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Why study in
AUSTRALIA? |
Brisbane
Byron
Bay
Cairns
Melbourne
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For many reasons,
180,000 international students come and study in Australia every
year:
- Australia has a long history of involvement in international
education development;
- High quality, first class education with modern facilities,
excellent teachers, international recognition;
- Quality standards are assured by the Australian
Government laws;
- Australia is a safe place to live and friendly and welcomes
international students;
- International students can work up to 20 h per week to
cover daily expenses and to gain work experience;
- Australia also is an ethnically diverse country;
More that 20 per cent of its inhabitants were born in
another country;
- Australia is a beautiful
country full of contrast and unique
flora and fauna. |
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Some
general and important information to know
Australia is the largest island in the world
with a surface of 7.682.300 km2 with 18,4 million inhabitants.
This population is distributed mainly along the East coast with
the cities of Melbourne (South), Sydney (New England), Brisbane,
Townsville and Cairns (Queensland). For the last 40.000 years, the
Aborigines have inhabited Australia.
The Economy
The Australian Coasts
are rich in sea food, the soil rich in minerals and energy
sources. The country also produces quality wines and, actually,
experiences an extraordinary touristic boom.
Study in Australia
(some information on the
educational system)
Australia enjoys the reputation to be among the countries with the
best education in the world.
Australian's education system can be divided into six sectors:
+ the universities (higher education)
+ a vocational training system: (TAFE) Further education and
private colleges
+ ELICOS institutions which offer English Language Intensive
Courses for Overseas Students
+ Foundation studies
+ Private colleges and schools giving courses in subjects
such as business studies, hotel
management and mass communication´+ Primary and secondary
schools.
The education system is divided
into three levels: the third after year 12 (or highschool diploma)
opens the way for professional formation or/and university.
HIGHER
EDUCATION
The higher education is a large one. There are 37 public
universities of which two are private. They offer both
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The most popular course
are the fields of Business, Administration and Economics. The
second most popular ones are Science, Arts, Humanities and Social
Sciences followd by Engineering and Surveying.
You can chose any university and find the one that best suits your
own needs:
- The Bachelor Degrees are the basic level for most
professions with 3 to 4 study years
- Graduate Certificate or Diploma
- Masters Degree - duration of 1 to 2 years.
TAFE
(Australia's Technical and Further Education) courses provide
initial and further education at professional, trade and operative
levels. These courses are developed together with the industry to
ensure the most up-to-date training. A student with non-English
speaking background will need to provide a score from the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
ELICOS
(English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students):
Students plan to improve their Englgish for professional and
educational purposes, others learn English for vacation. Many
universities and TAFE institutes offer ELICOS courses which must
be registered with the Australian Government to ensure that the
training provided is on an international standard.
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Generally there are four categories:
* General English
* English for Special and / or Academic Purposes
* Vacation courses
* Examination Preparation.
ELICOS generally comprise 25 h of classes (20 in the
classroom and the rest open classes). |
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FOUNDATION STUDIES
provide an academic bridge between a student's studies in
its home country and the commencement of undergraduate
studies in Australia.
PRIMARY and SECONDARY EDUCATION
Australian schools provide a standard and quality of
education equal to the best in the world. Most schools are
government-run and charge a nominal fee while about a
quarter of the schools are independent and charge full-fees
The school system is
divided into the following levels: |
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- Primary
Schools (years 6 or 7)
- Secondary High Schools (years 7 or 8-12)
- Junior Colleges (years 7 or 8-10 only) and
- Senior or Matriculation Colleges (years 11 and 12 only. |
The academic year for primary and
secondary schools begins in late January and runs through to early
December. There are four terms with each term lasting up to 12 weeks.
English Language Requirements
For admission to a course of study, you need to have a good standard of
English proficiency and the minimum academic qualifications for the
course you plan to study. FOR
UNIVERSITY STUDIES, an IELTS score of 6,5 or a TOEFL score of 550
or better is required.
FOR TAFE STUDIES an IELTS score of between 5 and 6 or TOEFL 500 to
550.
FOR SECONDARY STUDIES, a score between 5 and 6 or TOEFL 500 and
550.
