In addition to its on-campus courses, the university offers an extensive distance education program through the Distance Education Centre. Fully accredited diplomas and degrees, including postgraduate courses, are offered in the fields of applied science, business, computing, education, engineering, nursing, humanities and social sciences, medicine, psychology, social welfare, social work and visual arts.
More than 7000 students around Australia and over 1000 students overseas are studying for their Monash degrees from home. In addition, several thousand students are undertaking open learning units offered through the Distance Education Centre.
Distance education is a flexible mode of study which enables students to study at home when for family, work or geographic reasons they are not able to attend regular on-campus lectures. Distance education students study courses identical to those offered on campus. They follow a comparable program of study, satisfy comparable requirements and sit the same examinations as those sat by on-campus students. The distance education program, however, calls on a variety of instructional techniques to overcome the problems of not attending on-campus classes.
Students can expect to use study guides and additional material prepared by lecturers for independent study at home, in addition to textbooks and the usual library materials. Audio tapes, videotapes or computer software are also used in some subjects. Opportunities for lecturer-student interaction are provided through telephone contact, electronic mail, tele-tutorials and video-tutorials and, for those able to attend, weekend and residential schools on campus.
Most courses have no compulsory attendance requirements, but many subjects offer non-compulsory classes at weekend schools as an enrichment of the coursework that is provided off-campus.
It is important to note, however, that for some courses there are mandatory attendance requirements, and for some subjects (for example in applied science, engineering, psychology, social work and social welfare) a prescribed degree of attendance to complete the practical sections of the work is one of the conditions for the successful completion of the particular subject.
The university produces an annual guide to distance education courses, which details the courses and subjects available by distance education. The guide also provides details of admission requirements, how to apply, attendance requirements and student support systems.
While undertaking the greater part of your studies as an on-campus student, you might find the option of distance education attractive in allowing you to select from a wider range of electives on other campuses when you reach the upper levels of your course. Alternatively you may need to complete your course part-time because of a change in your employment, in which case distance education is an ideal mode of study.
For further information, telephone the liaison office of the Distance Education Centre at the Gippsland Campus on (051) 22 6274 or 9902 6274.
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