Skip to content
Postgraduate

Graduate Certificate of Professional Engineering

Graduate Certificate of Professional Engineering (GCNS)

Study mode
  • On-campus
  • External
Campus
  • Toowoomba
Duration
  • 0.5 year(s) (or part-time equivalent)
Start
  • Feb, May, Sep

Overview

  • Build on your existing 3-year engineering degree to give you an advanced level of knowledge and technical competence in an engineering field that interests you.
  • Choose to study online or part-time to balance your study with work commitments.
  • Professional engineers can use this degree to extend their accredited areas of practice, or fulfil their Engineers Australia professional development requirements, all while receiving a postgraduate qualification.
Two men collaborating at a computer workstation in an office environment.

Got questions?

 

Begin your study journey today with the university rated 5/5 stars for graduates starting salaries* and start the degree that’s right for you.

*Good Universities Guide 2025

Talk to us
How do I decide on a Graduate Certificate of Professional Engineering specialisation?

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 which can make choosing an engineering certificate 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 certificate of engineering and after a semester decide you want to change majors, that’s ok. Our iconnect team can chat through your options.

At UniSQ You can choose from several specialisations in the Graduate Certificate of Professional Engineering including:

  • Agricultural Engineering - Study advanced level Agricultural Engineering with Australia and New Zealand’s only provider of Agricultural Engineering degrees.
  • Civil Engineering - This engineering certificate is ideal if you hold a three-year engineering degree and want to extend your knowledge in Civil Engineering.
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Study advanced level Electrical and Electronic Engineering, giving you the skills needed to change your career path or enhance your existing knowledge.
  • Engineering Management and Enterprise - Tailor your degree by selecting courses to increase your practical knowledge of corporate finance, asset management, new product development and innovation management.
  • Mechanical Engineering - This certificate of engineering allows you to build on your problem-solving skills and learn more about dynamics, system design and fluid mechanics.
  • Power Engineering - Enhance your existing engineering knowledge by studying advanced level of power systems, including power generation, distribution and transmission.
  • Structural Engineering - Build upon your existing engineering qualifications with foundational courses in asset management in engineering environments and structural analysis. You can also tailor your grad cert of engineering and choose from a variety of specialised courses such as concrete structures, geotechnical engineering, code-based structural design and more. 
What is the difference between a Graduate Certificate in Engineering and a bachelor’s degree?

A graduate certificate is often the first step into postgraduate study. It’s a perfect way to get started in further study, enhance your existing skills in your current field, add to your resume to gain a competitive edge in your workplace, or enjoy stretching your brain into something new.

A graduate certificate in engineering will take approximately half a year to complete. Because the number of courses you’re required to study are less than a bachelor’s degree, the duration is significantly less.

A bachelor degree is an undergraduate qualification which is the most chosen option for first-time uni goers. To get an undergraduate degree, you typically need to complete around 120 credit hours of coursework which can take up to three to four years to complete, depending on what you choose to study. 

Why study a Graduate Certificate of Professional Engineering degree with UniSQ?

Gain a strong start to your career with an Engineering degree from UniSQ:

  • Upskill in a few months, without committing to a full master's qualification.
  • UniSQ is the only university in Australia to offer degrees in Agricultural Engineering.
  • According to the latest ERA results, we are rated well above world standard for our research in:
    • Agriculture, Land and Farm Management
    • Crop Pasture Production
    • Materials Engineering
    • Mechanical Engineering.

There’s no better time to start a certificate of engineering with UniSQ. Still have questions? Get in touch with one of our iconnect staff to talk through your options. 

What are the career opportunities for those with a Graduate Certificate in 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 engineering certificate from UniSQ opens up many career prospects. The jobs you may be interested in will vary depending on the specialisation you choose to study. Graduate Certificate of Professional Engineering alumni can explore career opportunities in:

  • agriculture
  • irrigation
  • livestock
  • processing
  • transportation
  • forestry
  • environment and conservation
  • construction
  • structural engineering
  • electronics
  • computer engineering
  • robotics
  • telecommunications
  • power
  • defence
  • mining
  • GIS. 

Use your Graduate Certificate in Engineering as a stepping-stone to further study. After you complete a Graduate Certificate of Professional Engineering with UniSQ you could take the credit from your studies into the Graduate Diploma of Professional Engineering or Master of Professional Engineering

Are flexible study options available?

How you can study a Graduate Certificate in Engineering (or equivalent) will vary from uni to uni but at UniSQ, yes you can generally study a Grad Cert in Engineering part-time, on-campus or externally, allowing you to balance study with your work and life commitments.

Work towards your certificate in engineering at your own pace with our flexible learning options. Discover the different ways you can study at UniSQ.