Malta
What is an MQF Level 7 Qualification?
MQF Level 7 is the master's level in Malta: a postgraduate diploma is 60 ECTS, a top-up 30, a full master's 90. Entry, the online routes, and how Get Qualified treats it.
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An MQF Level 7 qualification is a master’s-level award in Malta: a full master’s degree is 90 ECTS credits, a postgraduate diploma 60 and a master’s top-up 30, all at the same level, equal to EQF Level 7 across Europe and RQF Level 7 in the UK. Entry is a Level 6 qualification, or solid professional experience in its place, from the age of 21.
This guide explains what the level means, how the three sizes of award fit together, what the entry rules are, what the level is worth in work, and how Get Qualified treats it. Facts are from the MFHEA’s framework, the Malta Enterprise guidance notes of April 2026 and the course pages on this site.
What Level 7 means
The Malta Qualifications Framework has eight levels. Level 7 is the second highest: advanced, specialised learning with research and critical analysis in it, the level of a master’s degree. Malta referenced its framework to the European Qualifications Framework in 2009, so MQF Level 7 and EQF Level 7 are the same thing, and the UK’s RQF Level 7 sits alongside them.
How the awards fit together
| Award | MQF and EQF | ECTS | UK credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate diploma | Level 7 | 60 | 120 |
| Master’s top-up | Level 7 | 30 | 60 |
| Full master’s degree (MA, MSc, MBA) | Level 7 | 90 | 180 |
The three are the same level and differ only in volume. A postgraduate diploma is a complete Level 7 qualification on its own, and it also counts in full towards a master’s: diploma plus top-up equals the degree. That is the route most working adults in Malta take to a master’s online, because the diploma fits around a job and the top-up is a single year.
Entry requirements
- A Level 6 qualification: a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
- Or considerable professional experience, usually in management, assessed by the awarding body before you enrol.
- Age 21 by the start date for the postgraduate diplomas on this site.
- Good English, reading and writing; the MBA top-up asks for IELTS 6.5 or proof that your Level 7 award was taught in English.
- For the artificial intelligence diploma, Python: object-oriented programming and two or more of numpy, pandas, scipy and matplotlib.
The Level 7 awards you can study online from Malta
Three postgraduate diplomas, each 60 ECTS, awarded by OTHM and regulated by Ofqual, studied online in 10 to 15 months with assignments instead of exams: the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Strategic Management, the Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and the Postgraduate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence. After the business diploma, the MBA top-up from Arden University supplies the last 30 credits in a year or more, part-time and online, and the award is a full MBA. The fees and the entry conversation are on each course page; the postgraduate courses page lists them side by side.
What Level 7 is worth in work
A Level 7 award is what senior management and specialist posts ask for, and the public service’s own circulars grade posts by MQF level. The roles that ask for it most often:
| Field | Roles that ask for Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Management | Senior manager, operations director, business consultant |
| Human resources | HR director, head of talent, learning and development manager |
| Technology | AI and data lead, solutions architect, technical director |
| Projects | Programme director, senior project manager |
Get Qualified at Level 7
Malta Enterprise refunds 70% of the fee of a Level 7 award as a tax credit, capped at €170 per ECTS credit (€10,200 for a 60-credit diploma), applied for within 12 months of finishing and usable over 15 years. A full master’s also earns the attainment bonus: €3,000, or €5,000 for a master’s in a STEM subject, paid in two halves in the third and fourth years of assessment after you graduate. The diploma alone earns the 70%; the bonus comes with the master’s. The detail is in the Get Qualified guide and the STEM bonus guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a postgraduate diploma a master’s?
No. It is a Level 7 award of 60 ECTS; a master’s is 90. The diploma counts in full towards the master’s, and the top-up adds the last 30 credits.
What is the difference between MQF Level 7 and EQF Level 7?
None in level. Malta’s framework is referenced to the European one, so a Level 7 award in Malta is a Level 7 award across the EU.
Can I use a Level 7 qualification abroad?
Yes. EQF Level 7 is read the same way in every EU and EEA state, and the UK’s RQF Level 7 is its counterpart.
Do I need a degree to start?
A Level 6 qualification is the standard entry. Considerable management experience can be accepted instead; the awarding body decides before you enrol.
How long does a Level 7 course take?
Online, a postgraduate diploma takes 10 to 15 months around a job; the MBA top-up takes a year or more. A full master’s studied in one go is usually one to two years.
What comes after Level 7?
Level 8, a doctorate. Level 7 is the entry point, and Get Qualified pays a €10,000 attainment bonus on a full doctorate.
Sources
- MFHEA, the Malta Qualifications Framework: eight levels, referenced to the EQF.
- Malta Enterprise, Get Qualified [2026] Guidance Notes, version 1.0, 1 April 2026, sections 4.3 and 5.
- The course pages on elephantcross.org, read 6 October 2026.
Last verified: 6 October 2026.
Courses at this level.
Studied online, around your job, and recognised at the level this article describes.
EQF 7Master of Business Administration (MBA) top-up£285 a monthEQF 7Postgraduate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence€220 a monthEQF 7Postgraduate Diploma in Business Strategic Management€220 a monthEQF 7Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management€220 a month