Everything you need to know about a Postgraduate Diploma (Postgraduate Diploma) course in South Africa

Studying Postgraduate Diploma (Postgraduate Diploma)

The Postgraduate Diploma, also known as Graduate Diploma (Grad.Dip.) is a postgraduate qualification that is particularly popular in Anglo-Saxon countries. A Postgraduate Diploma is considered academically over the level of a Bachelor's, but under a Master’s level. A Postgraduate Diploma can normally be started after the completion of a Bachelor's degree and is typically completed in one year or less. You can find Grad.Dip. programmes available in most disciplines.

Postgraduate Diplomas can usually be extended towards achieving a full Master's degree, such as a Master of Science or Master of Arts, at a later time. Postgraduate Diplomas are gaining popularity because they are more affordable than a Master's degree and take less time to complete.

People can get confused because in some countries the term “graduate diploma” is synonymous with “postgraduate diploma” (Master’s degrees, PhD degrees), while in other countries “graduate diploma” refers to “undergraduate diploma” (Bachelor’s degrees).

To avoid this confusion, always remember that Postgrad.Dip. studies are a unique degree type, neither a Bachelor’s nor a Master’s, but in between. Always check what each degree type means in the country and university where you want to study to prevent applying for the wrong postgraduate degree.