IT Degrees and ACS Eligibility for Software Engineer Migration

Why do qualifications matter for an ACS application?

ACS assesses migration applications based on two factors: qualifications and work experience. Your qualification determines which assessment group you fall into and how many years of experience you need to meet the requirement. If the qualification is not eligible, ACS will require additional experience — or in some cases will not be able to assess it at all.

This means that someone with a 4-year IT degree from a reputable institution and someone with only a 2-year diploma will go through two different assessment pathways, even if both lodge under the same ANZSCO code.

For a full overview of the migration pathway, see the software engineer migration overview article.

How does ACS classify qualifications?

ACS uses a classification system known as the ICT qualifications framework. In essence, qualifications are assessed against two criteria:

1. Level: Comparable to an Australian education level (AQF):

A 3–4-year university degree (Bachelor’s) = AQF Level 7
A master’s degree (Master’s) = AQF Level 9
A 2–3-year diploma (Associate/Diploma) = AQF Level 5–6

2. Content (ICT content): What percentage of the program is ICT content? ACS classifies it as:

ICT Major (mainly ICT): IT, software engineering, pure computer science
ICT Minor (partly ICT): for example electrical engineering with programming subjects, business administration with IT subjects
Non-ICT: a field unrelated to ICT

How does ACS assess an IT bachelor degree?

A 4-year bachelor degree in IT (software engineering, computer science, information systems, electronics and telecommunications, etc.):

This is the most common qualification among software-engineering applicants. ACS assesses qualifications from any institution against the same criteria. A few points to know:

ACS maintains a list of institutions/programs that have already been assessed — if your institution is not on the list, ACS will assess by examining the program of study (transcript)
A 4-year IT degree from a university is commonly recognised as comparable to an “ICT Major at Bachelor level”
You must provide a transcript with a certified English translation

Experience required alongside a Bachelor ICT Major degree: ACS usually requires additional relevant ICT work experience after graduation (the specific number of years depends on the ANZSCO code and ACS policy updates — check directly on the ACS site).

Does an IT master’s degree help?

A master’s degree (Master’s) may reduce the experience requirement compared with a bachelor degree — but only when that master’s is an ICT Major and is recognised by ACS. Some real-world cases:

A master’s in IT from a reputable university: usually assessed by ACS as comparable to a Master ICT Major
A master’s in IT management or an MBA with IT modules: may be classified as ICT Minor or Non-ICT — not as helpful as hoped
A master’s from Australia or an English-speaking country: recognised directly by ACS

What about an IT diploma or vocational certificate?

A 2–3-year IT diploma is usually classified by ACS as ICT Minor at Diploma level or lower. This means:

A considerably higher work-experience requirement (often 4–6 years or more)
Some ANZSCO codes require a Bachelor degree — if you only have a Diploma, ACS may assess you as ineligible for that code

A person with an IT diploma but many years of practical experience can still apply to ACS — but should read ACS’s current requirements guidance carefully for each code.

Which subjects in a qualification affect the ACS assessment?

ACS considers the proportion of ICT subjects in the program. Subjects usually counted as “ICT content”:

Programming, algorithms, data structures
Software architecture, systems analysis and design
Databases, computer networks, operating systems
Cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI/ML (depending on the program)

Subjects not counted as ICT:

Mathematics, physics, chemistry (even though they underpin ICT)
Business administration, accounting, economics
Electrical and electronic engineering (case by case — needs specific review)

If your degree has many subjects unrelated to ICT (for example, electronic engineering with many hardware-electronics subjects), the program may be classified as ICT Minor rather than ICT Major.

The ACS academic assessment process

When lodging an ACS application, you need to provide:

Graduation certificate — original or certified copy, with a certified English translation by a NAATI translator
Transcript — a list of all subjects and grades, with a translation
Program description (if available): subject names and summary content — helps ACS understand your program

ACS will assess based on these documents. If the information is not clear enough, ACS may request additional documents.

When is bridging study needed?

You may need additional study if:

The qualification does not meet ICT Major (only ICT Minor)
The qualification is not at the right level (Diploma instead of Bachelor)
The qualification is in an unrelated field but you have many years of ICT experience

Common bridging-study options:

Individual subjects at an Australian university (especially useful if you are already in Australia)
A Graduate Diploma in IT at an Australian university — provides a higher-level qualification and an ICT Major

That said, if you already have a 4-year IT degree and many years of experience, you most likely will not need additional study — ACS will assess the whole file.

Next steps

After understanding the qualification requirements:

Real-world ACS application — the documents to prepare and the lodgement process
How to choose the ANZSCO code for an IT occupation — identify the right code before lodging
Software engineer migration overview — the visa pathway after obtaining an ACS assessment