- 1 year (or part-time equivalent)
- Toowoomba
- External
- Feb, May, Sep
- View dates
- AUD 37,000
- (Indicative annual fee)
- 067688J
Overview
- Study the Graduate Diploma of Professional Engineering to enhance your technical, analytical and project management skills to align with industry needs.
- This qualification is ideal if you are looking to advance your current engineering career but don’t want to commit to a full masters degree or change focus to specialise in a different engineering discipline.
- Choose to study part-time or full-time, on-campus or online based on your current professional work or life commitments.
- Design your own career path by selecting an engineering specialisation and elective courses to suit your goals and interests.
Specialisations in the Graduate Diploma of Professional Engineering
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Agricultural Engineering
UniSQ’s unique ag engineering courses blends cutting-edge tech, sustainability, and practical skills to tackle modern farming challenges and shape the future of agriculture.
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Civil Engineering
Specialise in civil engineering and learn to apply engineering principles to complex and contemporary infrastructure challenges. Explore advanced project management and geotechnical engineering.
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Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Study electrical and electronic engineering to design, power, and connect smart, sustainable systems — impacting homes, cities, and industries with in-demand, future-focused skills.
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Engineering Management and Enterprise
This specialisation equips engineers for leadership roles, focusing on project management, innovation, finance, and organisational factors driving enterprise success.
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Mechanical Engineering
Deepen your mechanical engineering expertise through core studies in mechanics, composites, and project management, with elective options in thermofluids, numerical modelling, or renewable energy technology.
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Structural Engineering
Advance your structural engineering expertise to design resilient structures, enhance professional skills, and specialise in areas like geotechnical engineering, fibre composites, or structural design.
Entrepreneurial skills
Students need to have entrepreneurial skills to create new markets to help shape the world. The way we teach these skills is through creating a safe, authentic environment in which to succeed, where you learn and gain critical insight, considering problems that actually need solving.
Associate Professor Andrew Maxwell
Career outcomes
Whether you want to upskill or change your engineering focus, this graduate diploma can open doors to new roles and sectors in engineering, construction, energy, manufacturing, mining and resources as well as government, consultancy and project management.
You may also be able to apply for roles in multinational companies and work in global sectors like oil and gas, renewable energy, infrastructure, and tech.
What you'll study
To graduate from the Graduate Diploma of Professional Engineering, you must successfully complete 8 units of study.
Degree structure
A postgraduate university degree typically comprises of advanced coursework and research opportunities, allowing you to deepen your expertise in a specific field while building upon foundational knowledge.
Refer to the UniSQ Handbook for detailed recommended enrolment patterns and course availability.
You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previous studies or relevant work experience. This could reduce the number of courses you need to study to complete your degree.
Other study options
If you’re interested in further study, after completion of this degree you can go on to study the Master of Professional Engineering (if you meet all the entry requirements).
Entry requirements
There are many ways to be considered for entry into a UniSQ degree based on your education, work experience and relevant personal attributes. You need to satisfy the following requirements to be considered for entry into this postgraduate degree.
- Completion of an Australian university three or four-year bachelor degree, or equivalent, in engineering in the relevant specialisation (major).
or - Completion of an appropriate four-year embedded honours bachelor degree, or equivalent, in engineering in a non-related specialisation (major field).
You'll need to meet the applicable English language requirements and this degree requires:
- IELTS (Academic) - Minimum overall score of 6.5 and a minimum score of 6.0 in each of the four components - listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
Alternative English language proficiency tests may also be accepted.
During your study
While not needed to apply, you'll need to meet these requirements throughout your studies.
Inherent requirements are fundamental skills, capabilities, and knowledge that you must be able to demonstrate to achieve the essential learning outcomes of the degree, while maintaining the academic integrity of the degree.
If you think you may experience any problems meeting inherent requirements, you can talk to an Accessibility Support Officer about reasonable adjustments that may be put in place to assist you. Any reasonable adjustments made must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.
Review the inherent requirements and make sure this degree is right for you.
Entry pathways
There is more than one way to get into university, and if you're not sure about your entry options get in touch to discuss.
Fees and scholarships
- This estimated 2025 annual fee is based on the current average rate for your first year of study (8 units per year) and does not include cost of materials such as textbooks, additional costs or the Student Services and Amenities fee.
- This is an indicative guide only and your fees will vary depending on the courses you select, with the actual rates calculated at enrolment.
- We review our fees annually and they may increase each year.
- Further details are available on the Fees website.
Additional costs
You may be required to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee as part of your degree cost.
UniSQ Scholarships
We offer scholarships for academic excellence, community leadership, and financial need - you can apply for more than one!
Find out moreHow to apply
The University accepts applications all year. Complete your online application directly to UniSQ.
ApplyYou can select to start your study in Trimester 1, 2 or 3.
| Study period | Orientation | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Trimester 1, 2025 | Monday 3 February | Monday 10 February |
| Trimester 2, 2025 | Monday 19 May | Monday 26 May |
| Trimester 3, 2025 | Monday 1 September | Monday 8 September |
| Trimester 1, 2026 | Monday 9 February | Monday 16 February |
Preparing to apply
You've made the decision to study at UniSQ - congratulations! Take the next steps:
You can contact one of our approved agents to guide you through the application process. Our agents provide:
- advice on your study plans
- advice on applying to UniSQ
- document certification
- assistance with any pre-departure arrangements
- assistance with your visa requirements.
