Course guide
Australia offers international students everything from a 10-week English course to a four-year PhD. Which one you pick changes your fee, your visa length, your work rights and your PR points. Here is how the levels compare.
Checked against Department of Home Affairs and Study Australia sources · Last reviewed 21 September 2026
International students in Australia can enrol in English language courses, vocational qualifications (Certificate III to Advanced Diploma), bachelor degrees, graduate certificates and diplomas, masters by coursework, masters by research and PhDs. All must be CRICOS-registered. Courses of at least two academic years unlock the post-study work visa and 5 PR points; research degrees unlock 3 years of post-study work and a further 10 points.
| Course | AQF | Length | Tuition (AUD/yr) | Post-study work | PR points from study |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELICOS (English) | — | 10–50 wks | 300–450/wk | No | None |
| Certificate III / IV | 3–4 | 6–18 mo | 4,000–15,000 | Only if part of a 2-yr package | 10 (trade qual) if packaged to 2 yrs |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 5–6 | 1–2 yrs | 8,000–22,000 | Yes if 2 academic years | 10 qualification + 5 Australian study |
| Bachelor | 7 | 3–4 yrs | 20,000–45,000 | 2 years | 15 + 5 |
| Graduate certificate / diploma | 8 | 6–12 mo | 15,000–30,000 | Only if packaged to 2 yrs | Usually none on its own |
| Masters by coursework | 9 | 1.5–2 yrs | 22,000–50,000 | 2 years | 15 + 5 |
| Masters by research | 9 | 2 yrs | 25,000–45,000 | 3 years | 15 + 5 + 10 specialist (STEM/ICT) |
| PhD | 10 | 3–4 yrs | Often funded | 3 years | 20 + 5 + 10 specialist (STEM/ICT) |
Vocational education and training is delivered by TAFEs and private registered training organisations, and it is where Australia's trades workforce comes from. For international students VET is the cheapest route to a qualification, the fastest route into work, and in the right occupation a strong route to regional PR. Cookery, automotive, carpentry, electrical, community services, aged care, early childhood and hospitality management are the high-volume fields.
The trap is that a single 12-month diploma on its own does not meet the two-academic-year Australian study requirement, so it earns no post-study work visa and no study points. Most successful VET pathways package two qualifications, for example a Certificate IV followed by a Diploma, to reach 92 weeks. Run any VET course through the PR Check Tool before you enrol.
Three years for most fields, four for engineering, education, and honours programs, and longer for medicine and dentistry. A bachelor degree is worth 15 qualification points, meets the Australian study requirement automatically, and gives a two-year 485 visa. Entry is usually on Year 12 results or a completed diploma with credit. Universities offer packaged pathways through affiliated colleges for students who fall short of direct entry. See the universities guide for how institutions differ.
A masters by coursework is the most common choice for Indian, Nepali and Sri Lankan students who already hold a bachelor degree. It takes 1.5 to 2 years, and note that a 1.5-year program may not reach the 92-week study requirement; check the CRICOS-registered duration, not the calendar. A two-year masters gives the same 15 points as a bachelor plus 5 for Australian study and a two-year 485.
Masters by research and PhD are a different proposition. They are often scholarship-funded, carry no work-hour cap on the student visa, give a three-year 485, and in natural and physical sciences, IT or engineering they attract 10 specialist education points on top. For an applicant who can win a place, a research degree is the strongest study-to-PR route Australia offers.
Packaging means enrolling in two or more courses under one visa, for example 20 weeks of English then a diploma then a bachelor. It lowers the English bar at visa stage (IELTS 5.0 to 5.5 instead of 6.0 when ELICOS is packaged), lets a diploma count towards the two-year requirement, and gives one visa for the whole sequence. The visa is assessed on the highest-level course in the package, which is why packaging a low-cost diploma with a bachelor is common. Read study in Australia without IELTS for how packaging changes English requirements.
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Common questions
English language, vocational certificates and diplomas, bachelor degrees, graduate certificates and diplomas, masters by coursework, masters by research and PhDs. All must be CRICOS-registered to be studied on a student visa.
Any CRICOS-registered course or package totalling at least two academic years (92 weeks) at diploma level or above. Bachelor and masters coursework graduates get two years; research graduates three.
In the right occupation, yes. Trades such as cookery, automotive, carpentry and electrical, and care fields such as aged care and early childhood, are strongly represented in state and regional nomination programs. A single diploma does not meet the two-year requirement, so most VET pathways package two qualifications.
Two or more courses enrolled under one student visa, such as English plus a diploma plus a bachelor. It lowers the English requirement at visa stage and lets shorter courses count towards the two-year study requirement.
Usually not. The requirement is 92 weeks of CRICOS-registered study, and many 1.5-year masters are registered at 78 weeks. Check the CRICOS duration before enrolling.
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