Study abroad options in Australia

After IGCSE and SPM, student can opt to study in 8 to 12 month foundation programmes or VET.

Foundation studies

Foundation studies are pre-university Grade 12-equivalent courses designed to bridge Grade 11/ SPM/ IGCSE students into Australian universities. Foundation programmes normally last for one year, and students are not required to sit for public examinations. The programmes can be streamed into specialisations like business, science, and health sciences which include compulsory and elective subjects. In general, students are graded by internal assessments. Most foundation courses offer a guaranteed path to your intended degree as long as you meet progression requirements. There are however, some exceptions. Quota programmes such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and many health science programmes are usually not packaged with foundation studies.

Duration: 9 - 12 months

Entry requirement: Pass in IGCSE, SPM or equivalent

Tuition: AUD25,000 to 38,000

Scholarship: Yes

Intakes: Jan, July, Oct

Vocational Qualification

An Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification provides an efficient, cost-effective pathway to employment by providing 'applied’ (or practical) learning opportunities. A VET qualification can also provide a pathway to further studies, including higher education degrees.

Australia’s VET sector is built on partnership between government and industry, with curriculum development directly informed by expert industry councils and representatives. Australia’s VET courses and qualifications are designed by industry experts to ensure you are work-ready with the latest industry knowledge and skills.

Duration: 6 months to 2 years

Entry requirement: High school completion

Tuition: AUD6,000 to AUD10,000 / year average

After Foundation; AUSMAT, A levels, IB, UEC, or STPM, students can opt directly to University, or proceed to a DIploma.

Direct to University

Students who have completed their Grade 12, foundation studies or equivalent qualification is eligible to apply to universities in Australia. For students who have completed an Australian matriculation programme with one of the state awarding bodies, such as Ausmat or SACE, will be admitted to university based on their ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) score. When you achieve an ATAR score of 80, it means you are amongst the top 20% of students completing an Australian high school programme. Most top universities (Group of 8) in Australia ask for an ATAR score of 70 and above for admission into their programmes. ATAR 60 is a bare pass and students with this score will have limited options for direct university entry in Australia.

Students who complete other pre-university courses such as foundation, A-levels or IB will be accepted to Australian universities based on their provisional or actual results. Ideally, you should apply to universities in Australia at least six months before the commencement of an intake.

Course duration: 3 to 5 years depending on programme

Intakes: Feb, July

Tuition: AUD25,000 to 50,000 per year

Scholarship: Yes

Students who complete their qualifications in Australia are eligible for post-study work visa of up to 6 years depending on their programme of study and location. Students who graduate from universities located regionally will enjoy extra time in their post-study work visa.

Diploma

For students who miss the entry requirements into their preferred universities, there may be a second change for them via the diploma pathway. The diploma pathway offered at selected universities are equivalent to Year 1 of their bachelors degree. The entry requirements to these diploma are generally lower than direct entry requirements to universities. Diploma programmes are conducted in small classes averaging around 25 students per class and they provide the necessary support to help students successfully progress to Year 2 upon completion of the programme. Students who take the diploma pathway spend the same amount of time to attain a degree as a student who is accepted directly into the university. In essence, their graduation is not delayed in anyway. It is an ideal option for students who would otherwise need to repeat a foundation programme.

Course duration: 1 year (9 months)

Intakes: Feb, June, Oct (varies depending on programme and provider)

Tuition: AUD35,000 approximately

Scholarship: Yes

Students can opt to transfer to Year 1, Year 2 or final year of an Australian degree after completing part of their degree in their home country.

University transfer Year 1/ Year 2 / Year 3

After completing part of their degree in your home country, there is the opportunity for students who might want to go overseas to obtain a degree. When applying for a University, students may not need to start from Year 1 of the bachelor’s degree, and will be able to start from Year 2. In some cases, students can even start from Year 3 (final year). However, this opportunity depends on how closely their syllabus matches up against the Australian degree. Students will have to submit an application for Recognition of Prior Learning to have their credits assessed to determine the final exemption and point of entry. This process may take a while so transfer students are encouraged to apply early and allow sufficient time.

After receiving your Bachelor's degree, students can opt for a post-graduate diploma, or Masters.

Graduate diploma

Graduate Diploma is considered academically over the level of a Bachelor's, but under a Master’s level. A Graduate Diploma can normally be started after the completion of a Bachelor's degree and is typically completed in one year or less. You can find Graduate diploma programmes available in most disciplines. Graduate Diplomas can usually be extended towards achieving a full Master's degree, such as a Master of Science or Master of Arts, at a later time.Graduate Diplomas are gaining popularity because they are more affordable than a Master's degree and take less time to complete. However, students should be mindful that they may not be eligible for post-study work visa since most post-graduate diplomas are usually under 2 years in duration. Tuition fees range from AUD35,000 to 50,000 per year. Graduate diplomas are level 8 qualifications in Australia

Masters

Masters qualifications are level 9 qualifications in Australia. They can take between 1 to 2 years to complete. Popular options are business, computer science, engineering, health sciences, psychology and education. Many international students come to Australia to pursue their Masters qualification to take advantage of international reputation of Australian universities and research opportunities. Tuition for Masters programme can range between AUD25,000 to 50,000 per year. Some scholarships are available to international students. Students who have completed a 2-year masters by coursework qualification in Australia are eligible for a 2-year work visa whereas those who completed a masters by research are eligible for a 3-year work visa. Those who are located regionally can have additional extension to their work visa.