Calculus and Probability Online is an online course which covers similar material to the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subject Mathematical Methods 3/4, and provides a firm foundation for tertiary mathematics study. Calculus and Probability Online will satisfy the Mathematical Methods units 3/4 entry requirement for entry to the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Biomedicine and Bachelor of Agriculture at the University of Melbourne, as well as satisfying the Mathematical Methods 3/4 prerequisite for particular subjects within those degree programs.
This subject will not count for credit towards any degree program offered by The University of Melbourne.
Taking Calculus and Probability Online simultaneously with other full-time study such as Year 12 or full-time undergraduate studies is strongly not recommended.
Overview
Calculus and Probability Online comprises two modules - a Calculus module and a Probability module. Students may enrol in one or both of the modules, depending on their prior study. Note that Calculus and Probability Online does not count for credit towards any degree program offered by The University of Melbourne.
The Calculus module covers fundamental concepts about functions and their inverses including linear, quadratic, cubic, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions and their graphs; differentiation (including product, quotient and chain rules) and its applications (stationary points, tangents, normals, optimisation, related rates); integration (including definite and indefinite integrals and their properties) and its applications (areas under and between curves); limits and continuity; binomial expansion; polynomial division, and transformation of graphs.
The Probability module covers sets and Venn diagrams; factorials and counting methods; conditional probability and tree diagrams; discrete and continuous random variables (including Binomial and Normal distributions); cumulative distribution functions and simple discrete Markov Chains.
Note: This course does NOT use calculators either during the course or in the exam. There are NO multiple choice questions in the course or exam.
Annual intakes
This course runs three times a year:
- Summer intensive - January to February (6 week intensive)*
- Autumn (Semester 1) - March to May (9 week course)
- Spring (Semester 2) - August to October (9 week course)
Please see the generic course timetables for an overview of how each intake is structured.
*Students completing this subject in the Summer intensive period are unable to use their results to be considered for a Bachelor of Agriculture, Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Science Semester 1/Start Year Intake offer in the same year. Students will need to consider applying for admission to their preferred undergraduate degree in the mid-year intake.
Key dates
Dates for the Autumn 2026 offering:
- Registration opens 10 AM AEDT on Monday 9 February 2026
- Session Autumn 2026 course commences Monday 9 March 2026
- Registration closes on Monday 9 March 2026 at 11:59 pm AEDT
- Course runs for 9 teaching weeks
- Non-teaching week from Friday 3 Apr 2026 to Sunday 12 Apr 2026
- Autumn course finishes Friday 15 May 2026
- SWOT-VAC week from Monday 18 May - Friday 22 May 2026
- Exam on Monday 25 May 2026
- Some results can be prioritised for return by Wednesday 27 May 2026
- Most results returned by Monday 8 June 2026
Dates for the Spring 2026 offering:
- Registration opens 10 AM AEST on Monday 6 July 2026
- Session Spring 2026 course commences Monday 3 August 2026
- Registration closes on Monday 3 August 2026 at 11:59 pm AEST
- Course runs for 9 teaching weeks
- Non-teaching week from Friday 28 August 2026 to Sunday 6 September 2026
- Spring course finishes Friday 9 October 2026
- SWOT-VAC week from Monday 12 October to Friday 16 October 2026
- Exam on Monday 19 October 2026
- Some results can be prioritised for return by Wednesday 21 October 2026
- Most results returned by Monday 2 November 2026
- Registrations for the Summer 2026 offering will open in November 2026.
For VTAC (and international direct) applicants using this subject to meet a prerequisite for course admission: Students completing this subject in the Summer intensive period are unable to use their results to be considered for a Bachelor of Agriculture, Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Science Semester 1/Start Year Intake offer in the same year. Students will need to consider applying for admission to their preferred undergraduate degree in the mid-year intake.
Fee information
Calculus module: $660
Probability module: $330
Both modules: $990
Note:
- Payment can only be made using the booking link at the bottom of this page, and must be paid in full up-front.
- No discounts or payment plans are available. In particular, subject fees are not covered by Australian HECS - the full fee is payable on registration.
- Registrants who withdraw from the course before the start of the course will receive a refund of fees less 10% for administration.
- Registrants who withdraw from the course before the end of week 2 will receive refund of fees less 20% for administration.
- After the end of week 2, no refund of fees is available.
- Refunds will be made to the credit/debit card used for payment. We recommend that the credit/debit card used for payment remain valid until at least 3 weeks after the start of the course in case a refund is required.
- There are no course expenses additional to the module fees (e.g. no book or note purchases).
- Students will need to attend an online examination via Zoom, at the end of the course.
Entry requirements
This wholly online course is open to anyone, worldwide, and has no formal prerequisites. However, it assumes knowledge equivalent to the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subject Mathematical Methods 1/2 (MM1/2). You are strongly recommended to have completed that subject, or a subject equivalent to it, before attempting Calculus and Probability Online.
This course requires a considerable time commitment (see below), so taking Calculus and Probability Online simultaneously with other full-time study such as Year 12 or full-time undergraduate studies is strongly not recommended.
