Topics reviewed in this article:
Australian education system
- School sector visa
School education is similar across all of Australia with only minor differences between states and territories. School education (primary and secondary) is compulsory between the ages of six to sixteen. School education is 13 years and is divided into:
- Students in primary school study for seven or eight years, starting at Kindergarten/Preparatory through to Year 6 or 7.
- Secondary school is from years 7 to 10 or 8 to 10 and lasts for three or four years.
- Senior secondary school runs for two years and in years 11 and 12.
In Australia, students will enjoy a diverse learning environment which develops the skills and qualities needed in a changing world.
- Studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Australia
Australia is one of the most popular places in the world to work and study. The international standards in this country and excellent universities and high living standards indicate strong economic growth. Australian universities have a long history of welcoming international students and helping them set up a new university system. Universities help the students to get a residence permit and they also offer several of other student services throughout the year. Generally, to study for a bachelor’s degree in Australia students are required to have an IELTS language certificate with a score of 6. In addition to a language certificate, a high school diploma, an academic CV, and all transcripts along with their translation are required. The duration of a bachelor’s degree is 3 to 4 years, and students are also allowed to work during their undergraduate studies, and through this they can cover some parts of living and studying in this country.
- Studying for a Master’s Degree in Australia
As mentioned in the previous section, Australia is one of the top 30 cities in the world with high living standards for students. In order to get a student visa to study for a master’s degree in Australia you are required to provide some documentations. The applicant must have completed a bachelor’s degree program and present his/her bachelor’s degree. An English language certificate with a score of 6.5 is also required for a master’s degree.
All of your credentials (identity documents and degrees) must be translated, and in some cases you may be required to provide work experience (if any).
University semesters start in Late October – mid-November: application period for the first semester and Mid-April – mid-May: application period for the second semester. Also, master’s students, just like bachelor’s students, are allowed to work while studying in this country, and in this way, they can cover some parts of their expenses.
- Studying for a PhD degree in Australia
Apart from providing a multi-cultural living experience and the highest living standards in the world, Australia provides one of the best research experiences for students pursuing a PhD degree. Australia, with its world recognized university reputation and highly advanced laboratories, has one of the highest PhD completion rates, as well as a number of scholarship options for international students. Although the exact requirements for a PhD degree vary around the world, but generally to apply for a PhD program in an Australian university, a student needs to have completed a 3-4-year minimum graduation degree, a 2-years master program and a translated resume. Also, presenting an ITEL English language certificate with a score of 6.5 is one of the required documents. To study for a PhD degree, students need to a supervisor or tutor.
Scholarships in Australia
There are many grants and scholarships which can help support you financially with your studies in Australia. Theses scholarships are offered by the Australian Government, education providers, and a number of other public and private organizations. Over 1000 scholarships will be available each year to support both domestic and international students studying on campus. Australian tertiary institutions will be able to apply for scholarships of up to $15,000 per student, per year. Generally, in order to get scholarships, you need to have a high GPA and a high language score; for example, an ITEL language certificate with a score of 7 or even higher. Also, having a strong academic CV and published ISI articles will increase student’s chances of receiving a scholarship. Scholarships are mostly offered to PhD and master’s students. Scholarships cover tuition fees in full and also student insurance fees, and there are also discounts for the student’s accommodation and books.
Costs of studying in Australia
To get an Australian student visa, it is important for you to have information about the cost of studying in Australia.
| The average annual tuition fee | Grade levels |
| 7،800 AUD to 30،000 AUD | Public / Private schools |
| 20,000 AUD to 45,000 AUD | Bachelor’s degree |
| 22,000 AUD to 50,000 AUD | Master’s degree |
| 18,000 AUD to 42,000 AUD | PhD degree |
Working while studying in Australia
The Australian Student Visa allows bachelor’s and master’s students to work part-time throughout the school year and work full-time on holiday, provided that their course is according to the immigration requirements. By having an Australian student visa, work up to 40 hours every two weeks while studying and unlimited hours during holiday breaks. The minimum wage in Australia is currently $ 96.15 before tax. All Australian universities have a student job search service that helps students to find part-time work during the term time and the summer holidays. There are many options for finding part-time jobs for international students. Australia is a great place to work as an international student and part-time work can be considered as a scholarship.
