The Undergraduate Certificate in Science is a pathway into science focused university degrees. This course centres around biology, chemistry, physics and environmental issues and gives students the flexibility to structure their studies around personal areas of interest. Through field work, industry experience and laboratory programs, students can expand their knowledge and develop technical skills.
As a tertiary pathway, this certificate can lead into our Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching and Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching programs.
There are many options for satisfying the entry requirements for our courses. An applicant needs to meet at least one of the following entry requirements to be given an offer to study at Avondale.
*Applicants must not be a current year 12 (or equivalent) student and must be 18 years or older at the time of commencing their course.
If a Senior Secondary Certificate has not been completed, an eligible applicant may sit an admission test (uniTEST and TOWA or the Skills for Tertiary Admission Test).
In exceptional circumstances, an applicant may be admitted based on equivalent qualifications or work and life experience as assessed by the Course Convenor or delegate and/or the DVC Academic.
This course is not available to international students.
Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency by achieving a minimum overall IELTS score of 7.5, with a minimum score of 7.0 in reading and writing, and a minimum score of 8.0 in listening and speaking.
Applicants who have completed prior study may be eligible for advanced standing (credit recognition). Applicants should discuss their eligibility for advanced standing with the Admissions Team or the Course Convenor.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Science consists of 4 six credit point units (24 credit points) studied for one semester full-time, or part-time equivalent. These four units can be chosen from the table below.
Unit | Semester | Prerequisite/s |
BIOL15000 Introductory Biology | 1 | HSC Biology recommended |
BIOL15100 The Diversity of Life | 2 | HSC Biology recommended |
CHEM16300 General Chemistry | 1 and 2* | None |
CHEM16000 Chemistry IA | 1 | HSC Chemistry or its equivalent |
CHEM16100 Chemistry IB | 2 | HSC Chemistry or its equivalent |
DTFN11100 Food, Nutrition and Health | 1 | None |
GEOH11000 Responding to Global Issues | 1 | None |
GEOH12000 Environmental Issues | 2 | None |
MATH16400 General Mathematics | 1 and 2* | None |
MATH16000 Mathematics IA | 1 | HSC Extension 1 Mathematics or its equivalent |
MATH16100 Mathematics IB | 2 | MATH16000 |
PHYS16300 General Physics | 1* | HSC 2 unit science area of study, plus HSC mathematics |
* CHEM16300, PHYS16300 and MATH16400 availability must be confirmed with the Course Convenor.
Second year units are also available for those who have completed previous units in science. Since the Undergraduate Certificate in Science is a flexible pathway, potential students should contact the Course Convenor to gain approval for their unit selection.
To find out more about any of the units listed here, copy the unit code and then search for that unit here.
Graduates will receive full credit towards the following Avondale degree/s:
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching
The Undergraduate Certificate in Science can also help strengthen the careers of current teachers who are wanting to expand their range of teaching areas, as well as provide general career opportunities in the science field.