Australian Universities Notable facts:
- 49 public and 1 private higher education institutions
- Follow a UK style to learning and instruction: 3 years for Bachelor Degree, 1 year for honors, 1 year masters.
- Direct entry to Law
- Medicine: Most unis now do a 3+3 Degree although some continue to do direct entry. See here.
- Virtually all courses are taught in English
- Huge international student population: around 25%
- Very familiar with IB and A-Levels; becoming more familiar with US education. Admission often based upon predicted results of external exams.
- Download NACAC’s Guide to Applying to Australia
- Check out the Guide for IB students wishing to study in Australia for help information.
- Advanced placement recognition policy varies considerably by institution. Check the Collegeboard AP website for specific details.
Entry Requirements
- Entry requirement = Pre-requisites
- Preferred subjects and levels of assumed knowledge
- Not always essential, but you will stand a greater change of obtaining a place.
- US high school will work with SAT/ACT only.
- IB fine
Tuition fees:
- Average Tuition fees (in US Dollars/year):
- Citizens: $4841
- International students: $15,678
- Examples for international students
- UNSW arts/humanities: $35,760/year
- UNSW Business $42,780
- UNSW Engineering $48,890
- Melbourne Engineering: $41,344
- Melbourne Business $41,120
- Melbourne Social Sciences: $31,232
Australian Universities Admissions:
Timeline
- School year begins end of February or early March
- Possible mid-year entry in July
Non-Australian:
- IB Diploma is the most direct route to gain admission. The more competitive the university, the more likely they will require the IB Diploma.
- Most universities require the SATs or ACTs be submitted if the student has earned a U.S. equivalent diploma (non IB Diploma).
Australian citizens: Tertiary Admission Centres
Australian students (living in Australia or abroad) apply through the state-based Tertiary Admissions Centers for semester one admissions. These Centers manage and promote the application procedure, receive and process applications for most university courses within their state, and inform applicants of outcomes. Each university is responsible for the selection of its own students.
- New South Wales – www.uac.edu.au
- UAC and IB Diploma –www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/admission/ib.shtml
- Victoria – www.vtac.edu.au
- VTAC and IBDP/ATAR –vtac.edu.au/pdf/ib_notional_atar.pdf
- Queensland – www.qtac.edu.au
- South Australia – http://www.satac.edu.au/
- Western Australia – https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/home.tisc
- TISC and IB Diploma – www.tisc.edu.au/static-fixed/guide/uni-admission-info-for-ib-students.pdf
Useful websites
- List of all the accredited universities in Australia
- Great searchable database of all programs in Australia
- Australian government site specifically for international students:
- Information on undergraduate and graduate medical schools in Australia
- Information on acting and performing arts schools in Australia
- Student reviews and rankings at University Reviews
- Good Guide to Australian Universities online and ebook version
Unique opportunities
- 3 Year bachelor degree. Add one more year for Honours degree
- Professional degrees (Engineering, Law, Education) are four years.
- Vet Degrees range from 5 to 6 years.
- Dentistry Degrees are 5 years.
- Medical degree is 6 years. May require test, special application, and interview–check out ISAT and UCAT. Learn more about Australian Medical School opportunities.
- Semester x 2 (Most universities)
- Semester 1: February to June
- Semester 2: July to November
- Trimester x 3
- January to April
- May to August
- September to December
IB Conversion to ATAR:
- See here for complete details.
- 45 ==99.85
- 40 = 97.5
- 35 = 91.95
- 30 = 83
- 25 = 71.45
ATAR Score Guide by Subject —source
Fantastic Webinar with CIALFO
Studying in Australia – simplifying your student’s journey from Cialfo on Vimeo.
Updated: 30 October 2015