Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

We acknowledge the value of providing opportunities for students to build upon their prior learning by evaluating whether you’re eligible for exemptions in your Kaplan Business School course, thereby shortening the duration of your studies.

Your eligibility and quantity of exemptions will be determined by a number of factors such as the similarity of your prior qualifications with your course at KBS as well as how recently they were completed.  A qualified academic will also evaluate their equivalence with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) which is a very important regulatory obligation with which all providers of higher education must comply.

Our terms and conditions in this regard can be found in our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy.

Information about articulation agreements can be found at the bottom of this page.

SUBJECT EXEMPTIONS BY AQF LEVEL

SUBJECT EXEMPTIONS BY DIPLOMA

SUBJECT EXEMPTIONS BY ADVANCED DIPLOMA

Note: There are a total of 24 subjects in every Bachelor course at Kaplan Business School.​​​​​​​

* Strictly limited to related courses within the '08 – Management and Commerce' broad field of education.

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING PROCESS

FUTURE STUDENTS

Prospective students seeking to study at KBS have an option to apply for RPL at the time of admission.

For more details, click here to download the General Admissions Information.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Current students at KBS can still apply for RPL after commencing their studies. To apply for RPL, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Kaplink account.
2. Navigate to the "Requests" section and select "Recognition of Prior Learning”.
3. Complete the required fields and attach all required documentation (outlined below).

FEES

Students do not need to pay an RPL application fee if they: (i) receive automatic exemptions from our list of approved providers, (ii) apply for RPL as part of the admissions process, (iii) are seeking to transfer between KBS courses, or (iv) are returning to KBS and would like a re-assessment of their eligibility for exemptions.

For details on applicable fees, click here.

RULES FOR EXEMPTIONS

80% content coverage: Evidence of a minimum of 80% coverage of subject content is required for an exemption to be granted.  This evaluation is performed by a qualified academic whose determination is based on a comprehensive analysis of the learning outcomes, topics, assessments and other curriculum-related factors.

Exemption for an exemption: Previous study graded as an exemption cannot be used for an exemption into a KBS qualification.

Study must be recent: The only subjects that can be considered for an exemption are those that have been completed within the preceding 10 years.

Study must be at the right level: The prior studies must be at a comparable AQF level to the subject for which students are seeking an exemption.  For example, exemptions into a master’s course cannot be granted based on a previous bachelor's course.

Examples of approved study: Qualifications can only be considered from accredited Australian higher education providers. It is possible for exemptions to be granted based on incomplete qualifications if the associated subjects were completed within the preceding 10 years.

Overseas qualifications: In some cases, exemptions may be granted for qualifications completed in a country other than Australia if the entire curriculum was taught and assessed in the English language.  The evaluation of their equivalence with a KBS course is determined via the CEP platform (Country Education Profiles) hosted by the Department of Education. (Note: Accounting subjects completed overseas do not qualify for exemption unless the overseas course was accredited by CPA, Chartered Accountants ANZ or the ACCA.)

Subjects excluded from RPL: It is not possible to have exemptions granted for the following KBS subjects:

• Capstone subjects: ACCM6000, DATA6000, MBA600, TEC307, TECH8000
• Internship subjects: BUS307, BUS308, MBA507, MBA508, INTS4000

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

To proceed with your RPL application, please provide the following:

1. Certified Official Transcript or Academic Record from your previous education provider, which must adhere to the rules for exemptions listed above. The transcript or academic record must also include a grading scale or explanation of the assessment results.
2. Subject Outlines for each subject you are seeking to have exempted. These must include the learning outcomes, a detailed list of topics and the assessment structure.

A certified translated copy must be provided if the original documents are not in English.

RPL REQUEST OUTCOMES

If you submit your RPL application after the commencement of your KBS qualification, you can generally expect to be notified of the outcome within 10 working days of your submission.

If approved, there are three types of credit that may be granted:

• Specified Credit is granted for previous subjects that are at least an 80% match with specific subjects in your KBS course, thereby exempting you from those subjects and awarding the appropriate credit points in their place.  This ensures you do not complete the same subject twice.
  
• Unspecified Credit is granted when your previous subjects are relevant to your KBS course even though they do not align directly with a specific subject. This credit usually counts toward your electives in the form of equivalent credit points.
  
• Block credit may be granted when a set of subjects from one qualification is recognised as equivalent to a portion of your KBS course. This often applies when moving between similar courses or institutions where the course contains material that is considered to be equivalent.
  

Approved RPL will be recorded on your KBS transcript as ‘Exempt (E)’. Exempted subject grades and credit points are not transferable or calculable as part of the cumulative grade point average at KBS.

Students who are not satisfied with an RPL outcome and wish to contest it may do so by referring to the Kaplan Grievances, Complaints and Appeals Handling policy found here.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION PATHWAY OPTIONS

Information about professional qualification pathway options can be found in the document below.

• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) & Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS

Information about articulation agreements with our industry partners can be found on the pages below.

• CPA Australia
• Greenwich College​​​​​​​
• Queensford College
• Greystone College​​​​​​​
• Lexis Training​​​​​​​
• Kaplan Singapore