Choosing a University Course

Transcription

1 Chsing a University Curse In Six Easy Steps Develped by Cathlic Cllege Wdnga 2014 Intrductin Steps If yu are reading this dcument, by nw hpefully yu have read thrugh the fllwing resurces: 1. Understand key terminlgy Researching Occupatins Activity What s Yur Preference? Higher vs Vcatinal Study. 2. Decide hw yu wuld like t structure yur university prgram If yu haven t, please d s t ensure yu are making an infrmed chice abut the ccupatin yu are aiming twards and that university study is the right pathway fr yu. Yu can dwnlad these resurces at under University and TAFE Resurces. Once yu have identified an ccupatin (e.g., nursing) r a general interest area (health science), nw yu will need t chse which curse/s yu wuld like t apply fr. 3. Pick yur majr/s and find suitable curses 4. Assess yur identified ptins 5. Cmpare yur identified ptins 6. Develp yur preference list This resurce aims t make the prcess simple fr yu. I have included examples and als writeable sectins. Please dn t hesitate t cntact yur career adviser with questins, r make an appintment time t them t discuss yur future study ptins. 2

2 Step 1 Understand Key Terminlgy Dlr Sit Amet This is a very basic list, but is what Year 12 students wanting t study at university need t knw. Universities use terms that are very different t schl, but dn t wrry, yu will pick them up in n time! Undergraduate: When yu start university, yu will be called an undergraduate student. Once yu graduate frm a Bachelr Degree, yu will be called a graduate student and yu will then be able t apply fr graduate curses like Graduate Diplma and Masters. Bachelr Degree: This is the first degree that mst students will undertake at university. It is als called an undergraduate degree. Depending n the area studied, the curse will take between 3 5 years fr full time students. Assciate Degree: Sme students undertake an assciate degree, which is a paraprfessinal tw-year curse. Once cmpleted, yu can ften g directly int the third year f the relevant Bachelr Degree. Subject/Unit: Just like at schl, yu will undertake subjects at university. Subjects can als be called units, but they are the same thing. Yu usually study 8 subjects per year, and 4 subjects per semester. Fr mst degrees, yu can chse yur wn subjects. Fr sme prfessinal degrees, the university will tell yu what subjects yu must study. Majr: This is a sequence f subjects yu take ver the length f yur degree, t give yu a specialisatin. A majr is usually between 6 8 subjects. Sme prfessinal majrs like psychlgy and actuarial studies have mre subjects in the majr. Yu can smetimes chse tw majrs r a majr and a minr. Minr: This is the same as a majr, but has less subjects usually arund 4. Semester/Sessin/Trimester: Semester and sessin means the same thing. Students undertake tw semesters f study per year. Trimesters are where yu undertake 3 semesters in the ne year. Example- Kellie wuld like t study a Bachelr f Arts with a majr in Gegraphy and a minr in Histry. This will take her three years t cmplete full time. The university will tell her what subjects she must take t study the majr and minr, but she can chse her wn electives. The curse rules will tell her if she can pick electives frm anther faculty like business. Yu will pick yur subjects n a yearly basis (e.g., yu wuld pick yur first year subjects in February 2015), but yu can change them mid year, which will enable yu in sme cases t change yur majr). Depending n the curse and the university, yu may be able t chse yur majr at the end f first year. Year Semester Subjects 1 1 Gegraphy Elective Histry Elective 2 Gegraphy Elective Elective Elective 2 1 Gegraphy Elective Histry Elective 2 Gegraphy Gegraphy Elective Elective 3 1 Gegraphy Elective Histry Elective 2 Gegraphy Gegraphy Histry Elective 2

