Information on this page is for Australian residents
Course not available to international students
Duration: 
13 weeks
Location: 
City Campus
Footscray Park
Delivery mode: 
In person
Fees: 
This course is fully government funded, and you will not incur a debt for tuition fees. You will need to pay non-tuition fees, including the annual student services & amenities fee.
Start dates:
17 February 2025
16 June 2025
6 October 2025
Application due dates:
Direct applications are due on 9 February 2025 for our next intake which starts on 17 February 2025.
Apply

Overview

Study the fully-funded Foundations at Victoria University, to reach your goal of studying a higher education undergraduate or diploma course.

In this course, you'll be introduced to a broad range of study skills needed to complete further study.

You'll learn valuable skills such as:

  • how to plan, research, write and present assignments to meet university standards
  • how to evaluate, analyse, and interpret complex data/text in order to form arguments and reach a conclusion
  • better ways to use technology to complete your coursework.

You will also gain a better sense of what course or career you'd like to pursue next, develop confidence in your ability to continue tertiary education and become familiar with VU's support services.

Completing our Foundations 13-week course can help you get your higher-education plans back on track.

Foundations at VU is for domestic students (Australian citizens or permanent residents) who have attempted an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent) and have successfully completed an Australian Year 11 (or equivalent).

During the course, you'll be supported in your learning by talented, experienced and caring staff.

One of our program educators, Brigitte Friedrich, has over 30 years of experience in senior school, foundation programs and higher education in Australia and overseas.

Brigitte is enthusiastic and passionate about creating units of study which:

  • maximise the use of learning technologies
  • connects learning with the real world
  • develops the potential of each individual.

Brigitte makes her class materials relevant, current and engaging. She builds trusting relationships with her students which values and nurtures their social, cultural and emotional needs and cultivates a love of learning.

Each unit is delivered with five hours of in-person learning each week spread across two classes. There will be a 2-hour and a 3-hour face-to-face class each week. This results in 20 hours of in-person learning per week.

Our science units take place at our Footscray Park Campus where you will learn in our modern laboratories with the latest equipment. All other units are delivered at our City Campus.

Need some advice?

Request a call back from one of our experienced VUHQ course advisers to get your questions answered.

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Foundations at VU JYAC video - Transcript

Pathways to further study

When you finish this course, you will have the opportunity to start your degree or diploma studies. You just need to pass all four units of study and meet certain conditions.

Explore the pathways that are available as part of this course:

Any units of study completed as part of this course will not be credit bearing for undergraduate or diploma studies.

Course contents

To satisfactorily complete the Foundations at VU course students will need to pass four units:

- two core units
- two discipline specific units

Students will be advised that it may be a requirement to undertake a Mathematics unit in order to satisfy the conditions of entry into some Victoria University undergraduate degrees or higher education diplomas.

Foundations at VU is an alternative entry pathway leading to higher education undergraduate and higher education diploma studies. It is designed specifically for domestic students who have not met direct entry requirements and are pursuing future studies in higher education.

Foundations at VU will:

- Provide a guaranteed entry upon meeting certain conditions to a Victoria University undergraduate degree or higher education diploma course on successful completion of the course
- Provide a contemporary curriculum that introduces discipline specific content utilising learning technologies which develop the skills and multiple literacies required for successful engagement with tertiary study
- Provide regular guidance regarding progress and alternative VU entry options for those who are not achieving success in the course
- Connect students to VU services, systems and processes which facilitate a positive student experience and overcome educational disadvantage arising from cultural, social, economic, health or emotional factors.

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.

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

Have attempted an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent) program of study and have successfully completed an Australian Year 11 or a comparable educational level.

How to apply

Available start dates:
  • 17 February 2025
  • 16 June 2025
  • 6 October 2025

Apply direct to VU

Direct applications are due on 9 February 2025 for our next intake which starts on 17 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

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.