Your study options

Degrees at the University of Melbourne are similar to those offered by many top institutions overseas in that you’ll start with an undergraduate degree, and can then choose to specialise at graduate level.

You can focus on your chosen career from day one or keep your options open and explore a range of subjects before deciding.

  1. You start with an undergraduate (bachelors) degree . Over three years you’ll develop a deep understanding of a study area – your major.
  2. You’ll also study subjects from outside your main study area – we call this breadth. You might, for example, study Science but take breadth in Mandarin Chinese
  3. After your undergraduate degree, you can either enter the workforce or progress to a specialised graduate master’s degree. Graduate degrees offer advanced learning in professional fields such as law, engineering, medicine, architecture and teaching.
  4. If your passion is research, you might go on to further study with our highly regarded PhD program

For example, to become a Nurse, you can study any Undergraduate Bachelor's Degree and then a Master of Nursing Science

Prerequisite requirements

In most cases you’ll already have satisfied subject prerequisites through completing the relevant Year 12 studies in the last two years. If this is not the case you can satisfy prerequisites in a range of alternative ways, including:

  1. Studying equivalent single subjects through the University of Melbourne or externally.
  2. Enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) & Science (Extended) programs.
  3. Studying and successfully completing subjects through Melbourne’s Diploma of General Studies Extended
  4. Via the Non-school levers entry pathway
  5. Submitting past VCE Unit 3/4 or equivalent studies you've done in the last 10 years.
  6. Doing an adult VCE program.

1. Subjects equivalent to course prerequisites

For a list of tests you can take to satisfy published prerequisites for VCE Biology, Chemistry, English, Maths Methods, Specialist Maths and Physics view equivalent subjects to course prerequisites.

2. Bachelor of Arts (Extended) & Science (Extended)

The University offers two undergraduate degrees that have been specifically developed for Indigenous students, the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) and Bachelor of Science (Extended).

These programs provide Indigenous students who have not obtained the results for direct entry into the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees with the opportunity to undertake their studies in a supported environment over a four-year period.

The first year is a foundation year where students will be offered the relevant support needed to transition into University life. In their second year, students will have the opportunity to choose their major in either Arts or Science just as you would in a standard undergraduate degree.

3. The Diploma of General Studies Extended

The 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 admissions requirements for DiGS extended are:  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.

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.

DiGS Extended is a 12-subject, 18-month qualification (full time), with five compulsory core subjects and a wide range of electives to help you explore your interests.

DiGS Extended gives you the opportunity to explore a range of fields and develop your general education, and can be used as your pathway to one of the following University of Melbourne bachelors degrees:

4. Non-school leavers

The non-school levers entry pathway is for those 23 years of age or older and don’t have any recent qualifications to use as the basis for their application. All applications to the University of Melbourne must demonstrate academic merit and meet other requirements as part of the application process.

Next: Access Melbourne

Access Melbourne is a Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) at Melbourne that can help you gain entry into an undergraduate course, even if your ATAR is below the minimum.

Access Melbourne