Australia

UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF ADVANCED EDUCATION

Australia has 40 colleges of advanced education. Despite the establishment of new universities and the expansion of existing ones, many universities have quotas on enrolment numbers in some of their courses.

Australian universities, except the Australian National University, were established by State Acts of Parliament and enjoy a large degree of autonomy. The Australian National University was established by Commonwealth legislation. Nominees of the respective governments sit on the governing bodies of each university. In the older universities, courses are offered in some or all of the following faculties: Agriculture, Arts, Dentistry, Economics and Commerce, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Music, Science, Veterinary Science.

In some of the newer universities, courses are arranged in schools instead of faculties. The Australian National University in Canberra comprises the Institute of Advanced Studies with research Schools in Biological Sciences, and the Faculties which include the areas of Arts,. Asian Studies, Economics, Law and Science.

Most university courses are full-time day courses taking from three to six years, but some may be done by part-time or external study.

While universities and colleges of advanced education provide courses in a number of similar tertiary disciplines, college courses have a greater vocational emphases. Colleges of advanced education range from institutions offering a diversity of courses to single purpose colleges specializing in one discipline such as music or teacher education.

Advanced education in Australia is designed for students who have completed a lull secondary schooling, and wish to enroll in vocational education courses. While some colleges offer Master level courses, most of the courses provided in colleges of advanced education lead to associate diploma, degree or postgraduate diploma awards, all of which are nationally registered.

While providing courses at the higher education level, the advanced sector has adopted a wider range of entry standards than universities, and makes special provision for students who either do not wish to, or are unable to study full time. Most colleges also provide recurrent education in the form of short non-award programs with the vocational emphasis and general interest or self-enrichment non-award programs.

(From "Australia and New Zealand in brief" by V.V. Oshchepkova)