Levels of Study

Certificate I/II

The normal additional entry requirements for certificate I/II (level 1) courses are:

at least 16 years of age (18 for overseas students); and
ability to read and write in English comparable with an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) result of 5.5.
satisfactory completion of Year 11 in an Australian secondary school, or equivalent, would normally be required.

Certificate III/IV

The normal additional entry requirements for certificate III/IV (level 2) courses are:

at least 16 years of age (18 for overseas students); and
ability to read and write in English comparable with an IELTS result of 6.0.
satisfactory completion of Year 12 in an Australian secondary school, or equivalent, would normally be required.

Diploma and Bachelor Degree Courses

The normal additional entry requirements for diploma and bachelor degree courses include:

ability to read and write in English comparable with an IELTS result of 6.0; and
at least 17 years of age (18 for overseas students); and
satisfactory completion of Year 12 in an Australian secondary school, or equivalent, except in the case of mature-age applicants.
a recognition of prior learning (RPL) process may be used to assess whether an applicant has an adequate academic foundation to be granted entry into a course.

Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma Courses

Entry into graduate certificate/diploma courses requires a recognised bachelor degree, or approved equivalent. Generally, there are restrictions as to the nature of the undergraduate qualification that will be accepted and, where these apply, they are specified in the individual course descriptions.

A standard semester module at level 1 entails about 64 hours of work in total and is worth 2 credit points.

A standard term module at this level, entailing 32 hours of work, is worth 1 credit point.

One year of full-time study at level 1 is worth 20 credit points.

For each standard semester module at level 1 there is normally a time allocation of 32 contact hours and 32 private-study hours. Usually, approximately 1,000-1,500 words of written work are required. Multiple-choice/short-answer tests are often included.

The written work required at this level is less complex than that at level 2.

Students are required to outline, explain, describe, summarise and apply basic understandings and concepts. For more practical modules, the ratio of practical to study time increases considerably, the total allocation of time is the same and the amount of written work varies.

Level 2 — Certificates III & IV, & Diplomas

A standard semester module at this level entails about 96 hours of work in total and is worth 4 credit points.

A standard term module at this level, entailing 48 hours of work, is worth 2 credit points. In most level 2 courses, one year of full-time study is worth 40 credit points.

For each standard semester module at level 2 there is normally a time allocation of 32 contact hours and 64 private-study hours. Generally, approximately 3,000-4,000 words of written work are required. Multiple-choice/short-answer/assertion and reason tests are often included.

The written work required at this level is more complex than that at level 1 and less complex than that at level 3. Students are required to explain, describe, discuss, summarise and apply a wide range of understandings and concepts.

For more practical modules, the ratio of practical to study time increases considerably, the total allocation of time is the same and the amount of written work varies.

Modules in the second year of level 2 diploma courses generally build on knowledge, understanding and skills gained in the first year of these courses and develop competencies to a greater extent than modules in the first year of these courses.

Levels 3 and 4 — Degrees, Graduate Certificates & Diplomas

Level 3 modules in the first year of a bachelor course are foundational and modules taken in each subsequent year build on knowledge, understanding and skills gained in the preceding year.

A standard semester module at level 3 or 4 entails about 160 hours of work in total and is worth 6 credit points.

A standard term module, entailing 80 hours of work, is worth 3 credit points.

One year of full-time study in most bachelor degree, graduate diploma or master degree courses is worth 48 credit points.

For each standard semester level 3 module in an ordinary bachelor course, there is normally a time allocation of 40 contact hours and 120 private-study hours.

At graduate level, where each module is taken at level 4, a similar amount of study time is required, but there is some variation in contact hours from module to module. Approximately 5,000-6,000 words of written work are required at level 3 and at least 6,000 at level 4. Those modules that are unique to graduate courses often require a considerable amount of supervised independent study and do not have as much contact time as modules in the first three years of undergraduate courses.

Some modules may be taken either as level 3 or level 4 modules. While the contact time is the same for both, the assignment work required at level 4 is generally more complex.

For more practical modules, the ratio of practical to study time increases considerably, the total allocation of time is the same and the amount of written work varies.

Level 3 courses require the development of a high standard of academic skill in reading, explaining, evaluating, discussing, critiquing, summarising, and synthesising information and concepts. These skills are further developed in level 4 courses.

Almost all level 3 and 4 modules entail tutorials, which are not generally included at level 1 or level 2. Some level 3 modules include final examinations. These are not normally included at lower or graduate levels.