Visual Communication Design
VCE Arts and Design — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Introduction to design — elements, principles, research and design process
- Unit 2: Design factors and contexts — how designers respond to human needs, market and social factors
- Unit 3: Visual communication for design purposes — applying design to professional briefs
- Unit 4: Design industry practice — major design project in response to a real client brief
VCD develops skills directly applicable to graphic design, advertising, architecture, interior design, industrial design and UI/UX — the folio structure gives students a genuine professional portfolio for university applications.
Units 1–2: School Assessed Tasks (SAT) — design folios. Units 3–4: School Assessed Task (55% — design folio) and end-of-year examination (45%).
Leads to graphic design, communication design, architecture, interior design, industrial design, advertising, UX and multimedia at university and TAFE.
English
VCE English — Units 1–4 (Compulsory for VCE)
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- Unit 1: Reading and exploring texts — close analysis and exploration of ideas and arguments
- Unit 2: Exploring argument — how writers construct arguments to influence audiences
- Unit 3: Reading and responding to texts — extended analytical response to a set text
- Unit 4: Reading and responding / presenting argument — comparative analysis and persuasive argument
The skills of reading with precision, writing with clarity and communicating with confidence are prerequisites for every university degree, professional career and civic life.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%) including oral presentation, comparative essay and analytical essay; end-of-year examination (75%).
Required for virtually all university degrees. Foundation for careers in writing, law, medicine, education, journalism and any field requiring strong literacy.
Literature
VCE Literature — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Reading practices — close reading skills and nuanced interpretation of diverse texts
- Unit 2: Exploring literary movements — texts examined in historical and cultural contexts
- Unit 3: Form and transformation — how authors adapt, transform and subvert convention
- Unit 4: Interpreting texts — sophisticated original interpretations of set texts
Literature develops deep, nuanced thinking about human experience — students become more powerful writers, more sophisticated readers and more empathetic thinkers.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering textual analysis, comparative essay and extended analytical essay.
Highly regarded by arts, law, humanities, teaching and journalism faculties. Students often achieve stronger study scores than in standard English.
English Language
VCE English Language — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Language and communication — how language varies across contexts, texts and registers
- Unit 2: Analysing language — applying linguistic frameworks to authentic language use
- Unit 3: Language variation and change — how and why English has changed historically
- Unit 4: Language variation in Australian society — social, cultural and geographic variation
English Language develops sophisticated understanding of communication valuable in teaching, linguistics, media, law and any career involving professional communication.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering subsystem analysis and extended analytical essay.
Leads to linguistics, education (TESOL), communications, speech pathology, publishing and any profession requiring sophisticated language understanding.
Health and Human Development
VCE Health & PE — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Understanding health and wellbeing — dimensions, health literacy and individual health behaviour
- Unit 2: Managing health and development — health across the lifespan, promotion strategies and the healthcare system
- Unit 3: Australia's health in a globalised world — health status, determinants and national health priority areas
- Unit 4: Health and human development in a global context — global health challenges and international organisations
Health and Human Development prepares students for nursing, medicine, public health, allied health, social work and education — and gives every student a sophisticated understanding of lifelong health management.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering data analysis, structured questions and an extended health essay.
Leads to nursing, medicine, public health, allied health (physiotherapy, dietetics), social work, education and health policy.
Physical Education
VCE Health & PE — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: The human body in motion — musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory systems in physical activity
- Unit 2: Physical activity, sport and society — social and cultural factors influencing participation
- Unit 3: Movement skills and energy for performance — movement principles and bioenergetics
- Unit 4: Enhancing performance — training principles, periodisation, recovery and performance analysis
Physical Education prepares students for sport science, physiotherapy, personal training, health promotion, PE teaching and sport management — rewarding both academic and physical ability.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%) including performance analysis; physical performance evaluation component; end-of-year examination (75%).
Leads to exercise science, physiotherapy, PE teaching, sport management, personal training and health promotion.
