• Accreditation 27 January 2026

    Provider: UNSW Global Pty Limited

    Course: Diploma of Applied Business (Business Management)

    Course accreditation

    Report on accreditation of 3 higher education courses of study offered by UNSW Global Pty Limited

    On 27 January 2026, a delegate of TEQSA accredited, under section 49 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, the following courses offered by UNSW Global Pty Limited, for a period of 7 years until 26 January 2033:

    • Bachelor of Information Technology (Cyber Defence and Networking)
    • Associate Degree of Information Technology (Cyber Defence and Networking)
    • Diploma of Information Technology.

    Main reasons for the decision

    TEQSA made this decision on the basis that it was satisfied that the courses submitted by UNSW Global Pty Limited for accreditation meet the applicable Standards of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.

    Decision
    Decision Type
    Accreditation
    Decision ID
    ID5571

  • TEQSA’s work to support social cohesion and safety in higher education

    TEQSA is working to develop updated guidance to support compliance with provider obligations under the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.

    Our work is focused on supporting universities and other higher education providers to assure themselves that discussion around contested ideas does not risk student and staff wellbeing and safety, while being cognisant of the sector’s commitment to freedom of speech and academic freedom.

    This is part of TEQSA’s ongoing work to improve system responses to these issues within Australia’s higher education sector.

    TEQSA’s current work is focused on:

    • identifying and sharing best practice
    • updating guidance materials for higher education providers
    • developing statements of regulatory expectations about student grievances and complaints processes and academic adjustment/special consideration policies
    • continuing to engage with stakeholders including students, providers and other government agencies and experts.

    Roundtable meetings

    To support the development of updated guidance, TEQSA held roundtable meetings in October and November 2024, and February 2025.

    Invitees to these meetings include universities, students and other stakeholders, including the National Student Ombudsman, Australian Human Rights Commission, Universities Australia, the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia and the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia in Australia.

    TEQSA social cohesion roundtable with vice-chancellors on 31 October 2024

    TEQSA social cohesion roundtable with university managers on 15 November 2024

    Details regarding the 25 February 2025 roundtable meeting are not available.

    Guidance materials

    The following information lists TEQSA guidance and correspondence to providers.

    Stay informed

    Updates on this work, including consultation opportunities, will be communicated via TEQSA’s website, our monthly e-News and social media channels. Be sure to sign up to our e-News to keep informed.

    If you have any questions about this work, please email socialcohesion@teqsa.gov.au.

    Last updated:

  • Fees and charges

    TEQSA’s fees and charges recover costs for regulatory activities undertaken to support Australia’s higher education sector.

    Costs are recovered from higher education providers in 2 ways:

    1. Registered Higher Education Provider (RHEP) charge paid annually by all providers, the charge is the sum of a base component and a compliance component
    2. Application fees for regulatory activities related to:
      • registration
      • course accreditation
      • variation or revocation of conditions

    TEQSA fees and charges are determined by legislative instruments

    TEQSA’s fees and charges are determined by way of legislative instrument. TEQSA’s fees and charges from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 are based on the amended Cost Recovery Implementation Statement and set out in the following legislative instruments:

    Learn more about fees and charges

    In this section, you can find detailed information about our fees and charges, including:

    For frequently asked questions about cost recovery, visit our FAQs page.

    Last updated:

  • Guidance notes

    The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework) has applied since 1 July 2021.  

    From a regulatory perspective, all applications made: 

    • before 1 July 2021 will be assessed against the HES Framework 2015
    • on or after 1 July 2021 will be assessed against the HES Framework 2021.

    Guidance notes

    Guidance notes are concise documents designed to provide high-level, principles-based guidance on interpretation and application of specific standards of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021. They also draw attention to other interrelated standards and highlight potential risks to compliance.
     

    TEQSA is working to enhance its suite of guidance notes and will keep providers updated on our progress through our monthly e-News (subscribe here) and our social media channels.
     

    We recognise and value the importance of drawing on knowledge of lived experience in the higher education sector.
     

    Please view our Consultation page to learn more about present opportunities to provide feedback.

    The resources published on this page are not instructional or ‘how to’ documents for compliance with the new HES Framework.

