This section explains the requirements and process of applying to Australian universities for Postgraduate (Master's & Doctoral Degree) courses.

Send enquiries at least 12 months before the proposed date of admission. There are following ways to get application forms.

You can request application forms from the universities website. Most universities have a form on their website which can be completed online to request application material.

The other way is to send a request by airmail for application material. The request should contain a brief description of your educational background, academic objectives, source of financial support, English proficiency and standardized test scores.

Many universities have a downloadable and ready to print versions of their application forms on the net. These can be used for applying just as regular forms.

You can get application forms for all the universities from IDP in New Delhi. You can either visit them personally or email them.

Most Australian universities accept the Indian graduation system of three years for entry into most postgraduate courses. An Indian bachelor degree like B.A., B.Com. or B.Sc. (ordinary) is equivalent to a Australian Bachelor (Ordinary) Degree.

However, some courses and universities may require a qualification equivalent to Australian Bachelor (Honours) Degree, which requires either a honours graduation degree like B.A. (H), B.Comm (H) etc or 16 years of formal education, which would mean another year after graduation or a four year degree course like B.E., B.Tech and other such courses.

For most Universities, a good first degree from a leading university in India or its equivalent is essential.

Full details of your education including your course subjects and grades are required in the applications. Transcripts or official records of your previous academic qualifications are crucial for your application.

Students applying for admission are required to submit an official transcript from each college or university that they have attended after secondary school with complete details of the subjects, credits involved and other details like correspondence courses, diplomas etc.

For most courses and universities, International students are required to take IELTS (International English Language Test) which is regularly administered by the British Council. Some universities may accept TOEFL as an alternative.

This test is conducted by ETS for International students applying to a Universities abroad. This is accepted by most Australian universities.

Some Universities may waive IELTS/TOEFL if you can get a letter from institution that you have last studied in mentioning that you have been studying in English medium throughout and they are convinced that you are proficient in English.

For most management courses, International students are required to take GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).

Note:
Most Australian Universities do not require the GRE for admission to post graduate courses. However it is advisable to enclose a copy of your score sheet if you have done well in the test

A number of professional and vocational courses require relevant work experience. For instance, many MBAs or master’s courses in information studies require at least a couple of years’ work experience. Most Australian universities are pretty strict about this.

A detailed Résumé is an important part of your application. It should include all information of professional work experience along with the details like positions held, achievements and range of work.

Letters of reference or recommendation letters play a very important part in your admission especially in courses that earn you a master’s or doctoral degree. A recommendation letter is a signed statement from a person who knows you well professionally or has taught you in a subject that is related to the course you are applying to. It should list your positive and negative qualities, strengths and other such information.

The author or teacher must indicate his position, how long he/she has known the applicant and in what capacity. He/she should briefly discuss the need, importance and usefulness of the study the applicant proposes to undertake. Authors are usually asked to rank applicants in their letters of recommendation, which helps admission officers to interpret the academic credentials of foreign students. Students should obtain letters of recommendation (often on the prescribed forms sent by the institutions) from teachers who know them as a person as well as a student. You may like to request your author to give concrete examples that may show your qualities and help your case.

Many universities have their own format and questions that have to be answered by the person who is giving the letter of recommendation on your behalf. Letters, which do not give enough information, can jeopardize a candidate’s chances of selection.

Note : Even if not mentioned, it is advisable to include at least two letters of recommendation in your applications as they increase your chances of getting admissions.

The personal essays, and/or statement of purpose, also play a very important role in the process of evaluating your application for both admission as well as financial aid because it gives the faculty assessing your application their most significant impression of you as an individual.

A personal statement should include reasons for choosing this particular course, your area of interest, the suitability of your education and experiential background for this course and your personal and present future goals.

In addition to the above requirements, students applying for a postgraduate research program must also submit the following documents:

The admission committe may also require special recommendation letters from professors of the academic institution where you last studied. (Information compiled from infozee.com)