3 Step 2: Decide hw yu wuld like t structure yur prgram Dlr Sit Amet Befre yu apply fr curses, yu will need t decide hw yu wuld like t structure yur prgram. Think abut what will make yu cmpetitive in the jb market nce yu graduate. The fllwing are sme f yur ptins: Single Degree Yu chse an Assciate Degree r a Bachelr Degree and graduate with ne qualificatin e.g., Bachelr f Law. Duble r Cmbined Degree Yu cmbine tw Bachelr Degrees tgether. Yu dn t study any extra subjects per year, but it will take yu ne year lnger t cmplete bth degrees. E.g., Bachelr f Laws is fur years. A Bachelr f Law/Bachelr f Internatinal Relatins cmbined degree will take five years t cmplete. Degree + Cncurrent Diplma Vcatinal t Higher Educatin Yu can start yur studies smewhere that ffers vcatinal educatin curses like a TAFE r Private Cllege and then articulate int a degree curse at university. Diplmas and Advanced Diplmas can ften prvide credit twards a degree. Each university has articulatin agreements in place with TAFEs and Private Clleges- cntact them t find ut which curses are eligible. The benefit f this pathway is it: ü ü ü Bsts yur chances f gaining emplyment. Yu can wrk in the area yu are qualified in during yur university degree. The vcatinal curse is very hands n and related directly t industry, s yu will have a better handle n the thery subjects f yur university curse Yu can cmbine a Bachelr Degree with a vcatinal r higher educatin diplma. Fr example- a Bachelr f Engineering with a vcatinal diplma in prject management. Or, a Bachelr f Arts with a higher educatin diplma in French. A diplma gives yu anther skill set, and a vcatinal diplma aims t make yu wrk ready, can give yu wrk experience, and is attractive t emplyers. Brad Degree t Graduate Studies Yu can undertake a brad undergraduate degree first and then undertake graduate studies in an area yu are interested in. This is great fr students wh are unsure abut the pathway they wish t undertake Fr example: Bachelr f Yuth Wrk > Master Scial Wrk. Bachelr f Arts > Master f Educatin Bachelr f Science > Master f Engineering Bachelr f Bimedicine > Master f Physitherapy Bachelr f Fd and Nutritin > Master f Dietetics 3

4 Student Examples Dlr Sit Amet Nursing Paul wuld like t be a Nurse- the ultimate gal is fr him t be a fully qualified Registered Nurse Cmplete VCE Cmplete a Diplma f Enrlled Nursing at a vcatinal educatin prvider and then cmplete the Bachelr f Nursing, starting at secnd year level. Has tw qualificatins, can wrk as an enrlled nurse whilst studying at university and will cmplete abut 500 hurs f wrk experience befre even starting university. 4 years ttal. Cmplete a Bachelr f Nursing at University. 3 years ttal. Cmplete a cmbined degree in Nursing and anther area f interest- e.g., Midwifery, Business, Paramedicine, Psychlgy, and Public Health. Will graduate with tw qualificatins. 4 years ttal. Cmplete the Bachelr f Nursing with a Diplma in a field f interest, prviding the University apprves. This culd be a Diplma f Languages. 3 4 years ttal. Cmplete a Bachelr f Science r related prgram and then undertake a Master f Nursing Practice. 5 yrs ttal. 4

5 Student Examples Dlr Sit Amet Engineering Sarah wuld like t be a qualified Civil Engineer. She wuld like t wrk in management in the future. Cmplete VCE Cmplete an Advanced Diplma f Engineering (Civil). Then cmplete a Bachelr f Engineering (Civil) r with a cmbined degree in cmmerce, business, r management. Cmplete an Assciate Degree in Engineering. Then cmplete a Bachelr f Engineering (Civil). Undertake a Diplma f Prject Management n the side f the degrees. 4-5 years. Cmplete a Bachelr f Engineering (Civil), then a Graduate Diplma in Business r Prject Management etc. 5 years. Cmplete a Bachelr f Engineering with a cncurrent diplma in management, prject management, cmmerce etc. 4-5 years. Cmplete a cmbined degree in Engineering (Civil) and Business, Cmmerce, Management etc. 5 years Cmplete a Bachelr f Cmmerce majring in Civil Systems r a related prgram and then undertake a Master f Engineering. 5 years. 5

