VCE & IB
Choose from two leading senior qualifications
PLC is one of only a handful of schools that offers both the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and the International Baccalaureate (IB).
We encourage and support every girl to choose the qualification that best aligns with her learning style, interests and future goals.
The VCE
The VCE is the qualification that most students in Victoria receive upon satisfactory completion of their secondary education.
PLC offers an extensive selection of VCE subjects across all Learning Areas.
To achieve their VCE, students study six Unit 1/2 studies in Year 11 and five Unit 3/4 studies in Year 12. The VCE provides diverse pathways to further study or training at university or TAFE and to employment.
VCE Subjects
Business Studies
- Accounting
- Business Management (Units 3/4 only)
- Economics
- Politics
- Legal Studies
English
- English
- English As An Additional Language
- Literature
Health & Physical Education
- Health And Human Development
- Physical Education (Units 3/4 only)
Humanities
- Geography
- Australian History (Units 3/4 only)
- Revolutions History (Units 3/4 only)
- Modern History (Units 1/2 only)
- Classical Studies (Units 3/4 only)
Language Other Than English (LOTE)
- Chinese Second Language
- Chinese Second Language Advanced
- French
- German
- Indonesian Second Language
- Japanese Second Language
- Latin
Mathematics
- General Mathematics
- Mathematical Methods
- Specialist Mathematics
Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Psychology
The Arts
- Art Creative Practice
- Art Making and Exhibiting
- Music Contemporary Performance (Units 3/4 only)
- Music Repertoire Performance (Units 3/4 only)
- Theatre Studies
The IB
The IB Diploma is a two-year, pre-university certificate designed and administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). The IB offers a broad education incorporating all major disciplines.
The IB curriculum comprises six subject groups, and PLC offers a range of subjects to choose from across each of these groups. Students must choose one subject from each group to study over the two years.
IB Subjects
Group 1 – Language A Literature
- English
- Chinese
Group 2 – Language B Language Acquisition
- English
- Japanese
- Indonesian
- French
- Mandarin
- Latin
- German
Group 3 – Individuals and Societies
- Economics
- Geography
- History
Group 4 – Sciences
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
Group 5 – Mathematics
- Analysis and Approaches
Group 6 – The Arts
- Visual Arts
- Music
- Another subject from Group 3 or 4 may also be chosen
VCE or IB? Personalised program guidance to help students choose
Choosing whether to complete the VCE or the IB can be a hard decision. That’s why PLC provides every student with personalised support from a Careers Development Practitioner, who can help her select the pathway that best suits her learning style and career aspirations.
Both the VCE and the IB are accepted for tertiary entrance to Australian universities as well as renowned institutions in North America, Asia and Europe.
Extension opportunities
PLC provides opportunities for students to extend their learning. These include:
- Completing a Units 3/4 subject in Year 11
- Completing a university subject in Year 12
These opportunities, and any associated application processes, are discussed individually with students as part of their personal development and course planning.
Presbyterian Ladies’ College acknowledges the Wurundjeri, Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians, by God’s gracious providence, of the land on which our school stands.