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Marist-Sion College Careers Newsletter
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Tertiary updates

ACU

ACU has introduced a range of new and/or revised courses ensuring students get to study courses that are as current as possible.  Some of these courses include - 

  • Commencing in Semester 1 2026, the Bachelor of Psychological Science/Master of Teaching (Primary) will be offering students the unique opportunity to gain a deep foundation in psychology to support a career in teaching.  This course is pending approval, and more details will then be made available.
  • The Bachelor of Psychological Science/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice was offered for the first time this year, and part of the course includes students undertaking a 40-100 hour work experience in either the criminal justice sector or in a position related to psychology.
  • The Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Birth to Five Years) (Accelerated) was developed in response to workforce needs in the early childhood sector, the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Birth to Five Years) (Accelerated) program offers Diploma trained educators working in paid employment in early childhood settings, the opportunity to graduate with a four-year equivalent early childhood teaching qualification in 18 months while continuing to work.  
    Victorian students will graduate in 18 months with the equivalent of a four-year bachelor's degree. Financial support is available to cover the cost of your studies, and you can complete the degree while you continue to work.  Find out more at here.
  • The Bachelor of Psychological Science and the Bachelor of Nutrition Science allows for greater insights into both areas. The Bachelor of Nutrition Science focuses on general health care, chronic disease management, Indigenous health and other emerging areas of need and students will gain an understanding of the science behind food and nutrition including human physiology and biochemistry. The APAC-accredited psychology component includes lifespan development, biological, social and abnormal psychology, individual differences, psychological and research methods, as well as other areas of applied psychology.  

Browse New Courses at ACU to learn about all the offerings.

 

ACU has made some improvements to how students apply for our Western civilisation courses, resulting in changes to the application process and key dates. 

Our impacted Western civilisation courses include:

Changes are:

  • Entry will be based on a combination of factors including a transcript of latest academic results, curriculum vitae (CV) with references, sample essay and interviews.
  • Applications close on 13 October 2024.
  • Interviews will take place in November, with offers made in November and December.
  • Students should apply directly to ACU by 13 October 2024.
  • After 13 October students can still apply through UAC, however, they will need to complete an additional section of their application directly with ACU to be considered for the scholarships (valued at up to $160,000).

 Please encourage interested students to apply direct to ACU before 13 October. For any questions, please contact AskACU.

 

Charles Sturt University

  • Applications for our Charles Sturt Advantage early offer program are closing soon, 31 August. Students simply provide their Year 11 results and answer three questions to show us they have the qualities we’re looking for.
  • Year 10 students might be interested in CSU’s Year 10 Guide to Uni, The Uni Year Podcast – listen now on Apple podcasts or Spotify and An interactive quiz to help your students discover the perfect career for them Take the quiz now.
  • Did you know? CSU offers a Science, Technology and Health Direct Entry Program. It involves attending a five-day intensive school for those interested in a career in science, technology or health. Upon successful completion of the program, participants get direct entry into one of our relevant degrees.

Collarts

  • Thrilled to announce the launch of the new Collarts website
  • Changes to admissions - Moving forward, interviews will only be required for Music and Performing Arts courses in addition to their audition. For all other courses, applicants will still receive a call from our admissions team to walk them through the next steps of the application process. VTAC has also been updated to reflect this.
  • The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) will transition from Swinburne University to Collars (Australian College of the Arts) as part of a new agreement that secures the future of circus arts in Australia.

Deakin

  • Deakin Guaranteed ATAR - Just reminding you that your students are eligible to secure a spot at Deakin with a lower upfront ATAR, for most of our undergraduate degrees through our new  Deakin Guaranteed ATAR  program. All students need to do is apply for their preferred courses through VTAC and submit a SEAS category 1 application.
  • Students who might have missed the Open Day or just want to have another look around the campuses are invited to participate in the upcoming Campus Tours in the September school holidays, Monday 23 - Thursday 26 September 2024. Students should complete the form at Campus Tours and choose the date and time that works best for them. While some facilities may not be accessible on the day, Deakin’s student tour guides and expert staff will answer any questions students might have.

Federation

  • Pathway to Fed Degree options: VCE students who achieve their ATAR with a study score of at least 20 in any English and an ATAR of 45.00, can use a Federation Higher Education Diploma to pathway into the second year of a Federation Engineering, Business, or Information Technology degree.
  • Bachelor of Veterinary and Wildlife Science and Bachelor of Environmental and Conservation Science degrees are now streamlined into our generalised Bachelor of Science. The benefit of this change is that students can now generalise in the first year and decide which area to specialise in for the following two years. Double majors, majors and minors are available, enabling students to choose the path to suit their interests and aspirations. Graduates will be awarded the tagged degree reflecting their specialised area of study. For example: graduate with a Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience)  

Students should now preference ‘Bachelor of Science’ on their VTAC list with the exception of Bachelor of Biomedical Science and Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Gippsland Partnership), which remain separate degrees. 

