Undergraduate	Postgraduate
Bachelor	Graduate Certificate
	Graduate Diploma
	Masters (eg. MBA)
	Doctorate

The following qualifications are available at Australian universities and approved higher education providers.

Bachelor Degree	Minimum 3 Years
Bachelor Degree (Honours)	Graduate Diploma

The Bachelor degree is the fundamental university qualification and is the basic qualification for entry to the professions. Some professions may require additional vocational qualifications as a condition of entry.

Study involves acquiring a systematic and coherent body of knowledge, its underlying principles and concepts, and associated problem-solving techniques. The student develops the academic skills and attitudes to comprehend and evaluate new information, concepts and evidence from a wide range of sources. Also developed is the ability to review, consolidate, extend and apply the knowledge and techniques learnt.

Study usually involves major studies in an area where significant literature is available. Course content is to a significant depth and progressively developed to a high level, preparing students for further post-graduate study if desired.

A Bachelor Degree with honours takes an additional year after a Bachelor Degree. Honours may also be granted where outstanding achievement is recorded in a Bachelor Degree course of four or more years.

Graduate Certificates

6 Months

The Graduate Certificate typically involves broadening individual skills already gained in an undergraduate program, or developing vocational knowledge and skills in a new professional area.

Graduate Diplomas

12 Months (1 Year)

The Graduate Diploma either broadens individual skills obtained in an undergraduate program or develops vocational knowledge and skills in a new professional area. This qualification can also be described as further specialization within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge.

Masters Degree

1 - 2 Years

The Masters Degree involves enhancing specific professional or vocational skills. The Masters Degree is typically gained by research or coursework or a combination. Study involves acquiring in-depth understanding of a specific area of knowledge usually by independent research.

A Masters Degree takes either one year after a Bachelor Degree with honours or two years after a Bachelor Degree.

Doctoral Degree

Typically 3 Years

The Doctoral Degree is the highest award offered by Australian universities. Although it is a research degree, some programs may have a course work component. There are three components to a Doctoral Degree:

• A searching review of the literature, experimentation or other systemic approach to a body of knowledge
• An original research project resulting in a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding and/or the application of knowledge within a discipline or field of study
• A substantial and well-ordered thesis, demonstrating the relationship of the research to the broader framework of the discipline or field of study