More than 84,000 international students from over 80
countries are studying at Australian universities. This
is about half of all international students enrolled
in Australian courses.
Australia has 39 universities which
are listed on the registers of the Australian Qualifications
Framework. Courses cover many disciplines such as the
humanities, social sciences, environmental education,
education, science, mathematics and computing, visual/performing
arts, engineering and processing, health sciences, business,
economics, law and agriculture. Courses can vary considerably
in form, entry requirements, duration and method of assessment.
If
you do not meet the entry requirements you may apply
for Foundation Studies which is an intensive one-year
preparatory course that will equip you with the skills
set required to enter and complete an undergraduate course.
Foundation Studies are divided into streams such as business
studies and science studies and offer a variety of compulsory
and elective subjects. English language support is usually
available.
Many schools, vocational education and training
institutions, and universities offer Foundation Studies
courses. The common feature of Foundation Studies is
that a university allocates a provisional place in an
undergraduate program assuming you achieve the prescribed
grades.
University courses run from early March to late
November. The year is divided into two semesters. However,
some institutions offer a trimester system and/or run
summer schools from December to February. Foundation
studies have student intakes at several times during
the year.
