Deakin Accelerate program leaps ahead

Deakin Accelerate, a VCE higher education program that allows students to study two first-year university subjects during Year 12, was introduced last year in Warrnambool to four local students.

In 2018 the program has expanded to 24 students from south-west schools, with 13 from Warrnambool including seven from Brauer College, three from Kings College, one from Warrnambool College and two from Emmanuel College. They are being joined by students from Trinity College Colac, St Patricks College Ballarat, Portland Secondary College, Colac Secondary School, Ballarat Grammar, Ballarat High School, Baimbridge College, Hamilton and Good Shepherd Secondary College.

One of the students to take advantage of the program this year is Mia King from Emmanuel College who says it will give her a taste of being a university student.

'I did Year 12 accounting last year and really liked it so I wanted to continue and see what it's like as a uni subject,' Mia said.

'By doing it in the Accelerate program I can see if I like it without jumping right into the course.'

Her experience so far this year has been positive and the Year 12 student is confident she has chosen the right path.

'We get an extra study period so I use that to do the uni subject and then do a bit outside of school as well,' she said.

Mia plans to do a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accounting and hopes to study at Deakin University's Warrnambool campus.

Emmanuel College career advisor Karen Pritchard said that the college could see the tremendous benefits for students in experiencing university life and getting a great head start. 'It's also a fantastic opportunity to show them what their Deakin university offers and the benefits of studying locally,' Ms Pritchard said.

Students in the Accelerate program receive a 10 per cent weighting on their ATAR score for the university units, plus they earn two university credit points. It also reduces their future university fees as they study this subject for free.

Head of the Warrnambool campus, Alistair McCosh, said the program gives high achieving students a head start into future university studies and a potential boost to their ATAR.

Students can choose to study on campus or online, find out more about our Accelerate program.