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Australia
Good
Courses, Good Climate, Good Culture, Good Times!
Why does the number of international
students who want to study in Australia keep increasing
every year? Is it the glorious climate, the standard
of living, the lure of the open spaces and pristine
beaches, Australia's multicultural population, the quality
of Australian education packages and international recognition
of Australian degrees and awards, or a combination of
all of the above?
 There
are many and varied reasons for wanting to study in
Australia, and more international students are making
their way Down Under every year. The number of international
students studying in Australia increased from 7,000
in 1986 to 147,130 in 1998. Australia's forty government-funded
universities have a reputation for quality education;
indeed, these institutions are controlled by both State
and Federal legislation, and receive both accreditation
and registration to provide courses for international
students.
Australia has a population of nearly 19 million in
a land area of about 7.6 million square kilometres.
However, 85% of these people live on the East Coast
or in the major coastal cities of Melbourne, Sydney,
Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, with Canberra,
the national capital, and Toowoomba as the largest inland
cities. Australia is one of the most urbanised countries
in the world, but much of the country remains sparsely
populated, providing a home for many of Australia's
unique plants and animals. Of Australia's population,
7.3 million people were either born outside Australia
or are children of parents born overseas, making Australia
one of the most multicultural nations on earth.  In
fact, more languages are spoken in Sydney than in any
other city in the world. More than 100 ethnic groups
live in Australia, making a major contribution to the
country's culture and economic development. International
students will find themselves very welcome in this richly
multicultural society. Australians are open, friendly
people, who live in a healthy, safe and unspoiled environment.
The climate in Australia is generally warmer than that
of Europe or the Americas, but in the northern Australian
states, is similar to that of Southwest Asia and the
Pacific. Temperatures in Queensland, the Northern Territory
and northern Western Australia average about 20ºC
to 29ºC in the summer, and about 10ºC to 22ºC
in the winter. In the southern states of New South Wales,
Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, temperatures
range from about 16ºC to 26ºC in the summer
and about 7ºC to 15ºC in the winter. However,
it does snow in Australia in the highlands and southern
areas, so warm clothes are advisable for winter wear
- and even in summer it is advisable to carry a light
jacket, as the weather can cool off considerably.
 Compared
to European or American universities, Australian course
costs are very competitive. For example, tuition costs
for a Bachelor of Arts or Business degree at the University
of Southern Queensland would be approximately US$17,700,
while the equivalent degree at a publicly funded USA
university would cost about US$35,000, and about US$28,000
in the UK. Annual average fees for a Masters course
in Business or Arts at USQ would cost about US$6,400,
while students would pay about US$9,800 in the UK and
about US$10,500 per year in the USA. Living costs in
Australia are also very competitive, and it costs students
in Toowoomba about US$150 per week for rent, food and
transport. This figure is closer to US$200 per week
in the Australian capital cities.
International students holding student visas are permitted
to work in Australia on a casual basis for up to twenty
hours per week during course time, and full-time during
vacations. However, casual work should not be seen as
a means of funding studies in Australia, as there may
be times when study commitments do not allow the time
to work.
While most Australian universities provide a very high
standard of on-campus residential accommodation, there
are a number of options open to international students,
including apartment or room rental, homestay accommodation
with or without meals, or shared rental accommodation.
It is very convenient to stay in university accommodation,
as most of the residential colleges in Australian universities
are on-campus - but often, international students prefer
to get together and share a private rental house or
apartment, and prepare their own meals.
Australia is a friendly country of great climate and
cultural diversity. In the winter, more of Australia
is under snow than the Swiss Alps, while at the same
time it has a larger area of deserts within its borders
than any other country. It also has the largest expanse
of coastal beaches and one of the largest areas of temperate
rainforests on the planet. No wonder so many international
students want to come and study in Australia!
Author
Jennifer Simmons
Promotions Officer
University of Southern Queensland
Australian Universities and Colleges
Australian universities and colleges that are currently
advertising on this site may be found by clicking
here - Each page has a link to the institution's
homepage together with email links to their admissions
Office, and other relevant course & college information.
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