Victoria - A great place to study

With a low cost of living compared to most European countries, there has never been a better time to consider studying in Australia. If you are looking for top quality education combined with real value for money, consider the benefits of enrolling in one of the huge range of tertiary courses offered in the state of Victoria, Australia.

If English is not your first language, you will find that we can offer you a range of courses. You can start with an ELICOS course. ELICOS stands for 'English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students'. This course is accredited by the Government, and can be tailored to each student's requirements, with their level of English language assessed in order that they take the most efficient course to fit their needs. Once a student has reached the right level of competence in English, they can proceed to further study.

There are two kinds of tertiary institutions in Victoria - TAFE and universities. TAFE (Technical and Further Education) offers vocational education and training, similar to Community Colleges in North America. Courses are mostly one to two years full-time, very practical and tied directly to particular occupational skills.

TAFE courses will suit overseas students who want to do an intensive course which skills them for a particular job, and are open to people who have just completed their secondary schooling. University graduates with general humanities or science degrees should also consider TAFE courses to give themselves practical work skills which employers seek from new employees.

In Victoria, we aim to have a 'seamless' education system, so it is easy to move from secondary school into TAFE, and from TAFE into university. If you study a Diploma course at one of Victoria's TAFE Institutes, you can apply to a university to have some of your course recognised for credits in an undergraduate course. In fact, five of Victoria's nine universities are also 'dual sector' educational institutions. This means they offer both TAFE and university courses to their students. TAFE classes are small, and every student can ask for and receive individual help.

So, for example, you might start with a two-year TAFE Diploma, before choosing to go on to a university undergraduate degree in the same area of study. In this case, you may be able to apply for credit transfer, which could shorten the length of your degree by up to one year.

Most full-time courses commence in February or early March, and finish in November or early December, with a mid-year break of two or three weeks, and two other shorter term breaks during the year. It is also possible to start some courses at mid-year in July, and English language courses can usually be started every month.

If your general education and English skills are sufficient, you may be able to enrol straight into a TAFE course at the Certificate or Diploma level. Courses are offered in a very wide range of vocational studies, including:

Where Can You Study?

The state of Victoria has nine universities, with campuses in Melbourne, the capital city, and in several regional cities, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Wodonga and Mildura. The TAFE network is even wider - there are 15 TAFE Institutes, plus five TAFE sectors that are part of universities. Melbourne has many city and suburban TAFE campuses, and every major regional city in Victoria has a TAFE campus.

If you would enjoy the real country friendliness and small community atmosphere of a regional city, there is a range of tertiary courses available to overseas students, in cities such as Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Wodonga, Mildura, Warrnambool, Bairnsdale, Shepparton, Horsham and Wangaratta.

These country towns, with populations between 60,000 and 200,000, are all within easy reach of Melbourne by public transport. They offer the chance to find self-contained local accommodation, or to stay with an Australian family in their own home while you are studying.