IT programs in Australia are high quality, and widely recognized throughout the world. Moreover, the security, cleanliness and quality of lifestyle makes it an outstanding study option.
Australia is one of the world’s leading providers of education and training. An analysis of the higher education sector conducted by the Australian International Education Foundation shows that in terms of number of foreign student, Australia – with 64,188 students – is ranked third in the English-speaking world, after the US and the UK.
Australians have had an involvement with IT since early life. Australians are amongst the world’s most rapid appliers of information technology and are leaders in software and system development. Australian universities also have an outstanding reputation for the quality of their educational programs, attracting large numbers of students from the overseas. It is notable that in Singapore, with a labour force that is one of the most highly educated, articulate and productive in the world, Australia is the number one provider of education, ahead of both the US and the UK, as well as an important provider of education for overseas students from Hong Kong and Japan. Most overseas students in Australia are studying vocational courses, with the top two areas being:
1.   Business, Administration and Economics
2.   Science (with the overwhelming majority studying Computer Science)
Perhaps the best indication of a university’s international standing is the demand for its places amongst overseas students; particularly full-fee paying students open to a wide choice of study options. Australian universities are highly regarded, and their qualifications are valued – competition for places is tough, and academic standards are high. There appears to be a tendency for overseas students to pursue courses at better-known and larger universities. For example, while overseas students are found in most Australian universities that conduct IT programs, the four largest institutions educate almost 54% of overseas IT students in Australia. What’s more, in the largest five institutions, overseas IT students comprised approximately 25% of total undergraduate IT students in 1997, compared with an average of 15% for all institutions. This reflects overseas students’ preferences for IT degrees from large and well-known institutions with prestigious reputations.
Diversity of Course Offerings
One strong aspect of Australian IT institutions is the diversity of programs available. These vary from specialized courses targeted at fast-growing areas of IT, such as Networking Computing, Electronic Commerce and , Multimedia , to more general degrees which allow graduates to pursue a wide range of careers in computing, and to target a broad range of opportunities. In addition to undergraduate degrees, most Australian universities offer a range of programs that allow students who have completed their studies in other areas to undertake IT studies at graduate level. Many of these programs do not require students to have completed previous studies in computing.
Cost and Value
With a level of quality in the provision of education equal to universities in the USA, UK and other European economies, Australian institutions offer outstanding value. Not only has the cost of tuition been historically low in comparison to courses in the Northern Hemisphere, but right now the costs have been further deflated by the drop of the Australian dollar. Likewise, living costs in Australia are low compared to those in Europe.
Advantages of studying in Australia
Which courses should you choose?