    TEQSA publishes guidance notes to provide greater clarity for providers in the interpretation and application of selected standards. Guidance notes draw on our regulatory experience and knowledge of experts in the higher education sector.

    Guidance notes usually focus on a single topic (such as academic leadership, for example). The guidance note typically outlines:

    • the nature of the topic
    • the relevant standards in the Higher Education Standards Framework (HESF) that relate to the topic
    • the underlying intent of those standards
    • the risks to the quality of education if the topic is not addressed sufficiently by a provider
    • the evidence that TEQSA is likely to look for to be satisfied that the requirements of the HESF are being met.   

    Comments and feedback on guidance notes can be emailed to standards@teqsa.gov.au.

    Current guidance notes

    Guidance note Last updated
    Academic Governance 30 November 2023
    Academic and Research Integrity  2 February 2024
    Academic Leadership (beta version) 18 June 2019
    Academic Monitoring, Review and Improvement 19 March 2024
    Academic Quality Assurance 11 October 2017
    Admissions (coursework) 4 May 2022
    Changes in a Course of Study that may lead to Accreditation as a New Course 6 March 2017
    Corporate Governance 26 August 2019
    Course Design (including Learning Outcomes and Assessment) 11 October 2017
    Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning 7 July 2023
    Delivery with Other Parties 7 July 2023
    Determining Professional Equivalence – [full title: Determining Equivalence of Professional Experience and Academic Qualifications] 11 October 2017
    Diversity and Equity 11 October 2017
    Facilities and infrastructure 30 November 2023
    Financial Assessment 11 April 2019
    Financial Standing  11 April 2019
    Grievance and Complaint Handling 22 February 2019
    Joint and Dual Awards 11 October 2017
    Learning resources and educational support 11 June 2025
    Monitoring and Analysis of Student Performance (beta version) 6 January 2020
    Nested Courses  13 August 2019
    Research and Research Training 11 December 2024
    Research Requirements for Australian Universities 30 April 2024
    Scholarship 4 May 2022
    Staffing 11 June 2025
    Technology-Enhanced Learning  11 April 2019
    TEQSA and the Australian Qualifications Framework 27 August 2019
    Transnational Higher Education - Inbound [full title: Transnational Higher Education into Australia (including international providers seeking to offer higher education in Australia)] 11 October 2017
    Varying a Period of Registration or Accreditation 26 August 2019
    Wellbeing and Safety 8 January 2018
    Work-Integrated Learning 4 May 2022

    Statements of Regulatory Expectations

    A Statement of Regulatory Expectations (SRE) is a regulatory tool TEQSA uses to address systemic ongoing or acute emerging risks to compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.

    Good practice notes

    Guide to determining the fitness and propriety of a person

    This guidance sets out the principles and considerations that TEQSA will have regard to when assessing fitness and propriety for the purposes of the TEQSA Act. 

    Independent Experts engaged by providers 

    This document provides guidance to providers on selecting a suitable independent expert to conduct a review or seek expert advice as part of their internal quality assurance processes.

    Glossary of terms

    Last updated:

  • Sector alert: Commercial academic cheating service activities on campus

    Body

    12 February 2026

    TEQSA is aware of accounts of aggressive and direct promotional activities of commercial academic cheating services that target students studying for an Australian higher education award. The accounts suggest operators of these services are approaching students on campuses to promote their services and collect students’ contact details. This follows concerns TEQSA raised in a previous sector alert, of students being approached in online environments, including directly through email, social media and class groups set up in messaging apps.

    These accounts suggest these activities are organised and coordinated and may involve:

    • coercing students who have previously used commercial academic cheating services, under threats of blackmail, to sign-up other students
    • offering students incentives and convenient ways to register or sign-up for commercial academic cheating services.

    Engaging illegal academic cheating services may leave students vulnerable to identity theft and blackmail, and increase cyber security risks for students and higher education providers.

    Background

    Amendments to the TEQSA Act in September 2020 made it illegal to provide or advertise a commercial academic cheating service in Australia. Since then, TEQSA has worked to block illegal cheating websites and remove social media accounts and posts that advertise these services, disrupting their business model.

