Uni of SA - Graduate Dip.
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Uni of SA - Graduate Dip.
Anyone have any experience with Uni of SA and their Graduate Diploma in Aviation?
Any info regarding fleet/instructors/quality of training, etc would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Carambar
Any info regarding fleet/instructors/quality of training, etc would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Carambar
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Just saw this post with no responses. I had a look at it and it certainly looks enticing. Anyone know anything about the grad dip from Uni SA? from the website it looks like you get your full CPL + IR within 1 year and its covered by FEE HELP.
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UNISA
Its true that you get fee help for flying.
But there is loads of students, less aircrafts and instructors.
so if your thinking to get CPL+IR in One year forget that idea.
Bachelor of Civil Aviation is a very good program you learn a lot, but its very expensive.
My Advise for students paying them self who are thinking of doing a Degree in Aviation
go some where else get your CPL+IR+ATPL subjects in one year. (check schools in melbourne & sydney & brisbane) (And for ATPL subjects dont think twice Nathan Higgins the BEST ATPL instructor in Australia.)
And for the degree you can goto any University (eg: UNISA, GRIFFITH RMIT, SWINBURNE ) with your Copies of CASA CPL & ATPL Result advice notices.
And you will get heap of credit for subjects you have done cause any Uni in Austalia recognizes CASA. So your 3 year degree will be cut short to 1.5 years or less + Massive Savings.
But there is loads of students, less aircrafts and instructors.
so if your thinking to get CPL+IR in One year forget that idea.
Bachelor of Civil Aviation is a very good program you learn a lot, but its very expensive.
My Advise for students paying them self who are thinking of doing a Degree in Aviation
go some where else get your CPL+IR+ATPL subjects in one year. (check schools in melbourne & sydney & brisbane) (And for ATPL subjects dont think twice Nathan Higgins the BEST ATPL instructor in Australia.)
And for the degree you can goto any University (eg: UNISA, GRIFFITH RMIT, SWINBURNE ) with your Copies of CASA CPL & ATPL Result advice notices.
And you will get heap of credit for subjects you have done cause any Uni in Austalia recognizes CASA. So your 3 year degree will be cut short to 1.5 years or less + Massive Savings.
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I can't comment on their Dip program but I have done some of their T&E course work and that was of a high standard. The instructors were very experienced in the field and the presentations very good.
If the Dip program has instructors of similar experience levels and tech calibre it ought to be pretty good.
If the Dip program has instructors of similar experience levels and tech calibre it ought to be pretty good.
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Not UniSA specific, but...
Word of caution - don't think FEE-HELP will cover all of the flying costs and you'll be able to pay it all off at a later date. Anyone doing an aviation degree needs to have access to spare money because funding allocated to flight practicums only cover the bare minimums. Any overflying or remedial work and you'll most likely have to fork out the money yourself. A number of students have stopped flying for long periods at the tail end of their GFPT or PPL training (before a flight test) because their cash has dried up. Can you afford $350+ for a GFPT remedial lesson?
Also, who pays for your licence, medical, ASIC, charts, uniforms, maps, ERSA, AIPs, headset etc?
Make sure you go in to it with your eyes wide open. The universities and training providers don't always make this clear, or students go into the program with rose-tinted glasses on.
Word of caution - don't think FEE-HELP will cover all of the flying costs and you'll be able to pay it all off at a later date. Anyone doing an aviation degree needs to have access to spare money because funding allocated to flight practicums only cover the bare minimums. Any overflying or remedial work and you'll most likely have to fork out the money yourself. A number of students have stopped flying for long periods at the tail end of their GFPT or PPL training (before a flight test) because their cash has dried up. Can you afford $350+ for a GFPT remedial lesson?
Also, who pays for your licence, medical, ASIC, charts, uniforms, maps, ERSA, AIPs, headset etc?
Make sure you go in to it with your eyes wide open. The universities and training providers don't always make this clear, or students go into the program with rose-tinted glasses on.
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Hey Roxy_Chick_1989,
Hey read the 5th line on my previous comment, said that for the student whos not dependent on the govenment.
Any way to manage it with Fee help you got to be really smart read "Ando1Bar" 's comment there are hiddn fees which are not coverd by fee help, so if you dont have that much money collected have a rough idea before you step in.
& i got a better idea for the average school levers who dosent have money for flying training.
Get on to the Aero space engineering side cause Aero space engineering is a better degree to have than just a Aviation degree. (+ the total course is coverd by Fee help) then your starting as a trainee engineer would be like 50k a year. so theres the money to pay for your flying.
If not do a search and see i've heard that some normal flying schools are offering fee help too.
Hey read the 5th line on my previous comment, said that for the student whos not dependent on the govenment.
Any way to manage it with Fee help you got to be really smart read "Ando1Bar" 's comment there are hiddn fees which are not coverd by fee help, so if you dont have that much money collected have a rough idea before you step in.
& i got a better idea for the average school levers who dosent have money for flying training.
Get on to the Aero space engineering side cause Aero space engineering is a better degree to have than just a Aviation degree. (+ the total course is coverd by Fee help) then your starting as a trainee engineer would be like 50k a year. so theres the money to pay for your flying.
If not do a search and see i've heard that some normal flying schools are offering fee help too.
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All branches of engineering are a tad cyclical. The beauty of mech/aero is that the undergrad training, while having some specialist subjects, is heavily skewed to generic techo stuff. The result is that mech/aero graduates are found in an incredibly diverse range of career disciplines .. but you probably make a lot more money by reading dentistry, law, or accounting ...
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Has anyone taken this degree recently?
Im certain that the grad dip at unisa will cover up to cpl+ir
After that how about mecir and atpl theories? Is it possible to study that further at the uni or find a different institution?
Im certain that the grad dip at unisa will cover up to cpl+ir
After that how about mecir and atpl theories? Is it possible to study that further at the uni or find a different institution?
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Already checked out fta and done near solo there.
Cxcpp cadets have priority over self funded students.
Whilst there i've found out that my flights were getting postponed or cancelled in favor of cathay cadets.
Starting uni sa next year and asked the program director wether it's self funded from the point of receiving cpl+ir to me/cir. He was quite vague about it.
Needed the direct feed back of a student who is an alumni or a cutrent student.
Cxcpp cadets have priority over self funded students.
Whilst there i've found out that my flights were getting postponed or cancelled in favor of cathay cadets.
Starting uni sa next year and asked the program director wether it's self funded from the point of receiving cpl+ir to me/cir. He was quite vague about it.
Needed the direct feed back of a student who is an alumni or a cutrent student.
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Both the undergraduate degree (approximately 22,000 AUD) and the CPL MECIR course (approximately 70,000 to 80,000 AUD) can be done using FEE HELP (ie. the low interest government loan scheme). It is actually a requirement for students who wish to undertake the CPL MECIR to use FEE HELP, you are no longer able to self fund the flying training as the university ran into issues recovering their debt. If you have the means I would probably suggest an interstate university - they are probably all similar, but UniSA, whilst just upgrading the fleet and opening a new building at Parafield, is in a right mess.
Around 10 flying instructors have left in the last 18 months, and quite a few degree program lecturers have moved on as the organization did not treat them well enough - it is a shame as some of the lecturers had invaluable experience and knowledge. The new staff who run degree program have little, if any aviation industry experience and also know very little about the flying training side of the degree (hence the vagueness pointed out in the previous post).
The finance department is also a mess and nobody seems to know where your money goes and how much you have left to complete the flying training. The FEE FELP funds for the CPL MECIR are issued in 20,000 AUD blocks. Essentially you're told if you under run course hours, you don't get refunded anything - the University will pocket the FEE HELP funds and you will end up repaying the full amount (used or unused for your flying training). If you require some additional remedial training and OVER run the course hours, however, that's a different story, you need to make up the extra funds out of your own pocket. Great system. You won't, however, be able to find out the balance of your FEE HELP account anyway - as nobody seems to know. It is VERY poorly managed.