6 Student Examples Dlr Sit Amet Scial Wrk Ben wuld like t be a qualified Scial Wrker and wuld like t wrk with yung peple in the future. Cmplete VCE Cmplete the tw-year Diplma f Cmmunity Services, which will prvide between hurs f wrk experience. Or, cmplete the Diplma f Yuth Wrk. Cmplete the Bachelr f Scial Wrk. Abut 5 years. Cmplete the Bachelr f Scial Wrk with a cncurrent Certificate IV r Diplma f Yuth Wrk. Yu can study bth qualificatins at Victria University and RMIT 4-5 years. Cmplete a cmbined degree in Scial Wrk with ne f the fllwing degrees - Arts r Health Sciences (Mnash), Psychlgy (RMIT), r Human Services (La Trbe University). 4 5 years. Cmplete a brad undergraduate degree first in an area such as Yuth Wrk, Cunselling, Health Sciences, Psychlgy, etc. and then cmplete the Master f Scial Wrk. 5 years. Cmplete an integrated Bachelr and Masters prgram. La Trbe University has the Bachelr f Human Services/ Masters f Scial Wrk, which yu can cmplete in 4 years. 6

7 Step 3: Chse yur majr Dlr Sit Amet D I need t d this step? Sme degrees like Scial Wrk, Architecture, and Nursing dn t require yu t chse a majr. If yu are lking at any f these types f degrees, g straight t Step 4. If yu are lking at a mre general degree like business, arts, infrmatinal technlgy, engineering, science, bimedicine, music etc., yu will need t narrw dwn what majr yu wuld like t undertake. This will als help yu t narrw what Bachelr Degree yu wuld like t study and where yu can study it. Smetimes a majr and a Bachelr Degree prvides yu with the same utcme- e.g., Bachelr f Psychlgical Science and Bachelr f Science majring in Psychlgy. Bachelr f Actuarial Studies and Bachelr f Cmmerce majring in Actuarial Studies. Bachelr f Accunting and Bachelr f Business majring in Accunting. Bachelr f Jurnalism and Bachelr f Arts majring in Jurnalism. Hw t find majrs THROUGH VTAC (Victrian Curses) 1. G t and click n Curse Search 2. Type in the curse name r majr yu wuld like t study. Use the advanced search facility if yu wuld like t narrw dwn yur ptins. Under qualificatins, select Bachelr and Assciate Degrees. Please nte that subject name n the VTAC curse search page means majr. 3. The list that pps up will cver all f the gvernment and sme f the private institutins that ffer that majr in Victria. 4. Search the curses that sund interesting and click Add t Shrtlist. Frm here, yu can the curses t yurself. THROUGH UAC (NSW & Canberra Curses) 1. G t and click n I m an Undergraduate. 2. Click n Search fr Curses. Bachelr f Nutritin Science and Bachelr f Health Science majring in Nutritin. 3. Enter what yu wuld like t majr in int the search engine. This will bring up all curses that ffer a majr in this area. Click n the links fr mre infrmatin. 7