    In April 2024, TEQSA issued a sector alert to providers advising of changes in the marketing and promotional behaviour of commercial academic cheating services. The alert highlighted the direct promotional activities used by these operators to target students through email or via class groups set up in messaging apps or on social media platforms.

    Research shows commercial academic cheating services are frequently coordinated by organised groups and can involve criminal behaviour, putting students who use them at risk of blackmail or identity theft. Blackmail activities can include demands for further payment, class materials or contact details of other students.

    If you become aware of information or evidence relating to a commercial academic cheating service targeting your institution, or being used by students at your institution, you can lodge a report via our website.

    Immediate provider actions

    TEQSA stresses the need for Australian higher education providers to be vigilant in addressing risks to academic integrity by engaging in a range of activities to educate students, detect cheating, upskill staff and report cheating services.

    TEQSA expects all providers to reassess the risks and effectiveness of their responses to these risks, including ensuring:

    • information on the risks of using these services is shared with students as part of their induction
    • the risks associated with using academic cheating services are clearly and regularly communicated to students as part of ongoing discussions about academic integrity
    • students are aware of how to access genuine study support, should they need it. Additional resources to support students with academic misconduct are available on our website
    • students and staff are aware of, and have clear pathways to, raise an alert with campus security (for example, via a security app or a phone number), should cheating service activities or recruiters on campus require an immediate response
    • students know how to access security and support services if, for example, they are experiencing blackmail
    • students and staff are made aware of the potential for class groups on messaging apps and social media platforms to be infiltrated by academic cheating services
    • students and staff are regularly reminded of their obligation to comply with IT security protocols
    • IT systems are monitored for suspicious activity, and spam filters and other tools are updated to quarantine emails to students that advertise illegal cheating services
    • consideration is given to reissuing the login credentials and requiring password updates
    • posters, business cards and other material posted or left on campus promoting commercial academic cheating services are promptly removed.

    Resources

    Previous relevant updates from TEQSA

    Supports for students

    TEQSA has the following supports for students available on our website:

    Additional TEQSA resources

    Information about Australia’s anti-commercial academic cheating laws

    Stakeholder
    Publication type

    Related links

  • Sector alert: academic cheating services online and on campus

    TEQSA has written to all providers in response to accounts of aggressive and direct promotional activities of commercial academic cheating services targeting students both online and on campus. Our Sector alert: Commercial academic cheating service activities on campus can be read on our website.

    Providing or advertising commercial academic cheating services is illegal in Australia, and undermines academic integrity standards. Additionally, engaging with these services can leave students at risk of blackmail and identity theft, and increase institutional exposure to cyber security risks.

    TEQSA’s sector alert outlines TEQSA’s expectations and immediate actions for providers to take, to help students understand the risks of using commercial academic cheating services and the supports available to them.

    Date
    Last updated:
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    Sector alert

  • Request a TEQSA speaker at a conference or event

    TEQSA welcomes the opportunity to speak at higher education, government and other regulatory or quality assurance events.

    To assist us in managing your request, we ask that you complete the below form, and our team will respond within 5 working days.

    Please note: TEQSA requires at least 28 days advance notice of any request for a TEQSA representative to speak at a conference or event, and that TEQSA is not able to provide speakers for all requested events.

    webform instance

    About you

    About your request

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    10 MB limit.
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  • Extensions to the period of provider registration or course accreditation policy

    Body

    Purpose

    The purpose of this policy is to describe TEQSA’s approach to considering extensions to the period of provider registration or course accreditation under sections 37A and 57A of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (the TEQSA Act).

    Legislative authority

    Section 37A of the TEQSA Act provides that TEQSA may extend the period of a registered higher education provider’s registration. The extended period may exceed seven years.

    Section 57A of the TEQSA Act provides that TEQSA may extend the period of the accreditation of a course of study. The extended period may exceed seven years.

