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ADF Careers Centres
If you have any questions about careers in the ADF, simply get in touch with us by phone, email or in person. You can also connect with us through social media at ADF Careers.
Weekdays
08:00am - 9:30pm AEST
Saturdays
08:00am - 07:00pm AEST
Public Holidays
09:00am - 07:00pm AEST (excluding Good Friday and Christmas Day)
UNSW
UNSW staff are on hand to answer any questions. Lines are open 8am - 9:30pm weekdays and 9am - 5pm on Saturdays AEST.
FAQS
Everything you need to know about ADFA and ADFA Virtual Open Day
In partnership with the University of New South Wales (UNSW), ADFA offers world-class education, military and leadership training. As well as being expertly trained in the art of leadership and management, students can undertake an ADF funded degree in Arts, Business, Computing and Cyber Security, Engineering, Science or Technology.
For more information on studying at ADFA, the degrees on offer as well as the ADF careers they lead to, visit the ADFA page.
The ADFA Virtual Open Day platform can be accessed on any computer or mobile phone with an internet connection.
On the event day you click on the links in the Schedule or the What's On page and you’ll be able to watch these in the ADFA Virtual Open Day website. Once events have ended, you can watch them any time On Demand for up to four weeks.
The livestreams and Q&As are open to everyone, you can watch them publicly on the ADFA Virtual Open Day website.
Absolutely! Once a live event has passed, it will be available on the ‘ADFA On Demand’ page within the following days.
Applying for ADFA requires two applications. You will be applying for an officer role in the Navy, Army or Air Force as well as a UNSW degree program, so you will need to submit separate applications that meet the entry requirements of both. As the process takes up to 12 months, it's preferable you start the application process in Year 11, but you can still apply in Year 12.
After submitting your application, you will receive an email outlining when you may find out if you have been successfully shortlisted. This is usually one week after you've applied but can take up to 4 weeks during peak application periods.
ADFA applications close once all positions are filled so it's best not to delay yours. If you have any questions, please contact your local ADF Careers Centre
You'll need to complete Year 12, and meet the grade and entry requirements of your preferred role and University of New South Wales (UNSW) degree. You can find more information on the required subjects and minimum scores on the UNSW Undergraduate Degrees page.
At ADFA, you can choose from a range of degrees in Arts, Business, Engineering, Computing and Cyber Security, or Science from UNSW, one of Australia’s leading universities.
ADFA graduates start their career as officers in the Navy, Army or Air Force and can work in a range of areas, including aviation, security, intelligence, cyber security, logistics, human resources, operations, and engineering. From there, they'll often move on to exciting leadership roles within the military or private sector, and across all industries.
As an ADFA student, you’ll receive a great salary plus full medical and dental cover and have all your tuition fees and student expenses covered by the ADF. You’ll graduate Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)-debt free and walk straight into a rewarding career in the Navy, Army or Air Force.
Yes, in your first year you will receive a starting salary plus superannuation, which increases with each year of study. You can find the specific salary for each role by visiting the individual role pages at the ADF Careers website.
During initial training, everyone lives on a training base, giving you the opportunity to bond with fellow recruits. After that, you may have the option to live on or off base, rent, or buy locally. You may be eligible for rental assistance or a service residence in a nearby suburb after completing your initial 6-week induction period.
The meals provided in the Academy Cadets' Mess are of a high standard. Generally, you are offered three cooked meals a day in the Mess, with several dishes being offered for each meal. Vegetarian, cultural, and low-fat options are also available.
Yes, academic credit will be assessed by University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra academic staff after arrival at ADFA. Credit will be awarded depending on how closely courses completed relate to the courses offered at UNSW Canberra. Academic credit will not result in an early completion of the Joint Military Education and Training (JMET). This military training is a 3-year program and cannot be condensed. If you receive academic credit and have the capacity to complete your degree early, you'll have the option to undertake a fourth year Honours program (if eligible) or commence postgraduate study. This decision is made in consultation with ADFA and UNSW Canberra staff at ADFA.
Yes, during the semester, midshipmen and officer cadets are allowed weeknight and weekend leave in the Canberra area so they can meet up with family. At times, midshipmen and officer cadets may be employed away from ADFA for military training and may not be able to have visitors. As ADFA is a military establishment, no accommodation is provided for visitors. Midshipmen and officer cadets are not allowed to have visitors stay in their rooms.
Yes. Depending on the role you have been offered, places available in the course, and subject to service requirements, there are options to change or transfer to a different degree.
While at ADFA, Air Force and Army officer cadets can leave at any time within their first 2 years. Navy midshipmen can leave at any time within their first year.
Midshipmen and officer cadets can visit home during study leave and can request to leave their local area on weekends, depending on travel distance. The ADF will pay for midshipmen and officer cadets to visit home twice a year. ADFA leave breaks are in May, July, September and December, depending on the training program - this will differ for the first, second and third year. Leave can also be requested for special circumstances.
ADFA's Joint Military Education and Training (JMET) program establishes foundational military knowledge for Trainee Officers in the profession of arms.
The training includes five core modules:
Foundational Military Skills
National Security Policy and Strategy
Character Leadership and Ethics
Technology and Capability
Joint Warfare
ADFA regularly conducts tours that take approximately two hours. These tours are of the main areas of the campus and include small presentations. If you are interested, please contact the Visits Liaison Officer via adfa.visitsrequests@defence.gov.au.
If you have further questions around careers or studying at ADFA, contact our ADF Careers Centre on 13 19 01, or UNSW +61 2 5114 5000 or send an email to sas@adfa.edu.au.
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