Australian Education System
Terminology
Course: the term Course refers to the whole duration of studying to get a certain degree, for example, a Bachelor of Science in Physics is called a course.
Subject/Unit: the terms Subject and Unit refer to studying only one subject of a Course, for example, The Principles of Chemistry is called a subject (or unit).
Semester: The year is usually divided into two semesters (some institutions offer three semesters - trimesters) with a holiday between the semesters and a longer holiday at the end of the year.
A Course consists of several Subjects/Units, which are studied throughout the semester. For example, "a Certificate III in Childcare" Course can be obtained by studying around 10 Subjects, which are delivered during a Semester. Another example, "a Bachelor of Science in Physics" Course can be obtained by studying around 25 Subjects, which are delivered during 6 Semesters.
Children's Schools
Children education ending with an HSC (High School Certificate)
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Hands-on training ending with Certificate I-IV or Diploma.
In areas, like plumbing, painting, hairdressing and childcare.
Higher Education (University Degrees)
Undergraduate programme: usually ending with a B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science Degree)
Postgraduate programme: ending with an M.Sc. (Masters Degree)
Doctoral programme: ending with a PhD (Doctorate Degree)
Study Duration & Start Dates
Schools
Length: 13 years in total (Kindergarten/Preparatory to Year 12)
Semesters: 4 (usually called terms)
Starts: Late January/early February
English Studying
Length: From 5 weeks to 1 year
Semesters: The year is split into weeks
Starts: Throughout the year
Vocational Education and Training
Length: 1 to 4 years
Semesters: Two
Starts: February, but can vary by course and institution
Undergraduate, e.g. Bachelor of Science
Length: Typically 3 years (4 years for honours degree)
Semesters: Two, although some institutions offer three semesters (trimesters)
Starts: Typically March, but can vary by course and institution
Postgraduate, e.g. Master of Science
Length: 1 to 2 years
Semesters: Two, although some institutions offer three semesters (trimesters)
Starts: Typically March, but can vary by course and institution
Doctoral, e.g. PhD.
Length: Usually 3 years
Semesters: As most doctoral candidates do not attend class, there are usually no formal semesters
Starts: Your start date will be agreed with your supervisor (professor)
Some of the contents on this page are courtesy of www.studyinaustralia.gov.au.
