ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => Universities - Victoria => University of Melbourne => Topic started by: brightsky on December 08, 2013, 08:52:36 pm

Title: Concurrent Diplomas
Post by: brightsky on December 08, 2013, 08:52:36 pm
I was just wondering: how do concurrent diplomas work? On the Melbourne Uni website, it says that "concurrent diplomas...can provide up to 100 points of study in the specified discipline". Later on, it says "students are allowed a maximum of 50 points (4 subjects) of cross-crediting". Does this mean that a diploma takes the place of two subjects (e.g. two breadth subjects)? Also, does it cost extra money to do a diploma? Does a scholarship like the Melbourne National Scholarship cover the tuition fees for the diploma as well? And lastly, is it feasible to do a Diploma in Mathematical Sciences alongside a Bachelor of Biomedicine degree?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Concurrent Diplomas
Post by: pi on December 08, 2013, 08:54:45 pm
And lastly, is it feasible to do a Diploma in Mathematical Sciences alongside a Bachelor of Biomedicine degree?

Didn't Abes do something like this?
Title: Re: Concurrent Diplomas
Post by: Aurelian on December 08, 2013, 09:53:25 pm
Also, does it cost extra money to do a diploma? Does a scholarship like the Melbourne National Scholarship cover the tuition fees for the diploma as well? And lastly, is it feasible to do a Diploma in Mathematical Sciences alongside a Bachelor of Biomedicine degree?

Yes it does cost extra money, but yes it is covered by the National Scholarship.

And lastly, is it feasible to do a Diploma in Mathematical Sciences alongside a Bachelor of Biomedicine degree?

It's quite difficult to do a Diploma in Mathematical Sciences in a BBMed degree because of your inability to do maths as breadth and your limited capacity to do mathematics subjects in the main part of your degree. It's still feasible, but you more or less won't be able to fast-track the diploma unlike with other degrees (so you'll be committed to a four year degree).

See here for sample course structures for BBMed students doing a DipMathSci:

http://www.undergraduates.ms.unimelb.edu.au/course_advice/dip_math_sci/plans/biomedicine/bbm_other2013.php

Didn't Abes do something like this?

No, he ditched it.
Title: Re: Concurrent Diplomas
Post by: LeviLamp on December 08, 2013, 10:21:16 pm
I'm doing one of these, so I can help you out a bit (I hope!). Note that the exact details are different between each diploma so what I say may not quite be the gospel truth.

Q1/2. With regards to cross-crediting, this means 4 of those maths subjects can be credited to both your degree and the diploma itself; if you cross-credit two subjects, your biomedicine degree will then have a remaining 275 points, and your diploma 75 (the diploma will consist of 100 points (eight mathematics subjects) from a certain list of choices; the handbook entry should help with that). The diploma works effectively like an extension to your course, but means you will most likely be spending a fourth year at university (overloading and cross-crediting can mean that completion in three years is possible, but you will need to overload!). Once your application is accepted the diploma comes up as a separate course in your study plan tab on the portal, and you can organise it independent of your biomedicine degree. Basically, so long as you get the overall 400 points done within four years the rest is up to you and the student centre probably won't even be involved. This also adds some flexibility to your degree if you cross-credit; the "empty spaces" opened up in your four-year study plan mean you have some wriggle room for where you put your various subjects.

Q3. Yes, the diploma costs extra money, but students are often eligible to receive the final 50 points HECS-free; no debt is incurred if you're in a Commonwealth Supported Place and so you have four effectively free subjects.

Q4. I have no idea, you'd have to inquire about that yourself. However, as the diploma is "attached" to your main course I'd assume it does?

Q5. It ought to be, as the subjects don't impinge on any of your core subjects or breadths if you don't cross-credit (if you cross-credit, I'm assuming the credit is counted for science electives, meaning you probably only have the ability to cross-credit 25 points as maths subjects are not biomedicine breadth, only science selectives) so you can simply take the full 100 points independent of the biomedicine degree.

Hopefully that helped and wasn't too poorly worded (it doesn't make any sense to me, so hopefully you can pick up on it a bit better :P)!


EDIT: DAMNIT AURELIAN YOU NINJA :'(