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Catalogue 2011

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Universities in Australia

Language colleges

Colleges

Universities

The difference between a college and a university. Going to Australia I wasn’t fully aware of the difference between colleges and universities and the modes of teaching and studying in them. I was imagining large campuses full of Australians and a lot of tests and quizzes. I was concerned that I wouldn’t manage to reconcile work and studying together with learning English. I was very surprised during my first day of school as it turned out that the school was situated in an office block, it didn’t have a building of its own. Taking a lift full of foreigners I realized that everybody was heading to the college. Studying is not so hard once you get used to speaking, reading and listening in English. Most of the time it gets easier after about 2 weeks. The mode of teaching at colleges is something Poles are not used to, however after arriving in Australia everybody is usually nicely surprised.

Malgosia, Sydney

There are currently thirty-nine universities in Australia, thirty-seven of which are state institutions. A university or its affiliate is located in almost every Australian city.

To enrol for a university course you need to submit your matriculation certificate and an appropriate language certificate. Students who already completed at least one year of studies can apply for enrolment to one of the Australian universities and transfer of at least a part of their credits.

University courses usually consist of undergraduate studies. The majority of Australian students confine themselves to getting a Bachelor’s degree. Only a small percentage proceed to Master’s. What normally happens is that after their Bachelor’s young Australians start work and then do a Master’s a bit later.

Bachelor’s Degree (Undegraduate Studies) Completing a Bachelor’s degree takes three years and consists of six semesters or nine trimesters. After getting a Bachelor’s degree you can proceed to a Master’s degree course.
Master’s degree / MBA (Postgraduate Studies) Completing a Master’s or MBA degree takes one or two years. You have to prove that your knowledge of English is at least equivalent to IELTS 6.0. Those with weaker English can reach the required level by attending a language course organised by a university, college or language school.

The goal of Australian educational institutions is to attract foreign students by providing the most favourable study environment.

People who already hold higher education can sometimes transfer a part of their credits from their previous studies. To do that, you need to submit your previous academic transcript. The education institutions in Australia will determine whether you will receive partial credits towards your degree or allow you to skip a whole year of your studies.

The Australian academic year is divided into two semesters. Study begins in February and finishes in November. The mid-semester break begins in the second half of June and lasts till the first half of July. Vacation break lasts from the beginning of December to the middle of February. So, if you are planning to study in Australia, remember that it is only possible to start in February or July.

University course prices. One semester of studies at an Australian university costs between 6000 and 12000 AUD.