In this subject students will explore the production and analysis of media products and concepts through critical and creative inquiry. Students consider media texts, technologies and processes from various perspectives, creating representations that communicate, challenge and express ideas. They examine industry production and distribution conventions, audience reception and the media’s contribution to and impact on society. This aspect of the study is integrated with the individual and collaborative design and production of media representations and products. Students develop language and knowledge within the discourse of media, fostering respect for and acknowledgement of the diverse roles, innovations, traditions, histories and cultures of the media profession. Students are encouraged to develop skills and knowledge to support their engagement with the media industry and a potential pathway as a media practitioner.  

This course focuses on students finding the most effective way to implement ideas, design, create and make photographic works devised from a range of stimuli, demonstrating development of a personal style.

It enables students to undertake a subjective and postmodern exploration of the conventions of manipulating, transforming and re-conceptualising images using digital photographic media to make works that explore the world of fantasy, imagination, parody, humour, the unexpected and the unconventional.

The course provides students with skills to develop range and autonomy in selecting and applying photographic and digital conventions and procedures and the ability to respond to various investigations through photographic and digital works.

This course focuses on the implementation of an individual design process leading to the production of a range of potential directions and solutions. Students develop and use an exploration proposal to define an area of creative exploration.

It enables students to plan and apply a design process to explore and develop their individual ideas drawing on research and experimentation. This unit is useful preparation for VCE Studio Arts.

The course provides students with skills that demonstrate conceptual possibilities and exploration, the ability to build a cohesive folio of finished artworks and the ability to analytically discuss various art practices and styles.

In this course of students develop conceptual and aesthetic understandings about architectural design solutions in the world around them. The ideas and concepts in observational drawings, digital software model construction are the practical components of this course. Design thinking, which involves the application of creative, critical and reflective techniques, is fundamental to learning in architecture. Students learn about and the role of the architect and their contribution to society.  The Architecture course allows students to investigate the world through the practices of Architects. Students explore the significance of architecture in different times, places and cultures. They build an understanding of the important role of architects in contemporary society and apply this knowledge in their own designs.

The Architecture course of study aims to develop students:
1. Confidence, curiosity, imagination enjoyment through an engagement with architectural design practices, creative and innovative ways to communicate ideas and information
2. Aesthetic knowledge, including the application of design elements and principles
3. Explore architectural design practices, processes and technologies, creative, critical and reflective thinking, and using visual design thinking skills
4. Respect for and of the diverse roles and practices of architects, and the cultural context of architecture.

This unit is useful preparation for VCE Visual Communication Design.

In contemporary Australian society there is a range of businesses managed by people who establish systems and processes to achieve a variety of business objectives. These systems and processes are often drawn from both historical experience and management theories that are designed to optimise the likelihood of achieving success.

In studying VCE Business Management, students develop knowledge and skills that enhance their confidence and ability to participate effectively as ethical and socially responsible members of society, managers and leaders of the business community, and as informed citizens, consumers, and investors. 

The study of VCE Business Management leads to opportunities across all facets of the business and management field such as small business owner, project manager, human resource manager, operations manager, or executive manager. Further study can lead to specialisation in areas such as marketing, public relations, and event management.

Designers play an important part in our daily lives. They determine the form and function of the products we use and transform ideas into drawings and plans for the creation of products that fulfil human needs and wants. Students also consider sustainability issues.

Students consider the consequences of product design choices and develop skills to critically analyse existing products and develop their own creative solutions. 

VCE Product Design and Technology offers students a range of career pathways in design in fields such as industrial, transport, service, interior and exhibition, engineering, fashion, furniture, jewellery, textile and ceramics, at both professional and vocational levels. Moreover, VCE Product Design and Technology informs sustainable behaviors and develops technical skills enabling students to present multiple solutions to everyday life situations. It contributes to developing creative problem solvers and project managers well-equipped to deal with the multi-disciplinary nature of modern workplaces.

This course focuses on mirroring the VCE assessment requirements for the school assessed coursework and school assessed tasks resulting in the development of a design folio centered around a given design brief, the production evaluation of a functional product.

It enables students to explore and gain further understanding of the demands of the VCE study design for Product Design and Technology, through the investigation and adoption of the design process as a methodology.

The course provides students with the pre-requisite skills and understanding required to potentially achieve a high score in this study prior to its commencement.

Year 10 Drama is offered in both Semester 1 and Semester 2. While there are slight differences with the scripts used and selection of professional performances to attend as part of excursions, the two courses cover the same key skills and knowledge.

In Performance Project 1, students undertake study into both Drama and Theatre Studies.

