 November 2026, with transcripts, your degree certificate and test scores. Semester 1 starts on 22 February 2027.
- 3
For July 2027 (Semester 2): the closing date is 31 May 2027, and Semester 2 starts on 26 July 2027. This is a comfortable option if you need more time for English tests or finances.
- 4
On receiving your offer: accept, pay your deposit, get your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and arrange OSHC.
- 5
Straight after: lodge your Student visa (subclass 500) online. UQ advises applying and accepting early because visa processing times vary.
Your Student Visa and Post-Study Work Rights
- Genuine Student requirement: the visa form asks you questions in English, each with a 150-word limit, about your circumstances, why you chose this course at UQ, and how it fits your future. Home Affairs says a later wish to apply for permanent residence does not count against you.
- Visa charge: A$2,500 for most Student visa applicants from 1 July 2026. You will also need OSHC health cover from the day you arrive.
- Work limits: up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session. Master's by research and PhD students have no limit.
- Temporary Graduate visa (485): for Indian nationals under AI-ECTA, 2 years after a bachelor degree, 3 years after a bachelor with first-class honours in STEM (including ICT), 3 years after a master's degree and 4 years after a PhD. The 485 visa charge is A$5,750 from 1 July 2026, and you need IELTS 6.5 overall with 5.5 in each band (for tests from 7 August 2025).
- A note on Brisbane: for Home Affairs' regional incentives, Brisbane is a Category 1 major city, so a St Lucia degree does not lead to the extra regional second 485 visa. The standard AI-ECTA periods above are generous on their own.
Applying from Bangalore and Karnataka
Bangalore's tech-heavy student population is a strong fit for UQ's computing, data and engineering programs. Here is how Karnataka applicants can present their application at its best.
- II PUC applicants: if you studied under the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board, choose your board in UQ's qualification-equivalent tool on the program page to see the result you need, and make sure your subjects cover the English, maths and science prerequisites.
- Graduates of Karnataka universities: whether you studied at a VTU-affiliated college, Bangalore University or an autonomous institute, use UQ's GPA-equivalent tool with your exact university and degree. It is the quickest way to see whether you are above the 5.0 line.
- Aim for the 25%: because the International Excellence Scholarship goes to the most competitive offer holders, a clean, complete application with every semester's marks clearly shown gives you the best chance.
- Biometrics and documents: you lodge the Student visa online in ImmiAccount from Bangalore. India is not on Home Affairs' current list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centre locations, so if you are asked for biometrics, follow the instructions in the request letter (an approved centre or, if eligible, the Australian Immi app) and act within the 14 days you are given.
- Talk it through locally: Falcon Nova's office is on the 7th floor of Kirloskar Business Park in Hebbal, North Bangalore, and free counselling is available in person or online.
Life at UQ
The St Lucia campus sits on a bend of the Brisbane River, with sandstone buildings around the Great Court, open lawns and, in spring, purple jacaranda trees. Brisbane is warm for most of the year, which makes outdoor study and weekend trips to the coast easy, and a nice change from Bangalore's monsoon season.
If you're still deciding on a city, compare UQ with our guides to Monash University in Melbourne and the University of Adelaide, where studying and living in a Category 2 city can make you eligible for a second 485 visa.
Is UQ Right for You?
UQ is a strong fit if you want a top-50 global university with a single, beautiful main campus, clear GPA-based entry rules and an automatic 25% scholarship. It is especially well suited to students in computing, data science and engineering who want to plan their Australian career in a warm, easy-going city.
Make Your UQ Application Scholarship-Ready
At UQ, your admission application is also your scholarship application, because the 25% International Excellence Scholarship is assessed automatically. That makes presentation, program choice and timing matter more than usual. Falcon Nova Consultants has helped hundreds of Indian students apply to universities abroad. Book a free counselling session at our Hebbal office or online, and we will check your GPA equivalent, choose the right program length and get your application in well before UQ's 30 November deadline.
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