Study in Australia
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Study in Australia - Australian Education
Australia has emerged as a popular destination for higher education because of its strong educational infrastructure, a high quality of life, and relatively lower expenses. Australian degrees are gaining increased acceptance in the global arena, particularly in the Pacific rim countries. A peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, together with the cosmopolitan charisma of cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide – Australia could be the ideal destination for you.
Situated between, and isolated by, the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Australia has many animals and plants, which are unique to the planet. The surface geology is typically old and flat.
Climate
Nearly a one-third of Australia is in the tropics and the rest is in the temperate zone. The highlands and tablelands of Tasmania and the southeastern corner of the mainland are the coldest areas. Summer is from December to February; autumn from March to May; winter from June to August; and spring from September to November.
Multiculturalism
The British influence originating in Australia’s colonial origins has evolved over two centuries into a dynamic multiculturalism with invaluable contributions from migrants from all parts of the world.
Almost a quarter of today’s 18 million Australians were born in another country. There are nearly one million Asian-born Australians. About 2 percent are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. More than 100 different ethnic groups are represented in Australia, making Australia one of the most ethnically diversified countries in the world.
Language
Although English is the official language, a host of other languages is spoken in Australia.
Religion
Australia is predominantly a Christian country, however, all religions are represented in the community. Devotees will find churches, mosques, temples and synagogues located in most major cities.
Culture
Australia is rich in the arts. There are eight professional orchestras and a national opera company. Within Australia, there are more than 1000 museums preserving and displaying Australia’s diverse cultural heritage.
Australian films are winning international acclaim and many Australian film directors, actors and technicians have been acclaimed in Hollywood at the highest level.
Australian authors have received international recognition particularly with the Booker Prize, won twice by Australians and with Patrick White winning the Nobel Prize for literature. Novelists, dramatists and poets are internationally accepted by their peers as having made a substantial contribution to world literature.
Australians traditionally have provided strong support for theatre, from regional amateur troupes to polished professional companies.
In music, Australia has developed a fertile environment that supports a great range of musical tastes ranging from the most avant-garde experimental to folk, from the youthful sounds of chart-busting pop to the unique music of the
Aboriginal people.
Painting in Australia has a history that can not only be traced back over forty thousand years of Aboriginal culture but also is represented in the major museums and galleries of modern and avant-garde art, worldwide.
Sports and Recreation
Australians are very keen on sport and outdoor activities. Australia has more than 120 national sporting organisations and thousands of state, regional and club bodies. It is estimated that 6.5 million people, about a third of the population, are registered sports participants. While there are over 120 sporting organisations, Australians also take part in bush walking, fishing, boating and water sports.
Australia has a worldwide reputation for sports and outdoor activities. This is endorsed by the Olympic Committee’s selection of Sydney to host the Olympic Games in the year 2000.
Transport
Australia has an extensive public transport system that includes trains, buses, tramways, ferries, two major national airlines and a number of regional airlines. Metropolitan areas are divided into zones and your ticket type and cost depends on which zone you are going to travel in and for how long. Tickets can be bought at train stations, on buses and trams and at news agencies.
Tourist students may drive in Australia on a valid overseas driver’s licence but if the document is not in the English language the visitor must carry a translation with the permit. An international driving licence is not sufficient by itself.
Metered taxicabs operate in all major cities and towns. You will find taxi ranks at transport terminals, main hotels or shopping centres or you can hail taxis in the street. A light and sign on the roof indicate if a cab is vacant. There is a minimum charge of hiring and then a charge per kilometre travelled. Taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped.
Type of Institutes
Primary and secondary schools:
This is equivalent to 10+2 education in India. Certification at the end of schooling is by continuous assessment within the schools or by a combination of internal assessment and public examinations. These procedures form the basis for qualification for entry to universities or other tertiary institutions.
Foundation Studies: Foundation studies give international students the knowledge and skills for a smooth transition from learning in their home country to undergraduate studies in Australian universities. Foundation Studies are usually one year in duration and students are assessed and examined by their lecturers. Foundation studies are divided into various streams like arts and science studies. The common feature of foundation studies is that a university allocates a provisional place in an undergraduate course for a student who achieves the prescribed grades.
English Language Schools (ELICOS):
These are specifically for people who come to Australia to study English either for educational purposes or for other reasons. The Australian system of English language training is known as English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS). There is a range of courses including General English; English for Special Purposes; Vacation Courses; and Examination Preparation. The starting dates of courses are fairly frequent and they generally run from 4 to 10 weeks. Many universities and TAFE institutes have ELICOS centres attached to their campuses.