In the Drama part of the course, students will work in small groups to devise performance inspired by key stimulus materials and prescribed structures. Students will develop works that incorporate various theatre styles and design elements. Students in this course will develop key skills and knowledge in the playmaking techniques of research, brainstorming, improvisation, scripting, editing, rehearsing and refining. Students will also attend a professional Drama performance to analyse.  

In the Theatre Studies component, students will work with a professional script and develop key skills and knowledge of dramaturgy and learn to develop a work from the page to the stage. They will produce a piece of theatre for an audience and will have a choice to work in a number of production roles such as acting, direction, set design, lighting design, sound design and costume design. Students will also attend a professional Theatre performance to analyse. 

The purpose of this course is to provide students will an understanding of both VCE Drama and VCE Theatre Studies before commencing VCE. 

Year 10 Drama is offered in both Semester 1 and Semester 2. While there are slight differences with the scripts used and selection of professional performances to attend as part of excursions, the two courses cover the same key skills and knowledge.

In Performance Project 2, students undertake study into both Drama and Theatre Studies.

In the Drama part of the course, students will work in small groups to devise performance inspired by key stimulus materials and prescribed structures. Students will develop works that incorporate various theatre styles and design elements. Students in this course will develop key skills and knowledge in the playmaking techniques of research, brainstorming, improvisation, scripting, editing, rehearsing and refining. Students will also attend a professional Drama performance to analyse.  

In the Theatre Studies component, students will work with a professional script and develop key skills and knowledge of dramaturgy and learn to develop a work from the page to the stage. They will produce a piece of theatre for an audience and will have a choice to work in a number of production roles such as acting, direction, set design, lighting design, sound design and costume design. Students will also attend a professional Theatre performance to analyse. 

The purpose of this course is to provide students will an understanding of both VCE Drama and VCE Theatre Studies before commencing VCE. 

Unit 1: This unit investigates how people have responded to specific types of hazards and disasters. Hazards represent the potential to cause harm to people and or the environment, whereas disasters are defined as serious disruptions of the functionality of a community at any scale, involving human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts. Hazards include a wide range of situations including those within local areas, such as fast-moving traffic or the likelihood of coastal erosion, to regional and global hazards such as drought and infectious disease.

Students undertake an overview of hazards before investigating two contrasting types of hazards and the responses to them.

Students undertake fieldwork and produce a fieldwork report using the structure provided.

Unit 2: In this unit students investigate the characteristics of tourism: where it has developed, its various forms, how it has changed and continues to change and its impact on people, places and environments, issues and challenges of ethical tourism. Students select contrasting examples of tourism from within Australia and elsewhere in the world to support their investigations.

Students undertake fieldwork and produce a fieldwork report using the structure provided.

This course focuses on the growth of cities around the World both in LEDCs and MEDCs. Students study the reasons behind this exponential growth through various cases studies, with a focus on Asia and South America in the Developing World and Australia in the Developed world. Students also study the theories behind Urbanisation including modelling such as Burgess (Concentric Zones), Hoyt (Sector) and Harris & Ullmann (Multiple Nuclei); Hierarchies and Central Place Theory (Christaller). Particular emphasis is put on problems facing cities and future possibilities and solutions.

The following is a list of the key issues within urbanisation that students will study:
• Understand of the origins of the city
• An understanding of Urban/Rural shift
• What is the desirability of cities?
• A case study focus on world cities such as London, New York, Paris, Mumbai, Shanghai and Rio de Janeiro
• Conduct research on their own ‘World city’
• An understanding of Australian Cities
• A focus on ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ and the Melbourne 30 year plan
• The future sustainable city
• The theories behind Urbanisation. Urban modelling: Burgess, Hoyt and Harris & Ullmann
• Hierarchies and Central Place Theory

The Future for the Planet follows the requirements of the Australian National Curriculum for Geography. The course is divided into two units. In Term One students study Environmental change and management. In Term two they look at the Geographies of well-being.

In the first unit of work students study the following:
• Environmental changes that challenge sustainability. Climate change and global warming
• The environmental worldviews of people and their implications for environmental management.
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ approaches to custodial responsibility and environmental management in different regions of Australia.
• The application of systems thinking to understand the causes and likely consequences of the environmental change being investigated.
• The application of geographical concepts and methods to the management of the environmental change being investigated.
• The application of environmental economic and social criteria in evaluating management responses to the change.
Finally, students must then select one of the following types of environment as the context for an study: land, inland water, coast, marine or urban. A comparative study of examples selected from Australia and at least one other country should be included.

