If your child is in their final years of high school, it's a great time to start thinking about how you can support them as they consider their future career and explore study options.
Parents of students
Find a course
Watch our video for details on how to help your child choose and apply for a course.
Next steps
Easing the transition to university
We know you want the best for your children, and so do we. That's why we developed our revolutionary VU Block Model.
The VU Block Model offers your child:
- one unit delivered at a time to maximise learning potential
- consistent support and guidance (with the same teacher for each unit)
- regular and ongoing feedback before completing all assignments
- practical, hands-on learning to graduate ready for work
- flexible timetables to offer them a balanced study and personal/work life.
Achieving success early in study is important for your child’s long-term confidence. By putting their needs first and easing their transition to tertiary study, your child will become a confident, independent learner and graduate ready for an exciting career.
Find out more about how the VU Block Model works.
Read more about the VU Block Model
Why tertiary study is a good idea
Whatever your child sees themselves doing in the future, further education may be the best way to get there.
If your child does not intend to apply for a tertiary course, here are a few reasons why they might want to reconsider their decision:
- a course can help bridge the gap between school studies and their dream career by giving them the right set of skills
- having a qualification might assist them in finding work more easily and earning a higher salary
- some research suggests that university graduates are likely to earn $1million more over their lifetime.
Tertiary study doesn't just have to mean taking a traditional bachelor degree. They may also wish to consider studying a pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, certificate or diploma course through our TAFE division, Victoria University Polytechnic.
If your child is uncertain of their end goal, our flexible study options and pathways can facilitate easy transition between our courses at different levels.
VU - a great choice for your child
At VU, you can be confident that your child will have access to the latest industry-relevant curriculum, flexible study options and accomplished teaching staff who have earned us high global ranking and a reputation for world-class research.
VU is one of the most industry connected universities in Australia. This means that our courses are designed with your child's future employability in mind. Our students graduate work-ready and are valued by employers in their fields.
VU graduates have been awarded:
- AOs and OAMs
- International Student of the Year
- Postgraduate International Student of the Year
- Victorian Young Achiever of Year
- Young Victorian of the Year.
Our graduates have also gone on to become:
- AFL coaches and players
- CEOs
- State Treasurer
- actors
- authors
- indigenous leaders
- international cabinet minister
- international government advisors
- inventors
- mayors
- members of parliament
- renowned thought leaders and educators
- scientists and engineers at Google, CSIRO and NASA
and many more exciting careers.
Top 2% in the world
VU is ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024)
High-earning alumni
VU graduates earn the second highest full-time wages in Victoria (QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey).
Work-ready graduates
Employers rate VU grads among top 10 unis nationally for work-readiness (QILT Employer Satisfaction Survey).
How to support your child
One of the best ways you can help your child is to be informed about the different study choices available to them.
To find out the latest information:
- search our course pages for areas of study that match your child's interests and talents
- download our course guides and discipline guides and read them with your child
- attend our Open Day with your child and talk to our staff, graduates and current students.
If your child's ATAR was lower than expected, our Foundations at VU course may provide them with an alternative pathway into tertiary study.
Your child may also be eligible to apply for our VU Guaranteed program. Through this new initiative, students from participating schools can apply for a guaranteed early entry place at VU or VU Polytechnic.