Vocational Education and Training Institutes:
Vocational education and training (VET) give students practical skills for their careers. The VET sector is divided into two sections: a nationally recognised government system of Technical and Further Education (TAFE); and private providers. TAFE is the largest provider of tertiary education courses in Australia with about 250 institutes and over a million students including about 41,000 international students. The awards in VET sector are: certificates, advanced certificates, associate diplomas, diplomas. Studying at TAFE level is also a way of gaining entry – termed a pathway – to Australia’s universities. Most TAFE institutes have arrangements with specific universities, enabling students to gain credit for a portion of their study undertaken at TAFE. The VET courses include computing, design, pilot training, business management, hospitality and tourism and many other courses.
Universities (Higher Education):
There are 37 public universities and two private universities in Australia which offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The most popular courses of study for international students have been in the fields of Business, Administration and Economics, followed by Science, then Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. University study can lead to the following awards: Undergraduate – Bachelor Degrees, Bachelor Degrees (with Honours), Undergraduate Diplomas, Associate Diplomas; Postgraduate – Doctoral Degrees, Masters Degrees, Graduate Diplomas, Graduate Certificates.
Type of Programs & Qualifications
Undergraduate
Bachelor Degree (with Honours)
Bachelor Degree
Advanced Diplomas
Diplomas
Postgraduate
Doctoral Degrees
Masters Degrees
Graduate Diplomas
Graduate Certificates
Application Procedure for Undergraduate Courses (Bachelor Degree Programmes)
Application Forms should be Sent at least 5 to 6 months before the proposed date of admission. There are two ways to get application forms.
Requesting Application Forms via email:
You can request application forms from the universities website. Most universities have a form on their website which can be completed online to request application material.
Downloading from the university website:
Many universities have a downloadable and ready to print versions of their application forms on the net. These can be used for applying just as regular forms.
Getting applications from University Representatives: You can also get the application forms from many authorised representatives of Australian Universities in your country.
Mark-sheets
Standard X Mark-sheet
Standard XI Mark-sheet: Only for those students who are applying for fast-track foundation program immediately after completion of Std. XI exam
Standard XII Mark sheet
English Proficiency
IELTS: For most courses and universities, International students are required to take IELTS (International English Language Test) which is regularly administered by the British Council. Some universities may accept TOEFL as an alternative.
TOEFL: This test is conducted by ETS for International students applying to a Universities abroad. This is accepted by most Australian universities
PTE: Pearson test of English is also acceptable
Letter from Institution: Some Universities may waive IELTS/TOEFL if you can get a letter from an institution that you have last studied in mentioning that you have been studying in English medium throughout and they are convinced that you are proficient in English.
Statement of Purpose: The personal essays, and/or statement of purpose, also play a very important role in the process of evaluating your application for both admissions as well as financial aid because it gives the faculty assessing your application their most significant impression of you as an individual.
A personal statement should include reasons for choosing this particular course, your area of interest, the suitability of your education and experiential background for this course and your personal and present future goals.
Application Procedure for Postgraduate Courses
Send enquiries at least 6 months before the proposed date of admission. There are two ways to get application forms.
Requesting Application Forms via email:
You can request application forms from the universities website. Most universities have a form on their website which can be completed online to request application material.
Downloading from the university website:
Many universities have a downloadable and ready to print versions of their application forms on the net. These can be used for applying just as regular forms.
Getting applications from University Representatives:
You can also get the application forms from many authorized representatives of Australian Universities in your country.
Most Australian universities accept the graduation system of three years for entry into most postgraduate courses. An Indian bachelor degree like B.A., B.Com. or B.Sc. (ordinary) is equivalent to an Australian Bachelor (Ordinary) Degree.
However, some courses and universities may require a qualification equivalent to Australian Bachelor (Honours) Degree, which requires either a honours graduation degree like B.A. (H), B.Comm (H) etc or 16 years of formal education, which would mean another year of graduation or a four year degree course like B.E., B.Tech and other such courses.
For most Universities, a good first degree from a leading university in India or its equivalent is essential.
Full details of your education including your course subjects and grades are required in the applications. Transcripts or official records of your previous academic qualifications are crucial for your application.
Standard X Mark-sheet
Standard XII Mark sheet
Bachelor Degree / Provisional Certificate with Mark-sheets
Students applying for admission are required to submit an official Certificate with Mark-sheets from each college or university that they have attended after secondary school with complete details of the subjects, credits involved and other details like correspondence courses, diplomas etc.
If the originals are not in English, copies and a good English translation must be enclosed. Please ensure all the copies of these documents are attested.
English Proficiency: IELTS, admissionTOEFL, PTE. Other Tests like GMAT for MBA in few Universities.
Important Points
Note:
A number of professional and vocational courses require relevant work experience. For instance, many MBAs or Master’s courses in information studies require at least a couple of years’ work experience. Most Australian universities are pretty strict about this.
