How do I find more information on courses and institutions in Adelaide?

www.studyadelaide.com is your one-stop-shop for studying in Adelaide. From the home page, you can search by course and institution in all levels of study. You will also find links to most institutions offering study options for international students.

What are the entry requirements?

Like other education cities, Adelaide’s institutions demand varying requirements for entry. Naturally, a strong command of English is essential, and from India you’ll need to provide proof of competency in the following areas:

• Completion of schooling to year 12 level (or its equivalent) for undergraduate programs and VET courses;
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): that’s IELTS 6 for most university undergraduate and some postgraduate programs (Carnegie Mellon University and many postgraduate programs including professional programs like medicine and nursing, will require an IELTS 7 score).
• For Vocational Education & Training visas (such as those for TAFE South Australia), you will need to achieve IELTS 5.5 for direct entry into the course.
  Entry requirements are subject to change, so be sure to double-check current requirements with your chosen institution.

Do I need a visa?

Most international students – including those from India – wanting to study full-time in Australia will need to obtain a student visa from the Department of Immigration & Citizenship. The type of visa you’ll need depends on your nationality and your main course of study. Among other things, you will need to prove that you can cover your tuition and living expenses for your first 24 months in Australia, and also pass a couple of medical examinations. A student visa application fee of AUD$430 applies (plus an additional $60 if you are seeking permission to work … you can legally work up to 20 hours per week during semester and unrestricted hours during vacation times). Importantly, there are a number of visa changes that will be introduced in July to September 2007, so please check the latest information with your preferred institution and the Department of Immigration & Citizenship to make sure you’re getting the latest information.

For further information visit www.immi.gov.au/students

Library & Information Science

The picture of a library as a place full of books, periodicals, and so on, is changing as information technology systems are taking over. This change is seen and felt in large cities now. Libraries and information centers are changing considerably. For almost 5 centuries since print was invented, individual libraries have collected as much material as they needed and could afford.

Now as computer-based information systems develop and are more widely used, the tradition of centuries are being revolutionised.

Most large libraries and information centers have their own computers and terminal links which are replacing traditional book stocks. Information technology is used mostly with computer-based systems for cataloguing, recording library loans and other routine administrative work. Back issues of periodicals, newspapers, government papers, etc. are being preserved on microfilm. Now most larger libraries use on-line computerised information services. Many public and academic libraries also use video text systems, hence some libraries now call themselves ‘multi-media resource centers’.

Librarians are information managers. They are professionals who manage and exploit information, and it is they who have been devising and exploiting new technology to manage the explosion in information and knowledge of the last 4 decades which is one basis of the need for information technology.

From mere book keepers and journal managers they are now transforming into publishers, editors, digitalizers, converters, compilers, categorizers, aggregators, collectors, collators, indexers and consolidators of contents. Online contents is growing rapidly along with multimedia learning materials. As classroom-centric teaching practices are becoming library-centric, librarians need to be tech-savvy.

Libraries and information centers

These are ever 400 large libraries employing over 10,000 people and thousands of small and medium libraries.

There are different kinds of libraries each catering to different group of clients. They are classified in the following paras :

Public libraries

Public libraries are large as well as small. They range from large National libraries offering a full range of lending and reference services smaller libraries with less extensive facilities to the libraries which, in remoter areas are ‘on wheels’, with specially-fitted vans taking the service to villages and outskirts of cities. Public libraries mainly provide services for local people - books, records etc.

Academic libraries

Academic libraries are libraries of universities and university colleges, polytechnics etc. They have to cope with the very varied needs of university staff doing advanced research on the one hand and the students who need to do reference work from books and articles. Polytechnic and larger college libraries are similar to university libraries. They have to provide services for an even broader range of users including for example people studying for professional qualifications.

All academic libraries provide services to students and staff. Academic libraries have to build a collection of books in the subjects taught, and some are therefore specialised, such as art colleges where libraries have more art related books.

School libraries

School libraries help pupils learn how to use libraries and books. They have material for study and project work. They provide a quiet place of study.

Special libraries

‘Special Libraries’ specialise in diverse groups. They include national libraries, information centers of industrial and commercial firms, government departments, public enterprises, learned societies and professional bodies and research associations.

Nature of Work

Librarians make information available to people. Library work involves three basic functions: User services, technical services and administrative services. Librarians in user services work to help users find the information they need. This may involve finding out the users’ needs to determine what information is appropriate and then search for, acquire, and provide the information to users.

Librarians in technical services acquire and prepare materials for use and may not deal directly with the public. Librarians in administrative services oversee the management of the library, supervising library staff and guiding activities to see that all sections of the library function properly. Sometimes librarians may perform a combination of all 3 services, e.g., specially in school libraries.

In small libraries librarians are equipped to handle all the work. They read book reviews, publishers’ notifications and catalogs to keep themselves informed of current literature and other available resources. They select and purchase materials from publishers, wholesalers and distributors. Librarians prepare new materials for use of classifying them by subject matter, and describe books and other library materials in a way that users can easily find them.

