Open Universities Australia

Posted on November 15, 2011 by University

OUA was a concept that was introduced in 1993. The OUA program was designed to allow Australian students to conveniently pursue an education online, in several fields of study such as arts, business, education, health and engineering. About 20 different Australian Universities currently participate in this Open Universities Australia program.

Currently, over 40,000 students are enrolled in this Open Universities AustraliaOpen Universities Australia program. More about the Open Universities Australia program is mentioned below.

List of universities and educational institutions that participate in the Open Universities Australia program
Some of the most prominent names that participate in the Open Universities Australia program are Griffith University, Curtin University of technology, Monash University, Macquarie University, TAFE South Australia, La Trobe University, Charles Darwin University and the University of New England.

Advantages of studying in Open Universities Australia

Easy enrollment procedures – With Open Universities Australia, it is extremely easy to enroll into a course. One will simply need to fill out an online form and be on their way. Even if one is paying with FEE-HELP, they can complete the entire enrollment process online, without having to mail tedious paperwork and wait for a response.

Easy eligibility standards – The program  is very popular with students who do not have a proper academic record or for students who did not complete certain stages of formal education that are otherwise required in regular colleges. Most Bachelor of Arts programs that are offered by Open Universities Australia will not require any type of particular education in the past or any particular grade point averages.

Flexibility to study at one’s own pace – Another major advantage of Open Universities Australia is that a student can study at their own pace. One can study a course and take a few months off if they choose to. This will be handy for those who might be working or facing problems that will prevent them to study for a stretch of time, without any interruptions. At the same time, the program will also allow students to fast track their studies, with students being able to complete a 24 month course into a 18 month course, if they choose to.

Degree awarded by a prestigious university – Most of the colleges enrolled in the Open Universities Australia have a lot of reputation and a student will be awarded a degree from one of these reputed Universities, which will help them with their employment.

Disadvantages of studying in Open Universities Australia

The biggest disadvantage with the program is that it is still a work in progress. This means that course descriptions, course programs, course durations, etc. are constantly being updated and revised. This can leave a student quite frustrated.

Another problem with the program is that it is very difficult to switch from one University to another. Some Universities will mail out learning material while some will only distribute virtual learning material. The teaching mechanism can also be very different from one open university to another, making it difficult for the student to go through a smooth transition.

Lastly, studying in the Open Universities Australia program is quite expensive, especially if students are interested in online education in an effort to save costs.

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Study Online

Posted on December 15, 2011 by University

Study Online in Australia

Whether you are a foreign student or an Australian student, there are plenty of options to study online and obtain a degree from an Australian University.  This article will give you a brief introduction on how to study online in Australia.

To study online, one will need to enroll in one of two avenues. One program or avenue is called the Open Universities Australia program. The other avenue to study online comprises of private colleges that are not part of the Open Universities Australia program.

Let us take a quick look at the options to study online at either one of the two programs mentioned above.

Open Universities Australia program

This program was established in 1993, just after the Internet was introduced in Australia. The Open Universities Australia program consists of a consortium of 20 Australian Universities that have teamed up to offer study online options to students in Australia, as well as International students.

This program is quite radically different from other study online programs in Australia or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

The standout feature about the study online program offered by the Open Universities Australia program is that students will not need to meet any kind of minimum eligibility requirements. In other words, even students who have not had a formal school education will be able to study online and obtain recognized degrees, from one of the 20 colleges that are accredited by the Open Universities Australia program.

Another interesting aspect of the study online option at the Open Universities Australia program is that students can pace their studies, according to their preferences and abilities. In other words, a student enrolled in the Open Universities Australia program can take even 3-4 years to study online and complete a course that would only take 2 years in a traditional brick and mortar college or a regular online education program.

This study online program currently has 40,000 students in its roster and the number is slowly climbing every year. Though the program is deemed to be a success thus far, there are still many improvements being made, especially to create some uniformity in the study online courses that are offered by the 20 participating colleges.

Online study at universities that are not part of the Open Universities Australia program

As mentioned earlier, only 20 Universities are accredited to the Open Universities Australia program. However, there are a host of other private colleges that offer online study courses. Some of these Universities will offer mixed type courses as well, where students will have to study online for a part of the course and complete the rest as an on campus student.

The eligibility requirements at such colleges will vary from University to University. Generally, private Universities that offer study online programs will require at least a Australian high school diploma or an equivalent. Some schools might also have other eligibility requirements such as certain minimum ESL scores, minimum age etc.

All study online programs in Australia will require the student to have access to a computer and the Internet, as a basic eligibility requirement.

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Australian Universities

Posted on December 12, 2011 by University

Leading Australian Universities to Study In

In the passages below, we will give you a brief introduction to some of the leading Australian universities, in current times. Some of these reputed Australian Universities consistently rank among the world’s best when it comes to quality of education. Australia is rapidly climbing the popularity charts as the leading destination for International students who previously only considered American and English Universities.

Without much further ado, let us take a brief look at some of the best Australian universities.

University of Melbourne – Leading Australian universities

The Times Higher Education rankings rated the University of Melbourne as the best University in Australia. It was also ranked as the 13th best in the world. However, ratings vary from agency to agency. The U.S. News and World Report rated the University of Melbourne as the 36th best University in the world.

This University has a lot of tradition and reputation associated with it as it was established in 1853. The degrees at the University of Melbourne are awarded in 12 major disciplines, which are, Music, Business, Economics, Veterinary science, Medicine, Engineering, Arts, Architecture, Law, Education and Science.

The University of Melbourne can be reached at 613 8344 4000 or by visiting unimelb.edu.au, on the web.

University of Sydney – Leading Australian Universities

The Times Higher Education ranked this Australian University as the second best in Australia and as the 15th ranked University in the World. Once again, there was a discrepancy in rating as U.S. News ranked this university as the 36th best (tied with the University of Melbourne) in the world. Either way, it is pretty obvious that the University of Sydney is easily among the list of best Australian universities.

Currently, just less than 50,000 students study at the University of Sydney. The University has more than 170,000 members in its alumni, from many countries in the world. This Australian University is sub divided into 16 different divisions that award degrees in a wide range of disciplines such as law, nursing, pharmacy, veterinary science, visual arts, economics, business and even dentistry and natural resources.

The University of Sydney can be reached at 612 9351 3100 or can be accessed online at usyd.edu.au.

Australian National University – Leading Australian Universities

The Times Higher Education rated the Australian National University as the third best in the country and also as the 21st best in the world. U.S News on the other hand ranked this university as the 17th among the list of leading Universities in the world.

This University was founded in 1946 and has a much shorter history than the two Australian Universities mentioned above. However, in its rather short life span, it has made a tremendous impact by already producing an alumni who just recently won the Nobel Prize for physics, in 2011.

This is also one of the smaller Australian Universities that currently has a student population of only 16,700 students. The major study disciplines at this Australian University are engineering, creative arts, academic studies, health and medical sciences, environmental sciences, physical science, society and culture, commerce, management and commerce.

The Australian National University can be reached at 612 6125 5111 or at anu.edu.au, on the web.

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Online Degrees

Posted on December 6, 2011 by University

Online Degrees in Australia

Currently, over 20 accredited colleges and universities offer online degrees in Australia. Online degrees is a rising trend. Australia is aggressively promoting online education through a program called Open Universities Australia, where students can pursue Bachelor degree and Diploma courses, entirely online. What is different about the online degrees that are available from Open Universities Australia is that students will often have to meet very simple eligibility requirements. For example, many online degrees provided by the Open Universities Australia program will allow students to enroll even if they were not able to complete their primary schooling.

Currently, over 40,000 students are enrolled in the Open Universities Australia program, pursuing hundreds of different online degrees.

What kind of online degrees are offered in Australia?

Though online degrees had a very humble beginning, they are now offered in several popular disciplines such as science, business, accounting, teaching, engineering and even vocation specific study disciplines such as commercial cooking, wedding planning etc.

What are the advantages of pursuing online degrees in Australia?

Online degrees are usually pursued by those who are looking for flexibility in their learning schedule. Online degrees are very popular with working professionals, stay at home students and those who simply prefer to take in their education slowly, at their own pace, without having to follow a hectic schedule that is followed in most offline colleges and universities. When a student enrolls in the Open Universities Australia program, he or she will often have the choice to pace themselves when completing the online degrees. For example, a student pursuing a diploma or bachelor’s course can take twice the amount of normal time to finish the online degrees if they choose to.

At the same time, online degrees will also allow students to fast track their education, allowing them to complete their education at an accelerated pace, again, if they choose to.

What are the caveats about online degrees?

When enrolling for online degrees, one must make sure that they are enrolling in an accredited college or university. As mentioned earlier, only about 20 colleges and universities are currently enrolled in the Open Universities Australia program. There are some independent colleges that might offer online degrees although one will have a hard time in getting recognition for their online degree if they pursue it from a non accredited college.

When enrolling for online degrees, one must also make sure that they will have the right hardware and software requirements on their computer as courses are entirely taught online.

Another important aspect to remember about online degrees is that one must enroll into online degrees only if they intend to complete the degree in one University. Switching from University to University will be very difficult as not all universities follow the same class schedules, teaching methods and modes of learning. Also, the information about online degrees is continually updated and being restructured and developed in various colleges. Students looking to switch Universities will often find the transition a very difficult one to make.

Apart from completely online degrees, many colleges and Universities are now employing online tools such as discussion boards, blackboards etc as part of the traditional college degrees as well.

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Distance Education Australia

Posted on November 28, 2011 by University

Distance Education Australia

Distance education in Australia is very popular, both with Australian students as well as International students. It is so popular that at any given time, about 40,000 students are pursuing various kinds of online degrees, through various distance education Australia programs. Below, we will briefly discuss various aspects of distance education Australia programs such as eligibility requirements and types of courses that are offered. We will also discuss Open Universities Australia, a program that was specifically created to promote online education in Australia.

Lastly, we will also briefly touch upon a few popular Universities that offer distance education Australia programs.

Eligibility requirements for distance education Australia programs

The eligibility requirements for distance education Australia programs will vary from University to University or from college to college. Some Universities will require the student to have a high school Australia diploma while some Universities will accept equivalents of high school diplomas, especially if the applying student is an international one.

Some Universities, when accepting students into their distance education Australia programs, will also consider individual factors such as age, work experience and a few other factors, when they take in students into their distance education Australia program.

The Open Universities Australia program is quite unique from other distance education programs in Australia in the sense that it will accept students who have not completed their high school diploma. More about the Open Universities Australia program below.

Open Universities Australia

Open Universities Australia is a distance education Australia program that is presented by a tie up of about 20 Universities. Under this program, a student will be able to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in arts, sciences, engineering, business and several other disciplines, by completing their course online, from an accredited University. This distance education Australia program is quite unique in the sense that it allows students to complete their degrees at their own pace, allowing students to take much longer than the usual duration that is required for the completion of a degree. On the other hand, this distance education Australia program will also allow students to fast track their education and complete it faster than traditional degrees that are awarded in offline, brick and mortar Universities.

Courses offered in distance education Australia programs

Distance education Australia programs offer degrees in a variety of disciplines such as business, science, engineering, accounting and even a few select vocational fields such as hotel management, event planning etc.

Some popular Universities that offer distance education Australia programs

One should first check with the Open Universities Australia program as they will get an online degree that is accredited by a good University. If not, they can consider independent and private Universities such as the ones mentioned below.

Deakin University – This University claims that 40% of its student population studies online. One can access the online education program at this University by visiting deakin.edu.au. It offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees. Some of the degrees might require students to physically visit the college for certain sessions while some degrees can be completed completely online, without the student having to visit the University.

Central Queensland University – Central Queensland University has a reputation of allowing students with less than spectacular grades in school to enroll in their online degree programs. The distance education Australia programs at Central Queensland University can be accessed at www.cqu.edu.au

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Online Courses Australia

Posted on November 22, 2011 by University

Australia is an expansive country, with some cities and towns located in rather isolated spots. This is one of the reasons why online courses Australia are very popular. In fact, online courses Australia began to become popular as soon as the Internet was introduced, in the year 1993.

Below, we will look at some of the aspects of online courses Australia.

What are the requirements necessary to enroll in online courses Australia?

This will vary from institution to institution. Some universities will require a certain grade point average minimums  to allow students to qualify for its online courses Australia. On the other hand, some online courses Australia will only require that students have a high school diploma to qualify for the online courses Australia. If the student is an international student, he or she can still enroll in the online courses Australia by showing that they have completed an equivalent of an Australian high school diploma.

Australia also has a distance learning education system called Open Universities Australia, where students without a high school diploma or a high school diploma equivalent can still qualify for many bachelor level courses. Currently, the Open Universities Australia program has about 40,000 enrolled students and more than 20 participating universities and educational institutions.

Some online courses Australia

Australian Online Institute

This is a very popular institution in Australia that offers online courses Australia in hospitality, business equipment training, commercial cooking, electronics, communication and engineering. This particular institution began to offer online courses Australia in 2003. What is impressive about this institution is that they have had a 100% placement rate since 2003, the year of their inception. This is very commendable, especially when one considers the fact that they only offer online courses Australia. Tuition for each of these online courses Australia will be anywhere from $10,500 Australian Dollars and $20,100 Australia Dollars, depending on the course that is chosen. To enroll in online courses Australia offered by this particular school, one can contact 1300-309-240 or visit aoi.edu.au.

Australian Correspondence School

This is another institute that is famous for its online courses Australia. It offers several online courses Australia in a diverse set of disciplines that include web design, programming, conservation of the environment, psychology, agriculture, business management and so on. These online courses Australia will cost anywhere between 600 Australian dollars, for small, short courses, to about 12,500 Australia Dollars for advanced diploma courses that will require over 2,400 hours of learning time.

To enroll in these online courses Australia, one can visit acs.edu.au, their official website.

International Career Institute

This institution offers online courses Australia in business, frontline management, e-commerce, import and export, real estate and interesting courses such as photography and wedding planning. It also offers online courses Australia that teach more than 30 different foreign languages.

The cost of these online courses Australia will vary between 1,000 Australian Dollars and about 2,000 Australian Dollars, for certain advanced courses. To enroll in these online courses Australia, visit ici.net.au, their official website.

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Study in Australia

Posted on November 17, 2011 by University

Study in Australia – Top Reasons to Study in Australia

If you were considering pursuing studies in Australia, you will definitely find some strong reasons to do so, below, in the passages that go over the top reasons to study in Australia.

Top reasons to study in Australia.

Quality of education – Reasons to study in Australia

Australia is quickly being recognized as one of the premier destinations when it comes to quality of the education that is imparted. They have several Universities that have made it to the top 100 in global rankings that consider Universities from all the countries in the world.

Most recently, the quality of Australian education came into prominence after it was found that the 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Physics had graduated from an Australian University.

Recognition of qualification – Reasons to study in Australia

The courses offered to International students are covered or endorsed by the Australian Qualification Framework or the AQF, a government entity. Thus, students who pursue these endorsed courses will have qualifications that are widely accepted in both Australia as well as other parts of the world.

Multicultural society – Reasons to study in Australia

If America is the melting pot in the West, it would be safe to say that Australia is the melting pot of the East. Australia is home to people from over 200 different countries and its student population is quite diverse. On an average, international students will make up anywhere between 10% to even 50% of a University’s student population. Such a multicultural, vibrant society will allow international students to settle in very comfortably, without having to worry about alienation or isolation. Students usually love the on campus and off campus life in Australia.

Ease of procuring visa – Reasons to study in Australia

Unlike the US and the UK, it is much easier to obtain a visa to become a student in Australia.

Affordable cost of living – Reasons to study in Australia

When compared to the U.S. and the U.K, the cost of living in Australia is much cheaper. Australian Universities also have a reputation of offering more scholarship opportunities than their American or British counterparts.

Great weather – Reasons to study in Australia

Unlike the U.S and the U.K, Australia does not have the problem of harsh winters. Though it can get quite hot, most parts in Australia receive great weather, throughout the entire year. Though many students do not give enough thought to the weather when selecting a University, they must understand that weather will play a pretty significant role in deciding the quality of life, especially if the education is going to stretch out over a period of 4 years or more.

Job opportunities – Reasons to study in Australia

A student who completes an Australian education will have a very good chance of working there, unlike in the U.S and U.K where immigration measures are becoming stricter by the day. International students will find job opportunities in a wide variety of fields as opposed to just the IT and finance industries that take in foreign workers in the U.S and the U.K.

 

 

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