To support your application, you will need to submit certified copies of:
- identity documents (passport)
- evidence of your English language proficiency
- senior high school (A levels/Year 12) certificate and academic transcripts
- all post-secondary study certificates and academic transcripts (if any)
- evidence of work experience (if required).
Application dates can vary so be sure to check our key dates to get all the details.
It is important to apply early to allow enough time for your application to be assessed and processed to meet study commencement dates and participation in Orientation activities. You should also factor in visa processing requirements and timeframes, where applicable.
After you’ve submitted your application, you will be emailed a reference number. Please allow up to 14 days for assessment. If further assessment is required for course credits or exemptions, this process may take longer.
Once you have received your letter of offer from UniSQ, you will need to return your signed acceptance of offer form. The UniSQ team will contact you at this time with more information regarding next steps.
Find out more
Connect with us - start a conversation, whenever suits you.
Frequently asked questions
A Graduate Diploma of Professional Engineering (also known as an Advanced Diploma of Engineering) is an ideal educational stepping stone for professionals working in engineering fields who want to advance their knowledge and skills without having to commit to a postgraduate masters degree.
You can tailor your studies based on your Engineering areas of interest by choosing from a specialised suite of technical courses across nine different specialisations.
A great place to start is thinking about what you enjoy and aligning it to what you’re passionate about with a degree. Identifying what you love naturally lends itself to your strengths in Engineering which can make choosing a Graduate Diploma of Engineering or Advanced Diploma of Engineering specialisation not only less stressful, but exciting. Visualise your goals, what you want to achieve and how you see your future career playing out.
The best thing about UniSQ is that we’re pretty flexible when it comes to changing your mind. If you commence a Graduate Diploma in Professional Engineering and after a semester decide you want to change specialisation, that’s ok. Our iconnect team can chat through your options.
At UniSQ You can choose from several Engineering specialisations.
Agricultural Engineering - Build on your existing engineering knowledge by studying Agricultural Engineering, empowering you to address problems relating to sustainable agricultural production, precision agriculture and the post-harvest handling of agriculture.
Civil Engineering - During a civil Graduate Diploma in Engineering degree you will explore topics such as geotechnical engineering, pavement design, public health engineering and fluid dynamics.
Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Become empowered to apply your electrical and electronic knowledge to the design, manufacture, installation, operation, and maintenance of electrical and/or electronic plants and equipment.
Engineering Management and Enterprise - This professional graduate diploma specialisation is designed for professional engineers who wish to upskill into senior leadership roles.
Mechanical Engineering - Examine fluid dynamics and combustion, along with the basic laws of motion and the concepts of force, energy, momentum, impulse and vibration which is fundamental to the study of mechanics and the solution of many engineering problems.
Structural Engineering - Become a qualified structural engineer by learning how to design, construct and maintain structures against the forces of nature and stresses of the modern environment.
The main difference between a graduate certificate and graduate diploma is the time it takes to complete each. Compared to the four-five months it takes to finish a graduate certificate, it takes up to 12 months of full-time study to complete the eight units required in a professional graduate diploma. In both the certificate and diploma, you can opt to study part-time which does increase the time in which it takes to complete the degree.
A Graduate Diploma of Engineering usually incorporates the same course options as a graduate certificate in the same discipline area but builds on your knowledge from the certificate and advances your skills further. It also has similar coursework subjects as a master's degree in the same study field, but the flexibility of not having to commit to a full master's degree.
At UniSQ you can study a 1-year Graduate Diploma in Professional Engineering (also known as an Advanced Diploma of Engineering) on-campus at our Toowoomba location or externally.
- Continue to build on your knowledge by taking credits from your Graduate Diploma of Professional Engineering into a Master of Professional Engineering.
- Learn from the experts – UniSQ is the only university in Australia to offer engineering degrees in Agricultural Engineering.
- According to the latest ERA results we produce research well above world standard in:
- Environmental Science and Management
- Agriculture, Land and Farm Management
- Crop and Pasture Production
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering.
All of our degrees focus on developing your ability to apply the skills and knowledge you’ve gained to the career of your choice. Graduating with an Advanced Diploma of Engineering (or equivalent) opens up many career prospects. The jobs you may be interested in will vary depending on the engineering specialisation you choose to study. Some career opportunities include:
- aerospace technician
- compatibility engineer
- data analyst
- aircraft mechanic
- mechanical or electrical engineering
- data engineer
- agricultural engineer
- civil engineer
- electrical and electronic engineer
- computer engineer
- power engineer
- structural engineer.
Roles also exist in a variety of fields for professional graduate diploma alumni, including:
- airports
- Australian industry and defence
- agriculture and irrigation
- transportation
- forestry
- water supply and conservation
- environmental protection
- construction
- telecommunications
- power supply and energy
- mining
- research
- infrastructure development
- information technology.
The different ways you can study an Advanced Diploma of Engineering (or equivalent) will vary from uni to uni but at UniSQ, yes you can study a Graduate Diploma of Engineering part-time, on-campus or externally, allowing you to balance study with your work and life commitments.
Work towards your professional postgraduate diploma at your own pace with our flexible learning options. Immerse yourself in campus life or learn your subject theory online and attend on-campus residential schools/pracs when required.
Discover the different ways you can study at UniSQ.
