You may be able to have your prior studies or work experience count as credit towards your QUT course and be able to graduate sooner. We call this 'advanced standing'.

Prior studies include units completed at QUT or at another institution.

What can I claim advanced standing for?

Depending on your previous experience, there are different ways to claim advanced standing, and different supporting documents you'll need to supply.

Study completed at QUT where you received a grade of at least 4 (pass)

If you completed study previously at QUT within the past seven years and you received a passing grade, you're eligible for automatic credit.

To receive automatic credit, the units you've completed must be on the study plan for your new course. Make sure you've selected any relevant majors, minors or electives in your study plan.

If you completed study at QUT more than seven years previously and you received a passing grade, you will need to apply for credit for prior QUT study.

Study completed at other institutions where you received a grade of at least 4 (pass) or equivalent

If you've done study at another institution, including university and TAFE, you can see if anyone else has previously received advanced standing for the units that you've done. You can do that via the Advanced Standing Precedent List. It can give you an idea of what advanced standing you might be eligible for.

You need to show us that your knowledge is:

  • at an appropriate level. For example, if you're studying a postgraduate course at QUT, in most cases you can only apply for credit for past studies that were also at postgraduate level
  • comparable to what you'd learn in a specific QUT unit or relevant to the course as a whole
  • up-to-date.

You must provide copies of:

  • your official academic transcript or Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement clearly showing the unit code, unit title and grades
  • documents proving that you've completed your course, such as your diploma or certificate (if applicable)
  • unit outlines or course syllabus for the units you're seeking credit for, if your subject is not listed on the ASPL. Outlines should include:
    • credit points
    • contact hours
    • aims and objectives
    • texts and references
    • assessment details.

Related work experience

You must provide:

  • an official statement of service from your employer to support your application based on work experience, on official company letterhead confirming:
    • the period of employment, full time or part time
    • positions held
    • the extent of your experience including competency levels reached, or evidence of professional education courses conducted in-house
  • a detailed resume or curriculum vitae.

International Baccalaureate graduates

If you have completed an International Baccalaureate Diploma, you can apply for advanced standing for a range of our undergraduate units.

You can receive advanced standing up to the equivalent of a full-time semester of university study (4 units) towards your degree, depending on the structure of the degree program.

Please visit the Advanced Standing Precedent List to find out more.

Applying dates

When to apply

You can apply for advanced standing once you've been accepted to QUT and you've received your student login details. You can then access the advanced standing application from our student site. If you're in your first semester of study, you must apply for advanced standing within 10 days of receiving your offer.

Previous QUT students who can't access the HiQ student site can email askqut@qut.edu.au for help.

How long does it take to process my application?

If your prior studies are already included on the Advanced Standing Precedent List, we'll process your application within 10 working days.

In other cases it can take up to 20 days to process your application.