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, Design, Arts, Biomedicine and Agriculture.

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

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