Universities and Higher Education
Universities and Higher Education
The Australian higher education system consists of independent, self-governing public and private universities and higher education institutions that award higher education qualifications. There are 38 public universities and 3 private universities in Australia. Seven out of one hundred top universities in the world are Australian.
Australia University Rankings
According to Australian Education Network, the top 25 universities in 2017 are listed as follows.
Aus Rank |
University |
World Rank 2017 |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Australian National University |
20 |
2 |
University of Melbourne |
=41 |
3 |
University of Sydney |
50 |
4 |
University of New South Wales |
45 |
5 |
University of Queensland |
=47 |
6 |
Monash University |
60 |
7 |
University of Western Australia |
=93 |
8 |
University of Adelaide |
=109 |
9 |
University of Technology Sydney |
176 |
10 |
University of Newcastle |
=224 |
11 |
University of Wollongong |
232 |
12 |
Queensland University of Technology |
=247 |
=13 |
Curtin University |
262 |
=13 |
Macquarie University |
=240 |
=13 |
RMIT University |
=247 |
16 |
University of South Australia |
=279 |
17 |
University of Tasmania |
313 |
18 |
Deakin University |
=293 |
19 |
Griffith University |
=325 |
20 |
James Cook University |
=367 |
21 |
Swinburne University of Technology |
421-430 |
22 |
La Trobe University |
360 |
23 |
Bond University |
431-440 |
24 |
Flinders University |
551-600 |
25 |
Western Sydney University |
551-600 |
Qualifications
These are the different qualifications you can attain by completing university or higher education program:
Associate Degree
- Duration – Two years
- Completed following – Year 12 or equivalent, Certificate III or Certificate IV
- Details – The Associate Degree is a short-cycle Degree program that can help with career development if you’re already working and don’t have time to complete a full Bachelor Degree. It can be a pathway to a Bachelor Degree or prepare you for an Advanced Diploma in specialist industry training. An Associate Degree will be about the basics or foundations of your field. It will cover the broad theory and enable you to develop the basic employment-related skills.
Bachelor Degree
- Duration – Three years
- Completed following – Year 12 or equivalent, Certificate III or Certificate IV
- Details – A Bachelor Degree is the basic qualification for entry to a field. It will give you a systematic body of knowledge, the underlying principles and the problem-solving techniques you’ll need to work in the discipline. With deeper content than an Associate Degree, your Bachelor Degree will develop your skills and knowledge to the point where you can pursue postgraduate studies if you want to
Graduate Certificate
- Duration – 6 months
- Completed following – Bachelor Degree
- Details – Your Graduate Certificate will broaden individual skills you already have from an undergraduate program, or develop your knowledge in a new area.
Graduate Diploma
- Duration – One year
- Completed following – Bachelor Degree
- Details – A Graduate Diploma will apply a body of knowledge in a range of contexts for you to undertake professional or highly skilled work and as a pathway for further learning.
Master Degree
- Duration – 1 to 2 years
- Completed following – Bachelor Degree (Honours) or Bachelor Degree
- Details – A Master Degree is a course of independent research, traditional coursework or a combination of the two, and will make you a leader in your field. A Master Degree takes either one year after a Bachelor Degree with honours, or two years after a Bachelor Degree.
Doctoral Degree
- Duration – Typically 3 years
- Completed following – Masters Degree
- Details – The highest award offered by Australian universities, the Doctoral Degree is a research program, although it can have some coursework.
Details – The highest award offered by Australian universities, the Doctoral Degree is a research program, although it can have some coursework.
If you are unable to meet the entry requirements to get into your desired course in Australia, there are other pathways that can help to reach your goal. This might include studying in an Australian school, taking English language preparation or studying a vocational education, and attending training courses.
One of the most popular pathways is Foundation Studies – one-year intensive preparatory courses available through the majority of institutions. These will give you the skills you need to enter an undergraduate (Bachelor Degree) course.
Foundation studies are designed for people who are returning to study, who may not have any qualifications, or for English as a second language students. Foundation Studies in Australia gives international students the opportunity to study a pre-university year within a fully-accredited specialist program as the first step to completing tertiary studies.
It is equivalent to Australia’s Year 12 (the pre-university year). It is taught in English but includes comprehensive English instruction and support where that is required. Students can choose from a range of program options that have been specially developed to meet university requirements.
The course develops confidence and creativity in students and equips them to discover, extend and express themselves, as well as to achieve their personal, vocational and social goals. Students comprehend the world, relate well to others, and are high academic achievers. Students can proceed directly to University if their results for the program are good enough.