Graduate Certificate of Science (GCSC)

Sciences
GradCertSci

Graduate Certificate of Science (GCSC) - GradCertSci

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: GCSC01; External: GCSC02

CRICOS code (International applicants): 069701A

	On-campus*+	External#+
Semester intake:	Semester 1 (February) Semester 2 (July)	Semester 1 (February) Semester 2 (July)
Campus:	Toowoomba	-
Fees:	Commonwealth supported place Domestic full fee paying place International full fee paying place	Commonwealth supported place Domestic full fee paying place International full fee paying place
Standard duration:	1 semester full-time, 1 year part-time
Program articulation:	To: ; Graduate Diploma of Science

Footnotes
*	Some specialisations may only be available to external education students and/or may only be studied part-time and may not be suitable for international students who wish to study full-time on-campus. Only the Applied Data Science (Semester 2 entry) and Computing specialisations can be studied full-time and/or full-time on-campus. The teaching specialisations alone do not meet eligibility for teacher registration and therefore should only be taken by students who already have completed an initial teacher education program.
+	Semester 1 intake for Applied Data Science specialisation is part time only.
#	Semester 2 part time intake for Applied Data Science specialisation is only available to students who have completed and in their Bachelor degrees. Some students may take 1.5 years to complete.

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 aims

The Graduate Certificate of Science provides students with the opportunity to further their knowledge in discipline areas critical to their professional responsibilities and interests.

Program objectives

On completion of the program graduates will be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of current issues in their chosen specialisation
demonstrate an enhanced breadth and/or depth of their knowledge base relevant to their specialisation
apply the specialist knowledge and skills acquired in their specialisation.

Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 08. Graduates at this level will have advanced knowledge and skills for professional or highly skilled work and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

Admission requirements

To be considered for entry, applicants should hold a three-year Bachelor's degree from an Australian ��ýapp or equivalent.

A formal process of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) will be used to assess applicants without Bachelor degrees, who wish to gain entry to the program on the basis of equivalent experience or qualifications. Applicants should contact the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences if they wish to be assessed for admission on this basis.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If you do not meet the English language requirements you may apply to study a ��ýapp-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, you may be admitted to an award program.

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
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.
Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

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

All specialisations within the program consist of four units of study taken from the Recommended Enrolment Pattern section. The Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences also may grant substitution of one course from outside these disciplines. At least two courses must be Level 8 (all specialisations). The student must select courses according to the pre- and co-requisite requirements contained in individual course specifications. Some courses may include a compulsory residential school.

Discipline Area	Modes of Offer/Residential School Requirements for EXT Courses
Agricultural Science (AGR)	Some courses available externally with no residential school, some courses available with a compulsory residential school on-campus
Applied Climate Science (CLI)	External only — no residential school requirement
Applied Data Science (DAT)	Available in both modes — no residential school requirement
Astronomy (PHY)	External only – no residential school requirement
Biology (BIO)	Some courses available on-campus, some courses available in both modes – some external courses have compulsory residential schools
Chemistry (CHE)	Some courses available on-campus, some courses available in both modes – some external courses have compulsory residential schools
Computing (CSC)	Available in both modes — no residential school requirement
Environment and Sustainability (REN/CLI)	Available in both modes — no residential school requirement
Mathematics (MAT)	Available in both modes – no residential school requirement
Mathematics for High School Teaching (MAT)	Available in both modes – no residential school requirement
Mathematics for Primary/Middle School Teaching (MAT)	Available in both modes – no residential school requirement
Physics (PHY)	Available in external mode only – recommended courses have no residential school
Science for Primary/Middle School Teaching	Some courses available externally with no residential schools, some courses available with a compulsory residential school on-campus
Statistics (STA/MAT)	Available in both modes — no residential school requirement
Wine Science (WIN)	Some courses available externally with no residential schools, some courses available with a compulsory residential school on-campus.

Those teachers studying who are relying on government scholarships or are seeking accreditation in a particular state, are advised to check with their funding agency or Education Authority that they are enrolled in an appropriate approved combination of courses. For further advice on these and other possible course combinations please contact the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of three years to complete this program.

IT requirements

Students should visit the USQ to check that their computers are capable of running the appropriate software and versions of Internet web browsers and to check the minimum and recommended standards for software.

Students will need internet access to retrieve course materials, undertake assessment and participate in course online activities.

Articulation

Graduate Certificate of Science students may articulate to the Graduate Diploma of Science program with further completion of four courses, as required by that program.
Students must advise the Faculty in writing (usq.support@usq.edu.au) of their intention to articulate and this must occur prior to graduation from the GCSC. If a student is articulating to the higher degree, they will apply to that higher degree and will only graduate from that higher degree.

Credit

Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the .

Applied Data Science specialisation: Students who have completed in their Bachelor degree may replace STA2300 with another STA level 2 or above course. Students who have completed in their Bachelor degree may replace CSC1401 with another CSC course.

Enrolment

Enrolment patterns will need to be determined for individual students. On acceptance into the program, students must submit an enrolment pattern for approval to the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences. Pre-requisite courses should be taken as a guide to the assumed knowledge required for a course. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they have the assumed knowledge before enrolling in a particular course.