Level of study

Australia Awards Scholarships provide citizens of Laos with the opportunity to obtain a qualification at an Australian tertiary institution, including technical colleges.

Awards will be offered for commencement in 2026 within the following levels of study:
•⁠ ⁠Vocational Education and Training (VET)1: diploma and advanced diploma
•⁠ ⁠Master’s degree
•⁠ ⁠Doctorate degree (PhD).

Fields of Study Supported by the AAS

In recognition of the genuine development challenges across all sectors in Laos, applications are encouraged from all fields of study, except for general business courses (e.g., business, business administration, business management, finance, and accounting), and education management.

Applicants should select courses that align with their experience and qualifications or provide a strong justification for courses that represent a shift in career focus or direction.

Priority fields of study for Laos

The governments of Australia and Laos regularly review priority fields of study together and adjust the emphasis of the program. For Intake 2026, the following fields of study are human resource development priorities:

For Intake 2026, the following fields of study are human resource development priorities:
•⁠ ⁠Economic development and trade: economic governance, entrepreneurship and innovation, tourism and hospitality management, international trade, commerce, agribusiness, food science and technology, and quality and standard management.
•⁠ ⁠Environment, climate change and clean energy: environmental adaptation and resilience, waste management,
clean energy, renewable energy, climate financing, disaster resilience and management, water resource management, forest and wildlife conservation, natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, and food security.
•⁠ ⁠Gender, disability and social inclusion: gender studies, disability policy and practices, inclusive and specialised education, women’s studies, social work, development studies, community service, youth work and international community development.
•⁠ ⁠Governance and law: public policy, public administration and management, public relations, international relations, international law, law and development, social justice, human rights, intellectual property law, legal studies, and monitoring and evaluation.
•⁠ ⁠Health and wellbeing: public health, allied health, emergency operation management, communicable disease, epidemiology, animal health, aged care, medical technology, nutrition and dietetics, food safety, occupational health
and safety, mental health, and psychology.
•⁠ ⁠Human resource development and education: human resource management and development, early childhood, basic education, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), pedagogy and leadership management.
•⁠ ⁠Infrastructure and connectivity: engineering, cyber security, critical technology (AI, robotics, etc.), information technology, digital studies, data science and innovation, journalism and multi-media communication, logistics and supply chain management, construction and infrastructure management, urban planning, building design, graphic design, interior design, and architecture.