Information for students in final semester
Academic dress
Monash Unicomm operates the Academic Dress Regalia Service specialising in:
- Graduation regalia - all ceremonies held at Clayton campus
- Casual hire - ideal for individual students or groups wanting time to take photos
- Sales of new regalia - for individuals who wish to purchase
- Casual hire fees are: $45 overnight or $55 weekend
- With refundable cash deposit of $200 (Bachelor), $250 (Masters) and $300 (PhD)
More information about academic dress
Telephone: 9905 3146
Academic records
If you require a formal transcript of your academic results, you should:
- Complete the application form available from the Student services centre on your campus
You can also submit a request:
If you apply in writing you need to specify your:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Years of study
- Course details
- Student identification (ID) number
Transcripts cost $20 (AUD) per copy, and payment must be made in advance.
A free copy of your academic record is provided with your testamur when you graduate. The transcript shows all your results, both numerical marks and grades, and, where applicable, exemptions and credits.
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Alumni
Monash University Alumni are entitled to access a wide range of privileges:
- Receive information about the latest career news and networking opportunities
- Access to international alumni networks in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Korea
- Monash Magazine twice yearly
- Subscribe to free monthly alumni newsletter, 'At Monash'
There are no joining fees.
Visit Monash University Alumni
Telephone: 9903 4602
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Career advice
Important tips to keep in mind when looking for work:
- Be proactive with your job search
- Prepare effective resumes and letters
- Develop strong interview skills
Be proactive
Don't rely on advertised positions to apply for. Use your initiative and be creative about your job search.
Some useful strategies when looking for employment:
- Identify employers you want to work for. Find information about their application procedures and closing dates
- Contact employers directly to introduce yourself and explore job opportunities
- Explore the graduate labour market using corporate websites
- Join Monash University Alumni to introduce you to helpful contacts in your home country
- Be flexible. It may be best to start to your graduate career with an employer in the suburbs or regions, not necessarily in the CBD
- Join Professional Associations or even undertake voluntary work to expand your career networks
- Visit Monseacs The university's career service can help you with your job search
Prepare effective resumes and letters
It is essential that you really understand what is expected in your resume, your application letter and at interview. Your resume and your letter are designed to help you get the interview. The interview gets you the job.
Effective resumes and letters should:
- Emphasise relevant achievements, skills, abilities and experiences
- Summarise main elements of employment history, qualifications and personal details
- Be neatly typed on plain A4 paper
- Add credibility by substantiating your achievements/claims
Develop strong interview skills
Interviewers want to know you as a person, your educational experiences, your work experiences, your interests/leisure activities and what you expect from employment ie. your future plans.
It is essential before any interview that you:
- Prepare and research the organisation, the position and interview procedures
- Evaluate and know your skills, strengths and weaknesses
- Anticipate potential questions and practice answers
- Decide on appropriate appearance
Be positive and show a lot of enthusiasm for the position. Remember that, just because you have studied in Australia, you are not automatically a better candidate than someone who has a degree from your own country.
