Higher Education Qualifications
Associate degree
Duration - Two years
Completed following - Year 12 or equivalent, Certificate III or Certificate IV
Details - An Associate Degree is a short-cycle degree programme that will help you advance your career if you're already employed and don't have the time to finish a full Bachelor's degree. It can lead to a Bachelor's degree or prepare you for an Advanced Diploma in industry-specific training. The fundamentals or foundations of your field can be covered in an Associate Degree. It will cover the fundamentals of theory and allow you to hone your basic job-related skills.
Bachelor Degree
Duration - Three to five years (depending on program)
Completed following - Year 12 or equivalent, Certificate III or Certificate IV
A Bachelor's Degree is the basic qualification for admission into a profession. It will provide you with a formal body of information, as well as the underlying concepts and problem-solving strategies that you'll need to operate in the field. Your Bachelor Degree will improve your skills and expertise to the point that you can undertake postgraduate studies if you wish, with more content than an Associate Degree.
Bachelor Degree (Honours)
Duration - Four years
Completed following - Bachelor Degree
Details: - If you excel in your Bachelor Degree, your institution will grant you admission to another year of study, allowing you to graduate with honours.
Graduate Certificate
Duration - 6 months
Completed following - Bachelor Degree
Details - Your Graduate Certificate will either extend individual skills you already have from an undergraduate programme or expand your experience in a new field.
Graduate Diploma
Duration - One year
Completed following - Bachelor Degree
A Graduate Diploma will allow you to apply a body of knowledge in a variety of contexts in order to perform technical or highly skilled work, as well as serve as a stepping stone to further education.
Masters Degree (Coursework)
Duration - 1 to 2 years
Completed following - Bachelor Degree (Honours) or Bachelor Degree
Details - Standard coursework for a Masters Degree (coursework) will improve your experience in your profession. After completing a Bachelor's degree with honours, or two years after completing a Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree is completed.
Masters Degree (Research)
Duration - Typically 2 years
Completed following - Bachelor Degree (Honours) or Bachelor Degree
Details - A master's degree is a programme of independent research that can help you advance your career as a specialist in your field of study.
Doctoral Degree
Duration - Typically 3 to 4 years
Completed following - Masters Degree
Details - The Doctoral Degree is Australia's highest academic honour, and it is mostly a research programme with some coursework. The following are the three components of your Doctoral Degree:
A systematic approach to a body of information that includes a literature review, experimentation, or other methodical approach.
An original research project that contributes to the field's understanding and expertise.
A well-organized, substantial thesis that demonstrates a connection between the research and the field of study.