Best Postgraduate Courses in Australia in 2024
Australia is the perfect place for your postgraduate education. For starters, more than 300,000 students opted for postgraduate education in Australia in 2023. What attracts these students goes beyond the best postgraduate courses in Australia, too. These programs are excellent launchpads for your future career and education opportunities. Australia offers great career prospects for postgraduates. The Australian government has excellent post-study visa options as well to help international students like you transition into a booming job market.
Let’s explore postgraduate opportunities in Australia and how they can be transformative for your life and career.
Why Pursue a Postgraduate Degree in Australia?
Postgraduate education can offer many perks for your career. And Australia is a great place to fully reap the benefits of one. From universities to employment prospects, you will find excellent options here.
Quality of Education
Australia houses 38 of the top universities in the world. This is all the more an accomplishment considering this represents about 93% of the country’s 41 universities! You can be confident in the quality of the best postgraduate courses in Australia. These are industry-oriented, led by some of the top scholars and professionals in their field, and stand out globally for their academic outcomes. Have a look below at some of Australia’s best universities:
| University | QS World Ranking |
| The University of Melbourne | 14 |
| The University of New South Wales | 19 |
| The University of Sydney | 19 |
| Australian National University | 34 |
| Monash University | 42 |
| The University of Queensland | 43 |
| The University of Western Australia | 72 |
| The University of Adelaide | 89 |
Industry-Oriented Programs
A big reason behind the popularity of postgraduate education in Australia is its focus on career building. Australian universities offer career-oriented postgraduate programs. The curricula of these programs closely align with industry developments, knowledge, trends, and demands. In other words, the best postgraduate courses in Australia prime you for job readiness!
The Australian government projects huge job opportunities in specific skill-shortage sectors in the coming years. With an Australian postgraduate degree, you’re able to transition right into these opportunities.
Career Boost
Postgraduate programs can fast-track you up the corporate ladder. The postgraduate education in Australia is highly technical and skill-based. This ensures that you become an expert in your field of interest, building your expertise in a specialization and opening up your access to better and higher-level job opportunities. Did you know postgraduate students have a 93.3% rate of employment success? Well, now you do!
Higher Salaries
Hand in hand with the career benefits are your opportunities to access higher pay. A postgraduate education in Australia can increase your pay by about 35%. The 2022 Graduate Outcomes Survey reports a median salary of $91,600 for postgraduates. These higher salary brackets depend on your discipline and can vary. Although the investment for a postgraduate degree can be high, the return on investment as you access higher pay grades is worth considering!
Work During Study
One of the benefits of postgraduate education in Australia is the ability to continue working full-time while you learn. Many of the best postgraduate courses in Australia consider working professionals in building comprehensive but flexible course outlines. Last year, 77% of male and 61% of female postgraduate students had full-time jobs during their postgraduate courses. This is exceptionally helpful in meeting finances while studying abroad.
If you are a postgraduate research student, enrolling in a master’s by research program or a doctoral degree, there is no limit on your work hours! These are great opportunities for students hesitant to interrupt their careers to take on a postgraduate degree.
Post-Study Opportunities
Alongside the excellent work opportunities for postgraduate students in Australia, international students can also access post-study work opportunities. The Australian government is keen to supplement their job market’s needs with skilled and qualified graduates. As a result, the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) lets you explore these opportunities after graduation!
The Best Postgraduate Courses to Study in Australia
The postgraduate course you decide to take mainly depends on your field of interest. You easily improve on the knowledge and skills from your undergraduate degree. Another option is to change your major and open up a new career prospect. The opportunities are limitless when it comes to finding the perfect postgraduate course. A good place to start would be to explore some of the best postgraduate courses in popular fields of study.
Computer Science & Information Technology
Computer science is one of the most popular disciplines of study in recent times. This aligns with the huge growth in this sector that is on track to continue in the future. In fact, the Australian government estimates that jobs relating to ICT security specialists and database and systems administrators are set to grow more than any other field. These alone will amount to more than 40% of the job opportunities in the country by 2026.
