Course Information
Typically, units are one semester in length and may be accredited as:
Tertiary (T) – units prepare students for higher education courses including university entrance.
Accredited (A) – units prepare students for study at institutes of technology and the workforce.
Modified (M) – units provide appropriate educational experiences for students who satisfy specific disability criteria.
Vocational (V) – units provide credit towards further study or training within an industry.
Competency (C) – the units are delivered by Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Registered (R) – extra-curricular activities including social, artistic, sporting or personal development, including Clubs and Community pastoral care.
Higher Education (H) – year 11 and 12 courses designed and accredited by an Australian higher education provider and where successful completion of the course will be recognised towards an undergraduate degree with that provider. Usually this is via the ANU or University of Canberra.
External (E) – all externally delivered courses which lead to a nationally recognised vocational qualification (VET Certificate or Statement of Attainment) that is delivered by an external Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Courses may be studied in these patterns:
Minor : 2 – 3 units completed of a particular course
Major : 3.5 – 5 units completed of a particular course
Major/Minor : 5.5 – 6.5 units completed of a particular course
Double Major : 7 – 8 units completed of a particular course
Note: Not all courses offer Majors, Major/Minor or Double Major combinations.
Certificates issued at the end of Year 12
Senior Secondary Certificate
"A standard package for a Senior Secondary Certificate will be awarded on completion of an educational program approved by the college as having a coherent pattern of study and which includes the equivalent of at least 17 standard units in a period not exceeding five years. Refer also to Section 8.5 Contribution of Units to Senior Secondary Certificate and Tertiary Entrance Statement. This package must contain a minimum of four A, T, M, H, C or E courses from at least three different course areas. This must include at least two A, T or M courses. This will commence for the Year 11 cohort in 2015.
A maximum of 8 standard units from all external (the sum of E + H) courses can contribute to the minimum requirements for a Senior Secondary Certificate."
(Source: ACT BSSS Policy and Procedures Manual 2015, Section 8.7.1.1.3)
Tertiary Entrance Statement (TES)
"To meet the requirements of a T package and be awarded a Tertiary Entrance Statement, during year 11 and 12 studies a student must complete units that accrue a minimum of:
- 20 standard units which must include at least 18 standard A, C, E, T, M, H units of which at least the equivalent of 12.5 standard units must be T or H. Refer also to section 8.5 Contribution of Units to Senior Secondary Certificate and Tertiary Entrance Statement.
- The accredited units must be arranged into courses to form at least the following patterns:
- five majors or
- four majors and one minor or
- three majors and three minors
- Of these major and minor courses:
- at least three major courses and one minor course must have been classified T or H.
These studies:
- must be completed within no fewer than three and a half semesters and no more than five years
- with the approval of the college principal, deferment may be allowed once for an unbroken period of up to one year
- a student intending to take longer than two years needs to have first had her/his study plan approved by the college principal.
- The student must also sit for the ACT Scaling Test (AST)."
- (Source: ACT BSSS Policy and Procedures Manual 2015, Section 8.7.1.2)
Vocational Certificates
Statement of Attainment and Certificate I, II, III & IV (part of the nationally recognised Australian Qualifications Framework, and are associated with industry-based Training Packages).