Family reunification for international students in Australia
An Australian student visa allows you to bring your family members with you to Australia as dependents. Family members include your spouse and dependent children. Before bringing your spouse or children to Australia, you must prove that you can support them financially. The cost of supporting a family in Australia can be very high, but in general the cost of living depends on your and your family’s life style. Prior to bringing their family members with them to Australia, students must first enter Australia, start their education, find suitable accommodation, adjust to living in Australia, and then arrange for their family to join them. If you plan to bring your school-age children to Australia, you must enroll them in school, and Arrangements for schooling must be made prior to any child arriving into Australia.
Top Australian universities
If you want to get an Australian student visa and study in this country, it is better for you to know about the top universities in Australia. Australia has 41 universities, most of which are public universities. The best Australian universities are spread across the country, from Perth in the west to Brisbane in the east, Darwin in the north and Hobart in the south.
You can see some of these top universities along with their information in the table below.
| Australia Rank | University | World rankings |
| 1 | Australian national university | 19 |
| 2 | University of Melbourne | 42 |
| 3 | University of Sydney | 45 |
| 4 | New South Wales University / UNSW Sydney | 46 |
| 5 | The university of Queensland | 46 |
| 6 | Monash University | 67 |
| 7 | The university of Western Australia | 98 |
| 8 | University of Adelaide | 113 |
| 9 | University of Technology Sydney | 218 |
| 10 | Macquarie University | 229 |
| 11 | University of Wollongong | 243 |
| 12 | University of Newcastle | 256 |
| 13 | Queensland University of Technology | 263 |
| 14 | RMIT University | 273 |
| 15 | Curtin University | 284 |
| 16 | University of South Australia | 288 |
| 17 | Deakin University | 324 |
| 18 | Griffith University | 329 |
| 19 | University of Tasmania | 379 |
| 20 | James Cook University | 387 |
| 21 | La Trobe University | 394 |
| 22 | Bond University | 501 – 550 |
| 22 | Flinders University | 501 – 550 |
| 22 | Swinburne University of Technology | 501 – 550 |
| 25 | Charles Darwin University | 551 – 600 |
| 25 | Murdoch University | 551 – 600 |
| 25 | University of Canberra | 551 – 600 |
| 28 | Victoria University | 601 – 650 |
| 29 | University of New England | 651 – 700 |
| 29 | Western Sydney University | 651 – 700 |
| 31 | Charles Sturt University | 701 |
| 31 | Edith Cowan University | 701 |
| 31 | University of Southern Queensland | 701 |
Required documents for getting an Australian student visa
In order to study in Australia, you need to have a student visa. When you are completing the online visa application form, you must submit the following documents:
- Financial requirements
- English language certificate
- Health requirements
- A criminal record check
- Letter of Acceptance or Certificate of Enrolment
- Identity documents and passports
- Four recent passport-sized photographs
working in Australia after graduation
After getting an Australian student visa and graduating from this country, international students can stay and work in Australia. A temporary visa will be issued to such a student by the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection. In order to be eligible, you must have completed your bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degrees in Australia six months before applying for a work visa. This means that your course must be completed in at least two academic years (92 weeks) in Australia (in English). Students graduating from undergraduate courses are not eligible to apply for a post-graduate work visa. Graduates of bachelor and masters by coursework degrees can apply for a two-year work visa at the completion of their degree; masters by research graduates are eligible for a three-year visa; and PhD graduates can apply for a four-year work visa.
Citizenship for international students in Australia
An Australian Student Visa and studying in this country will not lead to obtaining a permanent residence permit and citizenship. If students stay in Australia after graduation and work in this country for 4 years and pay for their taxes, they will eventually obtain a permanent residence permit and citizens. Keep it in mind that, the applicant shouldn’t be absent from Australia for more than one year (12 months) in the past 4 years. Once you become a permanent resident there will be no time limit on your stay and you can enjoy many of the rights and privileges of citizens and also you have access to all services the same as Australians, but note that citizens have the right to vote while permanent residents don’t have the right to vote. To obtain Australian citizenship you are required to revoke your citizenship, except in some cases which you can have dual citizenship.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!