Program Description
The International Foundation Studies Program is a one year pathway program for international students seeking entry into the first year of the majority of undergraduate degrees at the University of Canberra. It is a non-award program designed to equip international students with the skills and capabilities for successful undergraduate study.
It is a pre-university year and the curriculum is equivalent to the Australian Year 12. The curriculum has a strong focus on the development of both English language skills and tertiary preparation skills. The curriculum is also focused on developing those preparation skills for study in the Australian tertiary environment. The course can be delivered both onshore and offshore.
The program is designed as a generalist (multi-field) program. This provides international students with the opportunity to seek admission to a broad range of degrees. The unit offerings span a range of disciplines and include the following key learning areas:
- English
- Mathematics
- Technology
- The Arts/Humanities/ Society
Whilst the current program consists of 12 core units of study, it has also been structured to ensure that as future opportunities arise there is capacity to introduce specialisations (streams). Possible examples include business, information technology and communication. This would be achieved through the introduction of electives.
The teaching calendar consists of 3 terms of study. Each term consists of 12 weeks of teaching, a one week mid term break and 1 week of assessment. Typically there are three recess weeks for students between each term.
The Diploma of Design develops students' knowledge and skills in creative thinking, visual communication, technology, 2D and 3D design and will focus on the investigation and development of design projects in a studio environment. This diploma enables students with to study a generic design program which provides a clear pathway to a variety of bachelor degrees in the field of design.
Interaction Design (also known as IxD) is the practice of designing interactive digital products, environments, systems, services and products for use by people. By studying at UC you’ll explore the capabilities of humans in terms of emotion, perception and cognitive ability, and use this knowledge to conceive, design and build human-centric interaction systems.
You’ll investigate key theories, concepts, tools and contemporary interaction design techniques and learn how people engage with different digital technologies based on screen, mobile and virtual platforms. The course includes a variety of projects which lead to an impressive body of work demonstrating your creativity, problem-solving skills and technological know-how. You’ll graduate as a well-rounded interaction designer and future leader who specialises in finding novel ways to help people access and seamlessly interact with technology.
