D0501 Diploma of Higher Education

This course consists of two parts: Part A. Foundation knowledge and Part B. Specialist discipline knowledge within the area of study corresponding to your chosen stream.

Part A. Foundation knowledge

The two foundation knowledge units will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to be an independent learner who can succeed at university studies. You will develop enhanced writing and critical reading skills and learn how to produce essays and reports that present a critical argument and adhere to the conventions of academic presentation. You will also learn how to get the most out of lectures, tutorials and learning materials and understand the expectations of university studies.

Part B. Specialist discipline knowledge

You will complete six specialist discipline knowledge units. These units will introduce you to foundation mathematical principles and applications (if required for your destination course), the fundamentals of your chosen stream and will ensure you have the knowledge and skills necessary to take the next step in your higher education studies.

Course progression map

The course progression maps provide guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

The course comprises 48 points structured into two parts: Part A. Foundation knowledge (12 points) and Part B. Specialist discipline knowledge (36 points) from your chosen stream of study.

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Foundation knowledge (12 points)

You must complete:

• EDF1010 Learning in a university context
• EDF1011 Knowledge and context or EDF1012 Mathematics for tertiary study *

* EDF1012 is available in the education stream only, and is compulsory if you do not already meet the mathematics prerequisite for entry to the destination degree course in education.

Part B. Specialist discipline knowledge (36 points)

You must complete the units listed in your chosen destination stream.

Business (Not offered in 2023)

You must complete:

a. Five of the following units (30 points):

• ACF1200 Accounting for managers or ACF1100 Introduction to financial accounting
• BTF1010 Business law
• BFF1001 Foundations of finance
• ECF1100 Microeconomics
• ETF1100 Business statistics
• MGF1010 Introduction to management
• MKF1120 Marketing theory and practice
• MTH1010 Functions and their applications*

* If you do not meet the mathematics prerequisites of your destination degree you must complete this unit.

b. One level-one unit from one of the following majors (6 points):**

Accounting

Banking and finance

Business law

Business management

Business statistics

Economics and business strategy

Human resource management

International business

Marketing

Taxation

** The choice of unit lays the foundation for the major in B2000 Bachelor of Business.

Commerce (Not offered in 2023)

You must complete:

a. Five of the following units (30 points):

• ACC1200 Accounting for managers or ACC1100 Introduction to financial accounting
• BTC1110 Commercial law
• ECC1000 Principles of microeconomics
• ETC1000 Business and economic statistics
• MGC1010 Introduction to management
• MKC1200 Principles of marketing
• MTH1010 Functions and their applications*

* If you do not meet the mathematics prerequisites of your destination degree you must complete this unit.

b. One level-one unit from one of the following majors (6 points):**

Accounting

Actuarial studies

Behavioural commerce

Business analytics

Economics

Econometrics

Finance

Management studies

Marketing science

Sustainability

** The choice of unit lays the foundation for the major in B2001 Bachelor of Commerce.

Education

You must complete the required level 1 units from one of the following destination specialisation options (24 points):

Primary and secondary education:

• EDF1060 Introduction to the profession 
• EDF1070 Understanding students as learners
• EDF1079 Digital technologies
• EDF1083 Secondary professional experience 1A (0 points)
• EDF1084 English and literacies 1
• two level-one discipline units (in sequence)*

* This pair of discipline units will determine the subject area you will go on to qualify in to teach at secondary school level once you are a registered teacher. Discipline sequences of study are chosen from the following areas: accounting, biology, business management, chemistry, drama, economics, English as an additional language (EAL), English, general science, geography.

Primary and secondary inclusive and special education 

• EDF1060 Introduction to the profession
• EDF1083 Secondary professional experience 1A (0 points)
• EDF1084 English and literacies 1
• EDF1087 Foundation to inclusive education
• EDF1088 Understanding behaviour in classrooms and schools
• two discipline units (in sequence)*

* This pair of discipline units will determine the subject area you will go on to qualify in to teach at secondary school level once you are a registered teacher. Discipline sequences of study are chosen from the following areas: accounting, biology, business management, chemistry, drama, economics, English as an additional language (EAL), English, general science, geography.

