Who accredits AQF qualifications?
AQF qualifications are accredited by:
In higher education, the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) is the national accrediting body which:
- registers higher education providers and universities,
- accredits qualifications developed by non self-accrediting providers, and
- authorises universities and designated higher education providers to self-accredit their qualifications.
TEQSA maintains the National Register of higher education providers which lists all providers, including authorised self-accrediting higher education providers and the qualifications they are authorised to issue.
Self-accrediting higher education providers, such as universities, are authorised by TEQSA to accredit their own AQF qualifications.
If you wish to know more about a self-accrediting provider, click on the National Register of higher education providers. This will take you to the websites of universities and self-accrediting higher education providers where you also can search for the qualifications these providers issue.
In the vocational education and training sector there are three bodies authorised to accredit qualifications.
- The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) accredits qualifications and registers national providers and/or providers for international students.
- The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) accredits qualifications and registers providers operating solely in Victoria issuing qualifications only to Australian students.
- The Western Australian Training Accreditation Council accredits qualifications and registers Western Australian providers operating solely in Western Australia issuing qualifications only to Australian students.
Information on accredited qualifications in the vocational education and training sector can be found on the National Register on VET in Australia which is located on the training.gov.au website.
Where can I find out whether my provider is registered and whether my course is an AQF qualification?
If you are studying through a VET provider, you can find this information on the National Register of VET on the training.gov.au website.
If you are studying through a higher education provider, this information can be found on the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s website under the National Register of Higher Education Providers.
AQF qualifications can be found on the national registers listed above, unless they have been accredited by a self-accrediting higher education provider. If you are studying at a self-accrediting higher education provider, contact the institution or search their website to seek further information about their courses.
What are professional qualifications?
Professional associations or boards specify the qualifications required for professional practice. Some professional associations also accredit specific courses at institutions for entry into a particular profession. More information on this can be found by searching the website of the professional association for your field of study/profession.
How do I know if a qualification is an AQF qualification?
All AQF qualifications are quality assured through government accreditation processes. Education providers that issue AQF qualifications have been authorised to do so under law.
AQF qualifications are identified by inclusion of the AQF logo, or the words: This qualification is recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework.
In the higher education sector, AQF qualifications are accredited either by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), or by a self-accrediting higher education provider such as a university. Qualifications accredited by TEQSA can be found on the National Register. For institutions with self-accrediting authority, you will need to contact the institution for details of the courses they have accredited.
In the vocational education and training sector, qualifications are accredited by either the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) or the Western Australian Training Accreditation Council (TAC) and are listed on the National Register on the training.gov.au website.
How do I find an AQF qualification to suit my needs?
You can find programs of learning leading to AQF qualifications by searching:
- MySkills website which contains information about the AQF qualifications provided in the vocational education and training sector
- Course Seeker and Quality Indicators for learning and teaching website both contain information about the AQF qualifications provided in the higher education sector
- Courses and Qualifications via the Study Assist website.
What is a non-AQF qualification?
Non-AQF qualifications are those that are not government quality assured and not accredited by the Australian higher education or vocational education and training accreditation authorities. They should not have AQF qualification titles.
What are the titles and abbreviations of AQF qualifications?
AQF titles are outlined in the table below. Some further examples of abbreviations are below the table:
Qualification type | Title | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
Senior Secondary Certificate of Education | various according to state or territory – Higher School Certificate (NSW), Year 12 Certificate (ACT), Northern Territory Certificate of Education, NTCE (NT), Student Education Profile, SEP, or The Senior Certificate (QLD), South Australia Certificate of Education, SACE (SA), The Tasmanian Certificate of Education, TCE (Tasmania), The Victorian Certificate of Education, VCE and The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, VCAL (VIC), Western Australia Certificate of Education, WACE (WA), National Certificate of Educational Achievement, NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship Certificate (New Zealand). |
|
Certificate I-IV | Certificate (I-IV) (field of study/discipline) | Cert…(field abbreviated) |
Diploma | Diploma (field of study/discipline) | Dip…(field abbreviated) |
Advanced Diploma | Advanced Diploma (field of study) | AdvDip…(field abbreviated) |
Associate Degree | Associate Degree (field of study/discipline) | AssocD…(field abbreviated) |
Bachelor Degree | Bachelor (field of study/discipline) | B…(field abbreviated) |
Graduate Certificate | Graduate Certificate (field of study/discipline) | GradCert…(field abbreviated) |
Graduate Diploma | Graduate Diploma (field of study/discipline) | GradDip…(field abbreviated) |
Masters Degree | Master (field of study/discipline) | M…(field abbreviated) |
Doctoral Degree | Doctor (field of study/discipline) | D…(field abbreviated) |
Examples:
- CertIIBus – Certificate II in Business
- CertIVHosp – Certificate IV in Hospitality
- AdvDipBldDes – Advanced Diploma of Building Design
- AssocDEng – Associate Degree of Engineering
- GradCertIT – Graduate Certificate in Information Technology
How do I know which qualification I need for specific jobs?
The Labour Market Insights website provides information about which qualifications are required for specific jobs. The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) also provides information on qualifications required for work.
Other websites that may be useful are the Workforce Australia website and the MyFuture website.
What qualification do I need to become a trainer in the VET sector?
For information on meeting trainer and assessor requirements, please refer to the Australian Skills Quality Authority’s website.
I am an overseas student wanting to find out more information on study and qualifications in Australia, where should I go?
The Australian Government website, Study Australia, provides comprehensive information about studying in Australia. Another website that might be of use is the Commonwealth Register of Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), which has a database that lists all institutions registered to provide courses to overseas students.