6. Courses of study

On this page:

6.1 - Courses of study

A course of study is:

  • a single course leading to a higher education award
  • a course recognised by the provider as a combined or double degree leading to one or more higher education awards; or
  • A FEE-FREE Uni Ready or enabling course [part 6.7] [HESA Schedule 1]
  • for the purposes of Part 3-3 and other provisions of HESA that relate to FEE-HELP assistance, a microcredential course.

6.2 - Higher education awards

A higher education award is:

  • a degree, status, title or description of bachelor, master, or doctor;
  • an award of graduate diploma or graduate certificate; or
  • any other award offered or conferred by a higher education provider under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), except awards offered or conferred for completing a vocational education training (VET) course of study [HESA Schedule 1]

The higher education award is the accredited award. The title of the higher education award is not necessarily the same title that appears on the student’s testamur. For example, a provider may have an accredited Bachelor of Engineering award, but the student’s testamur includes the student’s civil engineering major and may appear as a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil). In this case, the Bachelor of Engineering is the course of study. In other cases, a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) may be a different course of study to a Bachelor of Engineering and is, therefore, a separate award.

6.3 - Course specialisations or streams

Streams within courses are considered the same course only if they lead to the same qualification. Streams leading to separate awards are considered separate courses.

Example

If the following streams lead to the awarding of the same Bachelor of Arts qualification, they are treated as one course:

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Arts (History)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts)

If the streams lead to the awarding of three separate qualifications, they are treated as separate courses of study.

6.4 - Combined and double degree programs

A combined or double degree program that leads to two higher education awards, for example, a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws, is considered one course of study.

6.5 - Undergraduate courses of study

An undergraduate course of study is:

  • an undergraduate certificate
  • a diploma that is not accredited as a VET award
  • an advanced diploma that is not accredited as a VET award
  • an associate degree
  • a bachelor degree; or
  • an honours program

Some undergraduate courses of study are described as graduate entry courses because a student is required to complete a bachelor degree prior to enrolling in the course. Upon completing the graduate entry course, the student will receive an undergraduate award, rather than a postgraduate award, so the course is an undergraduate course of study.

Higher education providers are able to issue undergraduate certificate (UC) qualifications until the end of 2025. 

6.6 - Postgraduate courses of study

A postgraduate course of study leads to one or more of the following higher education awards:

  • graduate certificate that is not accredited as a VET award
  • graduate diploma that is not accredited as a VET award
  • masters degree; or
  • doctoral degree; and
  • does not lead to any other higher education award

The AQF includes a number of masters degree qualification types. The AIP mostly provides guidance in relation to non-research masters degree courses.

6.7 – FEE-FREE Uni Ready courses and enabling courses

FEE-FREE Uni Ready and enabling courses are courses of instruction provided to enable or prepare a person to be able to undertake a course leading to a higher education award, but does not include a course that:

  • leads to a higher education award in and of itself;
  • is accredited as leading to a VET award; or
  • the Minister determines it is not an enabling course [HESA Schedule 1]

A student can only be considered to be enrolled in a FEE-FREE Uni Ready course if the student is a Commonwealth supported student. Full fee paying students in these courses are considered to be enrolled in an enabling course.

While it is possible for students to receive credit towards a higher education award course for units of study undertaken in their FEE-FREE Uni Ready or enabling course, a course that consists primarily of units of study that lead to the higher education award that students are preparing to undertake, would not be FEE-FREE Uni Ready or an enabling course. This is because it would not be consistent with the intention of the definition in HESA.

Commonwealth supported students undertaking a FEE-FREE Uni Ready course do not pay a student contribution. To assist providers with the cost of providing places in FEE-FREE Uni Ready courses these courses receive a higher Commonwealth contribution amount of $18,278 in 2025.

For further information, please email fee-freeuniready@education.gov.au

6.8 - Non-award studies

If a student is enrolled with a provider in a subject or unit that may be undertaken as part of a course of study, a course of instruction, or a tuition and training program, but the unit, course or program is not being undertaken as part of a course of study, then the enrolment is on a non‑award basis [HESA Schedule 1].