Why MBAs Are Choosing to Study in Australia

By Niamh Ollerton Updated Aug 30, 2019

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Introduction
Living in Australia
Work and earn while you study
Holistic development of students
Salaries in Australia
Top Australian business schools
Melbourne Business School
AGSM

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Australia’s close ties with south-east Asian markets, excellent employment opportunities, and wide variety of business schools are just some of the reasons why MBA students are choosing to undertake their studies in Australia.

Year on year, thousands of international students are choosing to pursue management education in Australia – with its popularity as a location continuing to soar. According to ICEF Monitor, Australia welcomed more than 600,000 students in 2017 alone, showing massive growth for the international student community.

But why are MBA candidates choosing to get their qualification in Australia? Read on to find out more.

Living in Australia

Australia’s natural beauty, vast coastline, modern cities, good infrastructure, and welcoming culture are just a few of the things that make Australia such an appealing place to live and study.

Melbourne was ranked as the most livable city for seven years in a row by CNN, eventually dropping to second place in 2018. It’s still a fantastic place to base yourself for studies though and Melbourne Business School topped our QS Global MBA Rankings: Oceania table in 2019.

Adelaide and Sydney are also in CNN’s top 10, and Sydney in particular has a thriving business community. Australia is sounding even more appealing now, right?

Work and earn while you study

This will probably come as a huge relief to many potential MBA students, but in Australia you can work while you study, helping to offset your study and living costs.

According to the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, once you’ve started your studies on your chosen course, you’re able to work for 40 hours a fortnight when your course is in session and unlimited hours when your course isn’t in session.

Holistic development of students

Australian business schools emphasize interdisciplinary, encyclopedic learning, with schools hoping to promote the all-round development of students by focusing on personal and leadership skills, as well as developing communication to encourage creativity among students.

Because of its stellar location, Australia is a melting pot of western and eastern cultures, so you’re more likely to find tailor-made courses focusing on the business environs of the Asia/Pacific region at Australian business schools than anywhere else in the world.

For example, Perth is in the same time zone as Singapore and Hong Kong, making it a prime meeting ground between the west and east.

It goes without saying that any developments in Asia won’t go unnoticed within Australia, meaning academic and business analysis is given scope to grow and develop – further allowing for specific MBA courses to encourage a deeper understanding of the Asia/Pacific region.

Salaries in Australia

According to our article on the top 10 countries for MBA salaries in 2019 , Australia is the fifth most lucrative location in the world for MBAs to earn a salary post-graduation. Employees with an MBA can expect to earn a base salary of US$98,400, and with average bonuses of US$17,800, MBA graduates can expect a total compensation package of US$116,200.

Top Australian business schools

There are numerous institutions to choose from across Australia, with options found within all states in the country.

Two institutions that do stand out are Melbourne Business School and the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales Business School which ranked 28th and 39th in the QS World University Rankings: Global MBA Rankings 2019 respectively.

Melbourne Business School

Melbourne’s full-time MBA program is an intensive 12-month course which promises to help students learn in a fast-paced environment.

MBS’ Personal Effectiveness Program provides leadership and career development, while welcoming regular visits from CEOs and business leaders via its integrated Entrepreneurial Mindset program.

Melbourne’s MBA Class of 2018 boasted an average GMAT score of 703, an average of 6.05 years’ work experience among the cohort, and 23 languages spoken.

AGSM

AGSM @ UNSW Business School’s full-time MBA is slightly longer at 16 months in duration. Based at its Sydney campus, students earn their degree in the financial capital of Australia and enjoy all the benefits of a gateway to the world’s fastest growing economic region of South East Asia.

The class of 2020 features 53 students in total, of which more than half of the students are female (51 percent).

Students have an average age of 30 upon starting, with an average GMAT score of 670 and an average of seven years’ work experience in industry. 18 nationalities are represented within the cohort.

The programs start in January with students embarking on the 2019 class paying AU$84,000 (US$56,536).

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Written by

Niamh Ollerton

Niamh was Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.