For the study of the Geographies of Human Populations students study the following:
* The different ways of measuring and mapping human well-being and development and how these can be applied to measure differences between places.The different ways of measuring and mapping human well-being and development and how these can be applied to measure differences between places.
• The different ways of measuring and mapping human well-being and development and how these can be applied to measure differences between places.
• The reasons for spatial variations between countries in selected indicators of human.
• The issues affecting the development of places and their impact on human drawing on a study from a developing country or a region in Africa, South America or the Pacific Islands.
• The reasons for and consequences of spatial variations in human well-being on a regional scale within India or another country the Asia region.
• The reasons for and the consequences of spatial variations in human in Australia at the local scale.
• The role of international and national government and non-government initiatives in improving human well-being in Australia and other countries.

This course continues to give the boys the opportunity to learn about cooking both in theory and practical. The focus is on preparing and presenting dishes using a range of methods and current trends to ensure optimum nutrient content. New ingredients are introduced, whilst continuing to cook healthy dishes.

During the course, topics such as food costings, calculations and sustainability are included. The boys will investigate the causes of food spoilage when preparing, cooking, and storing food. The first project involves the students cooking with a range of different herbs and spices, and the second project requires the boys to work in a small group to design and produce a healthy biscuit. In the kitchen, a reflection journal is built-up over the semester, table settings and dining etiquette are also delivered.    

This course focuses on developing and extending skills in the use of digital video (DV) equipment and the stages of film production. Students will learn about, and use to a high standard, industry standard software (Adobe Premiere Pro) and hardware, focussing on both sound and video recording equipment and their uses. 

The theoretical component to the course observes the basic fundamental knowledge and rule book for beginner film makers. As the course progresses, students will delve deeper into the progressive and innovative story telling techniques that famous directors and actors have utilised in their film-making tool box. 

Throughout the course, students will gain a practical learning experience through the exploration of editing techniques, effective and creative use of cameras for storytelling, lighting, audio and green screen technology. The final project will enable students to explore their own interests in aspects of film making of their choosing. 

During the course, students may have one or more visits from Melbourne based professional film makers who will talk about their experiences in the film making industry and outlining potential career pathways for future film makers. 

This course focuses on key aspects of installation, configuration and troubleshooting of common operating systems including Windows and Ubuntu Linux. Server-based operating systems including Windows Server are also investigated in relation to networking. As well as using operating systems, students will learn to setup and configure peer-to-peer and client-server networks.

It enables students to explore and gain further understanding of how common operating systems control the functions of a computer and how they can be installed and configured to suit the needs of various users.

There is no assumed knowledge for this course, but it is useful to have completed the Computer Building and Maintenance unit.

The course provides students with skills in installing and configuring operating systems and networks.

This course focuses on introducing or extending students who are interested in learning how to program both applications and games. Students who are new to programming learn programming basics through a series of tasks in the Microsoft Small Basic programming language before moving on to extended projects. More experienced programmers may elect to study a new language of their own choosing or extend their knowledge and skills in an existing language through a project negotiated with their teacher. There may also be the opportunity to explore Augmented Reality via Unity or for HoloLens and Robotics with the NAO bots.

It enables students to explore and gain further understanding of problem analysis and analytical thinking through the investigation of common programming structures and methods of solving problems as well as how to design usable interfaces.

The course provides students with an understanding of the use of variables, loops, conditional statements and arrays. Students will also be taught how to document and test their programs. It provides a good basis for students interested in studying VCE Software Development.

This unit is the same as the Programming course run at Year 9.

This course introduces the concept of the ‘Internet of Things’ to Year 10 students and how they can create physical devices which gather and respond to data. This is the principle behind ‘wearables’ like FitBit bands and the new generation of smart wrist ‘watches’. The course combines an understanding of a variety of sensor inputs (such as light, pressure, sound, temperature) and how these can be interpreted to generate outputs (like the movement of a servo or motor, activating lights or playing music).  

To enable the devices to work, students need to explore simple programming principles and will use a text based programming environment to write code and upload it to the physical devices.

The intent is for students to design and develop their own projects to create a prototype electronic product, under guidance, based around the Sparkfun Photon kits or similar.

There are no specific prerequisites, but it would be helpful to have completed Future Technologies or another programming course in Year 9. An aptitude for programming is recommended.

This course provides excellent preparation for VCE Systems Engineering. It also leads into any of the other VCE Applied Computing courses at Years 11 and 12.

This course investigates combinatorics, number theory, algorithms, data structures and basic programming.

This subject covers systematic methods for analysing real-world problems and identifying the salient aspects that need to be modelled as the basis for finding a solution. It explores the design of algorithms to solve these problems, resulting in a powerful approach to manipulating, and reasoning about, structured information.

This course will help students to gain skills in articulating and solving challenging problems by hand. Students will also develop skills in computer programming using Python, which will require them to formulate algorithms so that they can tackle large scale problems that cannot be solved by hand. It provides a good basis for students interested in studying VCE Algorithmics.

