Choosing a course of study in Australia
Choosing a
course of study
in Australia
Self help guide
/ 00
Choosing a course of study in Australia
Choosing a course of study in
Australia
Australia has over 40 universities so you face a huge number of options from which to
choose from when deciding what and where to study. To help you navigate through these
choices and to help you narrow your options, ask yourself these questions before
embarking upon your search:
•
Are my skills and knowledge that that I want from this course aligned to the priority
areas for Australia Awards Scholarships?
•
How will those skills help me in my current and future employment?
•
What kind of environment do I want to live in: a big city or a smaller regional centre?
•
Would I feel more comfortable at a large university or a smaller one?
•
If my family accompanies me, where is it going to be easiest and most practical or them
to live?
STEP 1: Start your search
Keeping in mind your answers to the questions above, you can start your search via a
database such as the CRICOS website: http://cricos.education.gov.au/ which lists all
courses available to international students.
•
Choose the type of course you wish to study: Bachelor degree, Masters by coursework
or Doctoral degree
•
The broad field of study
•
The state in Australia that you would prefer to study in
•
You can then more narrowly define your field of study to focus on your particular area of
interest
/ 01
Choosing a course of study in Australia
This is an example of how you might begin a search for courses in Public Health in the
state of New South Wales.
The results will give you a list of courses from which you can start a more detailed
search:
19 courses were found
/ 02
Choosing a course of study in Australia
You can link directly to the university website to find more details for each course.
Follow the links from the university’s home page, to information for international
students and through to course information. You should be able to type the name
of the course in which you are interested into the search database for detailed
information.
Step 2: Finding the course that’s right for you
The title of the course alone will not give you enough information to make an
informed choice. Find the detailed course description that tells you how the course is
structured. Look at the subjects that are offered; some will be compulsory (core)
subjects while others will be electives. Compile a short list of courses from
different universities. Compare the structure of the courses and the content. To
find the courses that will best meet your needs, think about:
•
Do these match your specific interests?
•
Do you want a degree that is very focused in one area, or would you prefer to study a
degree that allowed you more flexibility?
•
Do you want a degree that incorporates a research project?
STEP 3: Course availability
Not all courses are available to international students. As an Australia Award
applicant, you will need to check:
•
That your chosen course is offered on a full-time basis
•
That you can study on campus. This is also sometimes referred to as ‘internal mode’.
Note that if you can only study a course by distance or by external mode,
you will not be able to nominate this course.
STEP 4: Eligibility
You will also need to check the eligibility criteria for the course and that you meet
the basic requirements. This may vary from university to university, and from
course to course.
In addition to having successfully completed your undergraduate study, check
whether work experience may also be required. You will also need to meet the
English language requirements for your chosen course.
If you hold an Honours degree from a university in Papua New Guinea, you may
be eligible for direct entry into an Australian master’s program. If you graduated
/ 03
Choosing a course of study in Australia
with a Bachelor’s pass degree you may need to commence your postgraduate
studies by enrolling in a Graduate Certificate. This is the first four subjects of the
master’s degree. Successful completion of this may allow you to transfer directly
to the master’s program, with credit for the subjects you have already studied.
Undertaking a master’s degree in this way will not extend duration of the degree.
Universities may also take your work experience into account in assessing your
application to a particular program.
Note that meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee you admission into
course, but it does mean that your application will be considered. Admission to all
courses are competitive and based on merit.
On your scholarship application you will need to nominate two course
preferences. You can choose the same course at two different universities, or two
different courses at two different universities. You may not choose the same
university for both preferences. Choosing two different universities will give you
the best chance of being accepted into one of your preferences.
/ 04
Choosing a course of study in Australia
/ 06