Legal Studies
VCE Humanities — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Guilt and liability — criminal and civil law, elements of crime and dispute resolution
- Unit 2: Sanctions, remedies and rights — punishment, civil remedies and protection of rights
- Unit 3: Rights and justice — the justice system, courts and key concepts of justice
- Unit 4: The people and the law — the Australian Constitution, representative government and law reform
Legal literacy is increasingly essential — Legal Studies develops critical thinking, ethical reasoning and understanding of the systems that protect rights and shape Australian life.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering structured legal analysis and extended essay responses.
Highly regarded for law, criminology, justice studies, policing, social work, politics and public policy at university.
Modern History
VCE Humanities — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Change in the modern world — revolution, nationalism and social change 1750–1918
- Unit 2: The making of the modern world — global conflict and ideological struggle 1918–1939
- Unit 3: Modern history in depth — in-depth study of a significant historical development
- Unit 4: Modern history in depth — in-depth study of a second historical development
Understanding the modern world is essential for educated citizenship — Modern History develops analytical thinking, research skills, historical empathy and the ability to construct powerful arguments.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering analytical essay responses on set historical topics.
Leads to history, law, politics, international relations, journalism, education and social sciences at university.
Business Management
VCE Humanities — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Planning a business — the business environment, types of businesses and entrepreneurs
- Unit 2: Managing a business — human resource management, operations, marketing and finance
- Unit 3: Managing a business — performance analysis, operations management and quality improvement
- Unit 4: Transforming a business — strategic change management and sustainable performance
Business Management is one of the most practically relevant VCE subjects — knowledge and thinking skills apply directly to running a business, working in management or building a commercial career.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering case-based questions and structured analytical essays.
Leads to business, commerce, accounting, management, marketing and entrepreneurship at university.
History: Revolutions
VCE Humanities — Units 3–4 only
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- Unit 3: Revolution 1 — the causes, nature, course and impact of the first revolution studied
- Unit 4: Revolution 2 — the causes, nature, course and impact of the second revolution studied
- Comparative analysis of ideological, social, political and economic forces driving revolution
- Primary and secondary source analysis with critical sophistication
- Construction of sustained analytical arguments from multiple sources
History: Revolutions develops analytical depth, intellectual rigour and the capacity to engage critically with competing historical interpretations — skills valued by humanities, law and social science faculties.
Units 3–4 only: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) — analytical essays on the two revolutions studied.
Highly regarded for humanities, law, politics and social science university programs.
Geography
VCE Humanities — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Hazards and disasters — types, causes, impacts and management of hazards
- Unit 2: Tourism: issues and challenges — growth and its environmental and cultural impacts
- Unit 3: Land cover change — causes and consequences of change in global land cover
- Unit 4: Development and sustainability — patterns of human development and environmental sustainability
Geography is increasingly important in a world grappling with climate change, population growth and environmental sustainability — developing spatial thinking, environmental literacy and complex systems analysis.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering data analysis, structured questions and extended essays.
Leads to geography, environmental science, urban planning, international development and sustainability at university.
Indonesian (Distance Education)
VCE Languages — Units 1–4
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- Extend and refine skills across listening, speaking, reading and writing in Indonesian
- Engage with authentic Indonesian texts: media, literature and contemporary sources
- Develop deep understanding of Indonesian culture, society and language
- Build independent language learning skills and academic self-management
- Prepare for VCAA Indonesian written and oral examination requirements
Indonesian language skills provide significant advantages in trade, tourism, diplomacy and regional engagement. VCE Indonesian students often benefit from a study score advantage due to lower statewide candidature.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%) through Distance Education; VCAA examinations (75%) — written examination and oral examination.
Leads to languages, international studies, translation, tourism management, diplomacy and Southeast Asian studies at university.
General Mathematics
VCE Mathematics — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Data analysis, arithmetic and number — statistics, consumer maths and financial applications
- Unit 2: Discrete mathematics and geometry — networks, geometry, measurement and trigonometry
- Unit 3: Data analysis, recursion and financial modelling — statistical inference and financial applications
- Unit 4: Matrices, networks and decision mathematics — applied discrete maths for decision making
General Mathematics provides the quantitative literacy and problem-solving skills valued across business, healthcare, trades, social science and environmental management.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) — two papers, one with CAS calculator and one without.
Provides access to business, health sciences, social science, environmental science and education at university. Note: does not satisfy the Mathematical Methods prerequisite for some engineering/science programs.