They supervise assistant librarians who prepare cards, computer records or other access tools that indicate the title, author, subject, publisher, date of publication, and location in the library. In addition they provide reference help; supervise staff; prepare the budget; and oversee other administrative matters. In large libraries, librarians often specialize in a single area, such as acquisitions, cataloging, bibliography, reference, special collections, circulation, or administration.

Digitalising of Libraries

The new digitisation of library is all about a system that manages and preserves documents intelligently and makes them easily accessible. These open online archives are the digital counterparts of traditional libraries wherein the content includes a whole lot of printed stuff, images, audio, video, music, movies, art objects. etc. Digital libraries are all about Knowledge Management (KM), which is currently being treated as a discipline by itself. The challenge in front of librarians is that they should be able to use technology to enhance the content management, online publishing and content refreshing.

Work Environment

Working conditions vary according to the specific job a librarian does. In user services assisting users in obtaining the information for their jobs and other needs can be challenging and satisfying. Working with users involves working under deadlines, the work may be busy, demanding, and stressful. In technical services, selecting and ordering new materials can be stimulating and rewarding. Nevertheless librarians often sit at desks or at computer terminals all day.

Librarians sometimes work part time. Public and college librarians often work even on weekends and evenings. School librarians generally have the same schedule as teachers and similar vacation schedules. Special librarians usually work through business hours.

Personal Characteristics

This is not a job for reclusive bookworms. Librarians and information officers should be orderly, have meticulous habits, an enquiring mind, a good memory, and plenty of initiative to dig out information. It is a peoples job, hence, courtesy, tact, patience, excellent communication skills, stamina and an outgoing personality are required to deal with enquirers of all ages and from all walks of life.

Information officers should have a good grasp and should be able to organize facts and communicate both in speech and in writing. Those who work in specialized areas need knowledge to be able to discuss research with experts in the field and to evaluate technical material. It is a job for someone who likes to read up things and follow information with perseverance. An orderly mind and retentive memory is needed.

Employment Avenues

The Advisory Committee of Libraries set up by the Government of India in 1959, outlined a scheme for National Library Service. Consequently it envisaged the need for professionally qualified librarians for all kinds of libraries - university and college libraries, school libraries, research libraries. Libraries of Government agencies, special libraries of Government undertaking and public libraries at different levels throughout the country. However, today a growing demand of librarians is with Library Automation Software companies. Vendors for Library Automation systems need information professionals for marketing and support at the backend. The jobs are in marketing, training, trouble shooting, managing.They are also included when software is being designed for provided professional inputs.

Media organisations recruit library professionals for indexing records of printed stories and articles. Embassies have their own information centres. Besides this all scientific laboratories have to maintain a library which requires librarians to manage them.

Earnings

Librarians working in government organisations/ schools/college libraries have scales as per other staff. Software companies offer handsome salaries and a librarian may be earning upto 40,000 per month.

Study/Training

Graduate Course in Library Science called Bachelor in Library Science (B.Lib) can be done only after graduation. This is a 1 year course. Masters in Library science can be done after B.Lib.

Information Technology

Not Just Toys for Boys

If someone told you that they didn't want to be a journalist because they didn't like pens you would think they were very strange. You'd realise that journalism is about investigating and reporting what' s happening in the world - pens are just one of the tools of the trade. So what would you say if someone suggested you worked in IT?

If you are still reading this you have probably just stifled a yawn and pictured a computer in your head. You think IT is boring and you don't want to work with machines, you want to work with people. Think again. Most IT jobs are no more about computers than a journalist's job is about pens. IT is about creating the products and services that we all need to help improve our lives. To do that you need to understand how people live and work and how they want to live and work in the future.

IT is dynamic and exciting and it changes just about everything we do. IT produces the magazines that we read so avidly, it is fundamental to the creation and distribution of music, it is in all the films being made by Hollywood and in the flight planning and security at airports. There are very few industries that don't now rely on IT and they all want people with bright new ideas. Try telling the IT professionals who worked so hard to produce films such as the Matrix, that their job is not creative, or the web designer, or the artistic designer of Cosmopolitan.

The range of jobs in IT is vast and there is something to suit everyone. Some are very creative and some are highly technical. They can be broadly summarised as software developers, systems operators, sales professionals, training professionals, helpdesk support, technicians /engineers, web designers, technical authors and business analysts. But within those broad headings the actual job roles can be very different. For instance an engineer can work on retail computer systems in your local high street, or she or he can be working on weather watching systems in a plane many miles above the ground. So whatever your interests there's bound to be something in IT for everyone.

The number of jobs is also vast. There are now twice as many people working in IT as there are teachers and this figure is set to double over the next 5 years. Some IT companies are cutting back on people at the moment but this downturn is not expected to last. When it starts to boom again the growth is likely to be spectacular as we look to IT to solve new problems and create ever more exciting entertainment.

In most IT jobs you will work closely with customers. Employers therefore place just as much emphasis on interpersonal skills as IT skills. IT employers don't want "techies" they want people who can understand and relate to their customers, have very good interpersonal skills, have good communications skills, are able to think creatively and can work in teams. Much of the work requires innovative thinking to find IT solutions to everyday problems and challenges. Staffs usually work in project teams where individuals rely heavily on each other. If you can show you are enthusiastic about IT, many employers will train you from scratch in the technical skills. However coming to them with some technical skills already is obviously a bonus. It shows you have the capacity to learn the skills they need.

