How Bond's degrees are structured
Bond’s diplomas, undergraduate and graduate programs are all made up of credit points (CPS):
| UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS | GRADUATE PROGRAM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma | 80 CPS | Graduate Certificate | 40 CPS |
| Bachelor | 240 – 360 CPS | Graduate Diploma | 80 CPS |
| Honours Year | 80 – 90 CPS | Masters | 120 – 160 CPS |
| Doctorate | 240 CPS | ||
| PATHWAY PROGRAMS | HIGHER DEGREE BY RESEARCH | ||
| Foundation Program | 80 CPS | Master of Philosophy | Min 2 years |
| Diploma Preparation | 30 CPS | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | Min 4 years |
Most subjects/courses are worth 10 CPS, but some are worth five or 15 or 20 CPS. The standard 10 CPS subjects generally equate to three or four credits in the US system.
Most bachelor's degrees are worth 240 CPS or the equivalent of 24 subjects and the average master's degree is 120 CPS or 12 subjects.
A condition of your Australian Student Visa is that you must be enrolled as a full-time student. In Australia, that usually means four subjects per semester. As such, you can finish a standard 24-subject bachelor's degree in two years and a master’s in one to two years at Bond University.
Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) like the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) work a bit differently. They are based on completing a major research dissertation or thesis and usually take around two years for an MPhil and four years for a PhD at Bond.
-
General education
In Australia, the university system doesn’t require two years of general education as you have in the USA. At Bond, however, every bachelor's degree includes three University Core subjects covering key employability and life skills:
- Critical Thinking and Communication;
- Collaboration, Teams and Leadership; and
- Responsibility, Integrity and Civic Discourse
All Bond undergraduate students also take part in Beyond Bond – a program of extracurricular activities of your choice, where recognition is given for things like volunteering, taking part in competitions, being active in social clubs, and so on.
-
Entry requirements
USA High School Completion with Undergraduate Programs No SAT / ACT# SAT ACT Advanced Placement Bachelor of Actuarial Science; and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) / Bachelor of Actuarial Science Enter via Bond Diploma Pathway 1290 29 / 36 8 (aggregate of
best 2 AP subjects)Bachelor of Laws (LLB); and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) combined degrees 1190 26 / 36 7 (aggregate of
best 2 AP subjects)Bachelor of Biomedical Science*; Bachelor of Business Law; Bachelor of Business Data Analytics; and Bachelor of Jurisprudence GPA 3.7 / 4.0 1100 23 / 36 7 (aggregate of
best 2 AP subjects)Bachelor of Design in Architecture^ GPA 3.4 / 4.0 1020 22 / 36 6 (aggregate of
best 2 AP subjects)Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science*; and Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Performance* GPA 3.2 / 4.0 All other Undergraduate programs not named above GPA 3.0 / 4.0 Diploma of Legal Studies Diploma of Health Sciences GPA 2.5 / 4.0 All other Diploma programs not named above GPA 2.0 / 4.0 Diploma Preparation Program (DPP) 1.6 / 4.0 * must meet pre-requisites ^ portfolio entry possible with min GPA 3.0/4.0
# Min GPA is calculated from four (4) academic subjects -
usually English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Social Studies may be substituted for an academic subject.Bond University's SAT school code is 5345 and the ACT school code is 5370.
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
IB students will need a score range from 28 to 32, depending on the program you are applying to. You are not required to provide an SAT or ACT score.
UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFERS
If you have already completed at least two (2) semesters of college, entry will be based on your college transcripts only. A GPA of 2.0 or higher is usually required for undergraduate transfer.
GRADUATE ADMISSION
Admission to graduate programs is generally based on having successfully completed a relevant undergraduate degree and/or significant work experience in a relevant field.
-
Study load
A condition of your Australian Student Visa is that all international students must take a full time study load, usually equivalent to four subjects per semester.
On average, you’ll spend between three and four hours each week in class for each subject. That could be in lectures, tutorials, seminars or labs. You’ll also spend extra hours working on additional reading, assignments, group projects, research, study and review.
-
Grading systems
Bond’s grading system works on a four-point scale as follows:
Grade Description % mark range US Equivalent 4 High Distinction 85 – 100 A+ 3 Distinction 75 – 84 A 2 Credit 65 – 74 B 1 Pass 50 – 64 C 0 Fail < 50 F Bond does not recognize pass conceded
-
Will my degree be recognized at home?
Bond University’s degrees are recognized globally and accredited by professional bodies worldwide.
Those degrees that have licensing requirements to practice (e.g. law, accounting, medicine, psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy) can be transferred back to the USA with a few extra steps.
Accounting – GAA membership
Bond’s Accounting program is professionally accredited by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. CAANZ, in turn, is a member of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) which also includes the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Through the GAA, members of CAANZ receive automatic membership of AICPA and all other GAA affiliate organisations worldwide.
Law – USA
In some states, such as California and New York, graduates with an Australian law degree (Bachelor of Laws, Juris Doctor) are eligible to sit for the Bar exam and gain admission to practice.
For other states, you have to sit for the bar in Australia and be admitted before you can sit for the law exam in your state,
You should also be aware that some US states don’t admit anyone with a non-USA law degree.
Admission in each state is controlled by the local state bar association and the State Supreme Court. The most up-to-date information is available on the American Bar Association website.
Allied health degrees
In the USA, international degrees in allied health disciplines such as physical therapy / physiotherapy, occupational therapy, etc. must first be assessed by the relevant national body to ensure they are equivalent to a USA degree. Graduates can then apply to sit an exam which gives them a licence to practice.
Click here for more details on Bond's allied health programs.