The Bridge Program

In 2021 St Columba formed an exciting partnership with Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie, which has led to the creation of The Bridge Program.

The Bridge Program allows SCAS students to experience university study at Charles Sturt University with a choice of subjects offered across each faculty. Successful achievement may allow students to gain credits towards further study of subjects in a degree course at Charles Sturt University on completion of Year 12.

In 2021, students in Year 10 and 11 were offered the opportunity to complete the unit “GEN 173 – Preparing for University Study” as a prerequisite for single subject study. This unit is mandatory for those students wishing to continue the Bridge Program in Years 11 and 12. This subject gave our students a taste of what it’s like to study at CSU and prepared them for the academic requirements of an undergraduate degree.

The focus of the course is on students acquiring foundational knowledge and the applied skills necessary for academic success, including time management, academic integrity, basic computer literacy, independent learning skills, and career planning. The course will improve students’ familiarity with the university system and boost their confidence in undertaking their chosen undergraduate degree.

Subject courses are offered on campus and online, and include subjects such as An Introduction to Research, Ethics and Reasoning, Business Economics, Organisations and Management, Digital Media, Foundations of Psychology, Introduction to Database Systems and An Introduction to Intelligence.

The Bridge Program will aim at ensuring that our graduates have access to tertiary study and are fully prepared for university learning. This is a first for a regional school in Australia and will offer our students an ideal platform for the next stage of their learning and career development.