STUDY IN AUSTRAILIA

Undergraduate courses in Australia usually last three or four years and focus on one particular subject (the ‘major’), which students study from their first year. While studying, you may be invited to add an honours title to their degree – this will require a research-based thesis, undertaken over a year, and will make the degree four rather than three years long. 

Professional degrees, such as medicine, law, dentistry, architecture or engineering, will take longer than four years – medical degrees, for example, take six.

Students can specialise in a wide variety of areas – there are 40 universities in Australia, offering thousands of opportunities to study a degree in Australia.

How can you study a degree in Australia?

Australia’s universities have gained an international reputation for excellence, with seven placing in the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2012. They were:

• Australian National University
• The University of Melbourne
• The University of Sydney
• The University of Queensland
• The University of New South Wales
• Monash University
• The University of Western Australia
   

There are two main ways to apply to a university in Australia - directly or through an Australia education agent who partner with institutions. If you get a confirmed offer, you will receive a Letter of Offer which needs to be signed and returned.

The deadline to apply to study a degree in Australia is the end of January for semester one, and the end of June for semester two.

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Tuition fees

Tuition fees for international undergraduates in Australia range from AUD$14,000-AUD$35,000 per year, depending on the institution and course you choose to study. Scholarships are available to international students but rely on the system and country you are travelling from.

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Immigration and visas

To study a degree in Australia students will need to get a student visa. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) grants permits to students whose courses are registered and full time.

The student visa allows for study at Australian universities, as well as the freedom to work part time. It also provides access to:

• Subsidised student health cover in Australia
• Possibilities to study in Australia for longer than first planned
   

Students can apply for their Australian visas as soon as they have received Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from their university. To do this, they should contact the Australian Government Office Overseas in their own country, for details on how to apply and what documents are required. This varies from country to country.

It is usually also necessary to demonstrate that you have adequate study abroad travel insurance, which you must buy before you move.

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Accommodation and living costs

The main options for undergraduate students in Australia are:

• Halls of residence – usually on campus, and solely for students. Halls of residence are often filled predominantly by undergraduate students, and this is the option that most international students choose. Rooms are likely to cost $80-$250 per week.
• Homestays – where families open up their home to international students for extended periods, so they can experience the culture while completing their university course. Cost: $110-270 per week.
• Private rentals – where students rent an apartment privately from a landlord, either on their own or with other people, usually other students. The cost for shared rentals is likely to be between $70 and $400 per week.
   

Living costs: The cost of living in Australia is high – but this is comparative to the wages people earn.

Rent: Residence halls cost $80-$250 per week.

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For Parents

How safe is Australia? 

Australians enjoy a lot of freedoms, and the country is a relatively safe place to live. Statistics on crime in Australia show that:

• The crime rate overall is falling, according to the Australian Institute for Crime’s annual report in 2012
• Assault is by far the most common crime in Australia – the rate in 2010 was 766 per 100,000 of the population – 0.76% *
• Men are more likely to be assaulted than women, although the difference wasn’t notable – 1.76% of the population compared to 1.56%
   

Students should always take care to protect their own personal safety to avoid becoming victims of crime. They can do this by:

• Avoiding carrying around large amounts of money
• Staying in groups, especially at night, and never walking alone
• Not making valuables obvious
• Always having a route home planned and never getting into unlicensed taxis
• Being wary of strangers
• Being careful of traffic

Staying in touch

Staying in touch when your child is studying on the other side of the world might seem daunting – but there are ways you can talk regularly that don’t have to involve long distance phone calls and a nasty bill at the end of the month. Here are a few tips:

• Skype – the free video calling service can be downloaded within seconds, and will allow you to talk face to face anywhere you have an internet connection
• Blogging – maybe encourage your child to keep a blog of their adventures overseas, so that other families members (such as grandparents) can keep up to date
• Local sim cards – it is also a good idea for your child to buy a phone with a local pay as you go sim card when they arrive so that they can text and call home without running up a bill.

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