Bachelor of Science VTAC codes for each campus location:  

  • Berwick – Course code: 3701837001 
  • Gippsland – Course code: 3700737001 
  • Mount Helen (Ballarat) – Course code: 3700537001 
  • Online – Course code: 3700837001 

     

Latrobe

Aspire Community Contribution and Aspire Year 11 Conditional Entry are in their final weeks. Applications will close at 11.59 pm on Friday 6 September 2024. 

If students need last minute help, they can join us for a drop-in session online from 3 to 5 September. 

 

Monash

  • Are updating their entry schemes with extra consideration for regional students, students with disabilities and recognition for being first in family. More information here. Monash offer two schemes – the Monash Guarantee and the Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) – that can help students enter their preferred course, even if their ATAR is below the lowest selection rank. By having two schemes, Monash wants to create a level playing field for everyone who aspires to an exceptional education. By operating both schemes, Monash can also help as many students as possible reach their full potential. 

Students do not have to choose between the two schemes – depending on their situation and background, they could be eligible for one or both.

Monash recently let us know that MSCW is recognised by Monash University as being an under-represented school. This gives all domestic students in your school access to entry in 2025 through the Monash Guarantee scheme - allowing students to enter a majority of Monash courses at a lower ATAR.

The Monash Guarantee recognises that an ATAR does not always reflect a student’s full potential. This entry scheme guarantees students a place in a Monash degree at an ATAR up to 10 points lower than the clearly-in ATAR, provided they meet the entry requirements. 

To apply, students must submit a Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) VTAC application and choose their preferred Monash course. This will allow them to be considered for both the Monash Guarantee and SEAS. Explore the Monash Guarantee

Further students can apply to be considered for a Monash scholarship by submitting a VTAC SEAS application. You can find out more and see eligibility for all Monash scholarships here.

 

Swinburne University

  • Students are to please note important changes to entry requirements for a number of courses for 2025. These changes include:
  • Updating the VCE English requirement to 20 in any English, and 25 for EAL across a wide range of courses - see full course list here 
  • Expanding the Maths requirement for Engineering to now include General Maths
  • Updating the VCE English requirement for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) to a minimum study score of 23 in an English or 27 for EAL

Students can view these updates on VTAC course search and in the Swinburne 2025 Undergraduate Course Guide.

  • New Bachelor Degrees

Bachelor of Design (Fashion): Focusing on digital solutions, novel fabrics and ethical practices, our Bachelor of Design (Fashion) will foster the innovation needed to transform the fashion industry. Students will graduate with the industry exposure and skills to enter this exciting and creative field, and will become frontrunners in its sustainable and tech-forward future. Entry for the Bachelor of Design (Fashion) is by folio, not by ATAR score.

Bachelor of Biomedical Science: Through hands-on, tech-focused learning and industry experience, the Bachelor of Biomedical Science immerses students in this critical arena of healthcare. With access to cutting edge equipment, including virtual reality and digital dissection, they’ll graduate ready for the biomedical workforce, or for postgraduate physiotherapy, occupational therapy and medicine. 

Bachelor of Nutrition: Lab-based study meets progressive food trend analysis in the Bachelor of Nutrition. In this always-evolving field, students will examine the science of nutrition and uncover new ideas in the relationship between food and human health, with pathways into industry or postgraduate dietetics.

 

University of Melbourne

  • UoM have updated their 2025 Guaranteed ATARs – see more information here.
  • Access Melbourne has been expanded to include Graduate Degree Packages. This scheme aims to assist students who have faced unique challenges during their schooling in gaining entry into their preferred undergraduate course. Commencing in Semester 1, 2025, a select number of Graduate Degree Packages will be offered through Access Melbourne. A Graduate Degree Package consists of a combined offer for an undergraduate degree and a place in a specialised professional graduate program. This study path offers students peace of mind, ensuring a guaranteed spot in a graduate degree and a reduction in graduate course fees. Marist-Sion College is an underrepresented school. More information here.
  • The Bachelor of Science is a pathway to all these careers, and hundreds more.  With more than 40 majors on offer, students can select from the full range of science, biomedicine, mathematics, engineering, and IT subjects. 
  • The Bachelor of Science is a 3-year degree, in which students complete 24 subjects.  Of the 24 subjects, some will contribute to their major (chosen specialisation), some will be science electives (other science subjects), and some will be breadth (non-science) subjects. 

A very useful link to browse is Tips for Choosing a Science Major and students are also encouraged to view this video. 

NOTE:  Nuclear-Powered Submarines Student Pathways Program: Join Australia's next generation of expert scientists.  Beginning in 2024, domestic students commencing the Bachelor of Science have an opportunity to participate in the Australian Government’s Nuclear-Powered Submarines program (NPS).  To take part, students need to undertake an undergraduate science degree focusing on key areas needed for a career in the NPS workforce, with a major in one of physics, chemistry or mathematics and statistics.

