Study In Australia

Distinguishing Australia from many other countries is the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) which is a national system of learning pathways recognized throughout Australia and the world.

The Australian Qualifications Framework is a system of seventeen national qualifications in 3 sectors:

• Schools
• Vocational Education and Training (TAFE and private providers)
• Higher Education (mainly universities)

Vocational Education and Training:

Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) delivers training that is both practical and career-oriented and includes courses in computing, business studies, marketing, tourism and hospitality. VET is also available in Australian schools. VET courses are provided by both public institutions called TAFE Institutes and private colleges. All institutes and colleges are subject to Government monitoring to ensure high standards. Australian VET graduates are able to seek employment with the knowledge that their skills are those demanded by employers. Under Australia’s national qualifications framework, graduates can also progress into higher-level courses including entry into universities for Diploma and Bachelor degree courses.

The following qualifications are available at Australian universities and approved higher education providers.

Associate degree

• Duration: Two years
• Minimum Qualification Required: Year 12 or equivalent, Certificate III or Certificate IV.This is a short-cycle Degree program that helps with career development if the student is already working and doesn’t have time to complete a full Bachelor Degree. It can be a pathway to a Bachelor Degree or prepare you for an Advanced Diploma in specialist industry training. An Associate Degree will be about the basics or foundations of your field. It will cover the broad theory and enable you to develop the basic employment-related skills.

Bachelor Degree

• Duration: Three years
• Minimum Qualification Required: Year 12 or equivalent, Certificate III or Certificate IV The Bachelor degree is the fundamental university qualification and is the basic qualification for entry to the professions. Some professions may require additional vocational qualifications as a condition of entry.

Bachelor Degree (Honours)

• Duration: Four years
• Minimum Qualification Required: Bachelor Degree A Bachelor Degree with honours takes an additional year after a Bachelor Degree. Honours may also be granted where outstanding achievement is recorded in a Bachelor Degree course of four or more years.

Graduate Certificate

• Duration: 6 months
• Minimum Qualification Required: – Bachelor Degree The Graduate Certificate typically involves broadening individual skills already gained in an undergraduate program, or developing vocational knowledge and skills in a new professional area.

Graduate Diploma

• Duration: One year
• Minimum Qualification Required: Bachelor Degree The Graduate Diploma either broadens individual skills obtained in an undergraduate program or develops vocational knowledge and skills in a new professional area. This qualification can also be described as further specialization within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge.

Master Degree

• Duration: 1 to 2 years
• Minimum Qualification Required – Bachelor Degree (Honours) or Bachelor Degree: – The Master’s Degree involves enhancing specific professional or vocational skills. The Master’s Degree is typically gained by research or coursework or a combination. Study involves acquiring in-depth understanding of a specific area of knowledge, usually by independent research. A Master’s Degree takes either one-year after a Bachelor Degree with honours or two years after a Bachelor Degree.

Doctoral Degree

• Duration: Typically 3 years
• Minimum Qualification Required Master’s Degree The Doctoral Degree is the highest award offered by Australian universities. Although it is a research degree, some programs may have a course work component. There are three components to a Doctoral Degree:

• A searching review of the literature, experimentation or other systemic approach to a body of knowledge.
• An original research project resulting in a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding and/or the application of knowledge within a discipline or field of study.
• A substantial and well-ordered thesis, demonstrating the relationship of the research to the broader framework of the discipline or field of study.

The annual tuition fee varies from AU$ 16000 to AU$ 40000 (i.e. Rs 8 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs) depending on the university or college. Approximate annual living expenses of an Indian student would be in the range of AU$ 15000 to AU$ 20000.

The average international student in Australia spends about $320 per week on housing, food, clothing, entertainment, transport, international and domestic travel, telephone and incidental costs.

In Australia accommodation will not be a problem for international students. There are several options like university flats or halls of residence, private accommodation or home-stays or farm-stays. Most of the students opt for university accommodation since it makes the university life much livelier. It makes you mingle with other students on a long term. Generally, there are three types of housing available to students.

On-Campus Accommodation

The on campus housing provides halls of residence and this can be sometimes hard to secure as spaces are limited. Fees will vary depending on which school you attend, and most provide meals and some furniture.

Off-Campus Accommodation

The student can stay at flat or rental houses during their academic education preferably in the second or third year.

Home Stay

Home stay is available in Australia which is a good option for those who want to experience the real Australian culture as it will involve living with an Australian family either with your own private room, or shared.

The most popular courses for Indian students in Australia are Engineering (All specialties including Mining, Petroleum), Information Technology, Information Systems, Biotechnology, International Business, Hospitality & Tourism Management, Accounting, Business Administration and Social work. Also there are many students choose health related courses like Nursing, Pharmacy, Podiatry, Physiotherapy etc.

The main intake for all Australian Institutions is February. Every university opens admissions for all courses that they offer, for the February intake. There is also a Mid-year intake offered by some Australian Universities during July. It is important to keep in mind that, a university offering an intake in February might not necessarily offer all the courses that they have on list, during the mid-year intake.Generally, universities follow semester system and for some programs, they have trimester system. Hence it is advisable that one should start the process 8-10 months in advance.

Documents Required

• Statement of Purpose: The personal essays, and/or statement of purpose.
• English Proficiency: For most courses and universities, International students are required to take IELTS (International English Language Test).
• Academic Records: Students applying for admission are required to submit an official transcript from each college or university.
• Letters of Recommendation: from the college or university/ employer