Business student interested in studying in Australia
Feb 24th, 2004, 08:00 PM
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Business student interested in studying in Australia
I am currently in the school of business at my university, interested in studying in Australia. Have just started researching and hoped someone might have some input on various universities, business programs and quality of cities they are located in. Thanks so much. Also, what is the better time to go, our Fall or Spring?
Feb 24th, 2004, 10:42 PM
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Can't comment on MBA and similar programs, gbs, but unless another poster knows something I don't (well, actually, they all know things I don't) you'd have to come in our late summer - Australian tertiary courses run on a calendar-year basis and the year starts late February/early March.
If you want to check out Australian universities you could start with www.avcc.edu.au.
BTW, as Australian native trees drop their leaves all year round, the old English (now mainly American) term "fall" never caught on here, so we just have "autumn". In much of Australia, as in southern California, you won't find a very clear distinction between the seasons anyway.
If you want to check out Australian universities you could start with www.avcc.edu.au.
BTW, as Australian native trees drop their leaves all year round, the old English (now mainly American) term "fall" never caught on here, so we just have "autumn". In much of Australia, as in southern California, you won't find a very clear distinction between the seasons anyway.
Feb 25th, 2004, 04:52 AM
#3
This is a timely twist. As it happens, my husband and I (both professors at a University in the US) are attending a conference in Australia in April for partner institutions of the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. I've listed the website below so that you may pursue your inquiry with them directly. The partner institutions listed and attending this conference indicate representation from Universities around the world. (Not sure where you are located)
http://www.usc.edu.au/
I'm certain that many Australian institutions have similar partnerships set up for exchange of students as do many US and worldwide Universities. I would check with your own school's admissions office as a first step. Kathy
http://www.usc.edu.au/
I'm certain that many Australian institutions have similar partnerships set up for exchange of students as do many US and worldwide Universities. I would check with your own school's admissions office as a first step. Kathy
Feb 25th, 2004, 04:52 AM
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Gbs, I have no idea how Australian universities compare with each other, which ones have business faculties, and so on.
As far as I know (and I could be wrong about this), Australia does not have university towns as the U.S. does. As far as I know, all Australian universities are located in towns and cities that exist for reasons other than the universities.
Australia is much more sparsely populated than the U.S. It has roughly 20 million people in an area about the size of the Lower 48 U.S. states. The vast majority of Australia's population is concentrated in a few cities, and most of those cities are on the coast.
Canberra is the only city of any significance that I can think of that is inland. It is Australia's purpose-built federal capital, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Canberra is much, much smaller than Washington, DC, but the principles on which the two places operate are somewhat similar.
I believe it would be accurate to say that Australia does not have any bad cities. The quality of life in all of them is good. I've been to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and numerous small towns, and loved them all. My husband has been to Perth several times, and loves it. He also enjoyed Newcastle when he visited it. We have friends in Canberra, Adelaide and Hobart, so have received reports from those cities.
In addition to the offerings of a particular university, the other factors that would attract you to one Australian city over another would be the city's population size and its climate.
You probably already know from the States whether you prefer a city of 4 million (like Sydney) or a city whose population is in the 300,000 range (like Canberra).
You also probably have some idea of the climates you prefer. Because of their respective latitudes, the following pairs of Australian and American cities have similar climates:
Hobart = Boston
Melbourne = San Francisco
Sydney = Savannah, Georgia
Brisbane = Miami, Florida
You can figure out the rest of them by looking at a map.
The tropical regions of Australia do not have a winter and a summer, but rather a wet season and a dry season. When they call the wet season "The Wet" as they do in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland, you've got to know it's seriously wet. The main part of The Wet is in January, February, March. Australian towns like Cairns and Darwin are at latitudes that are equivalent to southern Mexico and the country of Belize. Australia's northernmost tip is at a latitude equivalent to the Panama Canal.
I lived in Melbourne for 2.5 years. While it never snowed there, it was far enough south that it did actually get 4 seasons. I would have to think that Tasmania, which is at latitudes similar to Massachusetts, also would get 4 seasons.
As far as I know (and I could be wrong about this), Australia does not have university towns as the U.S. does. As far as I know, all Australian universities are located in towns and cities that exist for reasons other than the universities.
Australia is much more sparsely populated than the U.S. It has roughly 20 million people in an area about the size of the Lower 48 U.S. states. The vast majority of Australia's population is concentrated in a few cities, and most of those cities are on the coast.
Canberra is the only city of any significance that I can think of that is inland. It is Australia's purpose-built federal capital, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Canberra is much, much smaller than Washington, DC, but the principles on which the two places operate are somewhat similar.
I believe it would be accurate to say that Australia does not have any bad cities. The quality of life in all of them is good. I've been to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and numerous small towns, and loved them all. My husband has been to Perth several times, and loves it. He also enjoyed Newcastle when he visited it. We have friends in Canberra, Adelaide and Hobart, so have received reports from those cities.
