Program Overview

Foundation Studies prepares you for a successful transition to degree-level study, providing a pathway to the first year of study of a bachelor’s degree at Murdoch University.

This course is suited to you if you:

• Need an entrance qualification for Murdoch University
• Want to accelerate your university preparation after Year 11, or equivalent
• Want to change your degree stream after Year 11, or equivalent

Course Structure
For Foundation Studies you will complete eight units over two study periods, studying a combination of core and elective units. The units you will undertake will be determined by your chosen degree. All students must complete the two English units and at least one unit from each Discipline Group.

Each unit of study builds concepts from an introductory level through to university entrance level. The units are designed to develop your learning techniques as well as bridging gaps in your unit knowledge.

• English
  • Essential Australian Studies
  • Introduction to Academic Communication
• Mathematics
  • Introductory Mathematics
  • Mathematics for Science
• Science and Technology
  • Information Technology for Academic Studies
  • Computer Science
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
• The Arts
  • Introduction to Media
  • Media Production
• Business and Legal Studies
  • Accounting
  • Management
  • Economics

Leading to: Bachelor of Arts
Develop the kind of communication, creative-thinking and interpersonal skills that will make you highly employable across a range of careers.

You could be a tourist in your own city to get a new perspective. You could study community development or international aid – or learn to put your creative thinking to work for government agencies, corporations or organisations anywhere in the world.

The Bachelor of Arts embraces new directions in teaching and practice-based learning to train the thinkers and researchers of the 21st century. Many of the biggest and most vital issues we face today are about human society and the human condition. How can we understand who we are, how we want to live, or what kind of society we want to create, without the insights, knowledge and skills provided by the humanities?

Major: Japanese
The Japanese language is a key to understanding dramatic social and cultural change in modern Japan. This major in Japanese, which is open to beginners and those with some knowledge of the language, consists of three years of interactive Japanese language study on the Perth campus, with a choice of including (upon successful application) one or more semesters at a Japanese partner institution. This course provides students with rigorous linguistic and socio-cultural training to become Japan specialists in their chosen careers.

3 reasons to study Japanese at Murdoch

• Develop the ability to engage in professional activities working with the people and culture of Japan.
• You can study a Japanese major and two minors in Asian Studies, Global Politics, Modern History or Anthropology, or alternatively study two majors in 3 years and graduate with several specialisations, further enhancing your career prospects.
• You can immerse yourself in Japanese culture and language through study for one or more semesters at one of our 10 partner universities across Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hyogo.

What you’ll learn
Build the knowledge and skills you need to meet your career or study goals. In this course you will:

• Develop proficiency in applications of contemporary Japanese including the comprehension of texts as well as written and oral communication.
• Develop proficiency in use of the contemporary Japanese writing system (hiragana, katakana and several hundred of the most commonly used kanji characters).
• Evaluate the role and function of Japanese language in Japanese society, including worldviews, cultural practices and history.

Your future career