Study In Australia

Australia has emerged as one of the most popular study abroad destinations in recent years. High quality of education combined with cultural diversity and excellent choice of English-taught courses are reasons why students choose this country for their higher education. 

Australian education system promotes innovation, creativity, and independent thinking throughout its universities. This education system complies with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which specifies education standards at all levels.

The education system in Australia is backed by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Introduced in 1995, AQF is a national policy that covers the qualifications from the school leaving certificate to Senior Secondary Certificate of Education to the Tertiary Education Sector. 

Higher education in Australia is organized in two sectors – universities registered by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and vocational education and training (VET), which is regulated and registered by the Australian Skills Quality Agency (ASQA).

• VET: These courses are offered by the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions that are government-funded, as well as private registered training organizations (RTO) and adult and community education centers. VET courses incorporate on-job training in addition to online or classroom training. 
• Undergraduate: The bachelor’s courses take 3 years to complete, however, some institutions are offering fast-track bachelor’s programs, which can be completed in two years. 
• Graduate: Australian universities offer a broad range of graduate options, including a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, and master’s degree. The graduate certificate duration is six months, whereas a graduate diploma can be earned in eighteen months, and a master’s degree in a year or two, depending on the university and type of course. 
• Doctoral Degree: This is the highest degree awarded by Australian universities and generally takes three years to complete.

Every university, institute, or state in Australia follows a different grading system. Therefore, it’s always suggested to have a prior check with the specific educational institute or university about the grading systems they follow.

Honours Degree Grading in Australia

When compared to a standard undergraduate degree in Australia, an honours degree involves an additional year of study. 

Vocational and Trade Courses Grading in Australia

The grading for these courses is binary. You may fail or pass by achieving the grade scale percentage. 

The following are types of educational institutes in Australia.

• Group of 8 Universities: They are the group of the eight best research universities in Australia. These universities are chosen by people who want to perform an extensive graduate study. The following are eight universities in Australia:
  • The University of Melbourne
  • University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney
  • The University of Queensland
  • Monash University
  • The University of Western Australia
  • The University of Adelaide
  • The University of Sydney
  • Australian National University
• Public Universities: These universities are government-funded and comprise a wide range of institutions from a network of regional universities to research-intensive universities.
• Private Universities: There are only three private universities in Australia – Bond University, The University of Notre Dame Australia, and Torrens University Australia. They offer degrees in specific subjects such as faith-based education.
• Institute of Technology/Australian Technology Network: These are universities, which offer practical and technological education such as sports science, nursing, and design.
• Technical and Further Education (TAFE): These institutes offer vocational courses, apprenticeships and work experience. TAFE institutes are run by territory and state governments.

Below is the list of some popular universities featured on QS University Ranking 2022 and 2023.

It is 100% possible to study without even taking the IELTS in Australia. Students can seek admission by submitting alternative exam scores.

The universities in Australia attract large number of international students every year. Although affordable than many other international student destinations, some students still find Australia expensive. There are many cost-efficient public universities that assure affordable education in the country. These universities charge anything between AUD 20,000 and AUD 35,000 annually for different programs. Below mentioned are some of the popular affordable universities in Australia with low tuition fees: 

Applying to Australian institutions is easy, although it will require some careful planning.

Step 1: Select the course and university 

Read the course curriculum carefully and check on support services and facilities offered to international students. 

Step 2: Begin Your Application 

After finalizing the desired course and education provider, you can download the form from the websites of institutions or request it by post. The application forms will require you to submit English language proficiency scores, academic transcripts, course preferences, a summary of employment experience, and more. When all the documents are ready, you can approach the official external agent. Most universities in Australia need you to apply through an authorized external agent. Alternately, you can also apply through the Immi Account application system. For guidance, you can contact the services department in your university.

Step 3: Application assessment 

The education provider will assess the application form and notify you of the result.

Step 4: Accept the offer

If your application is accepted, you will receive an acceptance form or an offer letter from the university/ institution. Read the offer letter carefully to see the applicable conditions. Ensure to meet these conditions before the institute offers confirmation of enrollment (COE).

Step 5: Pay the tuition fees

Pay the tuition fees before the COE is issued. 

Step 6: Attend the GTE Assessment

After receiving the COE, the student has to appear for Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) assessment interview. This assessment is conducted to ascertain the candidate’s genuineness to avoid any chances of illegal immigration. Next, the student need to attend the medical examination.

Step 7: Get Ready for Departure

Apply for the student visa using the COE issued by the university and GTE assessment response. You can purchase health insurance, and flight tickets, and arrange for your accommodation in Australia before flying to the country.

General application documents required

The application requirements may vary across institutions. The following are a few common documents required for submission. 

• Personal details
• Certified proof of the level of English language proficiency
• A summary of your employment experience (if applicable)
• A non-refundable application fees

In some special case scenarios, another series of documents must be uploaded, such as:

• The final grades, if a student has applied before your final exams
• Official certified translations if the documents are in a language other than English
• Official proof in case of name change (ex. if you got married).

An Indian student can apply for higher education in Australia if he/she meets the following education criteria. 

• For undergraduate courses: The candidate must be over 17 years of age and possess 10+2 level of education from an acknowledged education institution in their country. Many Australian universities have set a minimum score cut-off of 60% that students must meet to be considered for a particular course. However, higher scores may be required for certain courses like engineering and medicine. 
• For graduate courses: The candidate must possess a graduate degree certificate issued by a recognized institution. Many Australian universities have set a minimum score cut-off of 65% that students must meet to be considered for a particular course. However, higher scores may be required for certain courses like engineering and medicine. If a student wishes to enroll for a research program a student needs to submit a research proposal.    
• Most universities require students to submit proper letters of recommendation (LOR) along with a strong Statement of Purpose (SOP) and scores of English language proficiency tests like TOEFL, or IELTS.
• Other added requirements may also include past work experiences.

There are three intake seasons in Australia. These intake seasons are referred to as semesters or trimesters in many universities. 

• Semester 1/T1: Late February/early March to Late May/Early June: This is the primary intake season in Australia. This intake has large number of courses offered by every university. If you are eyeing this intake, let’s look at the timeline. 
• April – June: Shortlist the colleges and courses
• July – August: Compare and apply to the colleges or universities 
• September – October: Take standardized exams like IELTS, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT 
• October – November: Start applying for colleges and courses with all required documents 
• November – December: Accept the university offer and appear for interviews

• December – January: Apply for the visa and apply for an education loan
• January – February: Make the travel arrangements and get ready to start your new semester at your chosen college
• Semester 2/T2: Late July/early August through to November: This is the second most popular intake in Australia. If you are eyeing this intake, let’s look at the timeline.
• September – October: Shortlist the colleges and courses
• November – December: Compare and apply to the colleges or universities 
• December – February: Take standardized exams like IELTS, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT 
• February – March: Start applying for colleges and courses with all required documents 
• March – April: Accept the university offer and appear for interviews
• May – July: Apply for the visa and apply for an education loan
• July – August: Make the travel arrangements and get ready to start your new semester at your chosen college 
• Semester 3/T3: Late October/early November through to February: Fewer courses are available in this intake. You can check the university website to know more about this intake.

Here we have included the average annual cost of education in AUD. Actual values may differ across cities and universities in Australia.

International students wishing to pursue higher education in Australia should apply for the Australian Student Visa Subclass 500. The following are a few popular visas in this subclass. 

• Independent ELICOS Visa (Subclass 570): International students traveling to Australia to pursue English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) should apply for this visa. 

• Vocational Education and Training Sector Visa (Subclass 572): This visa is needed for students traveling to Australia to pursue a vocational or training qualification. 

• Higher Education Sector Visa (Subclass 573): This visa is needed for students traveling to Australia to pursue an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, master’s degree, and higher education diploma. 

• Graduate Research Sector Visa (Subclass 574): This visa is needed for students traveling to Australia to study research-based masters and Ph.D. courses. 

