Study Abroad Programs in Melbourne, Australia
Ready for a crash course on life in Australia's cultural capital? Melbourne's exciting, energetic mix of culture, style, and flavor makes it a great place to study and live. In fact, last year's QS Best Student Cities index ranked Melbourne the #2 city in the world for students, second only to Paris.
Study abroad programs at Melbourne's universities range from summer terms to a full academic year, with plenty of variety across areas of study and program type. In your free time between classes, you can dive into all the incredible activities and sights of Melbourne, including world-class art, amazing restaurants, some of the country's best coffee, lively nightlife, and thrilling sports. And if you ever do get sick of the city, just head out along the breathtaking Great Ocean Road for some of the best coastal views on the continent.
With some of Australia's top universities, including the University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT University, and La Trobe University, Melbourne offers a wealth of academic choices for international students.
Program Providers
Many of the major study abroad providers have programs in Melbourne. Arcadia University runs exchanges with several major Melbourne universities, including the University of Melbourne. ISA offers programs with both University of Melbourne and La Trobe University, and API just started a >brand new program at La Trobe. These programs offer course options across dozens of fields, from business to indigenous studies.
Direct Enrollment
If you'd rather not go through a program provider and want to have total independence in your study abroad experience, you can look into enrolling directly in a local university. Most of the major universities, including the University of Melbourne, La Trobe, RMIT, and Victoria University, allow international students to enroll directly in courses. Going the direct enrollment route gives you more freedom over your study abroad coursework, but also means you have to take on more responsibility for the enrollment and registration process, since you don't have a provider taking care of all the logistics for you. You also may have to pay a small additional fee as an international student, but it's typically much less than what you'd be paying for a program.
Program Length
Most programs at Melbourne universities are either a semester (fall or spring) or a full academic year. A few providers also offer summer programs, and USAC's program at Deakin University, includes a J-term option.
Visas
Unless you're doing a J-term or short summer course that's less than 90 days, you'll need a student visa. If you're going through a program, your provider will usually help arrange your visa application and include the cost in the program fee. If you're doing direct enrollment, you'll need to go through the visa application process once you have confirmation from your host institution, and before you go to Australia. Student visas cost about US$400, and are usually granted for the length of your course of study. Remember, you are allowed to work part-time with this visa.
For more information, look at your government's travel information for Australia, or get in touch with your local consulate.
Scholarships
Studying in Australia is expensive, but you don't have to pay for it all on your own. There are tons of scholarships out there for students headed abroad -- some are just general study abroad scholarships, while others are specifically for students that meet certain requirements or study in a particular field. Before hitting Google, talk to your university to see if your financial aid can apply to your study abroad program, and visit your study abroad office to find out about other funding that might be available through your home institution.
Other external scholarship opportunities:
- The Australia Awards Endeavour Scholarships are competitive, merit-based scholarships and fellowships providing opportunities for overseas citizens to study or do research in Australia.
- IES Abroad offers several scholarships for participants in their programs - including some just for Australia!
- USAC study abroad scholarships provide more than $1 million each year for students enrolled in USAC programs.
Study Abroad Programs in Melbourne
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the student visa fee for Australia?
The base application fee for a student visa to Australia is 620AUD or approximately $415 in USD.
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Can I bring my family to Australia on student visa?
Australia will generally allow people on a student visa to bring their immediate family members with them as dependents. Dependents can include your spouse (or partner) and children under the age of 18.
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Is it easy to study in Australia?
The ease of studying in Australia really depends on what you're looking for in a study abroad experience. On the one hand, English is the official language of Australia, so for native English speakers it can certainly be a good option since you know you'll be able to communicate. Here are some other important things to note when considering a semester in Australia: it's relatively expensive, so you may need to budget more than you would for another country; the grading system is different than what is used in American schools; you'll need to get a visa if you'll be there longer than 3 months; and remember it's very far away! So jet lag will certainly be a factor.
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How much does it cost to study abroad in Australia?
The cost of studying abroad in Australia will vary greatly by the institution you hope to attend as well as your home institution. It's very possible to apply through an exchange program at your university in the states and pay exactly what you pay normally. You can also choose to enroll directly in an Australian university which will run you anywhere from $4,500-$9,700 per semester, or you can apply through a third party provider, which will cost between $9,200-$13,500. Keep in mind that you will also want to budget in living expenses for your semester, including meals, accommodation, transportation, cell phone plan, etc. The average cost for a semester in Australia after airfare and program fees is $5,000-$7,000.
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