Getting into postgraduate study
The qualifications and experience you need to get into different postgraduate programs vary considerably. Given the range of postgraduate qualifications available, the entry difficulty depends on which level you choose.
Generally speaking, the minimum entry requirement for any postgraduate study is successful completion of a bachelor degree or equivalent study (an advanced diploma will be enough in some cases).
Apart from that, the entry requirements and rules will depend on where and what you want to study.
Degrees of difficulty: what is usually required for entry
Postgraduate qualifications range from graduate certificates through to PhDs. The most popular qualifications are graduate certificate, graduate diploma and masters degrees.
In the higher education sector, entry to a graduate certificate or diploma will usually require successful completion of a degree. A degree in any field will often suffice, but some faculties and institutions require a degree in a relevant area. If this is a requirement, the qualifications will usually be called ‘postgraduate certificates and diplomas’.
If you want to enter a masters program, you sometimes need a four-year degree, which may include honours. In addition, relevant professional experience is a must in some areas. It will all depend on the field and the course level you choose.
However, you should also be aware that these are general rules only. The number of coursework programs has increased rapidly over recent years, so there are now more masters providers competing for students and many take people with good but shorter (3 year) academic records.
Plus, in contrast with undergraduate education, at postgraduate level you can expect a range of alternative selection criteria to be used. For example, many institutions will base their selection partly on interview, or recognise other aspects of a person’s career or background in order to admit them to programs, even if they do not have the education level specified in the program guide. This gives you an extra chance to prove that you are the person for the postgraduate place.
TAFE institutes and private higher education providers will usually have broader, more individualised entry criteria than universities.
Other selection methods
Other selection criteria are used in a range of specific fields to determine a student’s chances of success. In order to enter postgraduate business courses, for example, some institutions require that students take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT).
In creative arts you can expect to attend interviews, do auditions and present folios where relevant.
Interviews are far more common across the board at postgraduate level so be sure to make the most of your time to shine!
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