Diploma in General Studies

The Diploma in General Studies: Your stepping-stone

The Diploma in General Studies is a sampler of the Melbourne Bachelor Degrees, providing you with the opportunity to study Science, Commerce, Agriculture or Environments. It gives you the breathing space of a year to decide what you want to do next and provides a stepping stone to a meaningful outcome – whether that is employment, or further study in a University of Melbourne degree or TAFE program.

The Diploma is aimed at both school leavers and mature-age students. It is designed to provide a pathway to reduce educational entry and financial barriers to higher education by offering flexible education in regional Victoria. The course facilitates the transition to higher education through the provision of a supportive learning environment specifically designed to develop the academic skills required for success at University.

The course framework provides students with broad study options and the opportunity to experience a range of discipline areas. Depending on subject choice and academic results, graduates may satisfy the entry requirements for a range of bachelor degrees, in Science, Commerce, Environments and Agriculture.

The course will be taught at Melbourne University’s Dookie Campus and, in collaboration with GOTAFE and Wodonga TAFE, at campuses in Benalla, Shepparton, Wangaratta and Wodonga.

The Diploma in General Studies is designed to provide students with a broad tertiary study experience, allowing them to develop their knowledge and understanding of their chosen discipline areas, in addition to the skills required for academic scholarship. The course will allow students to develop:

• A systems thinking approach
• Appropriate discipline knowledge and the ability to evaluate knowledge gained from a range of scientific, economic and social sources
• The ability to learn in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies
• The capacity to initiate and maintain cooperative relationships with others, in particular in team-based situations
• Written and oral communication skills appropriate for university study
• An aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• Ability to communicate and disseminate knowledge and information in a variety of media
• Skills to effectively analyse, and evaluate problems and reach appropriate solutions
• A sense of confidence in their intellectual abilities and enthusiasm for lifelong learning
• Commitment to improving the sustainability of the environment

100 points (typically eight subjects including one core subject Academic Writing and Communication).

MECM10005 Academic Writing and Communication is a CORE subject. All other subjects are electives.

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed: one of

(a) the Victorian Certificate of Education including

• VCE Units 3 and 4 – either a study score of at least 20 in one of English, English Language or Literature or a study score of at least 30 in English as an Additional Language;

(b) the International Baccalaureate Diploma including

• at least Grade 4 in English or English B (Standard Level or Higher Level);

(c) a senior secondary program, foundation studies program or equivalent approved by the Academic Board including appropriate English language studies.

(d) A Certificate IV qualification in one of the following:

• Certificate IV in Frontline Management
• Certificate IV in Conservation and Land Management
• Certificate IV in Accounting
• Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation
• Certificate IV in Agriculture

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• prior academic performance.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. For applicants who have not completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the undergraduate English language requirements must be met.

Note. For applications through the Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre, “middle-band” selection adjustments are made only on the basis of eligibility for Access Melbourne.

Entry into undergraduate degrees is usually via applications through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Full details regarding the VTAC application process may be found on the VTAC website or by purchasing the VTAC Guide from newsagencies.

Alternatively, applications for the Diploma in General Studies may be submitted directly.

Candidates for the Diploma in General Studies must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning; and contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the University’s programs. This course requires all students to enrol in subjects where they must actively and safely contribute to field excursions and laboratory activities. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Disability Liaison Unit (8344 7068 or DLU-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au).

Graduates of the Diploma in General Studies may wish to continue their studies at University or TAFE.

Eligible graduates may consider applying for Bachelor study in one of the following courses:

• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Agriculture
• Bachelor of Environments

Graduates will be expected to:

• Have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
• Have developed knowledge across a range of disciplines
• Have well developed writing, problem solving and communication skills
• Be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• Be well informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
• Be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
• Have a high regard for human rights equity and ethics

The Diploma in General Studies aims to provide students with:

• The capacity for independent critical thought and inquiry
• The ability to engage in self- directed learning
• Well-developed organisational and time management skills
• Enhanced ability to communicate ideas effectively in both written and verbal formats; and
• The ability to participate effectively as part of a team
• Analytical and problem solving skills

In accordance with the University’s Assessment Procedure (MPF1026), Examiners may offer reassessment (as a second attempt at passing a subject for a borderline failure in a single subject to a student enrolled in this course. A borderline failure for a subject in the Diploma in General Studies is defined as a mark of 40% or more.