Postgraduate Diploma
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The Postgraduate Diploma is a qualification awarded typically after a bachelor's degree. Countries which award a Postgraduate Diploma include Australia, New Zealand, England and Wales and Ireland. These are similar qualifications but developed independently of each others.
Australia and New Zealand
Template:Seealso Some Australian and New Zealand universities offer a Postgraduate Diploma (PostGradDip). The Graduate Diploma is then used for additional studies at an undergraduate level or studies in a new field while the Postgraduate Diploma indicates graduate level studies or advanced studies in an already familiar field. A bachelor's degree is typically required, although in some cases an Advanced Diploma is sufficient. People with extensive experience but without formal qualifications may be admitted, although usually the completion of a Graduate Certificate is required first.
England and Wales
Template:Seealso There are a number of Postgraduate Diplomas available in England and Wales. This could be a vocational course studied after an academic degree, such as the Legal Practice Course, the resulting diploma allows the student to become a trainee solicitor in a law firm. Alternatively, Postgraduate Diplomas allow a graduate student to study a new academic subject at degree level, but in a compacted space of time. For example, the law conversion course allows a postgraduate student to sqeeze the important components of a three year undergraduate law degree, into only 9 months. Posgraduate Diplomas that last a year or longer are often considered equivalent to a Masters degree.
See also: Lancaster University's criteria for Postgraduate Diplomas
Ireland
Template:Seealso The Postgraduate Diploma (PGradDip) offered by University of Dublin, Trinity College is of a similar standing to the Graduate Diploma or Higher Diploma available in Ireland in other colleges and universities. The award is the main postgraduate non-degree award of the college and is offered in a wide variety of disciplines across all faculties.
The Postgraduate Diploma (Dioplóma Iarchéime in Irish) will be awarded by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council from June 2005 in institutions associated with the council. This will be purely a professional type course compared to the Graduate Diploma it is replacing and will be offered in arts, business, engineering and science initially.