    Principles

    1. TEQSA may consider extending the period of a provider’s registration or the period of accreditation of a course of study for a range of reasons. These include:
      1. to reflect an established track record of low-risk, high quality delivery of higher education, either across a provider’s operations or with respect to one or more courses
      2. to harmonise periods of registration and accreditation, or harmonise periods of registration under the TEQSA Act and another act (such as the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000)
      3. to provide for efficient management of TEQSA’s workload.
    2. Relevant matters when considering a possible extension under section 37A or section 57A include, but are not limited to, the following:
      1. the provider’s history, including the history of its scholarship, teaching, research, students’ experiences, financial status and capacity, and compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework, TEQSA Act and other laws regulating higher education
      2. matters relevant to the risk of the provider not complying with the Higher Education Standards Framework or the TEQSA Act in the future, including its internal quality assurance mechanisms and its financial status and capacity
      3. any material risks to students or quality identified in the risk assessments for the provider
      4. the quality of data submitted by the provider as part of TEQSA or other Australian Government information collection processes
      5. TEQSA’s anticipated workload during the period when the provider’s registration or course accreditation is due to expire
      6. the period of any other registration or accreditation of the provider (including registration under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 or the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011), and the extent to which harmonisation of the expiry dates of registration or accreditation would benefit the provider
      7. any relevant comments or evidence from the provider
      8. any relevant comments or evidence from other agencies, including (but not limited to) the Department of Education, the Australian Skills Quality Authority
      9. the need for any decision, and the process leading to any decision, to be appropriate, fair, objective, and defensible.
    3. The TEQSA Act does not limit the period for which a provider’s registration or course accreditation may be extended. With this in mind, TEQSA will usually extend registration or accreditation for a period no longer than seven years, to provide an appropriate opportunity for a scheduled review of the provider or a particular course. Further, in circumstances where a short extension is being considered (up to 12 months), it may be more appropriate to first consider allowing a provider to submit its application for renewal at a date later than the usual 180 days prior to expiry – this would allow an extension to be considered closer to the expiry date if it becomes necessary.

    Contact

    A provider can contact TEQSA’s Enquiries Management Team if there are any enquiries about extensions to the period of provider registration or course accreditation.

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    Version 3.1
    Stakeholder
    Publication type

    Documents

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    tom.hewitt-mcmanus

  • Accreditation 08 August 2013

    Provider: SAE Institute Pty Limited

    Course: Associate Degree of Animation

    Course accreditation

    Report on accreditation of 17 higher education courses of study offered by SAE Institute

    TEQSA has determined, under section 49 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (the TEQSA Act), to grant accreditation of the following higher education courses of study offered by SAE Institute for a period of seven years until 8 August 2020:

    • Bachelor of Animation (3D Modelling)
    • Bachelor of Animation (Character Animation)
    • Bachelor of Animation (Visual Effects)
    • Associate Degree of Animation (nested)
    • Bachelor of Audio (Post Production)
    • Associate Degree of Audio (nested)
    • Bachelor of Design (Graphic Design)
    • Bachelor of Design (Web Design)
    • Associate Degree of Design (nested)
    • Bachelor of Film (Post Production)
    • Associate Degree of Film (nested)
    • Bachelor of Games Development (Games Programming)
    • Bachelor of Games Development (Games Design)
    • Associate Degree of Games Development (nested)
    • Bachelor of Interactive Technologies (Web Development)
    • Bachelor of Interactive Technologies (Mobile Development)
    • Associate Degree of Interactive Technologies (nested)

    The courses of study in animation, audio, design, film, games development and interactive technology are to be offered at the SAE Dubai campus.

    Background to Decision

    SAE Institute submitted an application for accreditation of seventeen courses of study under Part 4 of the TEQSA Act. Subsection 45(4) of the TEQSA Act requires a registered higher education provider who is not authorised to self-accredit the course of study to apply to TEQSA for accreditation. Subsection 49(6) enables TEQSA to grant accreditation of a course of study for a period not exceeding seven years.

    Main Reasons for the Decision

    TEQSA has determined that the seventeen higher education courses of study submitted by SAE Institute for accreditation comply with the Provider Course Accreditation Standards. The course accreditation covers delivery at all Australian sites. The courses of study in animation, audio, design, film, games development and interactive technology are to be offered at the SAE Dubai campus.

    Decision
    Decision Type
    Accreditation
    Decision ID
    ID0060