Postgraduate Diplomas

To be admitted to a Postgraduate Diploma a person shall:

1. have obtained a USP bachelor's degree with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in the 200- and 300-level courses of the relevant discipline
2. have obtained a tertiary qualification deemed by the Senate or its delegate to be equivalent to clause a);
3. have obtained a professional qualification deemed by the Senate or its delegate to be equivalent to clause a);
4. have in exceptional cases, have demonstrated experience or achievement the Senate or its delegate deems sufficient, or
5. have met the mature student admission criteria.

Not withstanding the provisions set out above, Senate or its delegate may require applicants to demonstrate their suitability for admission by carrying out such work and/or sitting for such examinations as it may determine. A 400-level course taken as a qualifying course for the Postgraduate Diploma may become part of a future postgraduate programme.

Some programmes have additional or exceptional admission or programme requirements which have been listed with the programmes themselves. In summary, the standard admission and programme requirements for postgraduate diplomas are:

The Postgraduate Diploma is the normal entry qualification for the degree of Master.

1. The University may award the Postgraduate Diploma in areas of study offered by the University.
2. Each Postgraduate Diploma shall have a recognised and consistent structure in which the core and the optional courses are clearly defined.
3. The maximum period of candidature for the Postgraduate Diploma shall be two years of full-time study of four years of part-time study.
4. Students shall not be allowed, during their candidature for the Postgraduate Diploma, to suspend their studies for more than six months.
5. A student who has obtained a GPA of at least 3.0 after completing at least two courses for the Postgraduate Diploma may apply for admission to the master;s degree.
6. Each programme of study of the Postgraduate Diploma shall consist of a minimum of hours courses at 400-level.
7. A student admitted into the Postgraduate Diploma shall not be allowed to enrol concurrently in the master's degree programme.