Graduate Certificate in eLearning

The Graduate Certificate in eLearning at the Higher Education Leadership Institute is a short postgraduate qualification for people who design, run or support online and blended learning. It runs 26 weeks full time and sits at graduate certificate level on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which makes it a good first step into postgraduate study if you are not ready to commit to a full master's. You will look at how people learn online, how to plan and build digital learning experiences, how to assess students when they are not in the room, and how to use the learning technologies that universities, TAFEs and training organisations actually run.

How the qualification is structured

Australian graduate certificates are made up of units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. A graduate certificate usually totals 24 credit points, or about four units, and this one is delivered across 26 weeks. Depending on how the institute timetables it, that may be one semester or two shorter study periods. Assessment is typically a mix of written work, practical design tasks and a project where you build or evaluate a piece of eLearning. Because it is a graduate certificate, you can often use the credit points towards a related master's later if you choose to continue.

What you actually study

Expect to work on the practical side of eLearning: writing learning outcomes, structuring content for online delivery, choosing tools, designing activities that keep students engaged, and working out whether the learning worked. You will also deal with the policy and quality side that Australian providers care about, including the standards that apply to online delivery in higher education and vocational training. If the institute includes a placement or industry project, it will be in a setting like a university teaching and learning centre, a TAFE, a corporate learning team or a training provider, and it will give you something concrete for your portfolio.

Who it suits

This course suits teachers and trainers moving into online delivery, learning designers who want a formal qualification, education technologists, and staff in universities or registered training organisations who support teaching. It also works for people from other backgrounds who want to move into learning and development. International graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, and while you study, a student visa generally allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight. Entry requirements, English proficiency, intake dates and fees are set by the institute, check the official course page and the CRICOS register for the current details.

• Learning designer, universities, TAFEs, registered training organisations and private colleges
• eLearning developer, education providers and corporate learning teams
• Instructional designer, government agencies, healthcare and large employers
• Online course coordinator or facilitator, vocational education and training providers
• Education technologist, teaching and learning centres and IT/learning systems teams
• Training and development officer, public sector, industry and not-for-profit organisations