The journey of searching for right courses

Studying abroad can be a life changing journey and hence it is important to find the course and institute that can suit your life-long journey. Not everyone is the same and hence you need to find the course that meets your individual circumstances. There are various factors that you will need to take into consideration when planning your study abroad. This includes your background studies, your goal, career opportunities and professional developments, cost of studies, and lifestyle. It looks complicated but Educonnect has made it easy for you discover and compare courses and to connect directly with education providers. Selecting a right course and institute is a strategy that involves reviewing several major information to make an informed decision as outlined below.

Study area

This is probably the first step in planning your study journey and is the starting point for discovering your desired course. Study area is determined based on your background education, your interest, you long term goals and future career. This can help you to search for the right course and hence maximizing the chance of your enrollment in a desired course. Some education providers may give you at least partial credits for your previous qualifications. This may save you time and money. In addition, there are thousands of courses in the education market, and it is necessary to narrow down to a manageable list. You can use the following list to limit your search for your area of interest.

• Natural and Physical Science
• Information Technology and computer science
• Engineering and Technology
• Food, Hospitality and Personal Services
• Management and Commerce
• Creative Arts and Music
• Society and Culture
• Health and Medicine
• Agriculture and Environmental Studies
• Architecture, Design, and Planning
• Professional Courses
• Education Studies
• Language
• Law

For example, if your background studies or if your area of interest is Information Technology, you can use this filter to only retrieve relevant courses. Furthermore, you can use a keyword search to search for specific courses which will retrieve even a more specific list of courses.

Qualification levels

This is determined based on your current level of studies and the education providers may allow you to proceed to a higher level that is compatible with your current level of studies. For example, if you have just finished your high school certificate, the most suitable course may be an undergraduate degree, diploma, language, or another short course that might be available for you. You can use the following table as a generic guide to determine your next level of studies. This table is a general guide only and you need to look for specific details under academic requirements explained later in this document.

Qualifications, seeking to apply	Minimum requirements
Certificates	Depending on Certificate levels (I-IV), you may need year 10 or High School Certificate, Australian matured age students may be admitted to these courses with more flexible requirements, for example having a work experience or other related qualifications.
Diploma	High School Certificate, Australian matured age students may be admitted to Diploma level with other relevant qualifications
Advanced Diploma	High School Certificate Overseas students may need a pathway course
Associate degree	High School Certificate Overseas students may need a pathway course
Bachelor	High School Certificate Overseas students may need a foundation or a pathway course
Bachelor Honors Degree Graduate Certificate Graduate Diploma	Bachelor
Master	Bachelor
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)	Masters/ Bachelor Honors Degree

If you have just completed a high school certificate or are in year 11, unless your school is recognised by Australian education providers, you will most likely need to do a foundation or a pathway course.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements are among the most important criteria when searching for a course. Different providers may have different level of requirements and hence it is important to compare courses for these criteria. Check carefully to see if you can meet these initial requirements. Otherwise search for other relevant courses. This mainly includes academic qualifications, and the English Language proficiency as follows.

Academic requirements

Australian education providers deliver world class education and to keep the standards high, it is for the best interest of both education providers and students to enroll academically high-profile students. This is determined based on your current qualification (that may also include you work experience) and the level of studies that you are looking for. It is important to carefully review these details to ensure that you can meet the requirements.

English Language proficiency

Australia is an English language speaking country and hence you are expected to have an acceptable level of language proficiency to succeed in your studies. Unless you have finished your current studies in an English-speaking school and country, you will need to provide a proof of language proficiency. The most popular English tests that are accepted by Australian education providers are as follows:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Test of English as a Foreign Language: internet-based (TOEFL iBT)
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
• Cambridge English C1 Advanced (formerly CAE)
• Cambridge English C2 Proficiency (formerly CPE)

The required level of English score depends on the course and the offering Institute. Make sure to check details when you are comparing courses.

Additional information

When comparing courses, there are several other important information that will help you make informed decision. This includes the fees, services, and facilities as follows.

Tuition fees and living costs

Studying abroad is costly and you need to compare cost details and to find a course that fits in your budget. Cost of studies mainly include tuition fees and the living costs. Course fees vary greatly, and it may range from only few thousand dollars for a short course to tens of thousands of dollars for long-term courses. In addition, course fees vary among providers, and may depend on their services, city location and other specific measures determined by the provider. Make sure to review the cost details when comparing courses.

Scholarships and other awards

Various awards such scholarship, internship, work placements might be offered by various institutes. Review these awards carefully and if needed enquire the institute for more details to find out the application process and your eligibility. Scholarships will be useful to support at least part of your tuition fees. Likewise, work placement can provide you with work experience which will be useful for future job opportunities.

Career opportunities

Career opportunities can provide you with an idea about job opportunities after graduating from the course of interest. If you are specifically looking for career opportunities you need to consider this information when searching for courses.

Services and facilities

Services like the health insurance, airport pick up, and facilities, for example, accommodation, library, and sports, can provide you with extra information which you may need during your studies. These services and facilities will help you to balance your studies and leisure.

As explained above, comparing and finding the right course is important and this is why Educonnect course comparison facility is designed to assist you with. To efficiently use the course comparison, try to add four of your most desired courses to the comparison list and then review all details including those described above. In addition, Educonnect' course advisors are always available to assist through online chats, phone and email.

Good luck with your journey and have a happy course search! Sign up and discover the right course, in the best university, in your most ideal city, so you can go after your dream future.