Comparison of the Education Major at Group of Eight

Whether for immigration, career development or their own interests, more and more students are beginning to take teaching as one of their choices for studying in Australia. Under the circumstance that almost every university has open education majors, how to choose the most suitable university for education study and research has become a difficult problem for many students. Below, we will deeply analyze the characteristics and advantages of each well-known Australian university in education and provide some references for students.

1. The University of Melbourne

As the permanent first choice for Asian students, the world ranking and professional level of the University of Melbourne’s teaching major are beyond doubt.

The University of Melbourne offers various education courses at the Master’s stage: secondary education, primary education, early childhood, TESOL, and a composite major of early childhood and primary.

No matter which major it is, it ranks in the top 10 in the QS Education Rankings. Therefore, by choosing Pedagogy at the University of Melbourne, the degree recognition of future students will not be affected by changes in countries or regions.

Advantages: 

– High visibility and recognition of the degree 

– A large number of excellent secondary school cooperation resources give students more internship options and experience 

– Lay a solid academic foundation and pave the way for future research 

– Accumulate a large number of contacts of Australian education experts 

– Exercise yourself English Professional Writing Ability and Critical Thinking

Disadvantage:

– The tuition fee is the highest among Australian universities

– Because it focuses on students’ theoretical learning, it often ignores the learning of curriculum practice and education strategies

– Only master-level teaching courses are offered, no bachelor-level courses.

2. Monash University

Monash University’s education has distinctive features in its curriculum.

Compared with the only master courses at the University of Melbourne, Monash University not only has both undergraduate and master’s degrees but also combines education with other majors at the undergraduate level to form a new dual-major curriculum, allowing students to have more employment options and development directions after graduation.

For example, students who choose the Bachelor of Secondary Education can also choose the Bachelor of Business to study as a double major. You can also combine IT, Engineering, and other majors according to your own interests.

Advantages:

– The unique dual-major setting in education allows students to take into account professional studies in other fields while studying education

– A large number of excellent secondary school cooperation resources give students more internship options and experience

– The degree is highly recognized in Australia, and education has a high degree of internal professional recognition

Disadvantages:

– The tuition fee is higher than that of general universities

– Heavy study and practice will be concentrated in a certain period of the semester and cause certain pressure to students

– The pressure of double-major study requires students to be mentally prepared in advance

3. The University of Sydney

Because the University of Sydney is located in the most prosperous city in Australia – Sydney, each major will have the unique commercial atmosphere of the city.

Similar to the type of curriculum offered by the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney also offers a variety of Master of Education programs ranging from early childhood education to secondary school. But the difference is that the University of Sydney’s education major has more business-related branch courses, such as a combination of leadership and management or a curriculum focusing on health and physics.

At the same time, the University of Sydney pays more attention to the actual evaluation and achievements of students in teaching internships, which may be a relatively unique university among the eight universities.

Advantages:

– Located in Sydney, there are more potential employment and development opportunities

– The accumulation of contacts among students in the university is more extensive and practical

– In the choice of secondary specialization, there are more options such as Classical Hebrew & Judaism

Disadvantages: 

– Tuition fees and living expenses are relatively expensive due to the location in Sydney 

– You need to submit a Personal Statement to explain your motivation and reasons for choosing an education major

– The current curriculum will focus on the application and learning of indigenous studies in pedagogy, which may be relatively unfamiliar to international students and have the little practical effect

4. The University of Adelaide

According to the current immigration policy orientation, the University of Adelaide should have a significant increase in the number of applicants in the future.

Correspondingly, the pressure of application competition will gradually increase. Therefore, the University of Adelaide is the most ideal choice for students who are planning to immigrate and want to study in a top 8 university. At the same time, Adelaide, as the only eight universities in South Australia, has unique advantages in the future employment situation of education.

According to the state-guaranteed positions previously released by the South Australian government, both early childhood teachers and secondary school teachers have stayed on the state-guaranteed list for a long time.

Advantages:

– The only eight universities in South Australia that belong to remote areas, the future immigration and employment will be relatively very competitive Adapting to the South Australian Early Childhood/Secondary Education Curriculum

– The internship of more than 70 days gives students more practical experience and integrates into the local teaching life faster (compared to the 60-day internship set in the general education course) 

– The only eight universities that accept the application of education in July, matching international student’s graduation date

Disadvantages:

– The language requirement for admission is the same as that of the University of Melbourne and cannot be exempted, which is a certain test for the applicant’s English ability

– The campus is relatively remote at present, and the monotony of business life is a certain test for international students

5. New South Wales, University of Western Australia, University of Queensland

The reason for putting these three universities together is that the pedagogy courses they offer are currently based on student feedback, and the focus and settings of the courses are relatively similar.

But it is worth mentioning that teaching students who graduate from Western Australia and Queensland will also gain a similar advantage to the University of Adelaide, which is the reputation and influence of the university in the state. This can help students find corresponding teaching jobs as soon as possible after graduation, so as to start their own state-guaranteed immigration.

Advantage:

– The influence of the university in the state gives graduates strong employment competitiveness

– Rapid employment facilitates graduates’ needs for subsequent immigration applications. At the same time, the state guarantee also has corresponding preferential policies for graduates in Queensland and Western Australia.

– Compared with cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, the infrastructure construction and urban life in Western Australia and Queensland are relatively backward, and there are certain challenges for international students

– Higher and non-exempt English entry requirements have brought some difficulties to the application of international students

– There are certain specific requirements for students’ grades and personal statements

Finally, the only member of Group of Eight that has not been mentioned is the Australian National University. Because it is a research-focused university, it does not offer teaching-related practical courses.

For more information about studying abroad in Australia, you can visit CatEight, a comprehensive website for overseas study.