AQF Vocational Qualification Credit Linkages

Southern Cross University provides vocational education and training (VET) pathways to university from Nationally accredited courses and qualifications within discipline related Australian Training Packages.

If you've completed a Certificate IV, or higher qualification with an Australian Registered Training Provider (RTO), you are well on your way to earning a related Southern Cross degree, with maximum credit for your prior studies.

AQF Vocational Qualification Credit Linkages apply for any person holding the named course or qualification, regardless of which RTO issued the qualification. There's no need for a formal agreement to exist between your institute and Southern Cross University to make this possible.

This means Australian and New Zealand citizens, humanitarian visa holders (domestic students) and international citizens studying with an Australian RTO in an overseas location (international off-shore students) can confidently articulate into the first or second year of a Southern Cross degree, with predetermined credit amounts, no matter how their learning was obtained, face-to-face, on-campus or online.

If the Southern Cross University course is CRICOS registered these credit linkages are also applicable to international citizens studying in Australia on a student visa (international on-shore students).

A guaranteed place of study at university

All applicants must meet the University's minimum English language proficiency requirements for Admission.

For completed and partially completed VET courses/qualifications, please be guided by our academic selection ranks for University entry and the indicative selection rank published for each Southern Cross course.

With these selection ranks in mind and assuming you are proficient in English, if you graduate with a Certificate IV qualification, entry is guaranteed into all Southern Cross Associate Degrees. If you graduate with a Diploma or Advanced Diploma, entry is guaranteed into all Southern Cross Associate Degrees, most 3-year Bachelor Degrees and some 4-year Bachelor Degrees.

Get started

Am I on the right path?

Everyone's background and the path to university and a career is unique. So that you can overcome any differences you may experience between your institute and Southern Cross University we've put together a transition program to show you what university life, services, technologies and study looks like.

Follow the connect and prepare steps to learn more about being set for university.

If you're still unsure as to which Southern Cross course and career is right for you, why not:

  • Use the Career Guidance and Course Selection service;
  • Visit any campus at any time, book a tour, watch or attend webinars, Info Days, Open Day or events. 
  • To build your confidence and prepare for the academic demands of a degree, consider joining the Preparing for Success Program at SCU, or enjoy a highly supportive learning environment (with early exit option) by studying an SCU College Diploma as a pathway into and through a related Bachelor Degree.
A student doing research at a desk with pen and paper

Been there, done that?

Search the AQF Vocational Qualification Credit Linkages document for specific credits approved for Southern Cross courses.

Click the link to download. Open the document. Select 'Cmd+F' for Mac or 'Ctrl+F' for Windows to reveal the search window. Enter the search criteria (course/occupation/unit name or code) in the window and select 'Enter'.

If you have substantial industry experience, check out the comparability of informal experience to formal qualifications to evaluate whether your on-the-job skills and years of service can boost the amount of credit you might be entitled to receive.

 

If your search is unsuccessful and you believe the VET units you studied are similar to one or more units in your Southern Cross course, you should still have your prior learning assessed by applying for credit.

Learn more about applying for credit

Australian and New Zealand citizens and humanitarian visa holders should:

International citizens studying in Australia on a student visa should: