Professional Standards
Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners The Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA), supported by the Australian Government, developed and published the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners. The publication of the Professional Standards represents a landmark in the history of Australian career development and a benchmark for career development practitioners. The Professional Standards:
- Define the career industry, its membership and its services;
- Recognise the diverse skills and knowledge of career practitioners;
- Guide practitioner entry into the industry;
- Provide a foundation for designing career practitioner training;
- Provide quality assurance to the public and other stakeholders;
- Establish a benchmark against which career practitioners can be assessed, evaluated and judged by their peers and by others;
- Require career practitioners to undertake continuing professional development;
- Create an agreed terminology for the industry.
Endorsed Courses
Studying with a CICA Endorsed Course Provider
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an aspiring career development practitioner. When you study with a CICA Endorsed Course Provider, you can be confident that your program has been carefully evaluated against the highest professional standards in the Australian career development industry.
CICA has thoroughly reviewed the program proposals submitted by participating universities and training providers. Each endorsed program has been assessed for its alignment with the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners, and each provider has worked collaboratively with the CICA Endorsement Committee to strengthen and embed the core competency framework into their curriculum.
Endorsement also matters beyond your studies. Many employers, professional associations, and membership bodies recognise CICA endorsed qualifications as a mark of quality. Holding an endorsed qualification positions you well for professional membership, career progression, and ongoing recognition within the career development field.
CICA endorsement is not a one-time tick of approval. Providers must seek re-endorsement on a regular basis, meaning endorsed courses are subject to ongoing scrutiny and must continue to meet the Professional Standards as the field evolves.
Choosing a CICA endorsed course is choosing a qualification that the industry stands behind.
This means that when you graduate, you will have developed the knowledge and skills that the profession recognises as essential for quality career development practice. For those completing a CICA Endorsed Graduate Certificate in Career Development, there is an additional milestone within reach: upon successful completion, you will be eligible to apply for listing on the Australian Register of Professional Career Development Practitioners, the national recognition of qualified practitioners in the field.
CICA commends every endorsed university and training provider for their commitment to improving the quality of career services across Australia. By delivering programs that meet the Professional Standards, they are helping to build a more skilled, capable, and credible career development workforce.
Program endorsement periods reflect the level of study: three years for Graduate Certificate programs and above, and two years for the Certificate IV in Career Development. Endorsed programs are listed below.
Endorsed until April 2026
- Graduate Certificate in Education (Career Development and Counselling)
- Master of Education (Career Development and Counselling Specialisation)
Endorsed until October 2026
- Graduate Certificate of Career Development
- Master of Education (Career Development)
Endorsed until November 2028
- Graduate Certificate in Career Education and Development
Endorsed until December 2026
- Graduate Certificate in Career Development Practice - December 2026
- Certificate IV in Career Development - December 2026
Endorsed Until March 2027
- Graduate Certificate of Education (GCEF) Career Development
Endorsed until August 2026
- Specialist Diploma in Career Counselling
Endorsed until November 2026
- Graduate Certificate in Career Development Practice
Endorsed until August 2027
- Certificate IV in Career Development
Professional career development practitioners may hold postgraduate qualifications from universities that previously offered approved programs that are no longer available. They may have obtained their qualifications before the establishment of the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners and the CICA Program Endorsement.
CICA strongly recommends that schools intending to train staff for career development roles should enrol them in a Graduate Certificate in Career Development or higher qualification to ensure they are recognized as professionals.
Please click here for the complete list of current and previously endorsed programs.
The Register
The Australian Register of Professional Career Development Practitioners (the Register) is the single national point of reference for ensuring and promoting professional career development practitioners across the whole industry in Australia and is a further step in the professionalisation of the industry.
CICA, as the National Peak Body, is responsible for developing and promulgating the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners and leads the industry to ensure a commonly understood appropriate standard of education, training and continuing professional development for career development practitioners is maintained.
Individuals wishing to apply to join the Register will require a CICA endorsed Graduate Certificate in Career Development or higher, or an equivalent career development specific qualification, and be a Professional Member of a CICA Member Association.
Equivalent career development specific qualifications refer to completed qualifications prior to the implementation of the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners and CICA Program Endorsement.
All current and graduates of CICA endorsed programs including those previously endorsed will be eligible to meet the requirements to join the Register.
