What is an accredited course?

Accredited courses are an important part of Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector.

An accredited course is developed when:

• a training need is not covered by a training package qualification
• a course needs to be nationally recognised. 

Accreditation means a course has been independently assessed by ASQA or a state regulator and meets the:

• Standards for VET Accredited Courses 2021
• Australian Qualification Framework

The difference between an accredited course and a training package

Training packages are designed to meet most of Australia’s training needs and are available for all RTOs to use. The development of training packages is funded by government.

Anyone can develop a course for accreditation. Course owners pay to accredit a course. They own the intellectual property (IP) and can 'licence' it to RTOs.

Accredited courses are developed to fill skills and knowledge gaps that are not covered by training packages.

You cannot accredit a course to address an outcome that can be achieved through a training package.

Both accredited courses and training packages are nationally recognised. 

Types of courses that can be accredited

ASQA accredits courses for all qualification types including:

• Certificate I, II, III and IV
• Diploma
• Advanced Diploma
• Graduate Certificate
• Graduate Diploma

Course owners can also apply to accredit a course that leads to a statement of attainment. The title of these courses begins with the words ‘Course in’.  

Courses that need accreditation

A course only needs to be accredited if you want it to be nationally recognised training.

Your promotional material should clearly state which courses are accredited and which are not.

It is an offence to imply that non-accredited training is accredited training.

Accredited courses with the same outcomes

There are many accredited courses that deliver training and assessment on the same topic. For example, there could be a Certificate IV in Yoga and a Certificate IV in Yoga Teaching.

Both can be accredited and can have the same outcome as long as their titles and course content are different.

Delivering an accredited course

Only registered training organisations (RTOs) can deliver accredited courses.

To deliver an accredited course, an RTO needs to:

• own the course or have permission from the course owner to use it
• add it to their scope of registration.  

Benefits of course accreditation

Delivering courses for new and evolving industries may help you stand out as a leader in the marketplace.

Students enrolled in accredited courses may be eligible for Austudy, Abstudy and other entitlements.

Employers may also be able to apply for financial support for students who are studying.

Search for accredited courses

All accredited courses in Australia are listed on the national register.

The national register lists the code and title for each unit of competency in an accredited course.

The national register also lists RTOs approved to deliver accredited courses.

ASQA does not publish detailed course content online.

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