Bachelors of Architecture in Australia: A Guide for International Aspirants

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia is a three-year program costing around 96,000 AUD- 135,000 AUD. Australian universities invite applications for admissions to bachelors of architecture for February and July sessions. International students from India are required to have at least 70% or more (on average) to apply for bachelors of architecture in Australia. With eight state and territory architect boards in Australia, there are a variety of accredited programs to choose from. These programs are recognized in all the states within Australia. Currently, over 80 colleges offer architecture as a higher education degree in Australia. 

The annual tuition fees of the program range between 32,500 to 45,100 AUD. This equals around 18 LPA to 23 LPA (exchange rate: Jul’20). After completion of your B.Arch degree in Australia, you cannot register as an Architect. To register as an architect you are required to have a masters in architecture from Australia or an internationally recognized university. However, you can still work after completion of the degree with other registered architects and earn around 60,000 AUD to 80,000 AUD per annum. Work experience gained with a registered architect after your bachelor's will help you when you plan on registering as an architect yourself. 

Why study Bachelors of Architecture in Australia?

• Four Australian universities rank within the Top 50 Global Universities for Architectural program.
• 10 Australian universities rank within the Top 100 Global Universities for Architectural program.
• According to the AACA (Architects Accreditation Council of Australia) reports, there are around 13,000 enterprises that employ 40,000 architects in Australia.
• In 2017-2018, the sector generated an income of approximately AUD 34 billion which shows the rapid growth of the sector.
• As per Job Outlook, a rise of over 12,000 jobs was observed in a time span of 2014-2019.
• As per Department of Skills Education and Employment, architects and related jobs as categorized under skill-shortage programs. A shortage of skilled labor results in higher salary packages.

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia; Top Universities

There are more than 40 universities offering bachelors of architecture in Australia. Around 15 Australian Universities rank globally among top 250 for their architecture program, as per the QS universities world rankings 2022. Given below is a table providing details of some of the top-ranking universities, programs offered and the total program fees.

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia: Admissions

Each university has its own minimum eligibility to be fulfilled. Most of the Australian Universities consider ATAR rank ( Australian Tertiary admission rank) for admissions. It is calculated using HSC (Higher secondary certificate) overall score and is an estimate of the particular student’s rank amongst the candidates of the same year group. In general, one must have completed the minimum qualification of 10+2 years to pursue a Bachelors of Architecture in Australia. The admission is usually offered in February and July months.

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia: Eligibility

Given below is a table for details on the university-specific eligibility criteria. This includes the ATAR ranks, score for Indian high school graduates, and language proficiency requirements that must be fulfilled by international students. To study in Australia, it is required that you fulfill these minimum requirements:

In various universities, applicants who are unable to fulfill the above-mentioned minimum requirements are still considered for admissions. This is possible if the applicants apply through pathways.

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia: Application Package

International applicants are required to submit additional documents along with their application. These are as follows:

• Academic certificates and mark sheets of 12th qualification.
• Resume/CV.
• Letter of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• Language proficiency test: IELTS/TOEFL
• Health insurance.
• Passport size photographs.
• Residential proof or Australian visa

Also Check: 

When planning to study abroad, international applicants must keep in mind that they will encounter expenses like tuition, accommodation, etc. These expenses can be broadly categorized in pre-arrival and post-arrival. Pre-arrival costs include one-time expenses including exams, travel, etc. Post-arrival cost includes tuition and the cost of living abroad. The detailed outline of these is briefed in the sections below.

Pre-arrival costs

These are one-time investment costs that cannot be ignored in any circumstances. These mainly include application fees, fees for exams required to study in Australia, visa application fees, airfare, and more

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia: Tuition Fee

Given below is a graph comparing the tuition fees for some of the popular Australian universities offering a bachelors in architecture:

The overall cost of pursuing this three-year program for an Indian student ranges from 50 lakhs to 70 lakhs depending on the choice of university. This is a hefty amount and to fund yourself you can find financial aids, such as scholarships to study in Australia. 

Cost of Living in Australia

The Australian government suggests international students have an extra amount of around 21,000 AUD annually. This amount will cover your accommodation and other expenses. You must have an additional 7,000 AUD, if a partner is accompanying you, These expenses include the basic cost of living in Australia. Given below is a detailed description of the monthly expenses that you may experience

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia with Scholarships

Despite being one of the most expensive countries, Australia is still amongst one of the most preferable destinations for students. This is mostly because of the number of scholarships that are available for international students. Given below is the list of scholarships among some of the top universities:

Government-funded scholarships

• Australian Awards: This is a government-funded scholarship that covers all the student expenses such as accommodation, transportation, 100% tuition fees, etc. For 2020, the award will be given to 1982 students belonging to around 50 countries. The department of foreign affairs and Trade released a budget of A$ 280 million for this scholarship.
• Provider Scholarships: Based on the academic performances, the government provides meritorious international students with scholarships.
• Destination Australia Scholarship: Introduced to improve mobility in Australia, this scholarship is offered to both domestic and international students. Over 1000 scholarships are offered each year to promote Australia as a study abroad destination and enhance the study-abroad domestic aspirants.

University-Specific Scholarships

Given below are the scholarships to study in Australia for international students. Some universities offer specific scholarships for Bachelors of Architecture programs. The details of the value/amount offered are also included in the below-mentioned table:

Apart from funding yourself through scholarships, you can also look for loans available to study abroad. Additionally, working while learning is another way of keeping the inflow of money. The Australian government has standardized the work hour limit to 20 hours a week for students with an Australian visa. You can either work with your university of around your campus, the payscale offered to part-time jobs are also standardized and regulated by the government to ensure no cheap labor is encouraged.  

Bachelors of Architecture in Australia: Job prospects

As per the AACA survey, it was discovered that for around 10,000 architects who had bachelors as their highest qualification. This was followed by a masters in architecture degree, which is held by around 2,800 architects in Australia.

It is expected that there will be around 9,000 job openings in the coming five years. This means that around 1800 opening will be seen each year. Given below is an image of the major industries and their share of employment for architects:

An architect in Australia working with the government earns around 93,800 AUD on an annual average. However, the ones working in the private sector make around 89,400 AUD annually.

The architecture sector has a great scope in Australia. The demand for highly proficient architects is rapidly Increasing. The jobs in this sector have all the important roles from planning a project to construction and legal documentation which makes the sector more stimulating.

A bachelor’s degree followed by masters in architecture from Australia will bring more job opportunities and exposure. The industry is worth $100 billion and has millions of employees. The architects in Australia are registered under the state or territory architect’s board. Any graduate, prior to registration, cannot call themselves Architects legally in Australia. There are a total of 8 boards in Australia.

However, to be eligible to register under the Board, one must have completed master's in architecture, have 2 years of experience in the industry and then, one has to pass the competency test. International students must keep this in mind while applying for the program and various jobs in Australia.

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