Mathematical Methods
VCE Mathematics — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: Functions, graphs and algebra — linear, quadratic, cubic and polynomial functions
- Unit 2: Functions, calculus and probability — exponential functions, differentiation and probability
- Unit 3: Functions, graphs and algebra — advanced function analysis, trigonometric functions and calculus
- Unit 4: Calculus and probability — integration, differential equations and probability distributions
Mathematical Methods is the key that unlocks the most competitive university programs — engineering, medicine, science, architecture and commerce. Students demonstrate exceptional mathematical reasoning ability.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) — two papers, one with CAS calculator and one without.
Required for many competitive programs including engineering, science, medicine, architecture, economics and actuarial studies. Prerequisite for Specialist Mathematics.
Specialist Mathematics
VCE Mathematics — Units 3–4 only
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- Unit 3: Complex numbers, advanced vectors, trigonometric techniques and advanced calculus
- Unit 4: Kinematics, vectors in mechanics, differential equations and statistical inference
- Develop capacity to work with abstract mathematical structures and proof
- Apply advanced mathematical reasoning to complex real-world and theoretical problems
Specialist Mathematics signals the highest level of mathematical achievement at secondary school — demonstrating exceptional problem-solving ability and mathematical creativity prized by the most competitive university programs.
Units 3–4 only: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) — two papers, one with CAS and one without. Concurrent Mathematical Methods Units 3–4 required.
Provides access to the most competitive programs in engineering, physics, mathematics, actuarial studies, data science and computer science.
Biology
VCE Science — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: How do organisms function? — cells, photosynthesis, respiration and body systems
- Unit 2: How does inheritance work? — DNA, gene expression, inheritance patterns and biotechnology
- Unit 3: How do cells maintain life? — biochemical pathways, cellular communication and gene regulation
- Unit 4: How does life change and respond? — evolution, epidemiology and the immune response
Biology is the foundation for medicine, veterinary science, pharmacy, nursing, environmental science and biotechnology — combining conceptual depth with relevance to everyday health and environmental questions.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering structured questions and extended analytical responses.
Leads to medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary science, biomedical science, environmental science, agriculture and biotechnology.
Chemistry
VCE Science — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: How are atoms, molecules and compounds structured and how do they react?
- Unit 2: What makes water unique and how do chemicals affect health and environment?
- Unit 3: How can chemical processes be designed to optimise efficiency?
- Unit 4: How are organic compounds categorised, analysed and used?
Chemistry is foundational to medicine, engineering, environmental science, materials science and food technology — students demonstrate scientific rigour and analytical depth valued by competitive university programs.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%) including practical investigations; end-of-year examination (75%) with structured questions, data analysis and extended responses.
Leads to medicine, engineering (chemical, environmental, materials), pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary science, food science and environmental science.
Physics
VCE Science — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: What ideas explain the physical world? — thermodynamics, nuclear physics and electricity
- Unit 2: What do experiments reveal? — motion, light and wave phenomena
- Unit 3: How do fields explain motion and electricity? — gravitational, electric and magnetic fields
- Unit 4: How have physics discoveries changed our world? — quantum theory, special relativity and photonics
Physics is the foundation for engineering, architecture, computer science, astronomy, medical imaging and electronics — developing exceptional quantitative problem-solving skills valued across every technical career.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering structured questions, data analysis and extended responses.
Leads to engineering (all disciplines), physics, astronomy, architecture, computer science, medical imaging and renewable energy.
Psychology
VCE Science — Units 1–4
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- Unit 1: What influences psychological development? — development, learning theories and social influence
- Unit 2: How are mental processes shaped? — learning, memory, perception and biological psychology
- Unit 3: What are the bases of behaviour? — the nervous system, brain function, stress and mental health
- Unit 4: How is mental wellbeing maintained? — sleep, memory consolidation and treatment approaches
Psychology is one of the fastest-growing fields — understanding human behaviour is relevant to healthcare, education, business, sport, law and social services, and develops rigorous research skills.
Units 3–4: SAC (25%); end-of-year examination (75%) covering structured questions and extended analytical responses.
Leads to psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, allied health, education, human resources, criminal justice, sport science and marketing.
