What Is a Graduate Certificate in Australia?

A Diploma (not a graduate diploma) and Certificate IV are vocational qualifications more likely to be provided by a TAFE or college than a university. The cost is generally lower than a grad cert, while the course is longer, giving you more bang for your money.

Drawbacks to the diploma and cert IV are the longer timeframe for completion and the fact that you don't come away with a university-level qualification. But, on the positive side, you don't need a degree or professional experience to be admitted. A cert IV or diploma may be a good choice if it qualifies you for a particular job you're targeting.

In the AQF classification system, a diploma is at level 5 and an advanced diploma is at level 6. A Certificate IV is at level 4. Cert IV courses may be slightly cheaper and shorter than diplomas on average.

Bachelor degrees are designed for people who haven't studied at university before, especially recent school leavers. Students who have just completed Year 12 don't normally meet the entry requirements for a graduate certificate. A bachelor degree is the natural choice for them.

For mature workers, especially those with a degree, it may be better to go for a graduate certificate if you can meet the entry requirements. You'll save time by doing postgraduate study instead of slogging through an undergraduate degree. Most bachelor degrees in Australia take three years of full-time study, whereas master's degrees take only 1.5 years.

A bachelor's degree is at AQF level 7, while a 4-year honours degree sits at level 8. Bachelor degrees are relatively cheap for Australians on a per subject basis because of government subsidies, especially Commonwealth Supported Places. International students face steeper tuition fees.

If you believe you can never have too much of a good thing, a graduate diploma may look attractive. In the graduate certificate vs. graduate diploma debate, length is the key issue.

At normally eight subjects long, a graduate diploma is double the length, double the learning, and double the cost of a graduate certificate.

On your resume, recruiters may not perceive much of a difference between a grad cert and a grad dip. But you'll know. Go for a grad dip if you genuinely want to improve your competency levels. The grad dip is also Level 8 by AQF standards.

Related: Graduate Certificate vs Graduate Diploma

Add another 4-8 subjects to a graduate diploma and you have a master's degree, a level 9 qualification. A master's is 3 to 4 times the duration and cost of a grad cert, depending on whether it's a 12 or 16 subject program.

The great advantage of holding a master's degree is that, in terms of educational attainment, you beat or at least match most competitors for jobs. A master's is considered the top educational qualification in many professional fields, with doctorates seen as more relevant to academia. Your skills and knowledge will be developed to the highest standard.