What qualifications can I receive in a higher education?
Can I progress from a vocational education institution or TAFE to a higher education degree?
Where do graduates with a qualification similar to mine get employment?
Will my qualification be recognised overseas?
What is the AQF?
Fake degrees & unauthorised providers
Provider authenticity enquiries
What qualifications can I receive in a higher education?
The following provides a description of the various qualifications available from higher education providers.
| Qualification |
Description |
| Undergraduate awards |
| Bachelor Degree |
The main undergraduate award offered in higher education, which provides a broad theoretical understanding of the underlying principles and concepts relating to either a specific or general body of knowledge and which may prepare students for entry to particular professions and vocations. |
| Associate Degree |
An undergraduate award that provides a more specialised knowledge and skills base with depth in some areas. Commonly articulates to Bachelor Degree programs in the same or closely related fields. |
| Advanced Diploma |
An undergraduate award that provides a more specialised knowledge and skills base, including theoretical, technical, creative and conceptual skills. |
| Diploma |
An undergraduate award that provides a basic knowledge and skills base with depth in some areas, including the application of theoretical concepts and technical or creative skills. |
| Postgraduate awards |
| Doctoral Degree |
A postgraduate award that has an in-depth theoretical focus, involving an original research project, in a particular field of interest that falls under the broader area of interest previously studied. Resulting in a significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding in the chosen field. |
| Masters Degree |
A postgraduate award that has an in depth theoretical focus, usually involving coursework and/or research, in a particular field of academic interest or the enhancement of professional and vocational skills. |
| Graduate Diploma |
A postgraduate award that extends graduate specialisation by developing or broadening vocational knowledge and skills in a new or existing field of interest through an understanding, application and critical examination of principles, theories, models and methods. Develops practical experience in a chosen professional activity. |
| Graduate Certificate |
A postgraduate award that provides graduate specialisation by developing or broadening vocational knowledge and skills or recognises some practical experience in a particular field of interest through an understanding, application and critical examination of principles, theories, models and methods. |
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Can I progress from a vocational education institution or TAFE to a higher education degree?
A provision for entry into most bachelor degrees (except Honours) may exist if you want to transfer from a vocational education course of study to a higher education provider. This transfer may also include recognition of prior learning (RPL).
An increasing number of partnerships have been set up, between registered VET providers and higher education providers, to make the move from an industry qualification to a higher education qualification more efficient and effective. A full list of universities that have entered into these arrangements, is available at the Universities Australia (formerly Australian Vice Chancellors' Committee (AVCC)) web site.
See also: AVCC National TAFE-University Credit Transfer Schemes 
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Where do graduates with a qualification similar to mine get employment?
The Graduate Careers Council of Australia (GCCA) surveys university graduates each year in April and October. In these surveys graduates are asked questions such as whether they are employed on a full-time or part-time basis, their salary and their occupation. The information from these surveys is then published in the following reports:
- Graduate Destination Survey report (GDS)
- Graduate Starting Salaries report (GSS)
- Postgraduate Destination Survey (Postgrad)
The Grads Online website uses the GDS, GSS and Postgrad reports to provide details about what students graduating with the same or similar qualifications to you have done since finishing their qualifications including the earnings of some Bachelor degree graduates.
See also: Grads Online
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Will my qualification be recognised overseas?
Australian higher education qualifications are generally highly regarded internationally. The National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) provides comparisons between overseas qualifications and Australian qualifications. NOOSR produces a series of publications called Country Education Profiles (CEPs) with information and guidance on assessing the qualifications of the educational systems of over 100 countries.
See also: National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR)
For more information about whether your Australian qualifications will be recognised overseas you should visit the Database of Research on International Education web sites which provides a searchable web database containing details on various aspects of international education sourced from books, articles, conference papers and reports.
See also: Database of Research on International Education
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What is the AQF?
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), established in 1995, has two main objectives. These are:
- to provide agreed national guidelines for qualifications offered in Australian schools, vocational education and training (VET) and higher education
- to maintain a public register of:
- accredited Australian institutions and courses
- authorities empowered by Government to accredit post–compulsory education and training
See also: Australian Qualifications Framework
It is in your interest to ensure that you are studying nationally recognised qualifications from an accredited institution.
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Fake degrees & unauthorised providers
A growing number of companies, people or groups offer higher education courses and awards without accreditation (unauthorised providers) or offer for sales, higher education awards after little or no formal study, sometimes via the internet (fake degrees).
Only higher education courses & providers listed on the AQF are recognised by the Commonwealth, state & territory governments.
See also: Fake degree warning
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Provider authenticity enquiries
The following provides information about who you should contact if you have concerns regarding the authenticity of an Australian provider, or know of an unaccredited provider.
| If you … |
Then … |
| have any queries about the authenticity of an Australian institution, or institution representing itself as being from Australia. |
you should use the ‘Email Enquiry Service’ on the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) website.
See also: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) website |
| identify an unaccredited higher education provider that appears to be operating in Australia |
you can notify:
State and Territory Education Departments by mail or email, or the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations via:
highered@dest.gov.au
Quality Unit
Higher Education Group
PO Box 9880 (Location 022)
Canberra ACT 2601. |
See also: Fake degree warning
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