Major Aussie university to offer qualifications for those who don’t finish their degree

A university in Melbourne will offer qualifications to students even if they only completed six months of their degrees.

Swinburne University of Technology announced the launch of an Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education Studies, an official qualification for students who choose to drop out of their undergraduate degree.

Students must complete at least six months of study and complete at least four academic units.

Swinburne’s deputy vice-chancellor of education, Professor Laura-Anne Bull, said the Australia-first move is aimed at removing the negative connotations of people choosing to leave university early.

“Leaving university for any reason often comes with a negative stigma, but it shouldn’t,” she said.

Government data showed 20 per cent of domestic students deferred or dropped out of their university course in 2023.

Around 396,000 people enrolled for a degree that year, a 22 per cent decrease from before the pandemic.

It was also the lowest number of people enrolling in university degrees in 10 years.

Swinburne University argues that with such a qualification, students can build on it with recognised course credits from other providers, as well as the ability to return to the university to complete their studies if they wish.

“The traditional educational model of studying a three- or four-year higher education degree full-time until graduation is outdated,” Bull said.

“[This] meets students where they are and supports their further study and professional development.”