TAFE SA has offered higher education courses in specialised areas since 1997. Our applied learning approach and smaller class sizes means a more facilitated higher education learning environment and additional interaction with your fellow students and lecturers.
Our Associate Degrees are designed to provide guaranteed entry and credit into a university Bachelor degree while preparing you for a paraprofessional job role.
Higher Education qualifications are FEE-HELP eligible.
Get the best of both worlds with a Degree from TAFE SA.
An Associate Degree is a two-year course of study, and a Bachelor is a three-year course of study. TAFE SA degrees cover the knowledge required for your discipline (or several disciplines) and give you a strong grounding in your chosen industry.
A TAFE SA Degree gives you options. It can prepare you to go into the workforce immediately as a paraprofessional or high skills employee, or move you into related university study with the credits you earn from your studies with us.
You might think you have to follow a certain path to study at university, but there is another way. TAFE SA offers more than 50 dual offer courses in partnership with South Australian public universities.
With a dual offer you can apply for both the TAFE SA and university qualifications at the same time. This means that once you complete your TAFE SA course successfully, you have guaranteed entry – with credit – into university. Studying a dual offer course is a great way to set yourself apart from other graduates. You will benefit from TAFE SA’s vocational experience and insights, as well as graduating with two qualifications instead of one.
Important Note:
The listed awards are reviewed and changes may occur without notice. Dual Offers are available only to Australian and New Zealand citizens or holders of permanent visas.
TAFE SA and Flinders University have joint qualifications to provide you with both a TAFE SA and a Flinders University qualification within the time taken to study a single undergraduate degree. Students benefit from combining applied and theoretical knowledge with practical skills and access to the resources of both TAFE SA and Flinders University.
TAFE SA will guide you through enrolment for the TAFE SA component and Flinders University will guide you through enrolment for the Flinders University component. Fees may be deferrable under the HECS-HELP program and VET Student Loan programs (eligibility criteria apply). Fees for each component are charged separately by each institution.
On completion of the TAFE SA Diploma / Advanced Diploma component of your study (typically in the second or third year), you can apply for the TAFE SA parchment. Once all units of the degree have been successfully completed you will receive the Bachelor award from Flinders University.
There are several ways in which you can meet the entry requirements for a TAFE SA higher education course.
Learn more about how higher education applicants are selected:
If you have been enrolled in a higher education course such as a university degree since leaving secondary school, you may meet the entry requirements for higher education at TAFE SA. This includes prospective students who:
You may need to have completed a certain amount of study within a higher education course to be considered for entry into TAFE SA higher education, for example, one year of a Bachelor course. Please refer to the individual course information pages for details.
You may also be eligible for credit for your previous higher education studies, which can decrease the time it takes to complete your degree at TAFE SA. Credit for previous higher education study is assessed on a case-by-case basis at the time of enrolment.
You may meet the entry requirements for TAFE SA higher education if you have previously studied a Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma at TAFE SA or another Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
In some cases, your VET qualification must be in a related area of study. Please refer to the individual course information pages for details.
You may still meet the admissions criteria for higher education at TAFE SA if you left secondary education more than two years ago and have not undertaken VET or higher education study since then.
You may still use your year 12 results or your ATAR for entry to your chosen TAFE SA higher education course, even if you completed secondary education more than two years ago.
Some courses have additional entry requirements along with a minimum ATAR, such as passes in specific Year 12 subjects. Please visit the course information page for further information.
If you have not completed secondary education, or did not achieve an ATAR high enough for entry into TAFE SA higher education, you may meet the requirements for your course by achieving a minimum score in the STAT.
The STAT is a two-hour, multiple choice test that assesses your ability to study at a tertiary level.
Visit SATAC for more information about the STAT.
If have completed Year 12 in Australia within the past two years and you meet the requirements for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) or the interstate equivalent, or you have completed the International Baccalaureate (IB), you may apply for TAFE SA higher education courses using your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
You will need to meet the minimum ATAR requirements for your course. Some courses have additional entry requirements along with the ATAR, such as passes in specific Year 12 subjects. Please visit the course information page for further information.
If you have completed your secondary education overseas or in a non-standard program, your academic results will be assessed to determine whether they can be converted to an ATAR, and whether you have met any prerequisite subject requirements.
Be sure to also check if there are specific course admission requirements for your desired course.
You might be interested to see the admission profiles of previous students who commenced higher education study at TAFE SA during our most recent intake period.
TAFE SA has many credit transfer agreements with universities for TAFE SA graduates. Gaining university credit for the related study you have undertaken at TAFE SA can reduce the time and fees usually required to complete a Bachelor degree.
To claim credit, you must formally apply to the university in accordance with their processes.
Being eligible for credit does not guarantee that you will be offered a place in a university program. Credit will normally be granted after you have been offered a place.
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