Graduations glossary

Understand all the terms you'll come across during your graduation journey.

AHEGS

Your Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) is a document you’ll get in digital format once your award is conferred in a graduation round. This statement improves the worldwide recognition of Australian qualifications. You can visit our AHEGS page to find out more.

Conferral

Conferral is the process that admits you into your award as a legal graduate and allows you to use any associated titles.

Conferral occurs at graduation ceremonies for all coursework graduates, even if you’re graduating in absentia (without attending a ceremony). Award certificates (testamurs) are legal documents so they can’t be issued without completing the conferral process.

Course completion

If you’re course completed, it means you’ve met all the requirements of your course, you’ve received your final marks and your faculty has registered your completed status in the University’s records. Once you’re course completed, you’ll be eligible to graduate. For full details, see course completion.

In absentia

Graduating in absentia means you don’t attend a graduation ceremony (but your award will still be conferred in one). Take a look at our graduating in absentia page for all the details.

Testamur

The testamur is your award certificate. It shows:

• your name
• your award title
• your specialisation (if applicable)
• conferral date (the date of your graduation)
• up to two majors (or extended majors), if applicable
• the University seal.

To learn more about your testamur, take a look at our award certificate (testamur) page.