Studying at Bond
Let's start with a quick explainer: How does Australia's education system work?
Australia's education system ranks in the Top 10 worldwide.
While the education system varies slightly from state to state, Australian children generally complete 13 years of schooling – from Prep (sometimes called Kindy or Kindergarten) to Year 6 in Primary School and Year 7 to 12 in Secondary/High School.
At the end of Year 12, they will sit their final exams. Students hoping to go to university will generally receive an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) between 0 and 99.95.
The tertiary education system is made up of vocational training, delivered by TAFE and specialist private colleges, and undergraduate and postgraduate (graduate) degrees, delivered by public and private universities.
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Vocational Colleges
The public TAFE (Technical and Further Education) system delivers Certificate and Diploma level courses for trades such as hospitality, hairdressing, beauty therapy, carpentry, plumbing, etc. These courses are also offered by private registered training organisations (RTOs) which usually specialize in a specific trade.
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Universities
Universities offer a range of degree qualifications at the undergraduate and graduate (usually referred to as ‘postgraduate’) level.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
GRADUATE PROGRAM
Diploma
2 semesters
Graduate Certificate
1 semester
Bachelor
6 semesters
Graduate Diploma
2 semesters
Honours Year
2 semesters
Masters
3-4 semesters
Doctorate
6 semesters
HIGHER DEGREE BY RESEARCH
Master of Philosophy
Min 2 years
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Min 4 years
Depending on their ATAR ranking, students are eligible to enrol in a full Bachelor degree as soon as they finish secondary school (Year 12). There is no requirement for two years of ‘general education’, as in the USA – students in Australia can specialize in their chosen field as soon as they start their Bachelor degree.
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University Pathway Programs
Students who don’t meet the entry requirements for their chosen Bachelor degree can enrol in a Diploma or University pathway program. At Bond University, these are offered on campus by Bond University College.
Pathway programs cover a broad range of general study areas such as Maths, English, Communication and IT. Successful completion will qualify you to enter most Bachelor degree programs at Bond (there are a few exceptions).
Diplomas are more specific to a particular study area – for example. Diploma of Business, Diploma of Legal Studies. The subjects completed as part of a Diploma can then be credited towards a Bachelor degree in that field.
From California to Bond University
Dane's story
By 22, Dane Del Deo had completed a university degree, directed the relaunch of an iconic piece of telecommunication history and was already making a mark in Hollywood. Dane’s journey to carving out a career in filmmaking spans two continents, from Santa Barbara to the Gold Coast and back to Southern California.
Advice from our alumni
"It opened my perspective of how I approach work, and how big I could dream. It also gave me the skillset I needed to hustle for those dreams."