Students planning to take ELICOS do not need to provide an IELTS
or TOEFL score.
SFC
will assess you in
any questions you may have regarding your studies. We also advise
you
of the different Academic Study Centres which vary in geographic
situation, in climate and study
programmes, offering according to your ambitions culture, sports
and adventure. SFC has selected for you different zones and you
may chose YOUR PROGRAMME according to your very special needs.
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Further necessary
information
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
The Australian government
requires international
students to be insured throughout their stay in Australia. The
student is obliged to register with the appropriate insurance BEFORE
arrival in the country. The conditions can be studied with:
http://www.medibank.com.au/join/overseas/studentchoice.asp
/
http://www.oshc.com.au.
VISA Regulations
Visa application
procedures and requirements can be different and depend on the kind
of studies and the student's nationality. You may distinguish
between a tourist visa for a duration of stay of 3 months for mere
travel purposes or a short vacational English language stay and a
long-term study based stay in Australia that requires a study visa
which, at the same time, enables you to work 20 h per week to cover
some of your daily expenses. To be granted a student visa students
must satisfy the visa requirements and comply with a number of visa
conditions for attendance and academic performance, which come into
effect after the student has entererd Australia. For more detailed,
accurate and up-to-date information on student visas and visa
requirements please check the Department of Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs (DIMIA) website.
Depending on the
above regulations, in any case, the usual general requirements to obtain
a study visa are that you are
* accepted into a study programme
* good academic records
* financial capacity to meet course, fees, living and return airfares
* good health.
ACCOMMODATION
Australia will offer you a good standard of accommodation. The law
ensures that residences and family accommodation are safe and secure.
Please visit "Accommodation"
to find out more about
types of accommodation offered in each of the Study Centres offered by
SFC.
The CLIMATE
Most people believe that Australia is a very hot continent. However
the climate varies a lot depending on the different clima zones.
Australia generally offers a warm and dry climate. Only the north and
east coasts are humid. The tropical climate of the north and north-east
is caracterised by high temperature, hot and rainy summers (December)
and softly warm temperatures in winter (July).
In Victoria (Melbourne) the climate is moderate with rainy periods
throughout the seasons, warm summers and cold winters. Finally the
south-west (Perth) and the south (Adelaide) you will enjoy a
mediterranean climate marked by hot and dry summers and warm and rainy
winters. Find below averages of temperature:
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March to May |
June to August |
September to
November |
December to
February |
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Adelaide
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22°C
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11°C
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16°C
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28°C
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Alice Springs
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30°C
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24°C
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28°C
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32°C
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Brisbane
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22°C
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18°C
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23°C
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28°C
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Cairns
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27°C
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23°C
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27°C
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31°C
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Canberra
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18°C
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13°C
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19°C
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27°C
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Darwin
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32°C
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30°C
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31°C
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31°C
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Hobart
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16°C
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8°C
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12°C
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22°C
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Melbourne
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18°C
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9°C
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14°C
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24°C
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Perth
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22°C
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18°C
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23°C
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28°C
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Rockhampton
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26°C
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21°C
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23°C
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30°C
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Sydney
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20°C
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12°C
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18°C
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24°C
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City |
Climate zones |
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Darwin
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Tropical
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Alice Springs
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Subtropical
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Brisbane
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Subtropical
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Sydney, Perth, Adelaide
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Moderate
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Melbourne, Hobart
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Moderate tendency or cold |
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Four seasons |
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Winter |
June, July, August |
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Spring |
September, October, November |
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Summer |
December, January, February |
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Automn |
March, April, May |
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Difference of hours:
Australia Occidental : GMT +
8 h
Northern territories and meridional: GMT + 9 h 30
In summer, + 1 h.
Currency (money
conversion)
Australian Dolar. You may use credit
cards almost everywhere.
Value of money
Australia offers excellent value for money, with living
expenses and tuition costas considerably less expensive than the
United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA).
Furthermore, you are allowed to work 20 h per week, a fact that
makes Australia very attractive.
Comparisons
There have been made studies over more than 3,000 courses in
Australia, GB and USA:
* USA: language classes in Australia cost up to 70 per cent less;
* In Australia university studies take 3 years while in the US the
duration is 4 years. |
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