Each year, hundreds of British students choose to study, train and travel overseas.

Some go to do a Bachelors degree, some to pursue postgraduate study. Some go to train in a vocation or trade, while others want to do a short course or internship as part of a gap year.

The country

The name Australia conjures up an instant set of images for most Brits. These usually involve long golden beaches (for basking and having barbecues on) and sparkling blue sea (for swimming, surfing and snorkelling in). And lots and lots of sun. It’s true that Australia does have a lot of beaches – around 7,000, more than any other nation on earth. It’s also fair to say that it has very good weather. But this vast island continent is much more than its stereotype.

Australia is the sixth largest country on Earth. Within its 7,617, 930 square kilometres, stretching from the sunshine city of Perth in the west to the Gold Coast in the east, and from the tropical warmth of Darwin in the north to the Twelve Apostles in the south, lies a spectacular natural environment – tropical rainforests, mountain ranges, huge tracts of desert, lush green farmlands and exotic wildlife on land and at sea. This is the backdrop of Australia’s unique, distinctive personality, which can be found in the cosmopolitan cities, friendly people and proud, hospitable, diverse culture. Australia enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world.

The education system

Australia’s education system follows the same model as the UK. After completing high school, Australian students have a similar set of choices as people in the UK – if they want to stay in education they can go to university to do a degree, or undertake Technical and Further Education (TAFE) if they want to do a more vocational or applied course.
The length of courses is also similar – for example, most undergraduate degrees are three years long (though specialist degrees like medicine and architecture take longer) and the majority of masters degrees are one year long, though again specialist programmes are sometimes longer.

Academic standards are high, particularly in the universities. Australian universities have an international reputation for excellence in lots of different fields and are known for their innovative, research-intensive culture. In the World University Rankings 2004, published by The Times Higher Education Supplement, six Australian universities appeared in the top 50 – only eight UK institutions made that level of the list. Qualifications awarded by Australian universities are internationally recognised and highly regarded by employers and overseas universities alike. (For more information on the rankings, go to the News page).

Between all the institutions on this site, there’s a huge range of subjects offered at lots of different levels, from Bachelors degrees in physiotherapy to short courses in acting and from vocational training in fashion design to Masters degrees in sport management. For more information on what you can do, please go to the blue panel on the left.

The cost

Tuition fees are individually set by the institutions so will vary according to the subject you study as well as the institution you study it at, but, on average, an undergraduate degree in a subject such as the arts, humanities, law or business will cost between AU$12,000 and AU$19,000 a year (approx £4,800 - £7,600). Laboratory-based undergraduate degrees are more, usually between AU$15,000 and AU$25,000 (approx £6,000- £10,000) a year. At postgraduate level, a graduate certificate or graduate diploma will cost
approximately $9,000 to $18,000 each year (around £3,750 - £7,250); masters
and PhD courses between $16,000 and $28,000 (£6,400 - £12,000).

According to the Australian government, an international student will spend an average of A$230 (£95) a week on living costs, taking into account accommodation, food, clothing, entertainment, transport, travel and so on.
Please bear in mind that this figure will vary according to location, course and lifestyle, i.e. if you intend to study in Sydney and have a penchant for
shopping and champagne, you might want to up it a little.

Visas

The type of visa you'll need to study in Australia will be determined by how long your course is. If it is three months or less, you'll be able to enter Australia on a Tourist or Holiday visa. All British citizens are eligible for a Tourist (short stay) visa – it entitles you to be in the country for up to three months, but not to undertake any form of paid work. A Working Holiday visa entitles British citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 to be in the country for 12 months, and to work, though there are restrictions on what kind of work you can do and how long you can do it for. (For information on recently announced ‘enhancements’ to this visa, please go to the News page).

If your course is longer than three months, you'll need to get a Student visa. A student visa entitles you to be in the country for as long as your course lasts, and usually allows some time for traveling around, too. If your course is longer than a year, the conditions of your student visa will also allow you to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week while you are studying and for as many hours as you wish during your holidays. You will need to make an application for your entitlement to work after you have commenced your course.
In order to apply for a student visa, you'll need to have an offer of study from your chosen institution. So don't worry about it until then. We'll send you a guide on how to apply, including a list of all the documents you'll need, with your offer of study.

If you have any questions, email us at info@studyoptions.com. If you want to apply for a Working Holiday or a Short Stay visa, please contact the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) at www.immi.gov.au.

Note: These guidelines only apply to British citizens. If you're not a
British citizen, please contact the Australian Department of Immigration
and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) at www.immi.gov.au for visa advice.

Making an application

If you like the idea of studying in Australia, have a good look around our site. When you’re choosing a course, do as much research as possible – go to the institution’s own website, ask us anything you like – it’s really important that you’re as well-informed as possible about your choice. Feel free to email us as many times as you like if you want more information about a city, area or institution – we won’t charge you, no matter how many times you contact us. Once you’ve chosen a course, email us and we’ll send you an application form and a checklist of all the supporting documents you’ll need to apply. Send your completed application to us in London and we’ll check it, then post it overseas for you. When we hear the result, we’ll contact you by email or phone as soon as possible.

To find out more about what we do, go to About Us page.