Graduate School
Once you have completed your undergraduate education, you could choose to attend graduate school in Australia. Australia is renowned for its wide choice of educational opportunities. Whether you want to apply to earn a master's degree, Ph.D., attend medical school, business school, or law school, the choice can be difficult to make.
Graduate school is a very different atmosphere compared to your four year undergraduate college. The work required is often more rigorous, and students are very focused.
Finance
Graduate school can be extremely expensive and you have to consider if it will be a worthwhile option for you. If you have already accumulated debt while earning your undergraduate degree, is it a viable option to incur more debt? Do you think that you will earn enough money after you have completed your graduate course to pay the debt off? Keep these questions in mind when making your choice.
Right School
Which school is right for you? The first step in this decision is to determine what coursework you wish to take on. Once you’ve settled this, begin researching what schools offer graduate programs. Competition for entrance into graduate schools is competitive so apply to several different schools to increase your chances of being accepted into one. This will also allow you to keep your options open when deciding which program you ultimately enroll in. Before you apply, research each school carefully and decide which school will fit your needs. Sometimes the school you really want to attend is not the best fit. Visit our Australian university program search for help. If the school you want to attend has a program that is difficult to be accepted into, consider also applying for a less competitive program at the same school.
Tips
If you have the means, be sure to visit all the schools in person. By doing this you can get a better feel of the institutions and you can meet with tutors and professors in person to ask specific questions. If you are going to make the commitment to attend graduate school you need to make sure that you will be happy there, so take your time vetting.
If you do not meet certain entry criteria for a university or course, consider alternative entry criteria. If you have a learning disability or have been hurt by financial or social situations, some schools will consider special criteria and take your hardships into consideration when reviewing applications.
Many graduate programs in Australia require their applicants to have a certain amount of work experience before applying to their programs. Find out if the school you’re considering requires it. The more real-world work experience you have, the better your chances of acceptance into any given program. If you do not have the necessary experience, think of ways that you might demonstrate other professional skills that could be an adequate substitute.
If you are not accepted into the graduate degree program you desired, it never hurts to contact the administrator and find out why. Ask what needs to improve before you apply again. Pay close attention to any advice they give you. Following it could make the difference between acceptance and rejection next time.