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Australia

More about Australia

Studying in Australia

Australian universities give you both an international education and opportunities to develop a global network. Australian universities have long lasting experience of taking care of international students. The universities have departments with competent staff who are there specifically to help international students. The staff at the international office will normally help you with just about any question you may have.

Schools often arrange a so called orientation week the week before the semester starts. This is aimed to help international students to get to know the university, campus and the student life. The different student organizations are there to tell you about their activities and to recruit new members. During the week there are also lots of social activities giving you a perfect opportunity to get to know new friends before the start of classes.

The education system

The Australian education system has three main sectors where you can study after primary and secondary school.

Universities: You can choose from a lot of different courses and fields, and you can get an undergraduate (bachelor or diploma) or postgraduate (master or Phd) degree depending how many years you want to study. At many of the Australian universities you can also choose to study only one semester as an exchange student.

Vocational and technical education: In a vocational and technical education you gain career-focused skills that are valued and sought after by employers. These programs are developed for you to be able to go straight from this education to a job. You also have the option of continuing on at a university. When you have a vocational or technical program, you gain a Certificate or a Diploma.

English language training: It is very common for international students to enroll in English Language Training. You can take a short course and learn English as a part of your holiday or you can learn English as part of a formal course that prepares you for accredited levels of English language recognized by education and immigration authorities around the world.

You can easily move from one sector and qualification level to the next and from one institution to another.

Before starting university in Australia

It is always a good idea to plan for your studies well ahead of time, as the application process for international students can be quite long.

First, You need to think about what fields of study you are interested in, what level of qualification that is best suited for you, where in Australia you want to go and how much it can cost.

At a university you can study bachelor, master or PhD courses covering almost all the fields you can think of for example agriculture, business, economics, education, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, information technology, law, mathematics and computing.

Vocational and technical education institutions offer practical, career oriented courses including business, computing, marketing, tourism and hospitality.

English language training suits all students, from beginner student to advanced student to teacher training.
You have to think about what part of Australia you want to study in, or what city. Australia is a big country and the nature, environment and climate vary a lot from the south to the north.

The cost varies a lot depending what kind of school you want to go to and what kind of courses you want to take. As an international student you do not get student loans in Australia. Most of the international students are full-fee paying students and are not awarded scholarships. You must also think about the cost of living. 

What needs to be considered when choosing your university or college in Australia, is the wide variety of choices that you will face. You should consider  what kind of courses you want to study and which institutions that offer the courses you are interested in. All the courses available for international students must be registered by the Australian Government.

When you have decided what to study you have to find out if you meet the entry requirements and the English language requirements for the selected course. Contact the institution for more information. They will look at the level and content of the study you have completed in Australia or your home country. Be prepared to show evidence of your academic achievements and English language knowledge.