Not necessarily. Government profiles say HR advisors usually need a formal HR qualification, and vocational (VET) and university study are common pathways. HR clerks need none, though a certificate or diploma can help. A Certificate IV or Diploma lets you study HR while you keep working. A degree may suit school leavers or people aiming for senior strategic HR.
This guide is for people who already have a job: the office manager who now runs onboarding, or the administrator who handles leave and rosters. If that’s you, here’s our advice: start with the Certificate IV. It runs for 12 months alongside work.
Hader Institute of Education (RTO 45162) delivers both HR qualifications online. Both are listed as current on the national register at training.gov.au: BSB40420 and BSB50320.
How many people in HR hold a degree?
The occupation group Human Resource Professionals (ANZSCO 2231) covers HR advisers, recruitment consultants, and workplace relations advisers. In that group, 36.8% held a bachelor degree and a further 15.0% a postgraduate qualification, graduate diploma, or graduate certificate. So roughly half had a degree or higher (ABS 2021 Census, via Jobs and Skills Australia).
You can get into HR without one, and our guide to getting into HR covers that route.
A nationally recognised qualification plus experience is one way to show an employer what you can do.
What degree is best for HR?
No single degree is best. The degree routes into HR are:
- a Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Commerce with a human resource management major
- a bachelor degree in human resource management, sometimes paired with psychology
- a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or master’s degree in human resource management, for people who already hold a degree in another field such as psychology or arts.
The Australian HR Institute (AHRI) describes itself as the peak membership body for HR professionals. AHRI membership is open to university students, to people who graduated from university in the last two years, and to people with at least two years of HR experience.
If you later move to university, a Certificate IV or Diploma may count towards entry or credit. Each university sets its own rules, so ask the one you’re considering. The national AQF Qualifications Pathways Policy asks providers to make pathways between qualifications clear to students.
HR degree, Certificate IV or Diploma: how they compare
HECS-HELP is available only in a Commonwealth supported place: for eligible students the loan pays the student contribution, and you repay it once your income reaches a threshold (HECS-HELP).
Entry steps for both Hader courses
To enrol in either course, you need to:
- be 18 or over
- be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or hold a visa with full work and study rights
- have the language, literacy and numeracy skills to read learning materials, read and write workplace reports and documents, interpret policies and procedures, and report hazards
- be assessed at or above the course’s entry profile in a language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills (LLND) assessment before you enrol, with each skill assessed separately
- have intermediate Word skills
- have a computer and reliable internet access
- complete a Pre-Training Review interview.
If you’re assessed below the entry profile, we’ll advise you before you enrol, and we’ll enrol you only where we can provide the support you need and we’ve agreed it with you.
Paying for a Hader course
A Certificate IV isn’t eligible for a VET Student Loan at any provider. The Diploma is an approved course for VET Student Loans at an approved provider, subject to student eligibility and a loan cap. Hader isn’t an approved VET Student Loans provider, so a loan isn’t available for either course here. Payment plans keep running after the course ends until the full price is paid; details are on study now, pay later.
You get a full refund if you cancel within 3 calendar days of being accepted into the course. After that, the full course fee is payable, except in the circumstances our refund policy sets out. Your rights under Australian Consumer Law also apply.
Which HR course is best for you?
The best course is the one that fits the work you do now.
“I do admin and have picked up HR tasks.” Start with the Certificate IV in Human Resource Management. Its six core units include the four HR units the Diploma asks for: recruitment and onboarding, performance development, employee relations, and HR processes. Completing the Certificate IV also meets the Diploma’s unit prerequisite. Its six electives include leading difficult conversations, coordinating health and wellness programs, and making presentations.
“I’ve completed the four HR units, or I have two years’ equivalent full-time relevant work experience.” You may meet the entry requirement for the Diploma of Human Resource Management. The Diploma steps up to coordinating HR work: workforce planning, employee and industrial relations, and business risk.
“I’m leaving school and want a broad business education, or I’m aiming for senior strategic HR.” A degree may suit you better. If you’re 18 with time to study full time, it’s a sound choice.
What qualifications do you need to study HR?
The Certificate IV has no prerequisite qualification, so you only need to complete Hader’s entry steps. The Diploma asks for four HR units or two years’ equivalent full-time relevant work experience, and our guide to the Certificate IV and Diploma of Human Resource Management helps you check where you stand.
Can you study HR while working?
Yes. You study both Hader courses online from anywhere in Australia, with no campus attendance and no work placement. Each week you join a 3-hour live class on Zoom with your trainer and other learners. Between classes you study at your own pace, about 15 hours a week, and spend about 8 hours on assessment. You can also book up to 1 hour a month of extra time with a trainer.
That’s about 26 hours a week, which is what it takes to finish in 12 months. If you need more time, you can apply for an extension with no additional fees. Intakes are rolling, so you don’t wait for a semester to start.
Your trainer and our learner support team follow your progress, and you can get learning, study skills and wellbeing support throughout. Our learner support page explains how to reach it. Career support comes through our Job-Ready Program.
If the study relates to your current job and you pay the course fees yourself, they may be tax-deductible as a self-education expense. The ATO or your tax adviser can confirm this for you.
Is human resource management a good career?
The Jobs and Skills Australia profile counts about 84,700 people employed as Human Resource Professionals (viewed October 2026). Our guide to HR roles and how they progress shows how HR careers start and move up.
Some HR work can be stressful. Our guide to how to get into HR answers whether HR is a high-burnout job from what the government profiles say.
How much are HR professionals paid in Australia?
The Jobs and Skills Australia profile shows median full-time weekly earnings of AU$1,970 (ABS, May 2025) across all industries. Some entry roles, such as payroll officer, sit in other occupation groups, and their pay can be lower. Pay varies with industry, experience, location, and employer, and a qualification can’t guarantee a particular job or salary.
Your next step
BSB40420 Certificate IV in Human Resource Management
A nationally recognised qualification, studied online. No work placement is required; career support comes through our Job-Ready Program.
AU$4,995 total · AU$4,495.50 upfront · or from AU$48/week over 105 weeks, interest-free
Explore the Certificate IV in Human Resource Management
Already have the four HR units or two years’ equivalent full-time relevant work experience? Check if you qualify for the Diploma
Talk to a course advisor: (03) 8362 3113
Hader Institute of Education · RTO 45162
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