Resources - Australian Education Qualification Types

Qualification Levels and Types

Australian University Qualifications
Bachelor degree - 3-4 years
Bachelor degree (Honours) - 4-5 years
Graduate Certificate - 6 months
Graduate Diploma - 12 months
Masters Degree - 1-2 years
Doctoral Degree (PhD) - typically 3 years
Note: The size of Australian universities vary between 3,500 students to 50,000 students.

Australian Colleges and TAFE Qualifications (Vocational/Careers Education)
There are 230 government funded TAFEs throughout Australia that provide practical training skills. Courses can vary from short 6 hour courses to 3 year full time courses. TAFE provides a useful a pathway entry to Australian universities, which is popular with many international students, as many TAFE institutes have agreements with certain universities allowing students to get credit for a portion of their studies undertaken at TAFE.
Diplomas
Associate Diplomas
Associate Certificates
Certificate I - 4-6 months
Certificate II - 6-8 months
Certificate III - 12 months
Certificate IV - 12-18 months
Diploma - 18-24 months
Advanced Diploma - 2-3 years
The vocational and education training sector is the largest provider of tertiary education courses in Australia. Close to 5% of students in this sector are international students.

English Course Qualifications
Both public and private institutions offer intensive study in Australia English language courses which prepare students for IELTS (International English Language Testing System), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), Univerity or just to improve their English. These courses are undertake at ELICOS centres, which are often attached to Universities, private colleges or TAFE. With flexible course times and no entrance requirements, this is even popular as a holiday course.

Foundation Studies Qualifications
Foundation studies programs generally take 12 months and prepare international students for undergraduate degrees or diploma courses at selected Australian universities. They are offered through selected institutions in most education sectors.

Secondary Schools Qualifications
Most schools are government run with the remainder being independent. Some schools offer boarding facilities from year 7 onwards. Senior secondary school is an important time in the students school life, as it comprises years 11 and 12. Students wishing to gain entry to universities, TAFE and other colleges must successfully complete year 12.

The Australian Education System

Australian Universities