Australian higher education institutions offer 2 types of higher education programs:
- academic
- professional – programs leading to degree level qualifications that allow for practice in a specific profession or occupational field.
Programs can be taken either full-time or part-time. Distance and online education has grown rapidly in recent years. In many cases, programs may be provided outside Australia (known as offshore or transnational education).
Diploma
The AQF Diploma is a para-professional qualification. Diplomas require 1 or 2 years of full-time study. It is a dual-sector qualification, offered in both the higher education and vocational education and training sectors.
In the higher education sector, Diplomas are based on an academic program with an applied focus, providing general or specialised training for employment at the para-professional level. Diplomas can articulate to Advanced Diploma programs. Diplomas can also provide advanced standing or credit transfer (usually 1 year) into a Bachelor Degree program.
Advanced Diploma
The AQF Advanced Diploma is a professional-level qualification. Most Advanced Diplomas require 2 years of full-time study. It is a dual-sector qualification, offered in both the higher education and vocational education and training sectors.
In the higher education sector, an Advanced Diploma has 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. Advanced Diplomas can provide advanced standing or credit transfer (usually 2 years) into a Bachelor Degree program.
Associate Degree
Associate Degree programs require 2 years of full-time study. Associate Degrees emphasise the introductory research-based knowledge of one or more academic disciplines and the development of generic employment skills. Associate Degrees can provide advanced standing or credit transfer (usually 2 years) into a Bachelor Degree program in the same field.
The Associate Degree and the Advanced Diploma are at the same level on the AQF. The difference is in the focus of the programs. Associate Degrees are more academically oriented, whereas Advanced Diplomas emphasise vocational or professional studies.
Bachelor Degree
Australian Bachelor Degrees are diverse and normally range from 3 to 6 years of study. There are several types of Bachelor Degrees including 3-year degrees, 4-year degrees, professional degrees, combined degrees and honours degrees. All Bachelor Degree programs must lead to the same educational outcomes as indicated on the AQF regardless of length or specific program requirements.
The Bachelor Degree is the first degree in the arts, sciences and most professional fields. Programs are designed to introduce students to a discipline and develop analytical skills. Bachelor Degree programs aim to prepare students to interpret new information and ideas and continue to apply and extend such techniques after graduation.
A Bachelor Degree program includes a significant amount of specialisation, with a major subject or subject area studied in depth. There is little in the way of general education components, which are covered at the secondary level. All Bachelor Degree programs involve a progressive development of knowledge, analytical skills and problem-solving techniques to an advanced level which provides a basis for postgraduate study.
The Bachelor Degree represented on the Australian Qualifications Framework includes all of the following types of Bachelor Degrees.
3-year Bachelor Degree
This Bachelor Degree requires 3 years of full-time study or part-time equivalent. Some examples include the Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc), and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBusAdmin). These programs are highly focused on the major field of study and do not have a significant general education component. Graduates can continue to postgraduate study or employment.
4-year (or longer) Bachelor Degree
Some Bachelor Degree programs are 4 or more years in duration. Apart from Honours Degrees this is most common in professional education, where additional time is required for professional preparation. For example, Bachelor Degrees in: law (LLB), engineering (BEng) and agriculture (BAgSc) normally require 4 years of full-time study; in architecture (BArch), dentistry (BDSc) and veterinary science (BVSc/BVS) normally require 5 years of study; medicine (MB BS) require 6 years.
Some universities offer 3-year Bachelor Degrees in professional fields, such as technology (BTech), jurisprudence (BJuris) and architectural studies (BAppSc-ArchSc), which provide professionally oriented education different from that of the 4-year BEng and LLB and the 5-year BArch.
Combined or Double Bachelor Degrees
Bachelor Degrees may be taken in a variety of combinations. Law degrees, for example, are often undertaken with arts, science or commerce degrees. An LLB/BA or LLB/BCom normally requires 5 years of full-time study or 6 years for Honours.
