| When
it comes to choosing where to study in Australia, TAFE
Education may not always be the first option that comes
to mind.
However,
any doubts you may have will quickly be dispelled when
you look at the quality and variety of courses available
in Australia’s TAFE institutions, whose main objective
is to facilitate an environment in which world-class
vocational education and training is provided to students
who have a clearer idea in their career path. TAFE Institutes
provide second-to-none training in the following subjects:
Art
& Design
Graduates
in these areas have experienced the use of some of the
finest facilities Australia has to offer. Those who
have trained in specialist areas such as Fine Arts,
Ceramics, Photography, Design and Multimedia have gone
on to become award winning artists and professionals,
whose work consistently attracted critical acclaim within
their chosen industry.
Business
TAFE
Institutes have been some of the largest providers of
training in Business Management, Accounting, Banking
and Finance, Marketing, and Asia Pacific Marketing throughout
Australia, and enjoy an exceptional reputation for Marketing,
being regular winners of National Marketing Awards.
Film
& Television
Major
TAFE institutes boast excellent facilities in broadcast
quality film and television studios, enabling students
to gain hands-on experience in this field, with some
institutes even having links with local and national
broadcasters.
Information
Technology
Institutes
supply advanced IT training, offering courses in programming,
networking, system analysis and design, multimedia and
Internet.
Engineering,
Electronics & Telecommunications
TAFE
institutes encourage interaction with local industry
to provide their students with the opportunity to tackle
real-life problems, equipping them with the required
skilled for employment. 24 of these now offer degree
programs in sport and exercise science or related disciplines.
While all the universities within the unified system
are different, four clusters of universities are generally
recognised. These are:
-
the older, established, comprehensive, research-intensive
universities, such as the universities of Melbourne,
Queensland, and Western Australia;
- the universities established after the above group,
but prior to the unified system, such as Flinders, La
Trobe, and James Cook universities;
- the universities formed out of the former institutes
of technology, such as Curtin, QUT and VUT
- the newer regional universities, such as Charles Sturt,
Southern Cross and Western Sydney.
In
addition to the public universities, there is also a
growing number of private educational institutions –
a few with university status and the majority as colleges
or institutions. The type and character of the institutions
can obviously have a major bearing on the quality and
scope of course offerings it can provide.
Making
a Choice
Picking
the course in sport and exercise science that is best
for you is obviously an important decision. However,
there are a number of important questions to ask:
1.
Is the course well established?
Look
for courses that are sufficiently well-established to
have already produced graduates whose qualifications
are recognised and sought by employers. Ensure there
is sufficient stability of infrastructure and staffing
to guarantee high standards are preserved.
2.
Is the course recognised by the
key accreditation agencies?
Check
to ensure that graduates from the course of interest
are able to meet the membership and/or accreditation
requirements of the key bodies. For courses in sport
and exercise science, check that gradustes are able
to gain membership of the Australian Association for
Exercise and Sport Science. For courses in health and
physical education, check that the qualification is
recognised by the teacher registration body in your
area. For sport and exercise psychology, ensure that
the qualification is recognised by the Australian Psychological
Society or the equivalent body in your country.
3.
Do the graduates get jobs?
A
measure of the quality of any course is the extent to
which its graduates are employable. The Good Universities
Guide presents annual figures on the employment rates
for graduates of different Australian universities.
Many universities keep lists of jobs held by recent
graduates, which can be a useful guide in making course
choices.
4.
Is the degree recognised internationally?
A
fundamental consideration in choosing a university should
be whether or not the institution and its degrees are
internationally recognised. This is important, both
in terms of using your qualifications world-wide, and
in gaining a measure of the institution’s standing.
A number of Australian universities are partners in
international networks, with exchange programs with
other universities around the world. Check to see if
the course in which you are considering enrolling provides
the opportunity to undertake part of your study in another
country.
5.
What is the research standing
of the university?
For
all courses, but especially postgraduate ones, it is
important to know something of the research standing
of the university and the specific staff in the sport
and exercise science. For information on individual
staff research activities, do a literature search, or
ask the institution to provide a list of relevant publications.
At the department or institutional level, ask for statistics
on research indicators like external grant income, publications
or number of postgraduate research students. While all
institutions undertake research, the amount varies significantly.
It makes sense to look for courses that are taught by
people active in research, to ensure that you get access
to the latest information.
6.
What infrastructure exists to support student learning?
In
deciding where best to study, it is important to find
out what kind of facilities and support services are
available. For undergraduate degrees, a key consideration
is what kind of teaching, laboratory and computing facilities
are available; for postgraduate degrees, what kind of
space and equipment exists for sport and exercise science
research. For degrees at all levels, the quality of
library resources that are available, as well as the
facilities to support sporting, recreational and cultural
activities. In addition, if you are an international
student, ask what support services are available within
the institution to cater specifically for your needs.
Are there language support services? Is there suitable
accommodation available on or near campus?
7.
What range of choice exists with regard to specialisation?
When
choosing which university to study at, it is often wise
to examine the range of options and specialisations
that the institution offers, and to examine how easily
course offerings articulate with each other. Having
the ability to move between different courses and to
delay specialisation within a course may often be advantageous
– interests can change as you get exposed to new
areas of study.
Author
Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE
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