by Nicholas Shalagan, Former ISA Associate Director of Degree Programs, Canada
Outdoor cafés, a tropical climate, the most beautiful beaches in the world, and instructors who care deeply for their students – these are some of the reasons why the Gold Coast, in the state of Queensland, is where more Canadians choose to study than anywhere else in Australia. Nestled within lush hills, not far from central Gold Coast and the Pacific shoreline, sits Griffith University, whose modern facilities and inspiring campus form the backdrop of a world-class education.
The amazing part about Griffith University though is the wide variety of programs available to students that have attended Canadian colleges. Griffith’s unique pathway setup allows Canadian college students to complete their degree in as little as one year. Business, accounting, management, graphic design, computer programming, social work, and criminology are just a few examples of the areas of study that students can complete at Griffith.
In April of 2015, I had the chance to visit Griffith University’s Brisbane and Gold Coast campuses, which stand out as significant highlights from my trip to Australia. South Bank was my favourite stop in Brisbane because of the variety of food and entertainment options along the river. This area is also well connected to the rest of the city via transit, making it a very accessible place to live for students. Brisbane is also Australia’s third largest city with just over 2 million people. It’s not quite as big and fast paced as Toronto, but it definitely has a buzz that makes me want to visit again. Urbanites who love the outdoors will appreciate the kilometers of pedestrian and cycling trails, close proximity to hiking, and easy access to the Pacific Ocean.
After a day in Brisbane I took off to the Gold Coast, arguably one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in the world; there is even a section of the Gold Coast called Surfers’ Paradise! The Griffith University Gold Coast campus is just 10 minutes from the beach and a 50 minute drive from Brisbane, making it easy to spend time in the city. While it is often hard to talk about anything other than how nice the weather is in this part of the world, Griffith University makes that easy because of their hands-on faculty and state-of-the-art facilities. During my university visit, I stopped by the Graphic Design buildings and saw their top notch 3D printing technology, toured business classes, and sat inside the TV Production Studio! Aside from the beaches and campus, my favourite part of visiting the Gold Coast campus was meeting students that ISA helped during their application process to Griffith. Words cannot describe how satisfying it was to hear enthusiastic Canadian students describe such rewarding experiences studying at Griffith University.
My visit to Griffith University was nothing short of brilliant. Experiencing the outdoor concept cafés and gathering spaces, learning about 3D printing from faculty members, and sitting in a TV Production Studio where students learn how to create programming demonstrated Griffith’s prominence in so many fields of study while reiterating a student experience second to none. I can’t wait to get the chance to go back, but in the meantime, I’ll have to live vicariously through the Canadian students studying there!
While ISA no longer offers degree programs at Griffith University, we do still offer semester study opportunities. For more information about semester study abroad opportunities at Griffith University, please fill out the form below.
Reblogged this on ISA Degrees Abroad.