What is an accredited course?

Accredited courses are nationally recognised and meet quality assurance requirements.

Accreditation also means that a course may be eligible for:

• listing on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
• participant/employer financial help through various government agencies
• relief from GST on courses.

Accreditation means that participants in the course may also be eligible:

• for Austudy, Abstudy and other entitlements
• to achieve an occupational licensing or regulatory outcome.

A VET accredited course must fulfil a training need not addressed by a training package or address training in a new or emerging area. 

ASQA can accredit a VET course for all qualification types recognised under the AQF that are eligible for delivery within the VET sector, including:

• Certificate I
• Certificate II
• Certificate III
• Certificate IV
• Diploma
• Advanced Diploma
• Graduate Certificate
• Graduate Diploma.

You can also apply to accredit a course that results in a Statement of Attainment outcome. The title of such a course begins with the words ‘Course in’.

Anybody can develop a course for accreditation.

Accredited courses can only be delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) that:

• own the course or have permission from the course owner to deliver the accredited course
• have the accredited course on their VET scope of registration.

No, learners can receive training to meet industry, enterprise, educational, legislative or community needs through:

• non-accredited training, or
• a selection of training package units identified as a skill set, or
• a non-award course listed on CRICOS.

An organisation wanting to deliver a skill set or non-award course would need to satisfy other delivery requirements.