PATHWAY PROGRAMS IN AUSTRALIA

Australia, the land down under, attracts over 400,000 international students every year. And this number is only increasing year on year. The top class universities and international culture are two of the biggest factors that have helped in turning the tide in their favor. The country offers a plethora of courses that cover a wide array of subjects. All three, UG, PG, and Diploma courses are well recognized all over the world, enabling students to pursue a global career. For the UG courses, students should have a minimum of 65% in their CBSE and State Boards. For PG, at least 55% should be maintained in their bachelors program. These requirements are dynamic and change from university to university.

Since all the programs are taught in English, students must demonstrate adequate ability to use and understand the language. This is done by getting a minimum required score in the IELTS test. IELTS preparation in Jaipur might not be easy without proper guidance. Joining an IELTS coaching in Pune is always recommended to get the necessary band scores. Students pursuing UG in Australia must have a 6.0 band score with no bands less than 5.5 while PG students need 6.5 bands with no individual scores less than 6.0. TOEFL and PTE scores are accepted too.

The benefit of studying in Australia is that even the weaker students have an opportunity to study in Australia via the various pathway programs. Pathway programs are basically bridge courses that enable students with lower scores to cope up with the required study load and level in Australian universities. These programs are of two major types.

1.    Academic Pathway Programs – For students unable to meet the academic admission criteria.

2.    English Language Programs – For students unable to meet the English language criteria.

ACADEMIC PATHWAY

Students with relatively low scores in their CBSE and HSC 12^th Boards, bordering around 60%, can choose this pathway. Also called the D to D program, the Diploma to degree program, allows students to pursue a one year diploma in Australia. Once the year is up and the student has scored well, he can seamlessly transition to the second year of any degree program in Australia. Not only is the student up to date with Australian standards, he also completes the degree in the standard time just like any other normal student.

A similar pathway is offered at the PG level but only in the management, accounting, and business streams. Students who fail to qualify for the minimum acceptable UG marks, can enroll in a PQP (Postgraduate Qualifying Program) or a PMP (Pre-Master’s Program). Only a few selected universities offer these programs. Upon successful competition the student can transfer to the PG degree course along with other students.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PATHWAYS

Students who have failed to demonstrate adequate hold over the language can opt for this pathway. Students have to undergo intensive training in English for a pre-determined period in institutes called ELICOS. This training happens before the degree begins. For a gap of 0.5 bands in the actual score and required score, a compulsory 10 week training period is mandated. For a gap of 1.0 band the period can extend up to 15 weeks. Though a low IELTS score may result in visa refusal and other immigration hassles.