IT careers are fast changing. IT knowledge and expertise moves on all the time, so employers are looking for people who are willing to adapt and change to meet the changing needs.

I have left the best bit to the end. The 2000 UK Graduate Careers Survey found that computer scientists earned an average £18,000 in 2000. This represented a growth in salary of 6% year on year. Graduates in the whole sample earned an average £15,000. In other words computer scientists earned 20% more than graduates in the whole sample. Many IT employers actively recruit graduates without relevant degrees, they will train you, and you could expect to be earning more than £35,500 within 5 years.


At the moment the majority of IT professionals are men, women hold only 20% of jobs. This should serve to encourage more women in IT. It's often easier for women to make an impact and many of the most successful IT professionals are female. How can IT companies create the products and services to suit the 50% of its customers who are female if women are not part of the process? Do we really want our future designed exclusively by men? It is no surprise then companies are so keen to have more women join them.

A Career in - Information Systems

No invention has transformed our world so comprehensively as the computer. It is only fifty years since the successful running of the world’s first stored-program computer at Manchester University. From that pioneering work has flowed computer applications that touch all our lives every minute of every day. The scale of the achievement comes from the ability to integrate computer technology with communications technology which, together as Information Technology (IT), can deliver information almost instantaneously around the globe.

No other technology has advanced so fast. Every year new advances make possible information systems that were previously impractical. Building the vast systems that run on today’s computers is an engineering activity that stands comparison with the greatest achievements of the nineteenth-century engineers who transformed that society. Modern information systems are now the most complex artefacts yet made by human beings.

Information Systems professionals carry major responsibilities on their shoulders. That is why a career in information systems can be very rewarding. Information systems are at the heart of every developed society. They are essential to the standard of living we have all come to expect. Only properly trained professionals can ensure that the world has the information systems it needs to ensure the well-being of every citizen.

What is an IT professional

The term IT professional encompasses hundreds of specialisms from the design and programming of computer systems, through testing, maintenance and support, training of users; and software or hardware sales. You might choose to work exclusively with software, hardware, or applications development.

The type of company you could be employed by is as varied as business itself, but the majority of positions are with blue chip companies in the financial services, hi-tech, telecoms and retail sectors.

Key Skills

At the moment, certain skills are in particular demand in the industry. The current top five are Windows NT, Oracle, C++, Unix and Visual Basic, so if you are skilled in these areas you will be even more attractive to employers. Furthermore the demand for Internet skills including Java, HTML and C++ has increased significantly over the past six months.

Requirements for entry into IT careers

The entry level into IT careers is generally a degree, often in Business/management, any Computing discipline, Engineering, Mathematics or Sciences, but because of the severe shortage of employees a degree in any subject is frequently accepted. Although a postgraduate qualification is not necessary, an MSc or diploma in IT may be useful if you don’t have a background in computing.

Examinations

Whether you want to enjoy greater recognition in your present job, to achieve promotion, or to embark on a new career direction, you’ll find the British Computer Society professional exam is internationally recognised, flexible and suited to the needs of the IS industry.

Recognising the rapid and significant changes in computing and information systems, the BCS has created an exam that will provide the benchmark for the future. The examination consists of three levels and a project, which have been developed through consultation with employers, to reflect the demands and the evolving needs of the IS community. Each level is recognised as an international qualification and counts as academic points towards attaining professional membership of the BCS. It is an honours degree level qualification which acknowledges practical experience and academic abilities.

The BCS Examination is open to everyone, there are no restrictions or formal entry requirements. The three levels of qualification, Certificate, Diploma and Professional Graduate diploma allow you to demonstrate your expertise at your chosen level and progress at the pace that is appropriate to you. At each level the Examination syllabus reflects a practical mix of up to date theory and current working practice.

Courses are available in a variety of formats, including part-time and distance learning. There are course providers in several countries throughout the world.

Courses in higher education

If you are planning a long term career in computing, particularly in a management position, you should consider studying for a degree in a computing subject. The content and approach of the degrees on offer is very varied and you need to examine carefully the prospectuses of universities offering courses in which you are interested. If you choose a BCS accredited degree you can be confident that it has been checked by a professional body for its depth, its coherence, its engineering emphasis, the inclusion of suitable practical and project work and the availability of resources to support the programme.

However the diversity of options within a computing degree is enormous, some will have a greater emphasis on hardware issues, some on systems engineering, and some on analysis and design. Each institution will have its own specialities, based on the research strengths and interests of the department.

The British Computer Society

The British Computer Society is the leading professional and learned society for people in the computer industry. It exists to provide service and support to the IT community, including individual practitioners, employers of IT staff, and the general public. The British Computer Society represents 38,000 members worldwide.

Around the world, membership of the British Computer Society is recognised as a sign of excellence in computing and information systems. It can be a vital asset in securing a better position. The BCS is trusted for its integrity as a genuinely independent body for IS practitioners. It is the only IS organisation which can award an internationally recognised professional qualification.