Sun, adventure, an awesome natural environment and friendly people - it's what you'll find on a holiday to Western Australia whatever time of year you visit.
Nowhere else in the world can you experience and interact with such unique natural attractions. Western Australia truly is the authentic Australian experience.
The big variety of landscapes and climates in Western Australia means there is always plenty of sunshine, making it a perfect year-round destination.
It is a land blessed with spectacular diversity where the deep reds of ancient interior rock formations contrast with the sparkling blue of the Indian and Southern Oceans and the lush greenery of the stunning southern regions.
The capital Perth is Australia's western gateway and a great place to atudy. Perth City in the centre of Experience Perth offers an easy-going lifestyle - the beautiful Swan River and inner-city parks like Kings Park add to the relaxed, natural feel.
The Golden Outback's spectacular outback and goldfields are the place for historic townships, brilliant, starry night skies, and wide open spaces with spinifex and red earth as far as the eye can see. Here too, are the beaches of the Southern Ocean. These seas can be wild one day and brilliant blue calm the next they're also home to humpback whales and their calves.
Western Australia offers a unique and prestigious learning environment, allowing creativity and providing the challenge to achieve academic success and personal growth.
Western Australia's educational institutions and courses are world-class. They provide certificates, diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and doctorates internationally recognised for quality, consistency, affordability, portability and high standards.
Western Australia is unsurpassed as a beautiful location and a friendly community in which to attain world-class qualifications.
Study in Western Australia
Western Australia occupies almost a third of Australia's total land mass and houses 2.2 million residents of both European and indigenous races. The largest of Australia's state, it supplies 36% of the country's export products. Western Australia's economy centres primarily around agriculture and mining and is the world's largest ore producer.
With 85% of its population living in the south-west corner near or in the state capitol of Perth, Western Australia is home to 2.2 million people who enjoy sunshine and magnificent landscape views year round. With a daily average of 8 hours of sunlight per day, more than San Diego or Hawaii, living in Perth or 12 miles away in Fremantle, students bask in sun and surf or explore the outback or any number of old gold towns.
Restaurants, theatres, museums, carnivals, and festivals highlight life and study in Western Australia and its metropolitan areas while enjoying a low cost of living, a rich cultural heritage, and absorbing life-long knowledge and experiences.
Study Options
Local and international students can enjoy a wide variety of career fields of study in Western Australia and earn a full array of degree levels from metro colleges, regional colleges, or local campuses of national universities. Some of the more popular degree types and fields include:
1. Certificates and Diplomas: Most often awarded by vocational education and training (VET) institutions, certificates, diplomas, and advanced diplomas for such career fields as:
A) Business and Management
B) Science
C) Technology
D) Design
E) Arts
F) Communications
G) Sports and Recreation
H) Hospitality
I) Tourism
J) Agriculture
K) Veterinary Services
L) Land Management
M) Horticulture
N) ...And others
2. Undergraduate Degrees: Whether used as an entry ticket into a work environment, gaining experience while pursuing higher levels of education, associate and bachelors degrees can be earned in many fields, including the above and:
A) Psychology
B) Health Care
C) Computer Sciences
D) Humanities and Languages
E) Law & Criminology
F) Engineering
G) Chemistry & Biology
H) Architecture
I) ...And many more.
3. Postgraduate Degrees: Masters and PhD programs bring extensive specialisation and expertise in numerous fields, including:
A) Human Sciences
B) Business and Business Management
C) Computer Sciences
D) Natural Sciences
E) Environmental Sciences
F) ...And more.
4. Honours Programs: Different phrasing may be used by individual schools and colleges, but honours degrees may be awarded in five classes:
A) Honours Class I / First Class Honours: Denotes the highest level of academic achievement; some schools award a medal to the top graduates within this top class.
B) Honours Class II Division 1 / Second Class Honours Division A
C) Honours Class II Division 2 / Second Class Honours Division B
D) Honours Class III / Third Class Honours
E) Pass: Awarded to all graduates outside the Honours programs.
Study Highlights
Western Australia enjoys a varied climate not only annually but from region to region within the state. The south-west coastal area mimics the Mediterranean area with moderate to heavy rainfall, while the central four-fifths of the state has an arid, desert climate. During the Australian winter from April to September, temperatures can range from 24 to 34 degrees Celsius; during the summer they can reach the mid- to high-30's and hotter. Outdoor activities are abundant and varied, complement times of study in Western Australia.
Accommodations
Study in Western Australia is made easier with a low cost of living, and housing for students follows that trend. If the student chooses to live on campus, dormitory or university-sponsored student housing could be assigned. If the student prefers to live off campus in an independent environment, Student Services on campus can assist in the lodging search from among:
1. Studio Apartments
2. Commercial Apartments
3. Room Rentals
4. Sublease Arrangements
The student should preview additional off-campus living expenses, such as:
1. Utility Costs
2. Commute Costs and Schedules
3. Food Costs
4. Entertainment Costs
5. Miscellaneous or Unexpected Expenses
Regional Highlights
Perth and the surrounding area offer a kaleidoscope of activities and attractions. From the Art Gallery of Western Australia that presents a wide array of Aboriginal art and artefacts to Billy Noongale's Grave in the Catholic Cemetery to the secluded bushland at the Boshack Outback and more, explore Australian native history to its core.
Australian Woodcraft Galleries is Perth's premier craftsmen and artisan gallery, and the Bert Tyler Machinery Museum commemorates Western Australia's agricultural history and contribution to the development of Australia.
Tours to several of Western Australia's finest large and small wineries await. Visit Lion Mills Winery in Mount Helena or Avonbrook Wines in Avon Valley. Follow those with a stop at Perth's Chocolate Drops, a chocolate boutique and coffee shop after visiting Fremantle Prison built by convicts and was in use for over 140 years, housing thousands of inmates over time.
More Good-To-Know Information
Financial aid ranges from scholarships, grants, or loans for those students who cannot afford full payment for school in advance. Scholarships defray some to all costs of the institution, depending on school, field of study, and nature of the scholarship. Also, students may qualify for more than one scholarship, reducing students' costs even more, enabling it affordable to study in Western Australia.
Students can purchase student medical insurance while attending classes in Western Australia, and they should investigate vehicle insurance options if they drive a vehicle. All students are advised to research local laws and ordinances, whether vehicle-related or otherwise; drinking, smoking, and even pedestrian laws may differ from the student's home area.