About our courses

Learn more about the eligibility, entry requirements and typical durations for each level of study.

You usually undertake undergraduate study when you’re starting university for the first time or studying a completely new field. This is the level of study you should consider if you’ve recently completed secondary school or if you’ve already completed some training or TAFE study.

Bachelor’s degrees are the most common qualification studied by undergraduate students. These often have higher entry requirements than other undergraduate options, such as diplomas. Diplomas are good alternative course options if you’re unable to meet the entry requirements to start a bachelor’s degree. They can also act as a stepping stone into a bachelor’s degree program.

Bachelor’s degrees are generally studied over three or four years full time, while diplomas take one to two years of full-time study to complete.

Postgraduate study is further specialised study that you can take after you’ve completed a bachelor’s degree, or if you've undertaken significant training or work experience. This type of study is at a higher level than undergraduate study, and can combine coursework and research. Graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and master’s courses all involve a deeper level of specialisation than an undergraduate degree.

For entry into postgraduate study, you usually need to have completed a bachelor’s degree and possibly also some work experience in a relevant field. The entry requirements for a master's degree are usually higher than for a graduate certificate or graduate diploma.

UC's postgraduate courses have been specifically designed to be flexible, so if you enrol in a master's degree but decide not to continue to the full degree, you may receive a graduate certificate or graduate diploma for the work you've already completed. Alternatively, if you complete a graduate certificate and would like to further your studies, you can easily progress to a graduate diploma or master's degree.

Master’s degrees by coursework take one and a half to two years of full-time study to complete, while graduate certificates take six to 12 months, and graduate diplomas take around one to one and a half years of full-time study.

Graduate research and research qualifications like a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or professional doctorate are the highest level of university qualification. You’ll undertake highly focused and deep study of a specialised area and produce your original findings through a project or thesis.

For entry into graduate research programs, you'll need to have at least a bachelor’s degree. You'll usually need to also show you've completed some study by research and can undertake independent research at a high level. Entry into a master’s degree by research generally requires less experience than a PhD or professional doctorate.

Graduate research master’s degrees can take one and a half to two years of full-time study to complete, while a professional doctorate or PhD are the longest in duration at four to six years of study.

We also offer pathways programs for students who don’t quite meet the entry requirements to join UC straight away. If you're interested in studying, but don’t want to enrol in a full degree, there are options for single unit study and short courses too.

Before you choose your course, it's important to understand whether the career you’re after needs a specific level of qualification for entry. For example, some professions require at least an undergraduate degree before you can practice, such as teacher, accountant, engineer and physiotherapist.

Your qualification can also determine how far you’ll be able to progress in many professions, with some positions requiring a certain level of qualification before you'll be deemed suitable. You may need to have a master’s level qualification and a certain amount of professional experience before you can take the next step in your career or be considered for more senior roles.