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Graduate Diploma in Modern Languages

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Expand your career options with your existing language skills. Build on your previous qualifications by studying language, thought and culture at university level.

Vietnamese is the only language fully offered at Victoria University. Students can study Spanish, Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin) at the University of Melbourne as part of an agreement between the two universities.

Course Essentials

How to apply

We are currently accepting applications for this course. Applications close on 25 January 2013

Methods of applying:

  • You can apply direct to VU

Please note that part-time study may not be available at all campuses.

Already a VU student?

You can transfer into this course through our internal transfer process.

For more info contact the
College of Arts

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Careers

Graduates of this course find careers as:

  • interpreters
  • translators
  • editors and subtitling
  • employees of organisations such as Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AusAID, Austrade

Learn more about your career options on the Australian government's Career Information and Resources website.

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Course Objectives

At the conclusion of the course students should:

  • have enhanced bilingual skills and cognitive abilities, and be able to derive both personal satisfaction and improved employment opportunities;
  • have an improved understanding of the culture and society of the language chosen for particular study, enabling them to find work within, or related to, the community represented by the particular language they have studied;
  • be able to undertake further study in specialised areas connected with their chosen language, such as interpreting and translating, editing, subtitling, and associated activities;
  • be able to undertake specific research in a broad range of subjects connected with the language area studied, as it relates to other disciplines of vocational relevance, such as psychology, community development and social work, education, business, the arts, interpreting and translating, marketing and tourism; and
  • have developed further insights into issues involving an awareness of cross-cultural communication and put these into practice in a personal, employment or voluntary capacity within the broader community.

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Units and electives

Students undertaking the Graduate Diploma are required to complete eight sequential units of study over three years, in their chosen language major. Students must complete a total of 96 credit points.

ASIAN LANGUAGES
A range of Asian languages are offered at varying levels. All students entering one of these language programs will be assessed by staff to determine the appropriate level in which they should enrol. Students who have completed an Asian language at Year 12 level or who are native speakers will commence their program at the next appropriate level.

Chinese/ Mandarin

The units of study offered in the Chinese Language Studies course are:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Additional Units Offered:

Japanese:

The units of study offered in the Japanese Language Studies course are:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3, Semester 1

Year 3, Semester 2

Additional Units Offered:

Vietnamese:

The units of study offered in the Vietnamese Language Studies course are:

Year 1

Years 2 and 3

Students with no previous knowledge of Vietnamese should commence with ACV1001 Basic Vietnamese A.

Vietnamese native speakers should commence with ACV2001 Intermediate Vietnamese A or any other unit of study appropriate to their interests and level of proficiency.

Spanish:

Spanish students with no previous knowledge of Spanish will undertake two of the units of study below each year, totalling six single semester units of study over the three years of the course.

The units of study in the Spanish Language Studies course are:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Plus one unit of study from the list below:

Students may commence at a higher level (normally Spanish C) if they have completed VCE Spanish or equivalent and take additional units of study from the list of units offered at third year level.

The student's initial level of linguistic competence will be assessed by the Course Coordinator before enrolment.

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take, and optional 'elective' units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

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Admission Information

  • Mature: Normally applicants will have completed an undergraduate degree. However, applicants who do not possess an undergraduate degree, but who demonstrate ability and motivation to take up study at this level, may be considered.
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How to apply for this course

We are currently accepting applications for this course.

You can apply direct to VU. Applications close on 25 January 2013.

When you're ready to apply:

  1. Read the Advice to applicants (contains details about how to apply for your course, extra requirements, what happens when you submit your application and other important information).
  2. Complete the Higher education direct entry application form.
  3. As part of the application you may need to complete extra requirements such as:
    • submit supplementary forms
    • attend an interview, audition, information session or workshop
    • submit a folio
    • sit a test

Details about extra requirements are available from the College of Arts.

You need to complete all extra requirements by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered.

Transferring between VU courses

Want to transfer into this course from another VU course? Complete the Victoria University internal course application form and check whether you need to complete any extra requirements, listed above.

You can also contact us directly:

  • Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Student Centre
    Phone: +61 3 9919 4409
    Email: aehdcourses@vu.edu.au
  • Course Coordinator:
    Dr Tuan Ngoc Nguyen
    Phone: +61 3 9919 4049
    Email: tuan.nguyen@vu.edu.au
  • Ring us on +61 3 9919 6100
  • Find answers and ask questions at GOTOVU

Get in touch

Contact us to discuss your course options:

Ring us on +61 3 9919 6100

Find answers and ask questions at GOTOVU

At Victoria University, we make every reasonable effort to make sure the information displayed online about our courses is accurate and complete. We continually look to provide innovative courses. Those courses are shaped by a number of things including your feedback and changes in Government funding arrangements. As a result there may be changes to the courses we deliver and fees charged. We will update the website regularly to reflect any changes.

Information about course fees, articulation and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations, and services available to students can be accessed on the University’s website or by contacting the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100.

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