MM1/2 covers the following topics:
- Algebra (factorisation, expansion, solving equations, simplification, simultaneous equations, equation of a straight line);
- Functions and Graphs (domain and range; graphs of parabolas, general cubics and trigonometric functions; trigonometric exact values, unit circle & symmetry; transformation of graphs; logarithmic & exponential rules;
- Probability (simple and compound events; Venn diagrams; conditional probability and tree diagrams);
- Calculus (derivatives and anti-derivatives of simple algebraic functions and simple related applications).
You can test your MM1/2 knowledge by completing this test. You can see the answers, but try and do the test without looking at these first. A more comprehensive list of the content of MM1/2 is here: VCE Mathematical Methods 1/2.
It is the responsibility of each student to decide if their knowledge of the MM1/2 content is adequate to undertake Calculus and Probability Online.
Students who have not completed VCE Mathematics Methods 1/2 or an equivalent course may consider one of these alternative online courses, which do not require knowledge of MM1/2:
- The University of Queensland’s Pure Mathematics online bridging course. Successful completion of the Pure Mathematics online course will satisfy the VCE Mathematical Methods 3/4 entry requirement for undergraduate degrees at The University of Melbourne.
- Unilearn Senior Mathematics. A final score of at least 60% is required in Unilearn Senior Mathematics to satisfy the VCE Mathematical Methods 3/4 entry requirement for undergraduate degrees at The University of Melbourne.
Expected time commitment
This table gives indicative time commitments required for the course, noting that the time required will vary from person to person depending on factors such as their prior mathematical knowledge and skills, study skills, and level of achievement that they are aiming for.
| Module choice | Typical weekly time commitment required for Autumn and Spring offerings, over 11 weeks* | Typical weekly time commitment required for Summer offering, over 6.5 weeks** |
|---|---|---|
| Both modules | 14-18 hours/week | 23-30 hours/week |
| Calculus module only | 10-12 hours/week | 16-20 hours/week |
| Probability module only | 4-6 hours/week | 7-10 hours/week |
* 9 teaching weeks plus 1 non-teaching week in the middle of the term plus 1 week of study time before the exam
** 6 teaching weeks plus half a week of study time before the exam
Delivery mode
This course is fully online. Course content is provided through the Learning Management System (LMS). Online consultations require Zoom, so access to a computer with internet access and webcam (video and audio) is essential.
Choice of modules
Your choice of modules in Calculus and Probability Online will depend on your previous studies. The table below shows appropriate module choices for the main University of Melbourne degrees for students coming from the most frequent previous study backgrounds. For advice on choice of modules for other previous studies, you should contact mslc-approvals@unimelb.edu.au. If you are uncertain about your mathematical background, we recommend that you take both modules. Students completing Calculus and Probability Online for entry at other Institutions should seek advice from them.
| Previous Studies | Module(s) required for Bachelor of Science, Commerce or Biomedicine |
| VCE Mathematical Methods 1/2 | Both |
|
VCE Further Mathematics 3/4
(with a study score of at least 30) | Calculus |
|
VCE General Mathematics 3/4 (with a study score of at least 30) | Calculus |
| HKDSE Mathematics Compulsory Part only | Both |
|
IB Mathematical Studies (SL) (with a score of at least 4) | Calculus |
|
IB Applications and Interpretations (SL)
(with a score of at least 4) | Calculus |
| VCE Mathematical Methods 3/4 (with study score < 25) | Both |
| GCE O-Level Mathematics | Both |
| WACE Mathematics Methods 1/2 | Both |
| SACE Mathematics Methods 1/2 | Both |
Course process
The day after registration, you will receive an email containing the student course guide and instructions to gain access to the University of Melbourne Learning Management System (LMS) course site.
Each week of the course (6 in Summer and 9 in Autumn/Spring), course material will be released at the start of the week. Typically students will need to:
- Watch lecture videos and take appropriate notes
- Complete practice questions. The number of questions a student needs to do in order to master a particular topic will vary from student to student.
- Check their answers to the practice questions, and watch corresponding solution videos if necessary
- Complete and submit assignments
- Attend online consultations in Zoom for help as needed
Assignments are completed by hand and submitted online though the LMS. Students need to either save their work as a PDF file or scan it as a PDF in order to submit it. There are strict deadlines for the submission of assignments. Late submissions receive 0 marks. Assignments contribute 24% of the final mark. An examination for each module is held in the examination week and contributes 76% of the final mark.
This subject is not a technology-based subject, so no calculator is required, and it is not permitted to use a calculator in the examination. The examination is an online examination via Zoom. Supervisors will be provided to invigilate students during the Zoom examination.
On completion of the course, students will be emailed a certificate showing their mark for each module they have completed. Students must obtain a mark of at least 50% for a module for it to count towards the VCE Mathematics Methods 3/4 prerequisite at the University of Melbourne.
Timezone
University of Melbourne working hours are 9am-5pm Melbourne local time. Zoom consultations and the exam will be scheduled only during these times on University business days, and staff will generally not respond to emails outside these times. The Melbourne timezone is UTC+11 from approximately October to March, and UTC+10 from approximately April to September.
Contact details
Phone: +61 3 8344 0010 Office hours are Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Melbourne (Australia) time
Email: online-calcprob@unimelb.edu.au