Master Degree Admission Process for International Students

Masters Degree courses are offered by Universities and Private Colleges. Entry into higher education- Masters Degree courses in Australia is highly competitive, and a high standard of English language is required for Masters Degree study. Masters degrees provide a mastery or high-order overview of a field of study or area of professional practice. This degree comprises coursework, project work and research in varying combinations. It is designed to enhance the professional skills or helps to acquire a deeper understanding of a specific area of knowledge.

The Master’s Degree is offered in three formats:

• Masters degree (coursework): These consist of coursework, project work and research in varying combinations. Entry requires prior completion of a bachelor degree, a bachelor's degree (honours) or a graduate certificate or diploma.
  
  
• Masters degree (research): These are at least two-thirds research and include a substantial thesis or research project, which is often externally assessed. Entry normally requires a bachelor degree (honours) or masters preliminary year.
  
  
• Masters degree (extended): These may consist of a work-based project. Entry requires a relevant qualification and professional experience, or extensive relevant professional experience.
  

Entrance/Test Requirements

Entry into Master Degree Course of Studies in Australia is highly competitive. The most important prerequisite is English language proficiency. At all Australian universities, English is the language of instruction. An applicant has to provide evidence of proficiency in the English language.

English Proficiency:

• IELTS: IELTS or International English Language Test is frequently administered by the British Council. Most universities require international students to take this test.
  
  
• TOEFL: TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language is an alternative to IELTS. This test is carried out by ETS and accepted by most Australian universities.
  

For International students: Broadly speaking, universities have the following entry requirements for bachelor degrees from international students:

• An overall score of at least 6.0 in the international English language testing system (IELTS).
  
  
• A score of at least 550 in the test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) and a score of at least 4.5 in the test of written English (TWE)
  

GMAT
GMAT or Graduate Management Admission Test is a test that international students are required to pass through before they pursue most management courses in an Australian university.

For more details see Standardized Tests.

Other Requirements

Each Education provider will have different entrance requirements such as prior knowledge in certain subject, work or volunteer experience, portfolio, Official academic transcripts, Statement of Purpose, Letters of Recommendation, and test or interview.

Statement of Purpose: Imperative to mention your area of interest, reasons to join the course and the university, background, educational details, and your goals. SOP depicts your personality.

Letter of Recommendation: A letter of recommendation is a signed letter written by a person who knows you well professionally and has had a detail encounter with you during your learning process. Letter of recommendation includes your strengths and weaknesses, skills, accomplishments, and personal qualities. A letter of recommendation provides insights that cannot be gleaned by simply reviewing an applicant's score. At least two letters of recommendation are required.

Eligibility Requirements

Graduate degrees of three years are accepted by most Australian universities. In some cases, depending on the course and university, you may require a bachelor’s degree that is similar to an Australian Bachelor's (Honors) Degree i.e. a four year graduation course instead of a three year course.

Duration

The duration of Master degree program is generally one to two years of full-time study. The Master's by coursework and research consists of one year of coursework and a research project related to your area of interest.

Academic Calendar

Starting dates vary widely depending upon the course undertaken. Masters degree programs generally run from late February to mid-November. The academic year is divided into two semesters, although some Universities operate on trimester system or offer summer schools from December to February.  Applicants should enroll for their area of study at the beginning of the year i.e. January or February and the application dates are towards the end of the previous year. Also, some institutions have a mid-year intake i.e. in month of July for certain specific courses.

Admission Procedure

The admission process involves following steps:

• Application Forms
  
  - Requesting Application Forms via email: You can request application forms from the universities website. Most universities have a form on their website which can be completed online to request application material.
  - University Representatives and Agents: The other way is to take forms directly from the university representatives or agents based in your city. Most Australian universities and colleges have agents all over the world.
  - Downloading from the university website: Many universities have a downloadable and ready to print versions of their application forms on the internet. These can be used for applying just as regular forms.
  

In the form, fill the following sections and submit:

• Personal Details
• Academic History
• Supplement Information
• Course chosen
  

Supporting Documents

Submit Supporting documents such as transcripts from all high school coursework, test scores of IELTS/TOEFL and GMAT, Letters of Recommendation, Work History and Reference/Personal Statement.

Letter of Offer

If the application is successful, the applicant will receive “Letter of Offer”. To confirm the offer you must reply to this letter by signing and sending an acceptance of offer back to the institution either by email or post. Subsequently you have accepted your Offer and paid your deposit you will receive an ‘Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment’ (eCoE) by email.

Education Costs

According to Study in Australia, the official government site for international students, tuition fees per year for international students for a postgraduate master’s degree ranges from AU$20,000 (US$18,673) to $37,000 (US$34,546); For Master’s level programs, annual fees are from AU$24,746 (US$22,830) and up to AU$31,601 (US$29,466).

Tuition fees are generally calculated per unit, not per degree. Each unit falls into a fee band, and most students will be studying a combination of units from different bands, which means that the fees will be different for everybody. But some universities publish estimates, such as Australian National University (ANU). As an international student, the tuition fees are payable before the study.

Financial Aid

Each University has different amounts that a student can borrow for long term loans. Long term financial aid loans are for the following uses:

• Class costs
• Living costs
• Other school related costs

Applicants for Financial aid are looked at by a University Student Loans fund committee. The University Fund committee looks at a student personal income and well as his or her parent’s income. Many universities also require the student to submit their expenditure for the upcoming school year. Academic results and school progress will also be a factor that the Student Fund Committee will tally to their criteria for obtaining a student loan.

For International Students, a guarantor from the student home country such as mother or father will most likely be acceptable for a majority of the Australian Universities.

The significant thing about financial aid from Australian Universities is that Loans granted to students are interest-free up to the agreed upon repayment date. Interest is charged to a student total amount of an overdue payment.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Every University has their own way to apply for financial aid. Contact the prospective University by phone for more information or go the Universities website and locate financial aid and/or loan information sections.

Major Courses- Master’s Degree
i. Master of Business (Mgmt/Commerce/Banking and Finance/Human Resources Mgmt)
ii. Master of I.T/Computer Science
iii. Master of Engineering
iv. Master of Law
v. Master of Science
vi. Master of Pharmacy/Clinical Pharmacy