For some SCU Online courses, if you have sufficient experience, we can often accept this in lieu of a Bachelor’s qualification. Read more about gaining a postgraduate degree without a Bachelor’s here.

The course cannot be fast-tracked more so than what it already has been, but after an assessment of potential advanced standing, we can determine your actual completion date. 

We recommend that students allocate between 15-20 hours per week for their online postgraduate units with SCU Online. 

Rather than enrolling into two semesters per year, SCU Online students can study at any six times throughout the year, and complete up to six units in a year. Each study period lasts 7 weeks. 

No, our study periods run in seven-week cycles. Therefore, to effectively consolidate what you have learnt from each unit, you should only study one unit at a time. Having said that, you can study up to six units in a year, which means you can graduate faster than if you were studying on-campus, part-time. 

There are no pre-defined lectures that you must sit through, however, each unit of study has its own learning materials, often including weekly activities, required readings, videos and recordings. It is up to the student to organise their own time to be kept up-to-date with the weekly content. 

All SCU Online students have access to a dedicated Student Success Advisor throughout the course, to help motivate you and navigate through the online experience. Unit Assessors and Student Learning Facilitators are also available to provide academic assistance in each unit. 

You can contact your peers via our online learning platform, Blackboard. There are various student discussion boards that you can use to connect with other students as well as academics. You can tag other students in a chat if you wish them to receive a notification. There will often be a general discussion board, as well as boards created specifically for assignments (created and facilitated by the teaching team). 

Your Student Learning Facilitator is contactable via the online learning platform, Blackboard. Within Blackboard you can find the Facilitator's contact details. Some discussion boards may be created and managed by your Facilitator. 

No, all courses are 100% online, although there may be some live online sessions with your Unit Assessor or Facilitator via Blackboard Collaborate. These sessions may be recorded and made accessible at a later date. 

Southern Cross University recommends using Internet Explorer when uploading application documentation. If you continue to encounter issues while you are working through the process, please call one of our friendly Student Enrolment Advisors on 1300 863 819. 

Depending on what type of course you study, you will be awarded either a Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma (AQF Level 8) or a Master’s degree (AQF Level 9) qualification. Check out the definitions on the AQF website.

No, your transcript will not mention ‘online’ – you will obtain the same qualification you would receive if you were studying that course on-campus.

FEE-HELP is the Government loan that eligible full-fee paying postgraduate students can use to defer their payment. 

Go to the StudyAssist website to learn more. 

You will be eligible for FEE-HELP if you meet the citizenship and residency requirements laid out by the Australian Government. To determine whether you are eligible, visit the StudyAssist FEE-HELP page.

No, but students have access to FEE-HELP Government loans should they meet the requirements outlined above. 

The fee for international students varies by course. Speak to a Student Enrolment Advisor to understand costing for your course. As an international student, it is unlikely that you will qualify for FEE-HELP. 

Southern Cross University is in the top 100 universities in the world under 50 years old (Times Higher Education Young University Rankings, 2018). The University has also been named in the Top 50 of Generation Y universities. These rankings are based on the THE World University Rankings – teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income. 

Southern Cross University (SCU) had its beginnings in the 1970s operating as a teacher’s college and in 1994, it was established as a university. It prides itself as a pioneer in distance education. Learn more about Southern Cross University here.