What are the Requirements to Study in Australia for International Students?

Australia is applauded for its focused and practical education system and world-class infrastructure. It attracts a lot of international students owing to its high living standard with relatively lower expenses. These factors make Australian education among the top choices for students who wish to pursue higher education abroad. The degrees gained in the country are internationally recognized. Therefore, graduates from Australian universities are in high demand among employers all around the world. The Australian eligibility requirements and admission procedures for international students may differ per level of study.

Those students who already know the qualification levels of the Australian education system and wish to obtain and the particular institution in which they would like to study can visit the educational institution's website and learn about that educational institution's specific eligibility requirements and the detailed admission procedures in their desired program of study.

However, you can check out the eligibility requirements and education admission procedures prevalent in Australia. It will prove useful as a general guideline to all international students who wish to obtain either a VET qualification or a higher education qualification in Australia. Read: Popular TAFE Institutes in Australia that Accept International Students

Eligibility for Australian University Admissions

Australian university requirements for admission for international students are given below:

• Admission to diploma-level courses requires applicants to have a minimum percentage required for Australia after the 12th is 60%. 
• For bachelor's degree admission, students must have scored at least 65% and above marks in class XII. 
• Whereas students applying for master's admission in Australian Universities, applicants must have: 
  • Almost all Australian Universities accept the 3-year graduation system for entry into most postgraduate courses. For instance, an Indian bachelor's degree like B.A., or B.Com. or B.Sc. (ordinary) is equivalent to an Australian Bachelor (Ordinary) Degree with a total education of 12 years.
  • However, some courses and universities may require a qualification equivalent to an Australian Bachelor (Honours) Degree, which requires either an honours graduation degree like a B.A. (H), B. Com (H), etc or 16 years of formal education, means another year after graduation or a four-year degree course like B.E., B. Tech and other such courses.
  • The minimum percentage required for Australia after a Bachelor's is at least 65%, but may vary per graduate program and university the applicant is applying to.
  • For most Universities, a good first degree from a leading university in India or its equivalent is essential.

Australia College Requirements for Admissions

In order to apply to Australian universities international students need to provide details of their education including their course subjects and grades in the application as part of the academic check for Australian university requirements for admission. Students applying for admission are required to submit an official transcript from each college or university that they have attended after secondary school with complete details of the subjects, credits involved and other details like correspondence courses, diplomas, etc. You should provide the attested copy of the following:

• Standard X Mark sheet
• Standard XII Mark sheet
• Bachelor's Degree / Provisional Certificate with mark sheet

Note: If the transcripts and other relevant documents are not in English, they must be translated into English and should be bundled with certified copies of the originals (certified by a person or agency recognized by the law or government of that country). 

The Indian degrees are recognised in Australia for higher education, check out the recent announcements here - Australia-India Educational, Cultural & Trade Ties Boosted with PM Anthony’s Announcements

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Application Forms for Australia Admissions

Inquiries regarding the application must be sent at least 12-15 months before the proposed date of admission. You can obtain the application forms through the following ways:

1. Via email: Request application forms from the university website. Universities usually have a form on their website through which you can request application material.
2. Downloading from the university website: Most university websites provide downloadable and ready-to-print versions of their application forms. You can use these just as regular forms.
3. Getting applications from University Representatives: You can also obtain the application forms from various authorized representatives of Australian Universities in India.

Application Requirements

There are certain requirements to study in Australia for international students. Applications to Australian universities require the following details of entrance, English language proficiency, previous academic performance and others given below for reference:

• Secondary and higher secondary reports or certificates along with the transcripts (mark sheets or report cards) of the final exams. It is ideal to convert the marks obtained in accordance with Australia's grading system.
  IELTS and GMAT exam scorecards (in case the student is applying for an MBA course) must be provided. The minimum scores in IELTS and GMAT exams may vary from education provider to provider. Refer to the particular university website to see the eligibility requirements for the course.
• If you are applying for an MBA degree or a degree in higher education like doctoral programs; you may be required to provide work experience certificates or letters, mentioning the complete work details: key responsibilities and positions held. A detailed CV is also mandatory.
• A statement of purpose or personal essay mentioning career goals, interests, extracurricular activities, and why the student has chosen the particular stream and how he/she will manage financially during the stay in Australia needs to be provided.
• Letter of recommendation (two recommended) from the person who has taught the student or knows him/her professionally, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the student and why he/she would excel in the chosen field, also needs to be provided.

Admission Tests Accepted in Australia

As part of Australian university entry requirements, international students will have to provide the following admission or entrance test scores:

• Applicants are advised to register for all required admission tests for admission to Australian universities well beforehand.
• Most importantly, since Australia is an English-speaking country, you must possess good English language skills. Therefore you must take an English language proficiency test. The most commonly accepted exam is IELTS which is also the only English proficiency exam accepted by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
• In case, you want to pursue post-graduation through an MBA program in Australian universities or B-schools, you are required to take the Graduate Management Admission Exam (GMAT). This is not mandatory, however, few colleges require this to gain admission.

Follow-up after applying to Australian Universities

After applying to the shortlisted universities along with submitting the relevant documents and other application requirements; you can now wait as it usually takes a week's time to get a reply from the university. Meanwhile, you can go through the visa requirements by visiting the local Australian Government office for details or by checking the Australia Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship's official website. During this time, you can also make the necessary arrangements to pay the course fee and support your living expenses during your stay in Australia. As soon as you receive an Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment (eCoE) from a particular university/institution, you can proceed to the visa application process.

Also, read: Education Loan for Studying in Australia: Everything You Need to Know

Post Graduate Grades UK-Australia Equivalent

Since a lot of international students come from an educational background where the British education of system is dominant like those from Asian countries, the UK and even Ireland and some countries in Europe, it is likely that students may or may not understand the postgraduate grades which are equivalent to Australia from UK type of education. The following table throws light on the PG grades in the UK which are treated equivalent to Australia for admissions:

Thus, the students will now be able to assess their UK grades as equivalent to that of Australia and apply for admission to Australian universities accordingly.

Students wanting to apply to Australia and have doubts as to how to apply or where to begin their preparation can get in touch with our team of counsellors by signing up here - https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/apply. Good luck!