Careers Information

Senior School Pathways & Programs

Students are encouraged to check that their Senior School program fulfils the entrance requirements for any tertiary course that they are contemplating. More information on these requirements, including prerequisites is available from:

• The Subject Selection website in Year 10 in May/June

• The VTAC Prerequisite and Course Explorer tool at www.vtac.edu.au

• The Careers Office (located in the Senior School Precinct in B20)

Students are advised that tertiary entrance requirements can differ from year to year. Looking on university websites or at the current VTAC Guide can be misleading.

The Importance of Prerequisites

If a student does not complete the prerequisites required for entry into a course it does not matter how high their ATAR is, it will not be possible to get into the course. The course counselling process in Year 10 is vital in identifying prerequisite subjects.

Some students may not have a clear idea of what they wish to study after school. In this situation it is best that they choose subjects that most interest them and that they believe that are best at. The greatest restriction to entry to university courses is because of results in Unit 3 & 4 in the student’s English subject, or because a student has not met the Mathematics prerequisite. If possible, students should attempt a Maths subject, at least in Year 11.

However, students must choose carefully; attempting a Maths which is too difficult can actually further limit choices. Year 10 students are advised to listen to the advice of their current Mathematics teacher in selecting a Maths which best suits them. Also, keep in mind that there are a number of courses which do not require Maths. If a course does and the student is not academically strong in Maths, it may be that this course is not a good choice for him/her.

University & TAFE Institute Entrance Requirements

There is no one set of entrance requirements that covers all tertiary institutions. Not only are there differences between the universities there are also differences among individual universities. For example Commerce at Monash Clayton requires completion of Units 3 & 4 Mathematical Methods with a study score of 25 while Business at Monash Caulfield requires Units 3 & 4 General Mathematics with a 25.

Entry requirements for courses are very competitive. The basic entry requirement is the satisfactory completion of VCE or, in some cases, VCE VM. However, some courses have extra requirements which must be met for a student to be considered for selection, in addition to the prerequisite subjects. This may include folio presentations, interviews, pre-selection kits or tests. For VCE students an ATAR is also frequently used to determine selection.

VCE VM & Tertiary Courses

VCE VM students will generally be eligible to apply for TAFE Certificates up to Certificate Level IV. Once they have successfully completed a Certificate IV students may apply for Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas or for some university degrees.

There are some university courses that will offer graduates from Year 12 VCE VM a degree course. However, these options are far more limited.

Assistance in Choosing Your Career

Your best contact for careers information is the Careers staff at school. Assistance can also be found through other staff within the College, and advisors at TAFE institutes or universities.

Individual Pathways Counselling

In addition to the Director of Student Pathways, the College has a full-time counsellor to assist students with careers and pathways decisions. The Pathways Assistant, Michelle Kuppusami, is available to talk to if students are not sure if they want to complete their senior studies or to give advice regarding options for further study and training. Students should see Ms Kuppusami as soon as they begin to question their motivation to complete their VCE or VCE VM. Please come to the Careers Office (B20) to see her.