Postgraduate study in Australia and New Zealand
Why further study down under is so popular - and how to apply for and fund it.
Australia and New Zealand are popular postgraduate destinations for Irish students, attracted by the quality of education, cultures and lifestyles offered. Postgraduate qualifications in Australia and New Zealand take a similar amount of time to complete, are taught in much the same way and go by most of the same names as they do in Ireland. This means that postgraduate students in Australia and New Zealand will usually have similar backgrounds and be a similar age to their Irish counterparts.
For a course longer than three months you must get a student visa. Before you can apply, you must first have been given and accepted a formal offer of a university place and paid a deposit made up of the first semester's tuition fees plus compulsory insurance cover.
How to apply
Applications for taught postgraduate courses can be made directly via Study Options ( www.studyoptions.com ), who can provide application forms as well as a checklist of the supporting documents required. For research masters, you must first contact the faculty to discuss your intended research work with an academic. If the faculty provisionally approves it, you can then submit a formal application via Study Options.
Entry requirements
All universities will require an undergraduate degree from a recognised institution.
Entry requirements are individually set by the universities and can vary: some will be looking for a minimum grade of 2.1 while others are more concerned with the relevance of the undergraduate degree subject.
Fees
In Australia, full international tuition fees vary, but in most cases will range from AU$15,000–AU$36,000 per year (c. €12,500–€30,000; £9,900–£23,650) for graduate certificates and graduate diplomas, masters degrees and PhDs. In New Zealand, expect to pay approximately between NZ$10,000 and NZ$30,000 (c. €6,400–€19,000; £5,000–£15,000). All new international PhD students pay the same fees as New Zealand domestic students for their PhD studies.
Funding your course
There are some scholarships available for doctoral study in New Zealand. Funding options in Australia are limited so you may need to fund the bulk of your study privately.