Primary education double degree courses:

• EDF1060 Introduction to the profession
• EDF1082 Primary professional experience 1A (0 points)
• EDF1084 English and literacies 1
• two units to commence a first discipline**
• two units to commence a second discipline**

** Major and minor sequences of study are chosen from the partner degree course in the destination double degree, i.e. from arts, business, or science.

Secondary education double degree courses:

• EDF1061 Working in education: An introduction to the profession
• EDF1062 Approaches to teaching and learning
• EDF1083 Secondary professional experience (0 points)
• two units to commence a first discipline***
• two units to commence a second discipline***

*** These two pairs of discipline units will determine the two subject areas you will go on to qualify in to teach at secondary school level once you are a registered teacher. Discipline sequences of study are chosen from the partner degree of the destination double degree from the following areas: accounting, biology, business management, chemistry, drama, economics, English as an additional language (EAL), English, general science, geography, history, information and communication technology, languages, legal studies, mathematics, media studies, music, physics, physical education, psychology, social education, and fine art.

Information technology (Not offered in 2023)

You must complete:

a. Four or five of the following units (24 or 30 points):

• EDF1012 Mathematics for tertiary study or MTH1010 Functions and their applications*
• FIT1049 IT professional practice
• FIT1040 Programming fundamentals
• FIT1048 Foundations of C++** or FIT1051 Programming foundations
• FIT1047 Introduction to computer systems and security

* If you do not meet the mathematics prerequisites of your destination degree you must complete one of these units.

** If you want to study games development (see b. below) you must complete this unit.

b. One or two units selected from the following majors (6 to 12 points):***

Business information systems

Games and immersive media

Software development

*** The choice of unit(s) lays the foundation for the major in the Bachelor of Information Technology.

Note: For the Business information systems major, you must have Year 12 or foundation studies in mathematics, or have completed MTH1010 (Functions and their applications) in a. above.

Science

You must complete six level 1 science units as follows:

a. One of the following mathematics units (6 points):

• MTH1010 Functions and their applications
• MTH1020 Analysis of change
• MTH1030 Techniques for modelling
• SCI1020 Introduction to statistical reasoning
• SCI1022 Introduction to scientific coding
• STA1010 Statistical methods for science

Note: Refer to the information about mathematics and statistics units on the Faculty of Science's Level one science units page. You should consider the strength of your mathematical background before selecting mathematics units, e.g. if you have done VCE Specialist Mathematics Units 3 and 4 with a score above 30, you would be considered to have a strong mathematical ability. If you did not complete Specialist Mathematics, you may need to undertake additional private study beyond the normal workload requirements to successfully complete the mathematics units. You are advised to discuss your mathematics options with the course leader or program director.

b. Any additional level 1 unit required to take the total level 1 science listed units to 36 points. Level 1 science listed units are chosen from units listed under any major, extended major or minor offered in the Bachelor of Science or from the following:

• SCI1000 Science communication to influence change
• SCI1200 Humans, evolution and modern society
• SCI1300 Climate change: From science to society

c. Two level 1 approved science sequences (24 points), from the following list:*

* Usually, the units in a level 1 sequence are required for the completion of a related minor or major. The choice of level 1 sequences will influence the choice of level two and level three units and will lay the foundation for the chosen major in the Bachelor of Science.

Biological sciences:

One pair of:

• BIO1011 Blueprints for life and BIO1022 Life on Earth
• BIO1011 Blueprints for life and BIO1042 Life in the environment

Chemistry:

• CHM1011 Chemistry 1 and CHM1022 Chemistry 2 **

** If you have achieved excellent results in Units 3 and 4 VCE Chemistry, you can enquire about advanced options.

Computational science:

• FIT1045 Algorithms and programming fundamentals in python and FIT1008 Introduction to computer science

Earth, atmosphere and environment:

• EAE1011 Earth, atmosphere and environment 1 and EAE1022 Earth, atmosphere and environment 2

Physics*

• PHS1001 Foundation physics and PHS1002 Physics for engineering

* If you are considering completing physics in your destination degree, you should complete MTH1030 (Techniques for modelling). If you have not met the VCE entry requirements for MTH1030, you must also complete MTH1020 (Analysis of change).