First Year Diploma Programs

CRICOS course codes: Business Studies: 0100739 (NT), Information Technology: 0100740 (NT)

First Year Diploma programs are two semester courses that function as an alternative first year of an undergraduate degree at Charles Darwin University. The programs are for students who are close to meeting academic and English entry requirements but require some additional support for their first year of study.

Successful completion of the First Year Diploma program allows for direct entry into the second year of an undergraduate degree in Business, Accounting or IT.

Programs available:

• Diploma of Business Studies
• Diploma of Information Technology

Diploma of Business Studies

Successful completion of this program allows direct entry into the second year of the Bachelor of Business or the Bachelor of Accounting. All degree specialisations are available. Units replicate the content, delivery and assessment of equivalent degree units at CDU, along with specialised English language and academic support.

CDU Accounting courses are CPA-accredited – completion of the degree allows graduates to apply for membership of CPA Australia and the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).

Degree majors include:

• Economics
• International Human Resource Management
• Management
• Marketing
• (or double major – combining two of the above)

Course structure

• Two semesters, four units per semester
• 3 core units + 5 optional units
• All units have 6 contact hours per week
• Semesters are 13 weeks long (12 teaching weeks + 1 exam week)

Core Units

• Academic Literacies Through Exploring Sustainability
• Cultural Intelligence and Capability
• Business and Professional Communications

Optional Units (choose 5)

• Quantitative Analysis for Business
• Introduction to Management
• Fundamentals of Marketing (required for business stream)
• Introduction to Accounting (required for accounting stream)
• Introduction to Business Law
• Introduction to Management
• Business Economics

Diploma of Information Technology

Successful completion of this program allows direct entry into the second year of the CDU Bachelor of Information Technology degree program, a degree accredited by the Australian Computer Society (ACS).

Degree majors include:

• Information and communication Technology
• Network Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Computer Science

Units are aligned with the content, delivery and assessment of equivalent degree units at CDU, along with specialised English language and academic support.

Course structure

• Two semesters, four units per semester
• 3 core units + 4 IT Specialist units + 1 Optional unit
• All units have 6 contact hours per week
• Semesters are 13 weeks long (12 teaching weeks + 1 exam week)

Core units

• Academic Literacies Through Exploring Sustainability
• Cultural Intelligence and Capability
• Business and Professional Communications

IT Units (All required)

• Computing Fundamentals
• Software Now
• Statistics
• Operating Systems and Applications

Optional Units (choose 1)

• Quantitative Analysis for Business
• Introduction to Management
• Fundamentals of Marketing
• Introduction to Accounting
• Introduction to Business Law
• Introduction to Management
• Business Economics

Intakes & Fees

Entry Requirements

English requirements

To enter either of the First Year Diploma programs, students must achieve an IELTS overall score of 5.5, with no bands less than 5.0, or an agreed equivalent.

Academic requirements

A breakdown of all academic requirements by country is available by clicking here.

Age requirements

The minimum age for entry to the First Year Diploma programs is 17.