Reviewed on May 29, 2025(Enrolled 2020)
What Students Say
Likes
- Good library resources
- Knowledgeable and well experienced Professors in the field of Genomics
- Professors well connected and lead high positions in the field of Genomics
Dislikes
- Less practical exposure
- Not one of the top colleges in Australia
- High fee comparatively to other similar colleges
Course Curriculum
6
- The course curriculum is of medium-level difficulty with lots of case scenarios given for learning. It covers a wide range of topics, such as Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics, Mitochondrial Diseases related to genetics, ethics and Modern technologies in the field of Genomics.
- The positive of the course is it involves assignments which allow us to research and read several research papers which help us to improve our knowledge in the field. The negative of the course is that it is very theoretical and has fewer practicals.
- The course has most of the units online; therefore, it can be done at one's own pace during the day or evenings, with end-of-week discussions involving the professors and other students.
- Around 25 students are enrolled in a particular unit, which can vary in specialities chosen for units. In my cohort, there were only 3 Indians, including me.
Admission Experience
- I applied to 2 colleges Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane city in Queensland state and Melbourne University in Melbourne city in Victoria state
- Got confirmation from both Queensland University of Technology and University of Melbourne for Master of Diagnostic Genomics and Master of Genomics and Health respectively
- I did not get any rejection as my stream of study Genetics was very streamlined and I targeted only specific Universities
- I chose Queensland University of Technology, as the course was started earlier compared to the course at Melbourne University, for which it was the first year of the course.
- The admission process involved applying directly for the course by submitting your previous education transcripts and submitting your provisional IELTS score. The IELTS score required was least 7 in each sector and overall 7 and above
- I applied for the July intake. There were no general factors that I considered to apply for this intake. The college provided a July intake for my course so it worked well for me. The admission process. After filling out the form online and submitting all the required documents, it took about two months to get the outcome of acceptance. Since I was requesting prior learning credit, it took a little longer for them to respond to my application. But unfortunately I did not receive any credit for my prior learning.
Faculty
6
- Every unit has a dedicated professor. Therefore, the ratio would be about 1:20 (faculty: student). This ratio is pretty comfortable and every student gets unbiased attention from the professors
- The teaching methodology is of medium involving a lot of initial reading material provided and online videos to understand the subject. It involves lot of self reading of being the study material to make oneself capable of writing assignments and to set foot into the job market
- The job market is very competitive therefore, assistance from the professors is very minimal, but if you are persistence, you can find a job in the field
- I enjoyed the molecular genomics unit professor because of her in-dept knowledge of the subject and the standard of guidance provided.
Campus Life
8
- My university has 2 campuses. QUT Gardens Point campus and QUT Kelvin Grove Campus.
- Both Campuses have library facilities. There are sports facilities such as a gym and swimming pool in the Garden view campus and a big stadium area in the Kelvin Grove Campus. Big cafeteria area; meeting rooms are available on both campuses. There is also a retail store available for students on the campus. There is a shuttle bus available between the two campuses.
- The various festivals, like the International Ethnic festival where students from different countries showcase their culture through colourful outfits and food and delicacies.
- There are different clubs, such as Science clubs and fashion clubs, which encourage students to present their innovative ideas and work by rewarding their work.
Part Time Jobs
- I wouldn’t be able to comment on TA/RA/DA positions. Mine was Master program and these opportunities are generally given to PhD students.
- I had a colleague who worked as Laboratory Demonstrator for $45 per hour. But these are very limited hours available, if any.
- You can work maximum of 24 hrs per week as an international student
- It is not very easy for Bachelor or Master student to secure an on-campus job. You can volunteer as student support to get an exposure to different college aspects
- On average, students can typically earn from $20 to $30 on an hourly basis based on the industry and days worked. You can get paid 1.5 times on weekends and public holidays in some workplaces. Finding a part-time job is challenging these years. Most of the Indian students work in cafes such as Subway or restaurants as waiters, earning around $20 per hour.
- Most of the male Indian students do Uber services, earning around $20 per hour but this would depend on peak hour timings.
- The general process will be to search for jobs on Seek, indeed or other job websites. But most of the time it would be by physically calling the contact person after applying for a job. Most of the time, you will get a job only through contacts do going and meeting people and increasing your network circle would help you to secure a job.
Placement
4
- The percentage of graduates securing jobs within the first six months would be 70%. But you need to be aware this percentage includes Australians too.
- The average salary would range from $65,000 to $75,000 per annum for a graduate in my field.
- Students can find jobs by applying to vacancies on job portals such as Seek and Indeed. You need to connect with your professors too and ask for assistance if they know people in the industry. Networking on LinkedIn would help too but it is a hard process; you need to be committed and have perseverance to secure a job.
- There were no placement services provided for my course but as mentioned earlier, the University have student support and career departments that can help you to do your resume and coach you for interviews.
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, QML pathology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Peter Mac, VCGS, VCCS, SA pathology, Austin Pathology, Genomic Diagnostic, Western Pathology
Accommodation
Off Campus
6
- I was lucky to have a relative living in Australia. I lived in their family home.
- Typically it would cost about $350 per week to have a room in a house with an attached bathroom and common kitchen and all the bill such as gas, electricity and internet, covered.
- If want to be economical, then you can get a room which is not in the city precinct with common bathroom, kitchen and living space for about $800 per month with about $90 per month for bills
- I did not encounter any challenges
- Future students should look for shared room advertisements on Facebook marketplace and Gumtree. Please check the accommodation physically before signing any lease or bond.
Exams
- I had to provide a provisional IELTS score. The expectation was to score 7 and above in every section. If you haven’t scored 7 in each unit, I would still suggest applying. Most of the time the university would still give you admission based on your academics and ask you to take a small adjacent English literacy course.
- For the admission process, you will need previous academic transcripts. An SOP stating your background, your interest in the course and your future plans after completing the course indicates your genuineness in undertaking the course. You will also need to submit financial documents showing the funds you have to take the course and support your stay in Australia.
- My course did not involve any interview process
Fees
- The entire course was 144 credits. With each study unit accounting for 12 units each. Each Study unit costs around $4200. The fee was to be paid per semester. International students can only do the course on a full-time basis. So you need to choose 4 units each semester. Therefore, it would cost roughly $168,000 per semester. There is also around $300 to be paid yearly for using college amenities like the library, internet and other miscellaneous services.
- For accommodation, a room for rent would cost around $400-500 per week, including all bills, which includes Internet as well. Eating if on a budget would cost $100-150 per week.
Scholarship
- No, I did not receive any scholarship.
- The eligibility criteria are your previous academics and also any work experience in the field. The other major criterion is if you have any previous Australian degree with a good academic GPA, then you have a good chance for scholarships.
- Genomics was a very niche programme but universities do provide some 10-20% discount in student fees for many courses to attract international students. The Universities generally advertise giving around 1000 to 2000 scholarships ranging from $1000 to $15,000.
