Studying in Australia / NZ
Australia and New Zealand are appealing to many Irish students and workers as English is the spoken language and the culture, nature and climate appeal to many. There is a large and established Irish community in both Australia and New Zealand which may ease the transition to living on the other side of the world.
However, living such a long way from home for an extended period of time isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – it can be challenging, particularly at first. But if you are someone who is independent by nature, with a sense of adventure and a bit of initiative, and are not afraid of doing something different, there are some extraordinary experiences and opportunities to be had.
Two key online resources from the Australian and New Zealand Governments:
There are 43 universities in Australia and 8 in New Zealand, with qualifications which are generally recognised and respected by employers and other universities worldwide. Similarly to Ireland and Europe, the main types of degrees in higher education are: 3-year Bachelor, 4-year Bachelor (Honours), 2-year Master and (typically) 3-year Doctoral Degrees.
However, there are also 2-year Associate degrees, which can be a pathway to a Bachelor Degree as it focuses on the basics or foundations of the specific subject. There are also 1-year postgraduate diplomas available in some areas.
In both Australia and New Zealand, there is often great flexibility in Bachelor degrees, where students have the option to combine different subjects and enrol in a ‘double’ or ‘combined’ Bachelor Degree. You can then be awarded two Bachelor Degrees, and this is most common in the fields of arts, commerce, law and science.