Bachelor Honours Degree
The term Honours Degree is usually used to distinguish this qualification from a 3- or 4-year Bachelor Degree. A Bachelor Honours Degree requires an additional year of study after a 3 year program. 4 or 5 year Bachelor Honours Degrees may be awarded on the basis of performance in the degree, or may require an additional year of study. Bachelor Honours Degrees involve specialisation in 1 subject, or in 2 for a Combined Honours degree. This is usually the subject the student majored in. Bachelor Honours Degrees are available in most, but not all, fields, depending on the university and faculty.
Students are admitted on the basis of outstanding academic achievement in the undergraduate degree program. The additional year normally involves specialised study and research, and the submission of a thesis.
In some professional fields, the Honours program can be integrated into the normal length of the Bachelor Degree. In this case, Honours Degrees are often awarded solely on merit, but in some cases additional work is required, usually in the final year. Generally this involves an integrated increased course load and/or short thesis but occasionally an additional year of study is required.
Bachelor Honours Degrees are awarded with the abbreviation ‘Hons’ - for example, BA (Hons), LLB (Hons) – and in a class or division – for example First Class or Second Class (Upper Division). Graduates with Honours in the First or Second (Upper Division) Classes may enter a Doctoral program directly.
Graduate-entry Bachelor Degree
A few Australian universities offer Bachelor Degrees which cannot be entered directly from school education. The majority of these degrees are professional qualifications in fields like architecture, law, education, medicine and social welfare. These are also known as Postgraduate Bachelor Degrees.
Graduate-entry Bachelor Degrees include:
- Bachelor of Architecture – offered as a 2-year, full-time course following a 3-year Bachelor Degree
- Bachelor of Law – offered as a 3-year, full-time course following a Bachelor Degree
- Juris Doctor (JD) – offered as a 2-year, full-time program for mature graduates with a Bachelor Degree from a field other than law
- Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (BMed/BSurg) – offered as a 4-year full-time program following a first degree and a special entrance examination
- Bachelor of Education – the Postgraduate BEd, BEd Studies or BSpecEd is a specialised professional qualification, requiring between 1 and 2 years of study after a 4-year BEd or a BA/BSc DipEd
- Bachelor of Letters (BLitt or LittB) – offered as a 1 or 2 year full-time program following a 3-year Bachelor of Arts degree.
Bachelor Degree program requirements
Bachelor Degree program structures and requirements depend on the major subject area, the department and/or faculty and the institution concerned. Detailed information can be found on institution websites.
Programs usually include mandatory core subjects, specialisation subjects and elective subjects. Requirements vary between universities, and sometimes between faculties within universities. Some programs are described in terms of courses, normally between 9 and 12, which correspond to subjects requiring 1 year of study. Other universities use points or credits, but there is no uniformity: requirements may be based on 20 to 24 points, 68 to 72 points, 100 to 144 points, 240 points, 300 points or 1080 points or credits for a Bachelor Degree.
Professional programs such as medicine normally have many compulsory core subjects, with few choices for specialisation or electives. In law, students have more opportunities for professional specialisation. In engineering, students specialise in a branch of engineering at an early stage in their undergraduate courses. Bachelor Degrees in commerce and business normally require completion of a range of core courses, with students having the option of specialising in a subject or subject area, particularly at third year level.
Bachelor Degrees in arts and science vary considerably in structure, but are generally more flexible. Universities normally require completion of at least 1 major specialisation which is studied over 3 years. Many students undertake 2 or even 3 majors over 3 or more years. Most universities have regulations concerning the minimum and maximum numbers of subjects to be completed at first-, second- and third-year levels.
Undergraduate study may involve lectures, tutorials, seminars, laboratory work, fieldwork or supervised practical work. The number of class contact hours per week varies according to the nature of the program of study.
Assessment usually involves examinations, performance in tutorials, seminars and laboratory work, completion of assignments, field or practical work, and individual or group research work. Bachelor Honours Degrees usually require a thesis.
