The Australian Government introduced the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) to improve the recognition and portability of Australian qualifications. The AHEGS describes a higher education award in a consistent, easy to understand way across the sector, facilitating employment and further study for the graduate in Australia and internationally.

The AHEGS is a course specific transcript with descriptions of the provider, course, graduate achievements and the contextual information relating to the Australian higher education sector and the institution.

Your AHEGS will contain information about:

• Your award
• Avondale University as the institution where you completed your accredited course
• The award being jointly conferred by Avondale University and Charles Sturt University where relevant
• Your academic results and achievements pertaining to your completed course, and
• The Australian higher education system

You will receive your AHEGS during the graduation service or, if graduating in absentia, in person or by post, as arranged.

Employers

Avondale graduates may present an AHEGS as part of their application for employment. The AHEGS provides information to inform judgements for purposes that might include access to another academic program, employment or the right to practice a profession. For certain purposes, the AHEGS may need to be read in conjunction with a Transcript of Academic Record.

Benefits of the AHEGS for employers include:

• Broader information about the award
• Consistent presentation of the achievements of graduates across all Australian higher education institutions
• Graduates’ academic achievements presented in context of their award and the awarding institution
• A description of the Australian higher education system and qualifications framework, to assist overseas employers
• Enhanced information by which to evaluate the suitability of applicants and allow comparison with other applicants

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the purpose of an AHEGS? The purpose of an AHEGS is to assist in national and international recognition of Australian qualifications and to promote international mobility and professional recognition of graduates.
2. What is the relevance of the AHEGS domestically? The AHEGS is a document issued to most higher education students in Australia who completed their course since 2010. This will enhance the information available to Australian employers and professional associations by providing employers with broader information about the award and the opportunity to compare the AHEGS of prospective employees and to make comparisons based on a standardised document. Your AHEGS will be used to ascertain your abilities and process your admission to pursue further study at other higher education institutions after you have graduated from Avondale.
3. What is the relevance of the AHEGS internationally? The AHEGS will assist graduates from Australian higher education institutions seeking professional work or further study opportunities overseas. It aims to make Australian awards better understood internationally by providing a consistent context for all Australian higher education awards including a detailed explanation of Australia’s higher education qualification framework. This will enable international readers to evaluate academic achievement in context and more reliably compare their achievements with other candidates. This will enhance the mobility of both Australian and international graduates in the global higher education and employment market.
4. What is the difference between an AHEGS and other equivalent official documents? A Transcript of Academic Record is an evolving document that contains a full history of academic results for all courses you have been enrolled in at Avondale and is available at any time. As a student progresses, the transcript reflects their progress. The current issuing of transcripts will not change and one free transcript will be issued along with your AHEGS and testamur at graduation. Additional copies may be requested at any time for a fee. The AHEGS is a snapshot document containing specific information pertaining to an individual award and is available only upon graduation from that award. Subsequent copies of the document will contain the same information as the original. In addition to academic results, the AHEGS includes additional details about the award itself, the awarding institution, a description of the Australian higher education system and where applicable, prizes and scholarships awarded to the graduate during their studies.
5. Who will receive an AHEGS from Avondale? Avondale will issue an AHEGS to graduates of higher education awards. The AHEGS does not apply to students studying VET courses.
6. How and when is the AHEGS issued to me? Your AHEGS is issued through My eQuals following graduation.
7. What information will be included in my AHEGS? The AHEGS presents the graduate’s academic achievements relating to a particular award. The AHEGS will describe: your award; Avondale as the awarding institution; your academic achievements; and the Australian higher education system. Details can include: graduation and course name; graduation status; conferral date; advanced standing; completed units with grade (distinction, credit, pass, fail or withdrawn); thesis title and description (for higher degree research awards); awarded prizes or special achievements; awarded academic merit-based scholarships; and additional course details or special requirements achieved within the course.
8. Will my AHEGS include a GPA and/or WAM? Your Avondale AHEGS will include both a Grade Point Average and a Weighted Average Mark.
9. Will my AHEGS include my professional experience or internships? Professional experience or internships will initially be reflected in the unit listing in section four of the AHEGS. More information about the location and dates of such experience will be added when it becomes available in a format allowing inclusion in AHEGS.
10. I am graduating from a higher degree research course. Will I receive an AHEGS? Higher degree research graduates will receive an AHEGS, however, section four of the AHEGS will contain the title and description of their thesis rather than the units and grades that appear on an AHEGS for coursework awards.
11. Will my AHEGS include my fail grades? The AHEGS includes all units that were undertaken as part of the course for which the AHEGS has been issued. The grades are included for all of those units, including those that you failed.
12. Will I be issued with two AHEGS for my BA/BTch, BSc/BTch or BBus/BTch course? No. At Avondale, the combined degrees are accredited as a single course with a single award (testamur) issued upon completion. As the AHEGS is course based, only one AHEGS will be issued to graduates of these courses. One testamur equals one AHEGS.
13. Will I be issued with an AHEGS if I have graduated before December 2012? Graduands in the December 2012 graduation round were the first to receive an AHEGS from Avondale. There is no plan to issue an AHEGS to students who have graduated before December 2012.
14. How can I obtain another copy of my AHEGS if I lose or damage my original? You may obtain a reprint or additional copies of your AHEGS by submitting your request to the Academic Office. Reprints and additional copies attract a fee.
15. What do I do if I find an error on my AHEGS? If you find an error on your AHEGS, you can contact the Academic Office regarding the error and obtain a replacement. Once verified as an error, the Academic Office will make the correction and issue you with a reprinted AHEGS at no additional cost to you as per the Academic Documents Policy.
16. Will my prizes and scholarships appear on my AHEGS? Where academic merit is a major criterion for these achievements, then they will be included in section four of the AHEGS. Prizes or scholarships that do not meet this merit criterion may appear on the Avondale Supplementary Transcript. Only prizes or scholarships earned from 2009 onwards are recorded.
17. What if the details of my prize or scholarship are not correct, or one is missing? We have done our best to record historical details of prizes and scholarships starting in 2009. If you earned a prize or scholarship during the course of the degree you are completing and it does not appear on your AHEGS, you will need to contact the Academic Office with the details (documented proof of the prize or scholarship will be required) together with your original AHEGS. The correct data will be entered into the Student Management System so that your AHEGS can be re-issued to you, free of charge.
18. Will details of my cross-institutional study and associated accreditation be included on my AHEGS? Section 2 of your AHEGS will include information about course work that you have completed as part of an agreement with another institution (such as the University of New England and the psychology major). Where professional accreditation is part of that course, information about that will appear as part of the Course Accreditation statement in Section 2. Units you completed at other institutions for which you have been granted advanced standing will be listed in Section 4 as advanced standing.
19. Will my AHEGS be accepted by my professional registration body? Graduates are advised to check with their professional bodies, such as Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership for teachers or the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia for nurses, to confirm their requirements for registration.