Tertiary qualifications
If you don't know the difference between an advanced diploma and a degree, don’t worry. There is a structured framework of accredited qualifications in Australia, which will help you to understand.
Having a nationally standardised system makes it easier for students to pursue their education, as there is a clear pathway to follow. It also makes transferring between different states/territories and universities much easier as there is no confusion caused by differing qualification titles and education levels.
The Australian Qualifications Framework
The AQF regulates all Australian qualifications and provides clear rules on the level of education each qualification title represents. Each qualification generally leads into the next qualification down the list (see below) in the education framework.
The AQF is made up of ten levels as follows:
|
AQF level |
Qualification type |
|
Level 1 |
Certificate I |
|
Level 2 |
Certificate II |
|
Level 3 |
Certificate III |
|
Level 4 |
Certificate IV |
|
Level 5 |
Diploma |
|
Level 6 |
Advanced diploma |
|
Level 7 |
Bachelor degree |
|
Level 8 |
Bachelor honours degree |
|
Level 9 |
Masters degree (research) |
|
Level 10 |
Doctoral degree |
The AQF includes qualifications in three main education sectors: the schools sector, Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector and higher education sector in a single framework, and provides guidelines about the links between them.
The accredited qualifications are shown below, grouped according to the sector in which they are most commonly issued.
|
Schools sector |
Vocational Education and Training sector (VET) |
Higher Education sector |
|
Senior Secondary Certificate
Note: Vocational |
Certificate I |
Diploma |
The AQF aims to:
- provide nationally consistent recognition of outcomes achieved in post-compulsory education;
- help with developing flexible pathways which assist people to move more easily between education and training sectors and between those sectors and the labour market by providing basis for recognition of prior learning, including credit transfer and experience;
- promote national and international recognition of qualifications offered in Australia.
Credit arrangements
The AQF also standardises credit arrangements for students progressing to higher qualification levels. Although credit needs to be negotiatied with the individual institution, the AQF recommends using the following credit arrangements as a guideline:
- 50% credit for an advanced diploma or associate degree linked to a three-year bachelor degree
- 37.5% credit for an advanced diploma or associate degree linked to a four-year bachelor degree
- 33% credit for a diploma linked to a three-year bachelor degree
- 25% credit for a diploma linked to a four-year bachelor degree.
Quality assurance
Accredited courses undergo a government administered process of review, either directly through relevant authorities or indirectly through universities which are appointed 'self-accrediting' entities.
Private colleges must register with the AQF to be eligible to offer higher education qualifications.
A list of all registered courses and providers; further information on AQF qualifications and learning pathways; and direct links to other relevant websites can be found on the AQF website. The information in the above article is based on the AQF website.
You can find a list of all recognised Registered Training Organisations, accredited courses and training packages on the training.gov.au website.
Further information
Contact the Australian Qualifications Framework Council Secretariat. Level 4, 11 Waymouth Street Adelaide SA 5001. Ph: 08 8226 2775 Fax: 08 8226 3071 Email: aqfc@saugov.sa.gov.au Web: www.aqf.edu.au
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