Graduate Certificates and Diplomas are level 6 qualifications designed to either broaden the skills and knowledge already gained in an undergraduate program, or to teach vocational skills and knowledge in a new professional area. This can enable students who do not have the necessary academic background to progress to postgraduate study in a particular topic. One of the most popular Graduate courses is the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), which acts as a conversion course for non-law graduates enabling them to become qualified lawyers.
The qualifications typically follow after a Bachelor Degree, but may also be accessed in part by recognition of prior learning. Although GradCerts and GradDips are studied postgraduately, the contents of the course are purely undergraduate in nature.
Whilst the duration of programs may vary, the Graduate Certificate typically takes six months of full time study, whilst the Graduate Diploma takes twelve months.