David Greenwood

Students investigate key solo and group music performance techniques, progress aural and musicianship skills and develop their repertoire on their chosen instrument/sound source. Through solo and ensemble performances, workshops and seminars, specific techniques and skills are applied within a practical environment. Students engage with music as a performer, listener, and composer to create, interpret, arrange, analyse, and improvise using a variety of music technologies.

Students will prepare and perform accompanied and unaccompanied musical works to develop technical control, expression, and stylistic understanding on their chosen instrument/sound source. They create (arrange, compose, or improvise) short music exercises that reflect their understanding of the organisation of music and the processes they have studied. Students develop knowledge of music language concepts as they analyse and respond to a range of music, becoming familiar with the ways music creators and performers treat elements of music and concepts and use compositional devices to create works that communicate their ideas. Students will study a broad range of units including, but not limited to, solo and ensemble performance techniques, composition, arranging and improvisation as well as aural and musicianship studies. This subject draws on elements of the VCE Music Performance 1 and 2 subject.

Students can present on any instrument or combination of instruments in a wide variety of styles, including but not limited to Western Art Music genres,  jazz, blues, World Music, EDM, rock, pop, country, hip hop, funk, and R&B. Performance workshops and rehearsal sessions allow students to explore any or all of the above styles and genres, whilst developing technical and ensemble skills to help prepare for performances.

Using industry standard hardware and software, students will study the roles of the producer, engineer, and performer in the recording process.

Students will understand the correct use and role of microphones, investigate the physics of sound and digital audio, understand the music production process and audio engineering basics as well as how to effectively manage a recording session. Specific topics include the use of EQ, application of compression and best techniques to record a variety of instruments. Projects include recording and mixing a drum kit as well as a contemporary ensemble. On completion of the course students will have a theoretical and practical knowledge of fundamental music production techniques. This subject is informed by aspects of the Certificate II in Music Industry.

The Course focuses on the function and complexities of the human body and how this relates to exercise and sport performance.

It enables students to prepare for VCE Unit 1 and 2 Physical Education by studying various body systems and how to enhance the performance of these systems. Students will learn to analyse fitness components of various sports, explore exercise fuels and recovery, and prescribe training programs accordingly.

The course provides students with laboratory experiences that transfers understanding from the classroom to direct practical activities. Students explore different components of health related and skill related fitness to plan and undertake a personalised program for improving or maintaining physical activity and fitness levels for a sport of their choice. Research tasks on physiological concepts will contribute to the development of the students’ abilities to think clearly and to express ideas, orally and in writing, with clarity and logic.

This course focuses on the physiological, biomechanical, and psychological factors that affect sport performance and help students determine the required steps to reach their individual sporting potential.

It enables students to be self-directed learners, forming and justifying opinions on how to improve personal sporting performance and communicating findings in both written and spoken forms. Students will become familiar with the rigours of Unit 3 and 4 Physical Education examinations and assessment and develop skills that will be used in higher education.

The course provides practical testing and knowledge of skill acquisition, energy system usage, acute responses, and chronic adaptations to exercise as well as biomechanical and psychological influences on sports performance. Using this knowledge, students will generate their own key questions that relate to their personal sporting context by collecting and analysing data form a range of sources. 

VCE Psychology is designed to enable students to explore the complex interactions between thought, emotions, and behaviour. They develop an insight into biological, psychological, and social factors and the key science skills that underpin much of psychology. VCE Psychology is designed to promote students’ understanding of how society applies such skills and psychological concepts to resolve problems and make scientific advancements. The study is designed to promote students’ confidence and their disposition to use the information they learn in the study in everyday situations.  

Studying VCE Psychology enables students to develop their capacity to think, question and analyse psychological research and critically reflect on the findings of experiments and research. They are encouraged to use their problem-solving skills, including critical and creative thinking, to establish and articulate their understandings through their class discussions, practical work, and written responses – all of which may help students to think deeply and critically about their own lives, manage life circumstances and reach personal goals.

Students who study VCE Psychology can consider a pathway within this discipline that can lead to a range of careers and roles that work with diverse populations and communities. Areas that registered psychologists may work in include clinical, developmental, educational, environmental, forensic, health, neuropsychology, sport and exercise, and organisational psychology. Psychologists can also work in cross-disciplinary areas such as academia and research institutions, medical research, management and human resources, and government, corporate and private enterprises, or as part of ongoing or emergency support services in educational and institutional settings. Students exposed to the study of VCE Psychology recognise the diverse nature of the discipline and career opportunities within the field. These opportunities include careers and roles that do not involve being a registered psychologist, including roles in aged, family and child services; case managers; communications specialists; counsellors; community health and welfare roles; health services support roles; human resource specialists; managers; marketing and market research roles; office administration roles; policy and planning roles; probation and parole services roles; and social work and teaching roles.