8 Student Examples Dlr Sit Amet Internatinal Trade Archaelgy Dan wuld like t wrk in internatinal trade in the future. He wuld like t study in Victria and undertake a single Bachelr degree. 1. Using the VTAC Curse Search, he typed in Trade. Under qualificatins, he selected Bachelr and Assciate Degrees. 2. As a result f his search, Dan fund 22 curses that had the wrd trade in either the curse name r majr. Scanning thrugh the curse names, he eliminated nes that were clearly nt relevant like Entertainment Business Management and Law. He then cut ut all f the duble degrees. 3. Dan fund ut that nly 3 universities in Victria ffer internatinal trade as a majr. He reduced the number f curses t 7 and then printed ut the relevant curse entries t explre them further. 4. After cnfirming that internatinal trade was listed in each curse majr, Dan then explred the curses n each institutins website. 5. After lking at what each curse culd ffer him and weighing up factrs like did the curse ffer wrk experience and was there n campus accmmdatin, Dan selected the curses that interested him mst. Karen wuld like t wrk as an archaelgist. She is happy t study in Victria and Canberra and t undertake a single r duble degree. 1. Using the VTAC Curse Search and UAC Curse Search, she typed in Archaelgy. 2. As a result f her searches, Karen fund 7 curses in Victria at ne university and 6 in Canberra at ne university. Scanning thrugh the curse names, she eliminated nes that she didn t feel interested in, like the duble degrees in Arts majring in Archaelgy with Law, Educatin and Health Sciences. 3. Karen printed ut the curse infrmatin frm the tw universities and cmpared factrs like subjects, amunt f wrk experience, ATAR requirement, glbal exchange pprtunities, and n campus accmmdatin csts etc. 4. Karen narrwed dwn tw curses that she is interested in applying fr. 5. Like Dan, Karen will nw bth universities with questins, attend Open Days fr bth universities and cntact past students wh are studying archaelgy. Belw: List f Archaelgy curses n VTAC 6. T find ut mre, Dan ed the universities future students address and asked questins abut the curses. 7. Dan nw plans t attend the universities Open Days in August. 8. He has als asked Sandie if she can put him in tuch with past students studying the same curse. 8

9 Task Dlr Sit Amet Occupatin/s I am interested in Hw I wuld like t structure my prgram/s (e.g., single bachelr degree, duble degree, vcatinal diplma then bachelr degree, cncurrent diplma, bachelr degree > graduate degree)... Curse r majr 1 I wuld like t search fr Curse r majr 2 I wuld like t search fr Using the VTAC r UAC Curse Search, enter the curse/s r majr/s. Lking at the results, click n the curses that appear t be relevant and print them ut r them t yurself. Research the curses mre clsely n the university websites. List the curses yu are interested in belw Curse examples fr ccupatin 1: Curse University Meet Prerequisites? 2014 ATAR cut ff Curses examples fr ccupatin 2: Curse University Meet Prerequisites? 2014 ATAR cut ff 9

10 Step 4: Asses yur identified ptins Dlr Sit Amet Once yu have identified a list f curses yu are interested in, nw yu will need t assess yur ptins. There are several things yu will need t cnsider. Lcatin Is yur curse ffered lcally? If nt, are prepared t mve away? If it isn t ffered lcally and yu dn t want t study in the city, yu may be able t study at anther reginal centre like Bendig, Wagga r Ballarat if the curse is ffered there. Deferring Can yu defer this curse if yu want t take a gap year? Yu will be unable t defer curses that are highly cmpetitive like Medicine. Accmmdatin Des the university have n campus accmmdatin r a student residence nearby? If nt, wuld yu be happy t live ff campus? Entrance requirements Can yu meet the prerequisite subjects? If nt, is there a bridging curse yu can undertake? Dn t let the ATAR cut ff put yu ff- the ATARs n the Tertiary Admissin sites are fr the 2014 intake. The ATARs fr 2015 culd g up r dwn- yu wn t knw until January. If these cnsideratins narrw dwn yur curse ptins, please list them belw Curse University 2014 ATAR cut ff 10

11 Step 5: Cmpare yur identified ptins Dlr Sit Amet The Gd Universities Guide The Task Nw that yu have a list f curses yu are happy with, it is imprtant that yu cmpare which will be the best fr yu. Yu can d this by researching the 2014 Gd Universities Guide n the Hbsns Curse Finder Website. Yu can cmpare 30 curse areas thrugh independent research in areas such as: Graduate starting salary Hw many graduates g nt further study Hw many graduates are seeking wrk Yu can cmpare universities using independent research in areas such as: G t Using the Institutin Ratings search functin, yu can cmpare the universities n yur curse list with each ther n different independent ratings. Using the Per Rating Cmparisn search functin, yu can cmpare universities n ne rating such as Teaching Quality. Using the Field f Study Ratings search functin, yu can cmpare the curse areas yu are interested in. Perceptin f teaching quality Overall student satisfactin Getting a jb Graduate starting salary Student t staff rati Step 6, List final curse chices. State: Step 6, List final curse chices. State: