Higher Education Australia

*This information serves as a rough guide only. References to course length are approximate only and any degree completion required for postgraduate study must be a degree which is recognised in Australia. Further information should be obtained from each institution offering the qualification.


Associate Degree or Advanced Diploma

These qualifications are awarded on completion of a course at a semi-professional level and are offered either through vocational education & training or higher education institutions. They may provide entry to a Bachelor Degree, with credit of up to 2 years.

Course lengths: 1 to 2 years


Bachelor Degree

Australian’s who want to gain entry to an Australian University must complete either 12 years of Secondary School Education and pass their Senior Secondary Certificate of Education or meet stringent mature age entry requirements. Mature age entry requirements are generally based on a persons work experience or other training and certificates which relate to the course they are seeking entry to. An applicant must typically be aged 21 years and over to apply to Higher Education institutions for entry to an undergraduate Bachelor Degree on these grounds.

To gain entry to an Australian university program, international students do not need to have completed an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate, however they must be able to provide evidence to support that they do have an equivalent Year 12 level qualification.

Course lengths: 3 to 5 years


Graduate Certificate

To complete a Graduate Certificate course you need to carry out postgraduate coursework or research and must hold a Bachelor Degree. Relevant and extensive work experiences will be sufficient to meet the entry requirement in some instances.
 
Course lengths: 3 months to 1 year


Graduate Diploma

Like a Graduate Certificate, to obtain a Graduate Diploma you must conduct postgraduate coursework or Research and possess a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate. In some cases, extensive and relevant work experience will meet the criteria for acceptance into these courses.
 
Course lengths: 6 months to1 year


Masters Degree

A Masters Degree involves postgraduate coursework or Research and the successful achievement of a Bachelor Degree.

Course lengths: 1 to 3 years


Doctoral Degree

A Doctoral Degree is at the pinnacle of Higher Education and involves the highest level of postgraduate research which sometimes is funded externally and pays the participant a small income.

You must have finished either:

• an undergraduate Bachelor Degree with Honours
• a Masters by Research program
• a Bachelor ‘s degree with extensive and relevant research experience.  

Course lengths: 3 to 5 years