About Australian institutions

Higher education in Australia

Higher education in Australia is marked by top quality and an excellent reputation worldwide, and for international students, it offers extremely rigorous consumer protection. This means that as a fee-paying international student, you will be guaranteed the education you paid for by law, as well as superior student support services to help students adjust to living and learning in a new country.

If you have already studied at tertiary level, the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) recognises international qualifications. The institution you apply to will assist you in determining your equivalent Australian qualification.

All the courses of study within Australia come under the scope of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) which simplifies the process of evaluation of the levels of study in all the universities, vocational education and training institutions and schools across Australia. The AQF allows you to move from one level of study to another as long as visa requirements are met.

The AQF covers most of the courses taken up by overseas students in Australia. However, there are some courses which are not part of the AQF, known as Bridging or Foundation courses. These courses help students meet the entry requirements for their further study and often lead to an AQF qualification.

Most of the universities in Australia are publicly funded. There are 38 publicly funded universities and 4 private ones. International students, however, pay full tuition fees which are not subsidised by the state.

Technical and further education (TAFE) Institutes

Technical and Further Education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, recognized internationally but approved by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Fields covered include hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, secretarial skills, visual arts, computer programming and community work.

Individual TAFE institutions (usually with many campuses) are known as either colleges or institutes, depending on the state or territory. TAFE colleges are owned, operated and financed by the various State and Territory Governments. This is in contrast to the higher education sector, whose funding is predominantly the domain of the Commonwealth government and whose universities are predominantly owned by the state governments.

TAFE education can be used as a pathway to university or higher education. Many Australian universities count previous studies at a TAFE institution as credit towards a degree.

Private Colleges

Each year, more than 2 million students choose to study at private colleges in Australia.

Private providers offer accredited courses in both higher education and vocational study across a wide range of industries, including niche courses targeted to specific industry needs.

As independent organisations, private colleges can readily adapt to the needs of industry and students. Since many teaching staff at private colleges also work actively in the fields they teach, they are inherently aware of changes in market forces across all industries and quick to reflect such developments in their curriculum.

Many private providers have partnerships with public or private universities which recognise prior learning, while close industry ties and an outcomes driven approach often lead to job opportunities for graduates from private colleges.

Academic calendar

There are usually two semesters a year at Australian universities: late February to June (Semester 1) and July to November (Semester 2). Short, intensive summer courses are sometimes on offer between November and January.