• Non-Award Sector Visa (Subclass 575): This visa is needed for students traveling to Australia to study towards a full-time course or non-award foundation course, which doesn’t lead to the award of a certificate. 

• Foreign Affairs or Defense Sector Visa (Subclass 576): The visa is needed for students who are sponsored by Australia’s Department of Defense or Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

Students going to Australia expect a rewarding educational and professional experience. The cities in the country are well-equipped to cater the needs of students coming to the country. The following are some of the popular student cities in Australia.

English Proficiency Requirements

• IELTS: This stands for International English Language Testing System and is widely accepted by universities in Australia. An overall band score of 6.0 or 6.5 is necessary for admission to many Australian universities. 

• TOEFL: This stands for the Test of English as Foreign Language, which is conducted by the ETS. During the pandemic, the ETS introduced TOEFL iBT, and an average score of 90 in the test is mandatory for admission to various universities. 

• PTE: This stands for Pearson Test of English, which is a 90-point test, where a score of 74-84 is considered competitive for admissions. 

• CAE: This stands for Cambridge Advanced English Test (CAE) and is conducted by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. International students seeking admission to undergraduate programs attend this exam. A score between 60-79 is considered the best and scores above 80 are outstanding. 

Standardized Exams for Undergraduate and Graduate Courses in Australia

•  UMAT: This is Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission (UMAT) conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). It is undertaken by students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in dentistry, medicine, and health science in Australia. 
• ISAT: This is International Student Admission Test undertaken by students seeking admission to occupational therapy and speech, medicine, and healthcare undergraduate programs in Australia. 
• LSAT: This is Law Admission Test conducted by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), USA and is undertaken by students seeking admission to graduate and undergraduate programs in Australia. 
• SAT: This is a Scholastic Aptitude Test conducted by the College Board and is quite popular among students taking admission to undergraduate programs. 
• GMAT: This is Graduate Management Admission Test conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Candidates with scores above 680 and above are accepted by some of the best business schools for MBA programs in Australia.
• GRE: This is Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). This test is undertaken by students seeking admission to business, law, and many graduate schools in Australia. The test measures the academic readiness of a student for different graduate programs.

Note: Many universities in Australia, like the University of Sydney, the Macquarie University, Griffith University, and the University of Melbourne, also offer scholarships to international students. You can apply for these scholarships if you plan to study at these institutions.

Depending on the qualification, the stay duration for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – Post Study Work Stream is:

• Bachelor Degree, Bachelor Degree with Honours, Masters by Coursework – 2 years
• Masters by Research Degree – 3 years
• Doctoral Degree – 4 years

Types of part-time jobs in Australia:

1. Casual employee
2. Permanent employee

On-Campus Part-Time Jobs:

1. Teacher
2. University’s store manager
3. University’s coordinator

Off-Campus Part-Time Jobs:

1. As a retailer (in department stores and supermarkets)
2. As an Uber driver
3. At the Fuel pump
4. Hospitality – restaurants and delivery services
5. Services – childcare and aged care
6. Tutoring
7. At restaurants
8. Farming

The following are in-demand and highest-paying careers in Australia with their average annual income:

1. Healthcare and Medical: Doctors, nurse, radiographers, and pediatricians (AUD 60,000- 300,000)

2. IT: IT systems architect, IT manager, IT security architect, cloud engineers, data scientist, python developers, IT consultant, project managers, and DevOps engineer (AUD 70,000-140,000)

3.  Legal: Legal secretary, corporate commercial contracts lawyer, junior lawyer, lecturer or senior lecturer in law (AUD 60,000- 120,000)

4. Banking and Finance: Business banking analyst, junior credit analyst, assistant relationship manager, junior trust analyst, credit assessor (AUD 40,000- 100,00)

5. Marketing and Communication: Marketing assistant, social media and digital marketing, marketing advisor, marketing specialist (AUD 60,000-80,000)

Your income would depend on your knowledge, skills, and the type of organisation you work for.