Different types of degrees

Most bachelor degrees follow a standard format: three or more years in lectures, tutorials and labs and you come out ready for action. But in some universities and faculties, new degree structures have begun to shake up the old format.

Earn while you learn: co-op degrees

While some degrees include work experience here and there, a co-op is a different thing altogether. ‘Co-op’ is short for ‘co-operative learning’, which involves a university getting together with industry partners to provide students with industry experience during their degree.

Co-op students are matched up with an employer that operates in an industry relevant to their studies. During their degree, students undertake supervised industry placements and are often paid for their trouble. Placements run for six months to a year, providing excellent experience and perhaps a chance of a job. No guarantees, of course!

Not all universities offer co-op courses. Among those that do, only selected degrees are available as co-ops and they are generally very competitive to enter. There is an interesting range of fields with co-op degrees around the country, including:

• accounting
• business information science
• engineering
• finance
• human movement
• information technology
• marketing.

It is worth noting that courses like nursing, teaching and medicine always include extensive work experience components, but these are generally not called ‘co-ops’. The difference is that you generally have to do a number of different rotations, rather than staying in the same place for an extended period, and you are generally not paid.

A new higher education model in Australia?

One of the latest developments in the higher education sector in Australia is the introduction of a course structure similar to the US and European models. In many universities in these countries, students complete a general undergraduate degree and then if they wish to begin a career in a specialist area, a further two years of postgraduate study is required.

In Australia, this model has been common in selected fields (for example, architecture) for some time, although in some institutions it is now applied more widely.

This means that students beginning their tertiary studies at universities select a general degree such as arts or science and only upon completion of this course do they complete professional qualifications in order to enter fields ranging from medicine and law to education.

There is much debate about the merits of this model. Here is a quick run down of the pros and cons as each side sees them.

PROS

• The model will bring Australian university graduates into line with their US and European counterparts.
• Three years of general studies gives new students (especially school leavers) time to make sure that the field they intend to specialise in is right for them and to get a broad education.
• Study skills will be developed in the early years of study, allowing students to succeed in the more challenging professionally oriented graduate courses.

CONS

• Students who know exactly what they want to do have to complete extra study in order to achieve their goals.
• Graduate courses are more expensive and are less likely to be given a government subsidy.
• The extra years of study delay entry to the workforce of graduates who are, in some areas, needed to quell skill shortages.

While debate continues, the range of fields and universities adopting this model looks set to expand in years to come. Watch this space!

Broadening the undergraduate experience

One of the trends that seems to be gaining popularity is the move toward degrees that aim to broaden the experience and awareness of undergraduates beyond the confines of their particular subject or degree.

Some universities are adding compulsory internships or volunteer placements (both overseas and local) to their undergraduate curriculum. Others are giving students background in subjects such as globalisation, which are viewed as essential for future leaders and global citizens.

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