What Is A Graduate Diploma?
Like the Graduate Certificate, the Graduate Diploma is deemed higher than a Bachelor’s Degree. As such, to gain entry you must have graduated from a Bachelor’s Degree or Graduate Certificate prior to undertaking studies or have significant skills and abilities in the field of study to exceed that of a Bachelor’s Degree (through work experience for example). The Graduate Diploma qualifies you to apply a body of knowledge in a range of contexts for professional or highly skilled work and or further learning.
Duration: Generally takes one to two years to complete.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level: 8
About Diploma Courses
Diplomas are Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications, they prepare students with specialised knowledge and skills for advanced skilled or paraprofessional work and further learning.
- Diplomas are a higher than a certificate courses, but a step below degree courses (except for the Graduate Diploma, which sits a step above the Bachelor’s Degree and the Advanced Diploma, which is the same level as an Associate Degree)
- Diplomas are available in three levels, from lowest to highest, these are the Diploma, Advanced Diploma and the Graduate Diploma
- Diplomas generally take between one and two years to complete
- Diplomas are nationally recognised Australian qualifications
- Diplomas are typically delivered by Registered Trading Organisations (RTOs) and TAFE
- Diploma quality and overall standards are specified or ‘put forth’ by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
- Diploma quality and overall standards are regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), the national regulatory body for VET
- Diplomas cover a huge-range of disciplines including make-up, business, agriculture and hospitality
As diplomas are nationally recognised Australian qualifications, their standards (as specified in the AQF) are accredited, regulated and assured by ASQA. Furthermore, in order to deliver a diploma qualification, course providers must meet standards maintained by ASQA called the ‘Standards for Registered Trading Organisations (RTOs) 2015’. These standards are used to ensure national consistency of training and assessment for certificate courses. This means that diploma courses are of the same quality standard, value and assured recognition, regardless of where you earn them.
Useful Links
- To learn more about nationally recognised (accredited) qualifications, click here.
- To learn more about each accredited post-school qualification, click here.
- To learn more about the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), click here.
- To learn more about the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), click here.
- To learn more about the education providers who can deliver the Certificate I, click here.