Some of the best postgraduate courses to study in Australia for computer science & IT include:
● Data Science
● Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Virtual Reality
● Health Informatics
● Computer Forensics
● Mobile Computing (including App Development)
Here are a few great universities to get a postgrad degree in Australia for computer science!
| University | Program | QS WUR by Subject |
| Australian National University (ANU) | Applied Cybernetics | #56 |
| Monash University | Applied Data Science | #73 |
| Macquarie University | Information Technology | #151-200 |
Health, Medicine & Psychology
The medical and healthcare fields are among the biggest growth sectors in Australia. It’s also Australia’s largest employing industry – around 15% of the workforce are full-time employees in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry.
A few of your options to study in this field include:
● Nursing
● Physiotherapy
● Nutrition and Dietetics
● Dentistry
● Health Promotion
Some of the best universities in Australia to study health, medicine, or psychology-related programs include:
| University | Program | QS WUR by Subject |
| Monash University | Pharmacy & Pharmacology | #2 |
| The University of Adelaide | Dentistry | #33 |
| The University of Queensland | Anatomy & Physiology | #34 |
Social Sciences
Social sciences can encompass a broad variety of program opportunities. Nevertheless, while the disciplines can be very diverse in their study of humans, history, and culture, many social science programs help you develop key research skills. Research methodology, critical thinking, problem-solving, etc. are all skills you can develop through the best postgraduate courses in Australia in social sciences.
Popular subjects to consider are:
● Sociology
● Psychology
● Economics
● Political Science
● Anthropology
Some of the best universities to consider for social science majors include:
| University | Program | QS WUR by Subject |
| Monash University | Economics & Econometrics | #37 |
| Macquarie University | Philosophy | #28 |
| University of New South Wales | Sociology | #75 |
Business, Management & Entrepreneurship
One of the most popular postgraduate degrees globally is the MBA. An MBA degree can greatly diversify your opportunities to scale the corporate ladder and access higher-level positions and pay grades. And Australia is a great destination for postgrad students not just for an MBA degree but for the business and management field overall. In fact, over 30% of international students in Australia enroll in programs for management and commerce.
If you’re looking for postgraduate courses to level your opportunities in corporate, you can consider:
● Financial & Insurance Services
● International Business
● Advertising & Marketing
● Human Resources
● Finance
Here are some of the best universities to study programs in business, management, and entrepreneurship in Australia:
| University | Program | QS WUR by Subject |
| Monash University | Economics & Econometrics | #37 |
| Macquarie University | Philosophy | #28 |
| University of New South Wales | Sociology | #75 |
Engineering, Automation, and Technology
Engineering represents one of the biggest growth sectors in Australia, with multiple engineering roles appearing in Australia’s skilled occupations list. The Australian government is aiming to grow the country’s tech sector alone to over 1 million workers by 2030. Diverse engineering fields also open up excellent job opportunities. Over 80% of graduates in this field are in employment within half a year of graduating!
Engineering fields and programs to consider include:
● Electrical Engineering
● Civil Engineering
● Environmental Engineering
● Chemical Engineering
● Mineral and Mining Engineering
● Plant and Machine Maintenance
The following universities offer some of the best postgraduate courses in Australia:
| University | Program | QS WUR by Subject |
| Monash University | Economics & Econometrics | #37 |
| Macquarie University | Philosophy | #28 |
| University of New South Wales | Sociology | #75 |
Rounding Up
Australia is a prime destination for international students pursuing postgraduate education. Undoubtedly, you can find some of the best courses here in almost every field of study. Pursuing one of the best postgraduate courses in Australia presents a great opportunity for personal and professional growth. Choosing the right program can have a significant impact on your career and expertise. This, alongside Australia’s excellent career and post-study opportunities, makes it a great choice to consider for your higher education.
