Graduate Study

Graduate Study in Australia

Undertaking graduate study in Australia can be an exciting and professionally rewarding experience. As an innovative and technologically advanced nation on the Pacific Rim, Australia offers many unique opportunities for North American students. Graduate study is available at any of Australia's thirty-nine universities. In most cases, your tuition will range from US$5,500 to US$9,000 annually, depending upon your course of study. Once you start studying, you can apply for work rights and are eligible to work twenty hours per week when school is in session and forty hours per week during vacations. You may also be eligible for student loans at some Australian universities. Just think about it, spend a year or two in Australia furthering your study and return to the US with a graduate degree and international experience. What employer would not find that an attractive combination?

Graduate Program Options

The structure of graduate programs in Australia differs from that in the US. In addition to one year graduate diploma programs, degrees are separated into research and coursework. A list of graduate degrees offered at most Australian universities includes:

Graduate Diplomas - Usually one year to one and one half years in duration, courses are by coursework with only limited research required. Frequently these degrees have a more professional focus and a student with an undergraduate degree in a different field may still be able to gain admission.
Masters by coursework - Usually two years in length, although it may be possible to complete some in one to one-and-one half-years. This degree is very similar to a masters degree in the US. Some research is normally required, but students will spend most of their time in the classroom. To gain admission, students normally will need to have an undergraduate degree in the same or a very similar field of study.
Masters by research - Like the coursework degree, a masters by research is typically two years in length, but as the name implies the emphasis is on directed research and not classroom work. To gain admission to these programs, a student must be able to show that he/she has completed research at the undergraduate level. One must continue on in the same field of study as their undergraduate degree or may be required to complete a graduate diploma as a bridging year to the Masters by research degree.
PhD by research - Similar to the PhD degree in the US. A masters degree in the same field is required for admissions and typically three years are required to complete the degree. Some exceptional students may be admitted without first obtaining a masters degree, but one must show a significant record of research at the undergraduate level.

Click here to access a list of Australian Universities or here for Quick Links to Australian Unis

Click here to access a list of Enrollment Organizations that can assist with Graduate Study

Click here to access the AEO's Request for Information Form