Australia: Big domestic demand - but general slide in international enrolement

Since 2002 last year was already the strongest year for enrolments. But 2010 is even stronger. University of Technology Sydney has seen a 28 per cent increase in domestic applicants; Melbourne's La Trobe University indicates continued domestic growth over the last four years; RMIT University in Melbourne reports a 20 percent increase in applications from within Australia; Macquarie Graduate School of Management's first term enrolment is up 8 per cent. The Australian School of Business at Sydney's University of New South Wales reports the same growth rate in domestic enrolment. Everybody seems to want to up-skill: “With the financial crisis the amount of middle level to senior positions isn't growing, so there is probably more intense competition to get that promotion,” says Peter Reed, MBA director at Melbourne's Monash University.

Growth is biggest in online MBA programs. In the past those appealed to people because it was convenient not to have to travel just to attend classes; now people are saying "we got to do it online because of work pressure", explains Bob Gilliver, University of South Australia's MBA director. There is also a positive shift in the number of part-time students sponsored by their employers which was down last year. “This year it looks like we are coming back to companies reinvesting in training", says Jet Swain, director of marketing at the University of Technology Sydney.

Also on the rise are prices: the University of Sydney recently launched a global executive MBA at AUD 84,000 (55,800 Euro or 76,700 US-Dollar) and more than AUD 100,000 when compulsory travel and accommodation are included. At Melbourne Business School the full time MBA costs AUD 59,000, up from AUD 54,000 last year. The full time programme at the competing Australian School of Business at Sydney's University of New South Wales costs AUD 60,960, up from AUD 57,120 last year. At the same time the calibre of the students was the highest for many years, says the Associate Dean of Postgraduate Programs, Chris Adam. There has been an increase in students with consulting, IT and technology-related backgrounds.    

Generally, though, Australian business schools seem to be witnessing a slowing in international demand, partially due to the rise of the Australian dollar, partly to the growing Chinese and Indian economies and better educational opportunities in these markets. Also a spate of violent incidents which apparently targeted Indian students specifically, mostly in the city of Melbourne, has damaged Australia's reputation abroad and led to a drop in the number of foreign student applicants.

At Sydney's Australian School of Business the number of students from abroad, which accounts for 70 percent of the full-time MBA program, has held up but others can feel the decline. The University of Technology Sydney already experienced a 42 per cent decrease in international applicants between 2009 and 2010. The MBA program at Melbourne's Monash University is only marginally down in international enrolment, but MBA director Reed reckons: “The market we are after has become more of a limited market for international students.” 

• Macquarie Graduate School of Management
  Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA
• Melbourne Business School
  Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA