Beyond Graduation Survey

The Beyond Graduation Survey (BGS) was conceived by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) as a detailed investigation into the activities, outcomes and experiences of graduates from Australian higher education institutions several years after the completion of their studies. The BGS, which currently resurveys respondents to the Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) three years after course completion, represents the first ever large-scale longitudinal study of higher education graduates in Australia.

The primary focus of the BGS is the main activity of the graduate at the time of the survey—be it work, study or something else entirely—although information concerning the various other activities in which the graduate has been engaged in the years between course completion and the present is also collected. In addition to detailing their activities, graduates are invited to make a retrospective assessment of both their course experience and the contribution that their higher education experience has made to their lives.

Who is it of interest to?

Findings from the BGS regarding course experience, educational relevance, employability skills and graduate outcomes can be used by higher education administrators and teachers to develop their academic programs; thus enhancing the quality of Australian higher education as a whole. Current and prospective students can use the findings from the BGS to gain a more realistic understanding of the post-study outcomes for graduates from their chosen field, thus permitting them to make more informed study and career choices. Similarly, these findings can assist careers advisors in providing robust advice and guidance to prospective higher education students.

Where can I see the findings?

The detailed report of the BGS is available for free download.