A detailed Résumé is an important part of your application. It should include all information of professional work experience along with the details like positions held, achievements and range of work.
Letters of reference or recommendation letters play a very important part in your admission especially in courses that earn you a master’s or doctoral degree. A recommendation letter is a signed statement from a person who knows you well professionally or has taught you in a subject that is related to the course you are applying to. It should list your positive and negative qualities, strengths and other such information. The author or teacher must indicate his position, how long he/she has known the applicant and in what capacity. He/she should briefly discuss the need, importance and usefulness of the study the applicant proposes to undertake. Authors are usually asked to rank applicants in their letters of recommendation, which helps admission officers to interpret the academic credentials of foreign students. Students should obtain letters of recommendation (often on the prescribed forms sent by the institutions) from teachers who know them as a person as well as a student. You may like to request your author to give concrete examples that may show your qualities and help your case. Many universities have their own format and questions that have to be answered by the person who is giving the letter of recommendation on your behalf. Letters, which do not give enough information, can jeopardize a candidate’s chances of selection.
Note:
Even if not mentioned, it is advisable to include at least two letters of recommendation in your applications as they increase your chances of getting admissions.
The personal essays, and/or statement of purpose, also play a very important role in the process of evaluating your application admissionsas well as financial aid because it gives the faculty assessing your application their most significant impression of you as an individual.
A personal statement should include reasons for choosing this particular course, your area of interest, the suitability of your education and experiential background for this course and your personal and present future goals.
In addition to the above requirements, students applying for a postgraduate research program must also submit the following documents:
Detailed research proposal
Abstracts, research publications etc
The admission committee may also require special recommendation letters from professors of the academic institution where you last studied.
Study in Australia: Tuition Fee & Expenses
Education in Australia has financial benefits:
Undergraduate degrees are generally three years in Australia as compared to four years in U.S. and other few countries
Tuition Fee ( In Aud $ )
Undergraduate
Courses Annual Tuition Fee
Bachelor degree – Non-lab based courses
(programmes in arts, business, economics and law) AUD $ 14,000 – $ 35,000
Laboratory based – Bachelor degree courses
(science &engineering programmes) AUD $ 14,000 – $ 35,000
Postgraduate
Courses Annual Tuition Fee
Graduate Certificates
Graduate Diplomas AUD $ 15,000 – $ 36,000
Masters degree courses
Doctoral degree programmes AUD $ 15,000 – $ 36,000
MBA
Length of MBA program varies considerably between institutions, depending on the mode of study, but ranges from approximately nine to 15 months full time. The fees in the table below are shown as the approximate annual cost of the full-time MBA program.
Courses Annual Tuition Fee
MBA AUD $ 15,600 – $ 52,000
Annual Living Expenses in Australia – Approx. AUD $ 19,830 per year
For all the cost data above,
Fees given are averages
Living costs include accommodation, Energy bills, food etc.
Costs are according to 2016 session
Australian Student Visa
How much funds have to be shown? For Bachelors, Masters and Above:
Sponsors must provide evidence of Liquid assets for the first year tuition fee (as on the letter of offer) and living expenses (assumed at A$ 19830 p.a.) and access to additional funds (from acceptable sources) to meet the cost of the remainder of study and stay in Australia.
Commercial loans from Banks and government loans are acceptable.
In case the applicant holds a partial scholarship from an Australian institution or an institution in India ( eg. Educational Trusts), funds to cover the remaining costs must be provided as prescribed above.
Private corporate sponsorship is acceptable subject to certain conditions. However if the company is a family owned business and if one/both parents are directors/partners, it is treated as a parent sponsor.
Students with Dependants (Spouse/Children)
Costs could be expected to increase by at least 35% if the student has a spouse, a further 20% (plus A$ 8000 p.a. for school fees if the child is 5 years or older) if the student has one child, a further 15% for each additional child plus school fees. The above amounts apply irrespective of whether they will accompany the applicant. Individual return travel costs need to be taken at Aud $ 2000 approx.
Total processing time
As a general rule, applicants should allow a minimum of four (4) to six (6) week time frame for processing of applications.
Factors that may delay this processing time include:
Medical referral to Australia and the need for any subsequent medical tests;
Document verification including educational documents, employment references and bank statements; and
Applications which are incomplete and require the visa office to make contact with the applicant or the applicant’s agent.
Health Insurance
It is compulsory for all international students to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for themselves and their dependants, where applicable, for the duration of the visa.
Re-entry into Australia
All Student Visas have a multiple entry facility for the full period of the visa. Students who plan to travel out of, and return to, Australia at any time during their course are advised to check that their visa is valid for return to Australia.