 

UAC School Recommendation Scheme (SRS)

SRS is an early offer program connected with your UAC (NSW and ACT tertiary application). It looks at your Year 11 results and your school’s rating of your abilities in different areas of study as well as your personal aptitudes. If you're successful, you could receive an offer before you sit your VCE Exams. 

Steps for your UAC SRS application

  • Apply for your preferred courses via UAC. You'll receive a UAC application number and PIN.
  • You can then log in to your account and complete the SRS application. 
  • Applications open in August and close September 
  • It automatically links to your chosen courses, so when you hit submit, there's nothing else for you to do.

More info – UAC SRS Website

 

VTAC 

  • Courses with Early Closing Dates: VTAC has published a list of course with early closing dates. If you find courses of interest to you on this list, please ensure they are on your preference list by the closing date. After this date, these courses will be unable to be added to your preference list. If you delete the course from your preference list after this date, you will be unable to re-add the course so please ensure to only reorder to keep the course on your list. List of courses with early closing dates (vtac.edu.au)
  • 2027 Prerequisite Guide is now available for download from our website. This guide is subject to change in the future as courses are adjusted. For the most up-to-date prerequisite and course tool, please visit VTAC's CourseSearch and VCE Prerequisite Explorer. You can also click here for a guide on how to use VCE Prerequisite Explorer.

Monash and University of Melbourne Entry Schemes 2024

Any Year 12 considering further study with Monash and/or UoM, is encouraged to check out this document from Compass Career News which summarises the entry schemes available at both institutions.

2024_Monash and UoM Pathways Schemes for 2025 Entry.pdf

 

Considering Teaching?

Requirements include: Minimum entry ATAR and Casper (or equivalent).

Casper is an online test designed to assess an applicant’s personal and professional attributes.  Casper is a requirement of applying to many initial teaching training courses in Victoria - Casper. Most universities offering undergraduate teaching courses will be requiring students sit the Casper online test as part of the selection into teaching degrees in 2025.  Students are encouraged to browse VTAC and determine which courses will require the Casper for selection. Students might also like to browse Casper FAQs and have a look at Casper Preparation too. Students might find this YouTube clip useful.

Alternatives for Casper

  • ACU Teacher Selector Statement is a written statement relevant to all ACU initial teacher education courses in Victoria. You only need to submit one statement with your application, even if you are applying for more than one initial teacher education course (at ACU). If you are facing financial hardship, we encourage you to complete the ACU Teacher Selector Statement.
  • Monash Teaching Suitability Test (MTeST) is designed for entry into Monash Initial Teacher Education courses only and cannot be used to apply for other institutions.  Importantly, this is a free alternative to Casper. Students do not need to book in for the test as it is open every day and only takes 15 minutes to complete.  The results can take up to three weeks to be processed. For applicants who sat both tests, Monash will use the better result of the two. Students are encouraged to browse the following link which provides more information - Monash Teaching Suitability Test (MTeST).
  • La Trobe University Aptitude for Teaching Assessment (AFTA) La Trobe has developed the free Aptitude for Teaching Assessment (AFTA), approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching, and is a non-cognitive scenario-based aptitude test that students can use as an alternative to the CASPer test.  Students should note that the AFTA can only be used for entry into initial teaching education programs at La Trobe.  The assessment is divided into five sections, and within each section, students will be provided with three written scenarios, presented one at a time. The scenarios are randomised, and each section must be completed before a student can progress to the next section. This is an aptitude test that assesses a student’s communication, self-regulated learning, teamwork, professionalism, and problem-solving skills. Find out more at Aptitude for Teaching Assessment (AFTA) - La Trobe.

 

Alternatives for Entry to Teaching

The Diploma of Teacher Education Preparation may be the right study choice for students with the motivation, capability and personal attributes to be a great teacher.

The Diploma of Teacher Education Preparation (Dip TEP) is an accredited AQF5 level qualification aimed at students who do not initially meet the minimum ATAR for teaching.  The course was developed as part of the Victorian Government’s Excellence in Teacher Education Reforms  to ensure that disadvantage and diverse educational experiences are not a barrier to capable and committed people who want to pursue a career in teaching.

Successful completion of the Dip TEP will ensure that students graduate with the prerequisite knowledge and skills to undertake a rigorous undergraduate teacher education course.  The Dip TEP supports students to meet the literacy and numeracy standards they will need in order to graduate with a teaching qualification and supports them to meet the demands of study at a higher education level. 

The course introduces students to contemporary issues in education and to teaching as a profession, including practical school-based placement.   

The course is offered by a number of institutions, including ACU, RMIT, Swinburne, and VU. 

 

VCE Results and ATAR Service

The VCE Results and ATAR Service is a joint venture between the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the Victorian Tertiary Admissions. Year 12 students, to access your VCE results and ATAR, you will first need to register. You will need your VCAA student number.