Australia is without a doubt one of the most fantastic places to start or continue your studies. Australian Universities have a reputation for excellence and they offer a choice of thousands of courses to choose from.
Australia offers you a relaxed, safe and enjoyable lifestyle with vibrant multicultural cities, year round great weather and amazing and diverse landscapes and scenery.
Australian universities have an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, with academic staff recruited from Australia and around the world. Universities and other higher education institutions offer programs leading to bachelor and a range of postgraduate degrees, including higher degrees by research. Some universities also offer shorter undergraduate and corporate development programs.
In 2007, the Australian Government announced a $6 billion Higher Education Endowment fund. This, together with an additional $1.7 billion in funding for other measures, will ensure the development of more world-class universities, and foster excellence, diversity and specialisation in the sector.
All Australian higher education institutions have mechanisms in place to ensure that the high quality of their courses and services is maintained at an international standard and Australia's system of education is subject continuous review and improvement to ensure the high standard is maintained and improved upon wherever possible.
Australian qualifications across all education sectors are internationally regarded when it comes to seeking employment or further study at leading international universities. The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a national system of learning pathways recognised throughout Australia and by other countries.
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) regulates all Australian qualifications ensuring that universities in each state/territory have uniformity in qualification titles and education levels. This means that qualification titles are the same throughout Australia and makes it easier to search for courses. It also makes it easy for other countries to understand what level of education each Australian qualification represents.
More than 400,000 students from around 200 countries receive an Australian education each year. Courses are offered both in Australia and offshore. In addition to long-term courses, many institutions also offer programs that assist international students in their learning, such as 'foundation studies' and English-language courses. Significant numbers of students come to Australia from China, India, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Since Australia is a culturally and linguistically diverse nation, Australian teachers and instructors are experienced in communicating with students who are not native English speakers. Students from around the world are drawn to Australia for an opportunity to learn English in an English-speaking country for study, work or travel purposes. In English-language training, Australia's flexible language institutions cater for every level. English-language colleges provide a wide range of programs, including English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students. The tuition is well developed, and institutions that offer courses to students on student visas are closely regulated to ensure the highest standards.
The lifestyle and quality of living in Australia is among the best in the world. Several of Australia's capital cities regularly rank among the world's 'most liveable' cities. The Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2008 worldwide quality of living survey recently found that five Australian cities ranked in the top 40 for overall quality of living. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane ranked 10th, 17th, 21st, 29th and 34th respectively, whereas the US' top city, Honolulu, was ranked 28th, and the UK's top city, London, was ranked 38th.
Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane all ranked in the top 50 for personal safety.
Australian courses offer first rate education at a considerably cheaper cost than programs in the UK or USA. As well as cheaper tuition fees courses in Australia are often shorter than those in the USA and UK. In many instances this will save you a whole years tuition fees.
The Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2008 cost of living survey found that only two Australian cities, Sydney at number 15 and Melbourne at number 36, appeared on the list of the 50 most expensive cities to live. The UK has the third most expensive city - London, while New York comes in at number 22.