Diploma in General Studies (Extended)

The new Diploma in General Studies (Extended) (DiGS Extended) is designed to provide a pathway into University of Melbourne degrees for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as both school leavers and mature-age students, particularly in the Northeast Victoria and Goulburn Valley regions.

The course is designed to help you build the academic skills to succeed and flourish in bachelors degrees in Agriculture, Science, Arts, Commerce, or Design. It aims to unlock your potential and prepare you for your dream career, including if your previous studies do not meet the requirements for these degrees.

You can explore the relationship between land and culture, the science that allows plants and animals to grow and flourish, the management of environments and businesses and communication to succeed in work and study.

You will learn in a supportive learning environment in the close-knit and supportive community of the University of Melbourne's Dookie campus, on Yorta Yorta country, around 30 minutes from Shepparton, Victoria. The diploma allows you to:

• Combine academic skills with Indigenous perspectives, histories and culture through the context of science
• Get guaranteed entry into a University of Melbourne bachelors degree
• Earn credit towards the Bachelor of Agriculture
• Explore your study options before committing to a bachelors degree
• Study prerequisite subjects you may have missed in high school, including science, mathematics, business and environments
• Access a range of scholarships to help you fund your living expenses
• Explore your independence and life away from home in a close community experience

If you are interested in a similar program, you may wish to explore the Diploma in General Studies.

In your first semester in the Diploma in General Studies (Extended), you will complete four subjects that will prepare you to succeed at university:

• Land, Food and Culture
• Exploring Science and Environment
• Foundation Communication Skills
• Exploring Numbers and Reasoning.

These subjects have been designed in consultation with community members and other experts to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and apply scientific theories and concepts to a range of real-life situations.

You will build on these skills in your only other compulsory subject, Academic Writing and Communication, an apply them throughout the rest of your DiGS Extended studies, giving you the skills and confidence for you for academic success.

The Diploma in General Studies (Extended) is an excellent way to prepare for further university study. If you have not studied maths, science or other prerequisites before, DiGS Extended is your opportunity to complete these subjects in a supportive environment to give you the foundations you need to pursue the career you want.

You can study course prerequisites or gain credit towards a University of Melbourne degree.

It also gives you the chance to explore your options. Whether you want to contribute to sustainability through improved land management or agriculture, help communities overcome challenges, design better buildings or products, build or grow a business or solve problems through science, DiGS Extended lets you explore your interests and potential.

This course is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants only.

There is one intake a year for the Diploma in General Studies (Extended) - Semester 2 (July).

Applications from VCE (or equivalent) graduates and mature age applicants are welcome.

Applications can be submitted via VTAC or directly to the university.