Graduate Certificate
Programs leading to the Graduate Certificate are designed to develop skills in a specialised area. Graduate Certificate programs are coursework-based and normally require 1 semester of full-time study, or part-time equivalent.
Graduate Diploma/Postgraduate Diploma
Like the Graduate Certificate, the Graduate Diploma is a specialised, often vocationally-orientated award. Graduate Diplomas either develop new professional or vocational skills for graduates or extend the knowledge and skills gained in the first degree. Graduate Diplomas normally require 1 year of full-time study, or part-time equivalent.
Some institutions differentiate Graduate Diplomas from Postgraduate Diplomas. In this case Graduate Diplomas involve the development of new skills, with courses that may not be at a postgraduate level academically. Postgraduate Diplomas are intended to build on knowledge gained in the first degree.
A Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma may be awarded if a student completes postgraduate preparatory work such as a Master Degree qualifying year, but does not proceed to the degree course.
Master Degree
There are 3 types of Master Degree programs: coursework, research and professional. Most Master Degrees require 2 years of full-time study after a 3-year Bachelor Degree or 1 year of full-time study after a Bachelor Honours Degree or 4-year (or longer) Bachelor Degree.
Master Degree by coursework
A Master Degree may be undertaken by coursework, project work and research in varying combinations. Coursework Master Degrees are often structured in a 3 to 4 semester articulation arrangement, with the Graduate Certificate (one semester), Graduate Diploma (a further semester) and Master Degree (a further 2 semesters). Master Degrees with a major coursework component often have a professional or vocational orientation, but some are academic in orientation.
Master Degree by research
The research Master Degree program is at least two-thirds research with a substantial thesis, which is externally examined. It normally requires a minimum of 1 year of full-time study. The research Master Degree can lead to a Doctoral program.
Professional Master Degree
The professional Master Degree program may involve a work-based project and coursework. It normally requires a minimum of 1 year of full-time study. Professional coursework Master Degrees are often undertaken on a part-time basis.
Doctoral Degree
There are 3 types of Doctoral Degree programs:
- Research Doctorate
- Professional Doctorate
- Higher Doctorate.
A typical program requires 3 to 4 years of full-time study. Students are expected to make a substantial original contribution to knowledge in the form of new knowledge or significant and original adaptation, application and interpretation of existing knowledge.
Research Doctorate
Research Doctorates are by supervised research and an original thesis. The thesis is usually examined by 2 or 3 expert academics, at least 2 of which must be external.
Professional Doctorate
Professional Doctorates require significant professional practice either prior to or as part of the program. Students undertake a program consisting of both coursework and research.
Some universities award Professional Doctorates for programs with an orientation towards advanced professional practice, typically in fields such as education (DEd), business administration (DBA), psychology (DPsych), and law where the degree is often a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) to distinguish it from the higher Doctor of Laws (LLD).
Higher Doctorate
Most universities award Higher Doctorates such as the Doctor of Letters (DLitt), Doctor of Science (DSc), Doctor of Laws (LLD) and Doctor of Medicine (MD). Regulations for the award vary between institutions, and in many universities the award is restricted to scholars with a substantial connection with the institution.
In most disciplines, Higher Doctorates are awarded on the basis of published or unpublished work considered constituting a significant original contribution to the field of study. However, Higher Doctorates may be awarded on the basis of a thesis, especially in medicine, dentistry and law. Few Higher Doctorates are awarded in Australia, with the Doctor of Medicine the most common.
Some universities offer a limited number of programs leading to awards outside the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Executive Certificate
Executive Certificates are professionally-oriented programs which provide graduate-level introductory courses in business education for senior executives without a first degree. Executive Certificates are awarded by the faculty rather than the university. Executive Certificates with an average grade of ‘credit’ or above may provide transfer credit for up to 4 subjects towards a relevant university accredited Graduate Diploma.