Graduate Certificate of Research Methods

Yes. Graduates of this course will be eligible to apply for admission to a Master's by Research program, subject to meeting academic performance requirements and the availability of suitable research supervision. Admission to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) will be determined based on your Grade Point Average (GPA), relevant research experience, and the availability of appropriate supervision.

Students can choose specialist electives totalling 20 credit points from areas including business, creative arts, social science, language and linguistics. Specific elective units include Business Analytics (BUS508), Research Methodologies in Education (EMG505), Research Based Practice and Leadership (EST510), Research Methods 2 (IAS502), Principles of Research in Indigenous Contexts (IAS521), Indigenous Research and Evaluation (IAS522), Realist Research and Evaluation (MPP503), Research Methods in Applied Linguistics (TES501), Research Methods for the Creative Arts (CRA503), and Business Research Skills (BUS521).

The course requires 40 credit points in total. It comprises one core unit — IAS501 Research Methods 1 (worth 20 credit points) — plus specialist elective units totalling 20 credit points chosen from the available list. Full-time students can complete the course in one semester (0.5 years), while part-time students typically take one year.

The annual tuition fee for full-time international students in 2026 is AUD $18,836.00, which equates to $4,709.00 per 10 credit point unit (0.125 EFTSL). These fees are subject to annual increases effective at the start of each calendar year. CDU also offers a number of scholarships to international students to assist with the cost of study.

Yes. All applicants must contact the Faculty of Arts and Society at fas@cdu.edu.au before submitting an application to discuss potential research areas. Admission is subject to alignment between the proposed research area and the applicant's background and experience.