Instead of fixing the problems and setting up a transparent finance system with someone who knows the flying school's accounts, looking after valuable staff members with decades of industry experience to offer and worrying about ensuring current students have the resources they need to finish the course, management is spending all their effort on marketing programs to attract more students to a dysfunctional flying school.
In a nutshell, the flying school outgrew itself too it quickly with poor planning on coping with the influx of students now able to afford flying training through the FEE HELP scheme.
Unfortunately, for someone looking for an aviation degree, it's the only university in South Australia that offers such a course. Hopefully, given some time, management may realize the poor reputation they are developing for the school and act on fixing the place rather than trying to attract more revenue.
ID
Around 10 flying instructors have left in the last 18 months, and quite a few degree program lecturers have moved on as the organization did not treat them well enough - it is a shame as some of the lecturers had invaluable experience and knowledge. The new staff who run degree program have little, if any aviation industry experience and also know very little about the flying training side of the degree (hence the vagueness pointed out in the previous post).
The finance department is also a mess and nobody seems to know where your money goes and how much you have left to complete the flying training. The FEE FELP funds for the CPL MECIR are issued in 20,000 AUD blocks. Essentially you're told if you under run course hours, you don't get refunded anything - the University will pocket the FEE HELP funds and you will end up repaying the full amount (used or unused for your flying training). If you require some additional remedial training and OVER run the course hours, however, that's a different story, you need to make up the extra funds out of your own pocket. Great system. You won't, however, be able to find out the balance of your FEE HELP account anyway - as nobody seems to know. It is VERY poorly managed.
Instead of fixing the problems and setting up a transparent finance system with someone who knows the flying school's accounts, looking after valuable staff members with decades of industry experience to offer and worrying about ensuring current students have the resources they need to finish the course, management is spending all their effort on marketing programs to attract more students to a dysfunctional flying school.
In a nutshell, the flying school outgrew itself too it quickly with poor planning on coping with the influx of students now able to afford flying training through the FEE HELP scheme.
Unfortunately, for someone looking for an aviation degree, it's the only university in South Australia that offers such a course. Hopefully, given some time, management may realize the poor reputation they are developing for the school and act on fixing the place rather than trying to attract more revenue.
ID
Last edited by increasedescent; 28th Oct 2012 at 06:07.
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Don't knock the G1000s.
I used to think they were not doing me any good but then it literally saved the lives of some friends who lost their situational awareness.
It is not a problem in the slightest to fly analog aircraft after flying G1000s.
hmmm....
Will you find one of these out in the bush?
Will you find one of these out in the bush?
It is not a problem in the slightest to fly analog aircraft after flying G1000s.
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The new staff who run degree program have little, if any aviation industry experience and also know very little about the flying training side of the degree (hence the vagueness pointed out in the previous post).
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Thanks for those valuable information!
It seems like my nose is pointed towards the degree anyway however i may think twice about the grad dip.
I wonder if its possible to study at uni sa for the bachelor but study at the aftc college for flight training?
Just a thought, would it be possible that the fact the university is investing a good amount of money to upgrade their buildings and fleets to not only entice the students but to also entice quality instructors in regards to 'new environment with quality equipment' sort of deal?
Ive seen many of the unisa graduates are now instructing at aftc before they get an upgrade to fta probably hoping to get a step closer to CX.
It seems like my nose is pointed towards the degree anyway however i may think twice about the grad dip.
I wonder if its possible to study at uni sa for the bachelor but study at the aftc college for flight training?
Just a thought, would it be possible that the fact the university is investing a good amount of money to upgrade their buildings and fleets to not only entice the students but to also entice quality instructors in regards to 'new environment with quality equipment' sort of deal?
Ive seen many of the unisa graduates are now instructing at aftc before they get an upgrade to fta probably hoping to get a step closer to CX.
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Its quite conspicuous that fta is dominating parafield. Although is uni sa aviation academy having an epiphany of it's competitors current situation and trying to match the main dominator, FTA?
What are your thoughts?
After all, business is business and it feels like uni sa is slowly getting it together?
What are your thoughts?
After all, business is business and it feels like uni sa is slowly getting it together?
