Australian qualifications sit on one national framework, the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), so a bachelor’s or a master’s means the same level wherever you study. Knowing exactly which qualification you are applying for matters: it decides how long you study, what you can do next and, later, which graduate visa you may be able to apply for.
Australian qualifications explained
These are the qualifications and programmes you will meet in this guide, from English courses to master’s degrees. Universities, university colleges and other higher-education providers award degrees; vocational (VET) colleges and TAFE institutes award certificates and diplomas.
Bachelor’s degree
An undergraduate degree, usually three years (four for engineering, some health degrees and honours). You choose a major; many degrees include work-integrated learning or placements.
Master’s degree (coursework)
A taught postgraduate degree after a bachelor’s, usually one, one and a half or two years depending on your previous degree. Students with a related bachelor’s often receive credit and finish sooner. Master’s by research are research degrees with a supervisor.
Graduate certificate and graduate diploma
Shorter postgraduate qualifications: a graduate certificate is usually six months and a graduate diploma one year. They can count as credit towards a master’s at the same institution, but they are not master’s degrees.
Diploma (university pathway)
At a university’s pathway college a diploma is usually taught as the first year of a bachelor’s. If you pass with the required grades you continue into the second year of the degree.
Foundation programme
A preparation year before a bachelor’s for students whose school certificate is not accepted for direct entry. It is not an AQF qualification; passing it with the required results gives you entry to the first year of a degree.
Vocational qualifications (VET)
Practical, career-focused courses at vocational colleges and TAFE institutes: Certificate III and IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma. Some diplomas give credit into a related bachelor’s.
English courses (ELICOS)
English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students. General English and English for Academic Purposes (EAP); many universities accept their own EAP course in place of IELTS for entry when you pass it.
Packaged study
One offer can package English, a foundation or diploma and the degree. You still have to pass each stage; a package is not a guarantee of entry to the next one.
Source: Australian Qualifications Framework Council, “AQF qualifications”; Study Australia. Checked 25 October 2026.
The routes into an Australian degree
Every option in this guide carries one of these route labels. “Direct entry” means you start the degree itself. A pathway adds a preparation stage first; a combined offer does not turn a pathway into direct entry, and progression always depends on your results.
English course (ELICOS)
- EnglishEnglish course (ELICOS)
- QualificationFoundation, diploma or degree
An intensive English course at a university English centre or an English college. An English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course passed at the required level usually replaces IELTS for entry to the university course that follows.
English courses can be packaged with the main course in one student visa. Ask us how many weeks of English a package allows for your score.
- Typical length
- 5 to 40 weeks, depending on your starting level
- Who it suits
- Students who meet the academic entry for a foundation, diploma or degree but not yet the English score
Foundation programme
- You haveSecondary school
- PreparationFoundation programme
- QualificationBachelor’s degree, year 1
A pre-university year of English, study skills and subjects linked to the degree you want, at a university or its pathway college.
You join the first year of the degree only when you meet the progression results the university sets for that degree.
- Typical length
- Two or three terms (about 8 to 12 months)
- Who it suits
- Students whose secondary school certificate is not accepted for direct entry to a bachelor’s, for example after 11 years of school
Diploma pathway into year 2
- You haveSecondary school
- PreparationDiploma at a pathway college
- QualificationBachelor’s degree, year 2
A diploma taught at a university’s pathway college that is equivalent to the first year of a bachelor’s, with smaller classes and more support.
Entry to the second year depends on your diploma results; competitive degrees can ask for higher grades.
- Typical length
- Two or three terms, then the rest of the bachelor’s at the university
- Who it suits
- Students close to direct entry, or who want a more supported first year
Direct-entry bachelor’s degree
- You haveSecondary school
- QualificationBachelor’s degree, year 1
You apply straight to the first year of the degree (or, with earlier university study, with credit into a later year).
- Typical length
- Three years (four for engineering and some health degrees)
- Who it suits
- Students whose school qualification and English score meet the university’s entry requirements
Vocational qualification (VET)
- You haveSecondary school
- QualificationCertificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma
A practical Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma at a registered vocational college or TAFE institute.
A graduate visa after a vocational course has its own, stricter conditions. Check them before you choose (see Applying, the student visa and work).
- Typical length
- 6 months to 2 years
- Who it suits
- Students who want job-ready skills, or a lower-cost first step before a degree
Graduate certificate or graduate diploma
- You haveBachelor’s degree or work experience
- QualificationGraduate certificate or diploma
A shorter postgraduate qualification after a bachelor’s (sometimes after work experience). It is not a master’s degree.
At many universities you can continue into the related master’s with credit. On its own a short course usually does not meet the two-year study requirement of the graduate visa.
- Typical length
- Six months (graduate certificate) or one year (graduate diploma)
- Who it suits
- Graduates who want a specialisation, or who need a first postgraduate step before a master’s
Postgraduate pathway programme
- You haveBachelor’s degree
- PreparationPostgraduate qualifying programme
- QualificationMaster’s degree
A preparation stage before a master’s at a university’s pathway college, for graduates who do not yet meet direct entry. The provider’s own name for it is shown in each profile.
You start the master’s only when you pass the pathway with the required results.
- Typical length
- One or two terms before the master’s
- Who it suits
- Graduates whose grades, background or English do not yet meet the master’s entry
Direct-entry master’s degree
- You haveBachelor’s degree
- QualificationMaster’s degree
You start the master’s itself. The length depends on your previous degree: a related bachelor’s often gives credit.
For the graduate visa, the study must add up to at least two academic years in Australia. A master’s of one or one and a half years alone may not be enough; we check this with you before you choose.
- Typical length
- One to two years
- Who it suits
- Graduates who meet the programme’s academic and English requirements