In addition to the offerings of a particular university, the other factors that would attract you to one Australian city over another would be the city's population size and its climate.
You probably already know from the States whether you prefer a city of 4 million (like Sydney) or a city whose population is in the 300,000 range (like Canberra).
You also probably have some idea of the climates you prefer. Because of their respective latitudes, the following pairs of Australian and American cities have similar climates:
Hobart = Boston
Melbourne = San Francisco
Sydney = Savannah, Georgia
Brisbane = Miami, Florida
You can figure out the rest of them by looking at a map.
The tropical regions of Australia do not have a winter and a summer, but rather a wet season and a dry season. When they call the wet season "The Wet" as they do in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland, you've got to know it's seriously wet. The main part of The Wet is in January, February, March. Australian towns like Cairns and Darwin are at latitudes that are equivalent to southern Mexico and the country of Belize. Australia's northernmost tip is at a latitude equivalent to the Panama Canal.
I lived in Melbourne for 2.5 years. While it never snowed there, it was far enough south that it did actually get 4 seasons. I would have to think that Tasmania, which is at latitudes similar to Massachusetts, also would get 4 seasons.
Feb 25th, 2004, 07:53 AM
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>>>>>>BTW, as Australian native trees drop their leaves all year round, the old English (now mainly American) term "fall" never caught on here, so we just have "autumn". In much of Australia, as in southern California, you won't find a very clear distinction between the seasons anyway.<<<<<<
Neil, it occurred to me later that, although your statement is true, it would mystify some readers who have not yet experienced Australia. I thought it might clarify things if I added that the phenomenon you're describing is not only the result of the latitudes that Australia straddles. After all, the latitudes of some of Australia's cities are equivalent to the latitudes of some European and North American cities.
Rather, the lack of a distinct "fall" season in Australia is the result of your unique vegetation (eucalyptus, wattle, etc.). If one drives down a Melbourne avenue lined with imported species like oak or elm, one can forget momentarily that one is in Australia. But in the overall Australian context, these plantings of oak and elm are tiny islands.
If a North American is familiar with gum trees in California (where the gum trees are the imports), he/she will have some idea of Australia's vegetation. There are numerous species of eucalypts in Australia, though, so a few gum trees in California hardly cut it as an introduction to Australian vegetation. Still, that's the best example I can think of right now.
Neil, it occurred to me later that, although your statement is true, it would mystify some readers who have not yet experienced Australia. I thought it might clarify things if I added that the phenomenon you're describing is not only the result of the latitudes that Australia straddles. After all, the latitudes of some of Australia's cities are equivalent to the latitudes of some European and North American cities.
Rather, the lack of a distinct "fall" season in Australia is the result of your unique vegetation (eucalyptus, wattle, etc.). If one drives down a Melbourne avenue lined with imported species like oak or elm, one can forget momentarily that one is in Australia. But in the overall Australian context, these plantings of oak and elm are tiny islands.
If a North American is familiar with gum trees in California (where the gum trees are the imports), he/she will have some idea of Australia's vegetation. There are numerous species of eucalypts in Australia, though, so a few gum trees in California hardly cut it as an introduction to Australian vegetation. Still, that's the best example I can think of right now.
Feb 25th, 2004, 08:57 AM
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Hi gbs: My son is studying at Bond University in their school of Business during this semester. He chose Bond because of their academic calendar i.e. on US semester schedule. He also was interested in all the area has to offer, that is the coast and Hinterland. He is very happy at Bond and is finding his courses more challenging than he had expected 
. The classes are very small and each class has a tutorial as one of its scheduled session each week. I think it was a good choice. They seem to have a great Business school. Familiarize yourself with the area before you choose, making sure it will be fitting to you.
. The classes are very small and each class has a tutorial as one of its scheduled session each week. I think it was a good choice. They seem to have a great Business school. Familiarize yourself with the area before you choose, making sure it will be fitting to you.
Feb 25th, 2004, 11:09 AM
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Thanks for all the replies so far. BTW, I am an undergrad, not grad student. I am working with my college study abroad office, but there are some choices I have to make and thought this might be a good forum to start gathering info.
Feb 25th, 2004, 11:51 PM
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Take your point about the gum trees, Judy, thanks for amplifying.
You're right that Canberra is the only major inland city - the others are more in the nature of large towns. Most Australians stick close to the coast, for very practical reasons.
It's also fair to say that we don't have the equivalent of the numerous American college towns - perhaps Armidale in northern New South Wales, the home of the University of New England, is the nearest equivalent. Nor do we have a widespread tradition of students moving away to live on campus: although universities may have a few residential colleges, most kids either continue to live with their parents (sigh) or rent a "group house". US-style college fraternities are unknown, as are many of the rituals and terminology of US college life - most Australians think that a sophomore is a device used for signalling ships.
I think there are 37 universities in Australia, many with dispersed campuses and nearly all public. Bond, as a private university, is unusual, not least for being set up by and named after a subsequently jailed property developer whose main claim to fame was financing Australia's successful challenge for the America's Cup. (That's not to reflect on the institution, though.)
