Information on this page is for Australian residents
Course not available to international students
Duration:
0.5 years full time
Delivery mode:
Face to Face with eLearning
Location: 
Footscray Park
Start dates:
3 February 2025
14 July 2025
Application due dates:
Applications for this course are currently being accepted.
Apply

Overview

In this course you will gain the skills and knowledge required to successfully transition into tertiary education and training pathways.

Develop the knowledge and skills required for successful transition into further study within vocational education and training pathways or higher education.

Upon completion of this course you will have gained knowledge and skills in:

  • problem solving and applying analytical and critical thinking
  • the features and structures of academic writing
  • using search engines and data bases for specific disciplines
  • planning, preparing, organising and making formal presentations
  • collaborative learning and team work skills, such as participating in group academic projects and engaging in online learning
  • independent learning.

Set yourself up for success in further study with the Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation.

Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation video - Transcript

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TAFE resources

Careers

Completion of the course enables a range of study pathways, including:

  • vocational study at the same or higher Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) level
  • higher education undergraduate courses.

Nationally recognised training

This course is nationally recognised training.

Course structure

To be awarded the 22582VIC Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation, a total of ten (10) units of competency must be achieved, comprising of:
- Five (5) core units, and;
- Five (5) elective units, listed in the Curriculum Package

The course structure comprises the following core and elective units. These electives have been selected based on industry needs, graduate pathways and/or student and teacher feedback.

VU Polytechnic delivers the electives listed in the ‘course structure and units’ below. These electives have been selected based on industry needs, graduate pathways and/or student and teacher feedback. Alternative suitable electives are only available via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfer (CT).

Core Units

Elective Units

Graduates of the Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation will be able to demonstrate academic reading and writing skills such as developing analytical and critical thinking skills to complete academic tasks, and conduct online academic research to analyse and evaluate sources for study tasks.
The following broad skill and knowledge outcomes were agreed by the Project Steering Committee (PSC) that oversaw the accreditation of the curriculum.

Knowledge:
*sources of information to support student transition
*the tertiary education sector including available courses and entry requirements, pathways and support resources
*types of academic texts and discourse patterns
*features and structures of academic writing
*protocols for participating in academic group discussions
*protocols for academic presentations such as language and style of academic presentations
* academic planning tools to manage tasks
*protocols for peer evaluation
*search engines and data bases for specific disciplines

Skills:
*negotiate academic tasks and activities
*convey and receive information in discussion groups
*plan, prepare and make formal presentations
*participate in group academic projects
*engage in online learning with peers
*participate in review and evaluation of activities
*summarise ideas and information in academic sources
*collect and organise information for study tasks
*critically read and analyse academic sources
*produce written responses to academic tasks
*design and review a study pathway plan
*assess the reliability of online information
*synthesise information from a variety of sources to produce notes
*apply critical thinking to evaluate readings/academic texts to develop and support a position / argument / findings
*self-direct own learning as part of a group and manage tasks
*apply reflective practice to own learning

Digital literacy skills:
*access, interpret and analyse online research information
*engage in online collaborative learning with peers

Technology skills:
*access, manage and store information for research purposes
*locate academic sources in a data base
*access and use features of online platforms

*undertake collaborative learning with peers*seek and act on feedback from peers

Fees & scholarships

Fee type for this course: VET

Fee type definitions

The amount you pay for your course depends on whether you’re offered a government subsidised place or a full fee-paying place.

Students who enrol in a:

  • government subsidised place pay subsidised tuition fees (the government contributes the rest), and may be required to pay a Student Services and Amenities Fee along with any material fees
  • full fee-paying place pay the full fee tuition rate (which includes Student Services and Amenities Fee and any material fees).

Calculate your VET course fees.

Find out more about:

Scholarships & assistance

Apply for a scholarship to help with your study costs.

We can help with fee assistance and advice.

Skills First (subsidised) indicative fees

The Skills First government contribution in 2024 towards this course is $4,413.75. If eligible, you will pay:

  • Tuition: $1,257.25*
  • Materials: $0
  • Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF): maximum per year $175.50**

*A concession rate of 20% of the standard Skills First subsidised tuition fee is available if you are eligible for a concession. Learn more about concessions.

**May be subject to change.

Full-fee place total indicative fees

  • 2024 full-fee place: $4,547.50.

Admission & pathways

Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee you entry into this course. Some courses receive more applications than the number of places available. In this situation we will also assess your education, work and other relevant experience.

If you do not meet the minimum requirements you may be eligible for one of our special admission programs.

Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course.
As part of the application process, applicants must complete a Pre-training Review (PTR) and undertake a literacy and numeracy (LN) assessment to determine suitability for admission.

There are many ways you can start your education journey at VU. Pathways offer an easy transition between courses at different levels, so that you can start with a certificate and progress right through to postgraduate study.

Find out more about pathways and credits.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

You may be able to complete your qualification sooner through formal recognition of your existing skills. This is known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

To receive RPL, we assess your previous work, education and life experiences against recognised qualifications. Applications for RPL can be made prior to enrolling.

Call us on 1300 TAFE VP (1300 823 387) to discuss RPL options with the course manager.

Credit Calculator

Find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

CALCULATE YOUR CREDIT

How to apply

Prior to enrolment, all applicants will be required to complete a literacy and numeracy assessment to assist with determining eligibility and to identify learning support needs.

Available start dates:
  • 3 February 2025
  • 14 July 2025

Before you apply

Before starting your application, please read through the step-by-step VU Polytechnic application process to make sure you have all the necessary documents and information ready to successfully complete your application.

Before applying, you should consider whether you also want to apply for:

Apply direct to VU

Direct applications are due on 24 January 2025 for our next intake which starts on 3 February 2025.

Apply direct to VU

Already a VU student?

If you are already a VU student, apply direct to VU using our Admissions centre to transfer into this course. Remember it’s best to be accepted into your new course before withdrawing from your current one.

After you apply

  • It’s important to check for emails from us (which may go to your spam/junk folder).
  • Complete any requests for information by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered

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Get help

Please note that if changes to this course occur, VU will notify students as soon as possible.

At Victoria University, we aim to display accurate and complete course information online. However, we are unable to guarantee that every course change is currently displayed. You may contact the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100 to confirm the most up-to-date course fees, pathways and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations and services available to our students.