Diploma in General Studies (Extended) (D-GENSTEXT)

DiplomaYear: 2025 Delivered: On Campus (Dookie)

You’re viewing the 2025 Handbook:
Or view archived Handbooks

Overview

Award titleDiploma in General Studies
Year & campus2025 — Dookie
Fees informationSubject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & typeUndergraduate Coursework
AQF level 5
Credit points150 credit points
Duration18 months full-time

The Diploma in General Studies (Extended) is an 18-month long program that provides a transition into higher education and is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. A semester of study in addition to the one year D-GENST program provides students with foundation knowledge and skills in science, mathematics, communication and cultural knowledge, while supporting the development of students’ academic skills for further tertiary study. Upon completion, graduates will have completed all the requirements of the Diploma of General Studies.

Links to further information

https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/undergraduate/diploma-in-general-studies-extended/

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have:

  • Completed VCE or equivalent; or completed an Appropriate VET qualification at Certificate IV or above; and
  • Be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent; and
  • The academic capacity and potential for leadership in the community, assessed by interview and by referee reports.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

  • prior academic performance;
  • the interview and referee reports.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

Note: Non-school leavers, mature age students and alternative pathway applications will be considered.

Successful students will be selected on their likelihood to succeed in the Diploma in General Studies. Qualifications will be assessed on application.

Applications can be made through VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions centre). Applicants can submit a direct application to the University, however, direct applications will only be considered after the VTAC offers have closed.


Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

Inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete this course that must be met by all students. For information on the inherent requirements specific to this course contact the course/program coordinator. In some circumstances reasonable adjustments may be available to enable students to meet these requirements while still preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. For more information on how to seek these adjustments refer to the Student Equity and Disability Support website: https://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Intended learning outcomes

The Diploma in General Studies Extended 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

Generic skills

  • The capacity for independent critical thought and inquiry
  • The ability to engage in self- directed learning
  • Well-developed organisational and time management skills
  • Enhanced ability to communicate ideas effectively in both written and verbal formats
  • The ability to participate effectively as part of a team
  • Analytical and problem solving skills

Graduate attributes

  • 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

Course structure

Successful completion of 50 points of foundation studies followed by 100 points of study as required to complete the Diploma of General Studies (D-GENST).

50 points of foundation studies taken in the first semester of study comprising the following subjects:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MAST10023 Exploring Numbers and Reasoning
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
ENST10005 Exploring Science and Environment
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
SKIL10007 Foundation Communication Skills No longer available
AUST10002 Land Food and Culture
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5

Followed by core subject:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MECM10005 Academic Writing and Communication
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5

Plus choose any 7 of the below elective subjects:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MAST10017 Fundamentals of Mathematics
Semester 2 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
ECON10006 Introductory Economics
Semester 2 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
NRMT10007 Land Resources and Management
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
AGRI10044 Plant Systems
Semester 2 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
BIOL10006 Systems Biology
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
ANSC10002 Animal Systems
Semester 2 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
ENST10004 Climate Change and Impacts
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
CHEM10008 Foundation Studies in Chemistry
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
ACCT10004 Introduction to Accounting No longer available
GEOG10002 Landscape Information Systems No longer available
MGMT10003 Organisation and Management
Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5
AGRI10052 Agricultural Genetics
Semester 2 (On Campus - Dookie)
 12.5

Further study

Graduates of the Diploma in General Studies may wish to continue their studies at University or TAFE.

Eligible graduates may consider applying for further study in one of the following courses at the University of Melbourne:

  • Bachelor of Science
  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Bachelor of Agriculture
  • Bachelor of Design

In accordance with the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326), Examiners may offer reassessment (as a second attempt at passing a subject for a borderline failure in a single subject to a student enrolled in this course. A borderline failure for a subject in the Diploma in General Studies is defined as a mark of 40% or more.

Last updated: 21 February 2025