Description of Australian Higher Education Qualifications

Diploma

Only a very small number of Diplomas are offered as higher education awards. They are usually terminal awards with an applied focus, providing general or specialized training for employment at the para-professional level. Entry requirements are variable depending on the purpose and nature of the program. Most Diplomas require one year of full-time study or part-time equivalent although a few require two years.

Advanced Diploma

Only a few Advanced Diplomas are offered as higher education awards. An Advanced Diploma usually comprises units from a Bachelor degree program, providing an early exit point with a stand alone qualification but with the option of continuing to the Bachelor degree. Entry is usually based on normal university entry requirements, and most Advanced Diplomas require two years of full-time study.

Bachelor Degree

In the US, the Bachelor degree normally requires four years of full-time study, programs normally include a general education component and there may be some flexibility in the structure of the program, especially as regards the major and the requirements for upper division credits. The basic Australian Bachelor degree is of three years' duration, with specific requirements about the composition of the course, and the credits required at different levels, particularly in the major area(s) of study. Programs are normally relatively specialized with one or two majors and there is no general education component. Most universities use some form of semester credits, but there may be a good deal of variation within the system, with some semester subjects and some being year-long. It is not uncommon for subjects to carry different credit point weightings. The Australian Honors Bachelor degree with its specialized, research orientation has no counterpart in the mainstream US system, although some US universities offer special programs with a research orientation and thesis requirement.

Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma

Graduate Certificates and Diplomas are postgraduate qualifications below the level of Master degrees. They can involve the broadening of skills already gained in an undergraduate program or developing vocational knowledge and skills in a new professional area. The Graduate Diploma may also provide further specialization within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge.

Masters Degree

The Masters degree is a postgraduate qualification. A Masters degree may involve the enhancement of specific professional or vocational skills through directed coursework and/or research. Alternatively, a Masters degree may indicate the acquisition of in-depth understanding in a specific area of knowledge through research.

Doctoral Degree

Doctoral degrees are the highest level of postgraduate study. They usually involve a searching review of the literature, experimentation or other systematic approach to the relevant body of knowledge. An original research project is undertaken resulting in a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding and/or the application of knowledge within a discipline or field of study. A substantial and well-ordered thesis is prepared, demonstrating the relationship of the research to the broader framework of the discipline or field of study.