Study postgraduate to accelerate your skills, change your career or immerse yourself in a subject you love. You’re a postgraduate student if you’re looking to study a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or masters by coursework.
Apply for your postgraduate coursework degree in five steps
If you’re an international applicant it’s easy to apply for a postgraduate course using our step-by step guide. The process is fast and should only take around 20 minutes.
Use this guide if you are an international applicant looking to apply for one of the following:
- graduate certificate
- graduate diploma
- masters by coursework.
Confirm your applicant status and study
Before you begin your application, it’s important to confirm that you’re an international applicant and that a postgraduate coursework degree is the right study for you.
Am I domestic or international?
You are an international applicant if you will need a temporary visa to study in Australia.
You are a domestic student if you are one of the following:
- Australian citizen
- Australian permanent resident
- Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder
- New Zealand citizen.
If you’re a domestic student, you should visit our step-by-step guide for domestic postgraduate coursework applications and follow those instructions.
Go to our domestic postgraduate coursework application guide
Is research or coursework right for me?
A postgraduate degree by coursework is a taught course made up of different units and classes. Postgraduate courses are for students who have completed a bachelor degree or have significant work experience.
We also offer research degrees, which are masters or doctorates that require the research and writing of a thesis.
If you are an international applicant looking to apply for a research degree, you should visit our international research students page.
Learn how to apply for a research degree (international)
1. Choose your course
Select the course you want to study by browsing our postgraduate degrees available to international students. You can browse by course type, subject or study area.
View postgraduate courses available to international students
2. Check eligibility and closing dates
For admission to one of our postgraduate degrees, you must hold the equivalent of an Australian bachelor degree from a recognised university or institution with a pass average.
Individual courses may also have additional specific requirements.
English language proficiency
You must check that you meet the English proficiency requirements for postgraduate entry.
You may need to demonstrate your English language proficiency if:
- English is not your first language
- you did not attend university in English and in an approved English-speaking country.
You can prove your English proficiency by providing us with evidence of your previous studies or qualifications, or by achieving a certain score in a relevant English language test.
Visit our English proficiency requirements page for more information
If you do not meet the English language proficiency for your chosen course, you can study an English language course to prepare for future study with us.
Learn more about our English language pathway programs
Check closing dates
We don’t want you to miss out. Stay on top of your application by taking note of any relevant application deadlines.
View the upcoming application deadlines
3. Browse scholarships
Take a moment to see if you’re eligible to apply for one or more of our scholarships for international students, including the ACU International Student Scholarship
There is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply for – just make sure they’re open to international students.
Browse scholarships available to international students
4. Gather your documents
Once you have completed your application form, make sure you have gathered and attached certified copies of the necessary application and identification documents.
Documents include:
- your passport
- transcripts and completion certificates of all your academic qualifications
- evidence of your English language proficiency
- additional supporting documents such as any evidence of work experience, professional registration and reference letters that are relevant to your course.
Certified documents
Any copies of transcripts, birth certificates, citizenship certificates and passports must be certified. A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document that has been “certified” as a true copy.
Documents can be certified by a Justice of the Peace (JP) or an authorised officer such as a public notary who is not related to you.
The officer must include his/her professional registration number (if applicable) when certifying your documents.
Check if your course has additional requirements
Some of our postgraduate courses have additional requirements, such as forms to fill out or tests to take.
You can find links to these requirements listed below:
- Exercise physiology (masters)
- Literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education students (Master of Teaching)
5. Apply
When you’re ready to apply, you can make your ACU application through any of the following methods:
- Apply through our online application system
- Apply through an authorised education agent in your country
- Apply in-person at the ACU International office at our Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney campuses
Please note: An application fee of A$110 will be charged if you apply online to ACU without the assistance of an authorised education agent.
Next steps
Once you have applied, you can relax. You will receive confirmation of your application. We will then assess your application and let you know the outcome as soon as possible.
If you receive an offer
If you received an offer, congratulations on receiving a postgraduate place. You can now respond to your offer by accepting or declining.
See how to respond to your offer
Need help? We are here to assist
Contact our international student support team if you have any questions about your application to study at ACU. We can also answer you enquiries about arriving, living and studying in Australia.
Contact the friendly team at international student support
University terminology explained
Unsure what some of these words mean? We’ve put together a glossary to explain our technical terms in plain English.