Higher Education Studies

This year we are running the following 15 Higher Education Study courses (first-year university subjects) through our partnerships with these universities:

In 2023, students who completed their Higher Education Studies courses attained an average VCE study score of 40 (77% out of 100) which converts to a strong increment towards their ATAR score. This is particularly impressive given that the curriculum they studied was a first-year university level. Even more impressive is the fact that 10% of students attained an equivalent VCE score of 50 in their Higher Education Studies courses.  

We are impressed with the way that this year's cohort of students in Higher Education Studies have commenced the year and have settled into the rhythm of lectures and tutorials within their university courses. 

In this issue of the newsletter, we are spotlighting two of the HES courses. 

Spotlight on Biology and Psychology (Higher Education Studies)

In Term 1, our class of the best and brightest Year 12 Biology students took part in the Biological Sciences lab day with Federation University here in the labs of CHES. Students explored cellular biology using our university-standard facilities and participated in a range of experiments beyond the (micro)scope of their regular VCE program.

We congratulate the class on their active participation throughout the laboratory day. We extend our appreciation to Leni Horner for leading the activities together with our lab manager, Marietta. We're greatly impressed by the commitment shown by all students in the course - and none more so than our two students who joined from Wangaratta High School. 

For students considering university extension in their Year 12 program in future years, this Federation Uni course builds on the knowledge and skills you learn in VCE, especially for those who complete VCE Biology units 3 & 4 in Year 11.  The course can be balanced with the demands of your VCE studies because the theoretical parts of the course take place online and the full-day practical seminars take place in the state-of-the-art laboratories at CHES twice per semester. 

In addition, the University of Melbourne course in Psychology is conducted at CHES every Thursday afternoon with students joining through our hybrid on-site and online lessons. 

In this popular course, students learn how we uniquely sense and perceive our world to construct our own internal psychological experience, and how we learn, think and remember.  In addition, the class is exploring human development, social psychology, personality psychology, and quantitative psychological research methods. 

We are proud of all the students in the Higher Education Studies this year. Each newsletter will spotlight the learning in different courses. The commitment our students have shown to their accelerated studies is impressive, including participation in lessons that sometimes take place on weekends and holidays. 

For students who are interested in applying to study a Higher Education Study in Year 12 next year, we will be opening to 2025 applications through our CHES website at the end of June. 

In addition, this term we are holding a CHES Expo for prospective students in Years 10 and 11 to learn more about Higher Education Studies on Friday, 31 May. Save the date! Your teacher can register an expression of interest for you to join the CHES Expo here: CHES Expo registration.

Finally, in Term 3 we will also host online and on-site information sessions where you can hear from current students and staff and find out more about our 2025 programs.