Coursework or research master's in Australia: which fits you?

Direct answer: The Australian Qualifications Framework names three forms, Research, Coursework and Extended, and all sit at level 9. The difference is where your time goes: in a research master's most of it is your own research, in a coursework master's most of it is taught subjects.

The 2013 edition of the framework (Australian Qualifications Framework Council, 2013) lists "three main forms of Masters Degrees within the Masters Degree qualification type" and places them all at level 9 of the framework. For the research form it says that graduates will have undertaken "supervised study and research of which two thirds will be devoted to research, research training and independent study" (Australian Qualifications Framework Council, 2013, pp. 59-62). The coursework form is described as a program of structured learning with some independent research and project work or practice-related learning.

Study Australia (n.d.-a) puts the purpose in plain words. A research master's aims to produce research or add new knowledge in your field, while a coursework master's lets you focus on professional practice or your academic field. The third form, the Extended master's, is typically 3 to 4 years and follows a minimum 3 year level 7 qualification (Australian Qualifications Framework Council, 2013), so it is a different pathway from the one-to-two-year degrees most applicants compare.

The word counts in the table are Study Australia's own ranges (n.d.-a), not a national rule, so a faculty can set a different limit. Read the handbook entry of the course you are considering.

Direct answer: Expect one to two years of full-time study for either type, with the exact figure set by your earlier degree and by the course itself. Some courses run shorter when credit is given, and the program page, not a ranking list, is where that is stated.

The Australian Qualifications Framework Council (2013) gives the same typical volume of learning of 1 to 2 years for both forms and adds that the time can be shorter depending on your earlier qualification. Universities then publish their own structures. The University of Melbourne (n.d.) lists 200 credit points as two years of expected full-time study, alongside shorter options of one year. Adelaide University (n.d.) offers a Master of Research in 1.5 years full-time, or 1 year with prior credit. UNSW Sydney (n.d.) lists a Master by Research at 1.5 to 2 years full-time.

If you searched for a "1 year masters program", read this as a question about credit and entry level. A one-year length normally means you arrive with a qualification that the university counts towards the degree, which is why the same course can be one year for one applicant and two for another.

Direct answer: Entry is set by each university, not nationally. The examples below share a strong prior degree, usually with a weighted average mark or Honours. Some universities also ask for a short research proposal, and La Trobe, for example, wants a supervisor to support it before the application is processed.

Adelaide University (n.d.) asks for a 3-year bachelor's degree with a weighted average mark of at least 65 or a seven-point GPA of 5.0 or higher, or an Honours degree or research-training graduate certificate. UNSW Sydney (n.d.) lists, as minimum entry to its Master by Research, a four-year bachelor's degree with second class Honours from UNSW or an equivalent qualification. La Trobe University (n.d.) asks for a preliminary research proposal of no more than 300 words in most cases, and 1,000 words for the Master of Laws (Research).

Coursework master's entry is set on the program page in the same way, and this guide's sources give no single figure for it, so check the course you want. If your last degree was a taught one and you are weighing research later, whether a taught master's qualifies you for a PhD explains how admissions teams read that kind of transcript.

Direct answer: At La Trobe, yes: the application cannot be processed until supervision is confirmed, and Adelaide makes admission conditional on a supervisory panel. Check your own university's page. For a coursework master's no supervisor is mentioned in the sources used for this guide, so read the course page.

La Trobe University (n.d.) states that graduate research candidature requires you to identify a potential supervisor and receive in principle approval for the research project, that the application cannot be processed until supervision is confirmed, and that thesis submission is expected 20 months after commencement (full-time), with two years as the maximum period of study. Adelaide University (n.d.) adds that admission to a research degree is conditional on the availability of a suitable supervisory panel and resources for the proposed project.

The practical order is the same as for a doctorate. Read the supervisor's recent work, write a short message that links your question to it, wait for a reply and only then assemble the application. The sequence for a doctorate is covered in how to apply for a PhD in Australia, and most of it applies unchanged.

MAAS advisors help applicants plan this sequence: you read the supervisors' work, our experts challenge the fit between your question and theirs, and you write every document and submit the application yourself. The scope of that advice is described under study abroad and personal statement consulting.

Direct answer: The Australian Government funds research master's and research doctorate students, domestic and overseas, through the Research Training Program, which universities administer. The page examined here does not name coursework master's as funded, so check each university for its own awards.

The Department of Education (n.d.) says the government provides funding to eligible universities through the Research Training Program to support their training of domestic and overseas students undertaking research doctorate and research masters degrees. For a research master's, scholarships are available for up to 2 years at a full-time load and up to 4 years at a part-time load. They can cover a tuition fee offset, a stipend for living costs and allowances for the ancillary costs of research.

Scholarships are administered by individual universities, each with its own application and selection process (Department of Education, n.d.). Applying for admission and applying for a scholarship are therefore two separate steps, and the scholarship page of your target university will give the closing date. The same page does not list scholarships for coursework master's, which is why the question "cheapest master degree in Australia" needs a fee page, not a funding page.

Direct answer: Plan for 20,000 to 40,000 words if you choose research, and 12,000 to 20,000 words if your coursework master's includes a minor thesis. These are general ranges, and a single university can set a higher ceiling for its own research degree.

The two ranges come from Study Australia (n.d.-a), which describes the research thesis as a long essay and says a coursework student "may need to complete a large project or a minor thesis". The word "may" matters: a coursework master's does not always include a thesis. UNSW Sydney (n.d.) shows how far a faculty can go beyond the general range, with a ceiling of 75,000 words for its Master by Research.

For planning, divide the word count by the months you have. A 20,000 word thesis written over 20 months, the La Trobe submission point for a full-time candidate, is about 1,000 words a month before any rewriting. That arithmetic is yours to adjust, but it shows why supervisors ask early about method and data.

Direct answer: A research master's is generally the more direct route towards a doctorate, and a coursework master's can help if it contains a substantial research project. For work rights after graduating, Study Australia describes the Post-Higher Education Work stream of the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) as lasting usually between 2 and 3 years, depending on your qualification.

The research content of your degree is what a doctoral supervisor reads, which is why the research master's is the more direct path. The reasoning for a taught degree is set out in which degree to study before a PhD. Study Australia (n.d.-b) states that the Post-Higher Education Work stream of the 485 visa lasts "usually between 2 and 3 years, depending on your qualification" and lists as a basic condition that you are aged 35 or under when you apply, with exceptions. The length that applies to each type of master's is set by the Department of Home Affairs, so read its current page on the 485 visa before you choose a course for visa reasons.