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Course Comparison

Discover the key differences and similarities between our accredited courses and career tracks

Student Work by Enoch Chai
CHOOSE YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY

Which Creative Course Suits You?

We understand that everyone's learning journey is different, which is why we offer courses that cater to different budgets, schedules, and skill levels.

OUR COURSE OPTIONS:

  • Accredited Courses: Learn specialized technical and creative skills for film and games and gain a solid understanding of industry concepts through rigorous practical and theoretical training. Graduate with a degree or diploma.
  • Career Track Courses: Through hands-on, practical training, master the tools, techniques, and software needed to pursue a fulfilling career in film and games or 3D visualization. Graduate with an industry certificate.
  • Short Courses & Workshops: Build industry essentials in your chosen discipline, including commonly used techniques and how to navigate relevant software and tools. 

Students who are serious about working in the industry usually decide between our accredited courses and career tracks. To assist in your decision-making process, this page outlined the similarities and differences between these two excellent course options.


 
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KEY DIFFERENCES

Accredited Courses and Career Tracks

Although both course options are career-focused and industry-led, there are a few key differences between the career tracks and accredited courses (our bachelor's degrees and diplomas), which we have outlined below.

What is accreditation?
Accreditation is the process by which an institution or program is evaluated and recognized as meeting certain standards of quality and rigor. This ensures that the education provided meets high standards and that credits and degrees earned are respected and valued by employers and other educational institutions.

Which courses are accredited?
Our bachelor's degrees and diplomas are accredited by TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency). Our career track courses (along with our shorter courses and workshops) are not accredited.

What certification will I graduate with?
If you enroll in one of our accredited courses, you will graduate with a degree or diploma (depending on your exit point), and if you enroll in one of our career tracks, you will graduate with an industry certificate.

Our accredited courses require a weekly commitment of at least 40 hours (full-time study load), and those studying the degree or diploma must complete 18 units or six units, respectively.

Our career track courses require a minimum of 20 hours a week (full-time), and students need to complete a total of six units.

Formal assessments are part of the accredited courses, and students will be required to complete (and pass) a series of course assessments with deadlines throughout their studies in order to graduate.

Career track courses also issue classwork. The work you submit is not graded, but your mentor will give you personalized feedback. In order to graduate, you will still need to complete all classwork, and your mentor will need to consider it satisfactory.

If studied in a full-time capacity, our degrees take 24 months to complete over six trimesters, and our diplomas take 6 months over two trimesters. Our career track courses can be completed in 18 months over three 12-week terms.

Although our bachelor's degrees are longer and more intensive than our career tracks, it's important to note that they are actually still shorter than most typical degrees—two years instead of three.

All our accredited courses are also available to study part-time.

All our courses offer some form of financial aid. The accredited courses and career tracks differ in their available options. See our list below:

Accredited courses

  • FEE-HELP (available to eligible Australian citizens only)

Career tracks

  • Discounts for paying course fees up-front
  • Flexible loans through CLIMB Financing
  • Payment plans, including monthly installment plans

To learn more about financial aid, head to our Tuition & Payments page.

When applying for any course at CG Spectrum, applicants must be proficient in English (spoken and written) and possess basic computer literacy.

Entry requirements for accredited courses
Entry requirements for our degrees and diplomas are more formal than those for the career tracks. 

The process for applying for our degrees and diplomas is similar to that of any Australian higher education institution registered with TEQSA. Institutions registered with TEQSA must comply with their standards, including entry requirements. 

Applicants must have obtained a certain level of prior education (usually completion of year 12 or similar) before they will be accepted. These requirements differ slightly depending on whether you are applying as an Australian citizen or as an international student.

If applying for the Bachelor or Diploma of Digital Art, applicants must submit a portfolio demonstrating their skill level before they can be considered.

For a more detailed description of entry requirements for the degrees and diplomas, please head to the FAQ page.

Entry requirements for career tracks
The minimum age to be able to enrol in our career track courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.

Our concept art course has one additional entry requirement. Students must submit a portfolio demonstrating their skill level before their application will be considered.

All our course options offer small class sizes, however, the exact number of students per class does vary between the accredited courses and career track.

Accredited courses
Class sizes are standardized and contain a maximum of 15 students per subject.

Career tracks
Students can choose between two class sizes:

  • Small (maximum four students)
  • Private 1-on-1 classes

Please note that the fees for the career track 1-on-1 class option are higher than the small class option. See our course comparison table below for more details.

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COURSE COMPARISON

Our Courses at a Glance

Explore the table below, which compares the accredited degrees and diplomas with the career tracks, to see which course option best fits your needs.

 

  Pathway

Diploma

Bachelors

Career Track

  Class Options

Group Class

Group Class

Group Class

Private 1:1

  Duration

6 months

24 months

18 Months

18 Months

  Skill Level Outcome

Intermediate

Advanced

 Advanced

Advanced

  Units

6

18

6

6

  Credential

Diploma

Bachelor's  Degree

Industry Certificate

Industry Certificate

  Accredited

Yes

Yes

No

No

  Part-time Option

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

  Commitment

40hrs per week

40hrs per week

20hrs per week

20hrs per week

  Max Class Size

15

15

4

1

WHAT YOU LEARN

Course Content Comparison

Both our accredited and career track course options are led by film and game experts and teach the latest industry-standard software, tools, and techniques.

The accredited courses differ from the career tracks mainly in the theoretical knowledge taught through subjects that fall under what we call "Creative Concepts" and "Industry Concepts." These theory-based subjects include film and game practices and processes, as well as creative concepts and principles, providing more contextual content to the necessary practical components.

Within the career track courses, students still gain industry insights and develop an understanding of some film and game theories and practices, however, these subjects are not explicitly included in the curricula. 

Below is a comparison of what you will learn in the accredited courses versus the career tracks using our concept art subjects as an example.

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Credit Transfer

Take Your Education Higher

If you're looking to start your studies sooner you can enroll in the Career Track and apply to receive credit towards our accredited courses for any corresponding units.

Have you already taken a course with us? Ask us about getting a credit transfer from the Career Tracks to the Bachelor's Degree.

FIND OUT MORE
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QUALITY EDUCATION

Different Courses. Same Amazing Experience.

No matter which course you choose, expect a high-quality education that teaches you industry skills and techniques while supporting your growth as an artist.

OUR ACCREDITED AND CAREER TRACK COURSES BOTH OFFER:

  • Access to our supportive online community of 4,000+ students, mentors, and graduates
  • A cutting-edge curriculum created by industry for industry
  • Mentorship from talented film and game pros with years of experience
  • Support from our in-house technical assistants (TAs), who help students with technical issues and general troubleshooting
  • Access to exclusive career support services and events
EXPLORE OUR COURSES
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