Your equating of US and Oz city latitudes is very handy - although Hobart won't turn on anything like a Boston winter, nor its muggy summers.
I agree that there are no "bad" cities, just smaller/larger, quieter/ busier, and their climates all have their pluses and minuses. It's all relative though - a New Yorker would find Sydney a little tame, a Nebraskan might see it as a happening town.
Australian society and lifestyle should present few challenges to a North American.
You're right that Canberra is the only major inland city - the others are more in the nature of large towns. Most Australians stick close to the coast, for very practical reasons.
It's also fair to say that we don't have the equivalent of the numerous American college towns - perhaps Armidale in northern New South Wales, the home of the University of New England, is the nearest equivalent. Nor do we have a widespread tradition of students moving away to live on campus: although universities may have a few residential colleges, most kids either continue to live with their parents (sigh) or rent a "group house". US-style college fraternities are unknown, as are many of the rituals and terminology of US college life - most Australians think that a sophomore is a device used for signalling ships.
I think there are 37 universities in Australia, many with dispersed campuses and nearly all public. Bond, as a private university, is unusual, not least for being set up by and named after a subsequently jailed property developer whose main claim to fame was financing Australia's successful challenge for the America's Cup. (That's not to reflect on the institution, though.)
Your equating of US and Oz city latitudes is very handy - although Hobart won't turn on anything like a Boston winter, nor its muggy summers.
I agree that there are no "bad" cities, just smaller/larger, quieter/ busier, and their climates all have their pluses and minuses. It's all relative though - a New Yorker would find Sydney a little tame, a Nebraskan might see it as a happening town.
Australian society and lifestyle should present few challenges to a North American.
Feb 26th, 2004, 06:06 AM
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I'm curious, is this the same Bond, Alan Bond, who had bought the famous painting "Irises" by Vincent Van Gogh for his office building a decade or two ago? If it is, then his other claim to fame, at least in the art world, was this purchase, which at the time cost him $53,900,000. It would appear that he had multiple interests.
Feb 26th, 2004, 11:49 AM
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The very same Alan Bond. He spawned a whole industry of corporate investigators trying to get their hands on his assets in several countries on behalf of the many investors who were cleaned out.
One Bond story involved his first wife taking a phone call from a New York furrier advising that a mink Alan had ordered was ready. The size confirmed her suspicions that it was not intended for her, so she commandeered the corporate jet, flew to New York, had some alterations made and flew home to Perth with her new mink.
One Bond story involved his first wife taking a phone call from a New York furrier advising that a mink Alan had ordered was ready. The size confirmed her suspicions that it was not intended for her, so she commandeered the corporate jet, flew to New York, had some alterations made and flew home to Perth with her new mink.
Mar 9th, 2004, 12:55 PM
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Hi gbs,
I'm an American who attended graduate school in Australia. Since you're a business student, you'll be interested in enrolling in a Commerce course. I attended the University of New South Wales in Sydney, which was an excellent choice for the study of Commerce, Economics, and Information Technology. It's located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, an absolutely beautiful area. I could see the ocean from my apartment. Anyway, Sydney is also home to other fine unis, namely the The University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University.
The "Fall" session (Session 1) just started, on March 1, 2004. The "Spring" session (Session 2) starts in July, and ends in November. December, January & February are the summer holidays.
The University of New South Wales is a great place for Internation Students (most of them are from Asia, but I met a few from the US and Canada) and offers admission in both sessions. I also met many US students who were spending a sememster abroad there. Some clasess are only offered in certain Sessions; that may have an influence on when you begin - but other than that, there is no better "time" to go.
It's a great experience - I can't recommend it highly enough. Check out the website at www.unsw.edu.au. The Student Union is excellent there as well, with lots of activities (http://www.union.unsw.edu.au/newunion/Website/index.asp).
Good luck,
Kerrie M
I'm an American who attended graduate school in Australia. Since you're a business student, you'll be interested in enrolling in a Commerce course. I attended the University of New South Wales in Sydney, which was an excellent choice for the study of Commerce, Economics, and Information Technology. It's located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, an absolutely beautiful area. I could see the ocean from my apartment. Anyway, Sydney is also home to other fine unis, namely the The University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University.
The "Fall" session (Session 1) just started, on March 1, 2004. The "Spring" session (Session 2) starts in July, and ends in November. December, January & February are the summer holidays.
The University of New South Wales is a great place for Internation Students (most of them are from Asia, but I met a few from the US and Canada) and offers admission in both sessions. I also met many US students who were spending a sememster abroad there. Some clasess are only offered in certain Sessions; that may have an influence on when you begin - but other than that, there is no better "time" to go.
It's a great experience - I can't recommend it highly enough. Check out the website at www.unsw.edu.au. The Student Union is excellent there as well, with lots of activities (http://www.union.unsw.edu.au/newunion/Website/index.asp).
Good luck,
Kerrie M
