Ireland

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The Graduate Diploma or Higher Diploma in Ireland is a postgraduate award taken after a Bachelor's degree. Usually of one years study, sometimes two years, full time study. A wide variety of courses are offered, it is also possible to progress to a Master's degree.

The diploma is generally in two forms:

A reorientation type qualification to reskill a graduate with new specialised skills, for instance the HDipStats - Higher Diploma in Statistics is aimed at offering additional skills in statistics. See also Higher Diploma.

A professional type qualification which is necessary to enter a profession, for instance the HDipEd - Higher Diploma in Education allows a person to register and practice teaching. See also Postgraduate Diploma.

The Graduate Diploma (GradDip) is offered by DIT, DCU, HETAC and UL. The Higher Diploma (HDip) is offered by HETAC, NUI institutions, Trinity College Dublin offers only the Higher Diploma in Education.

See also: Education in the Republic of Ireland

See also: Postgraduate Applications Centre

England and Wales

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On a similar note, postgraduate students can study various Graduate Diploma in England and Wales. For example, the law conversion course.

However, such courses may be referred to as either a Graduate Diploma or a Postgraduate Diploma. Different instituions offering exactly the same course appear inconsistent in which name they use. Perhaps an indication is given by the following example. In 2003, The College of Law renamed the official title for its law conversion course from Postgraduate Diploma in Law, to Graduate Diploma in Law. The reasons given were that although the law conversion course is studied postgraduately, the contents of the course are only undergraduate in nature, albeit condensed in time.

See also: Education in England

Education in the Republic of Ireland | Education in England | Qualifications