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Diploma of Social Studies Foundations (DSSF) - DipSSF
| Online# |
Semester intake: | Semester 1 (February) Semester 2 (July) |
Fees: | Commonwealth supported place Domestic full fee paying place International full fee paying place
|
Standard duration: | 1 year full-time, 3 years part-time |
Program articulation: | To: Bachelor of Human Services, ; Bachelor of Social Science |
Notes
The Faculty of Arts courses are available on-campus and by distance
education. Details on these faculty-specific offerings can be found
from the .
The Faculty of Sciences courses may also be available on-campus
and in distance mode. Details on these Faculty-specific offerings
can be obtained from the .
The number of units of credit towards the Bachelor of Human Services and Bachelor of Social Science
will depend on the major and courses studied with a
maximum of eight credits being available.
Contact us
Future Australian and New Zealand students |
Future International students |
Current students |
Freecall (within Australia): 1800 269 500 Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315 Email: study@usq.edu.au |
Phone: +61 7 4631 5543 Email: international@usq.edu.au |
Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252 Phone (from outside
Australia): +61 7 4631 2285 Email usq.support@usq.edu.au |
Program focus
The Diploma of Social Studies Foundations initially equips students
with the necessary skills to successfully respond to the numeracy,
literacy, and e-literacy demands of both higher education studies
and the professional workplace, as well as assisting students to successfully
manage the complexities of life/work balance. The diploma program
then provides students with a basic introduction to the skills, issues,
principles and theoretical frameworks needed by those considering
work in various social services. The program should appeal to those
who want to enhance and develop their broad study skills prior to
sampling a range of social science related courses and determining
whether to embark on a more specialized degree program in the Faculty
of Arts.
Career opportunities
This program enables graduates to transition into university
studies directly, particularly geared towards the Bachelor of Human Services and the Bachelor of Social Science
.
Program aims
This is a generalist and collaborative program offered by the
Open Access College and the Faculty of Arts. The first four courses
provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge that are
essential for success at the university level of study. The remaining
courses from the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Sciences provide
an introduction to studying social science related courses at first
year level.
Program objectives
On the successful completion of the Diploma of Social Studies
Foundations graduates will have:
-
demonstrated an ability to successfully pursue an undergraduate
program of study in the Faculty of Arts
-
acquired sufficient knowledge about human services programs
of study to make an informed choice about further undergraduate study
in the Faculty of Arts
-
developed an enhanced awareness of the nature of study in the
Faculty of Arts
-
developed foundation knowledge, skills and competencies in a
series of first year undergraduate human services courses
Admission requirements
International applicants must have a minimum entry level of
IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
There is no specified minimum educational achievement entrance
standard.
Normally, to be eligible for enrolment in the program a person
will have attained an age of at least 18 years in the year of the
proposed enrolment.
Students will need to complete the online application form for
entry to the Diploma Programs. All applicants are required to complete
online diagnostic tests in Mathematics, e-literacy, and English Communication
Skills. Applicants will then be given advice detailing whether the
Diploma Program is the most appropriate pathway for them to undertake.
Some students may be advised to undertake the Tertiary Preparation Program .
How to apply
Domestic students
Application for the Foundation Diplomas may be made .
International students
This program is available to international students. An international
student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen
and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and
how to apply.
Program fees
Commonwealth supported place
A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government
makes a contribution towards the cost of your higher education and
you as a student pay a , which varies depending on the
courses undertaken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular
course via the .
Commonwealth Supported students may
be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .
Domestic full fee paying place
Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through
the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the
courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular
course via the .
Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders,
Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who reside
outside Australia pay full tuition fees.
Domestic full fee paying
students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government
loan called .
International full fee paying place
International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending
on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus,
via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees
for a particular course via the .
Program structure
The Program consists of four core courses followed by four foundation
courses in the social sciences. Students must successfully complete
the four compulsory core courses before they will be enrolled in the
four foundation social science courses.
Core courses
There are four compulsory courses:
and are co-requisites: they must be studied together, and they must
be the first courses undertaken.
For part-time students, and must be studied after and
. All four courses can be taken in a single semester
for those pursuing full-time studies.
Foundation studies in Social Science courses
After completing the four compulsory courses students can select
four courses from the following selection:
Program completion requirements
To successfully complete the Diploma of Social Studies Foundations
students must successfully complete the four compulsory core courses,
and also the four social science foundation courses.
Required time limits
Students have a maximum of three years to complete this program.
IT requirements
Students must have reliable and ready access to email and the
Internet. Broadband access is required for the four compulsory core
courses. Students should have access to a scanner for . For information
technology requirements, please see the
Students undertaking the Diploma of Social Science Foundations
must complete the four compulsory courses first. The recommended enrolment
pattern for the four compulsory core courses is as follows:
Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Enrolment requirements |
---|
On-campus (ONC) | Distance education (EXT) | Online (WEB) |
---|
Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem |
---|
| | | | | 1 | 1,2 | |
| | | | | 1 | 1,2 | |
| | | | | 1 | 1,2 | |
| | | | | 1 | 1,2 | |
Plus the four Social Studies courses referred to in the Program
Structure.
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