Employers are impressed by applicants who display:
- The right attitude and personal skills
- Workplace communication skills
- A 'can do' attitude
- Competitiveness
- Initiative
Useful overseas contacts
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Contacts
Academic Dress Regalia Service
Telephone: 9905 3146
Alumni Relations Office
Telephone: 9903 4602
Health, Wellbeing and Development
Contacts:
- Berwick Ph: 9904 7019
- Caulfield Ph: 9903 2500
- Clayton Ph: 9905 3156
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6425
- Parkville Ph: 9903 9689
- Peninsula Ph: 9904 4223
Graduations
Telephone: 9902 6011
Monash University International Student Support
Offices:
- Berwick Ph: 9904 7004
- Caulfield: Ph: 9903 2779
- Clayton Ph: 9905 2990
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6579
- Parkville Ph: 9903 9530
- Peninsula Ph: 9904 4622
Monash Student Employment And Careers Service (MONSEACS)
- Berwick Ph: 9904 7019
- Caulfield Ph: 9903 2114
- Clayton Ph: 9905 3151
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 7109
- Parkville Ph: 9905 3151
- Peninsula Ph: 9905 3151
Student Services Centres
- Berwick Ph: 9904 7111
- Caulfield Ph: 9903 6011
- Clayton Ph: 9902 6011
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6287
- Parkville Ph: 9903 9635
- Peninsula Ph: 9904 4290
Faculties offices
Arts
- Berwick Ph: 9904 7030
- Caulfield Ph: 9903 2462
- Clayton Ph: 9905 2107
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6339
Art & Design
- Caulfield Ph: 9903 2707
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6261
Business & Economics
- Berwick Ph: 9904 7045
- Caulfield Ph: 9902 6011
- Clayton Ph: 9905 2327
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6380
- Peninsula Ph: 9904 4314
Education
- Clayton Ph: 9905 2819
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6375
- Peninsula Ph: 9904 4288
Engineering
Information Technology
- Berwick Ph: 9904 7127
- Caulfield Ph: 9902 6011
- Clayton Ph: 9905 5770
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6835
Law
- City Ph: 9641 6222
- Clayton Ph: 9905 3300
Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
- Clayton (Undergraduate) Ph: 9905 4301
- Clayton (Postgraduate) Ph: 9905 3926
- Gippsland (Nursing) Ph: 9902 6454
- Peninsula (Nursing) Ph: 9904 4260
Pharmacy
Science
- Clayton Ph: 9905 4604
- Gippsland Ph: 9902 6431
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Freight
Shipping Your Goods Home
It is important to allow yourself time to organise shipping your belongings home. If you leave things to the last minute, you will only make life difficult for yourself.
Many companies provide freight services. You may wish to contact these companies directly.
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Going home
Why should I be worried about going home?
It is not a foreign country!
People who have lived abroad often find that the adjustment to returning home is more difficult than their adjustment to the foreign culture.
While you may know your home, what you do not know after being gone for a period of time is that you have changed and had new and interesting experiences. People at home have changed too.
What can you do to prepare?
- Be prepared for an adjustment process. Give yourself time to work through what you are feeling. Give your family time to adjust as well
- When you go home everything will look and feel familiar, but you may also feel that there is something out of place. Take time to think about how your view of your familiar home and culture have changed
- When you return you may have a heightened sense of awareness that will last just a short time. Take advantage of the time by writing your perceptions on paper. It may help to later reflect on your writings
- When family and friends ask about your trip, learn to give short responses. Save long discussions for those who have been in Australia, or are preparing to come here
- Try to take things slowly when you first return home. If opportunities arise to integrate some of your new knowledge into local traditions, go for it
- Give yourself time to process what you have learnt, and think through the larger impact of introducing new ways of doing things. What works in one situation, may not work in another. Pick ideas that will work well for you, and disregard those that will not, Try new things...but not immediately
- Try to be sensitive to other people's feelings. Are they really not interested in your experiences, or are they jealous because they have been waiting for years for the same opportunity?
- Try not to idealise Australia, or criticise your own country...and vice-versa. Attempt to remain objective. Be careful about how you phrase your comments and criticism about your country. Many foreigners are shocked when they come to Australia about how free Australians are to criticise. Do not forget that it may not be acceptable to do the same at home
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Graduation
Graduation is not automatic following completion of your course. You must apply to graduate.
Download graduation application forms
Important:
- To graduate in first semester, applications must be submitted by 30 November of the previous year
- To graduate in second semester, applications must be submitted by 30 June of that year
- Do not wait for examination results before lodging an application to graduate, as your application can be deferred if necessary
- If you choose to attend a ceremony in Australia, the fee is $150.
- Payment must be forwarded with your application by cheque, money order or Visa
- No fee is required for those students not wishing to attend a ceremony, i.e. in absentia
- Students graduating in absentia will be sent their degree and a copy of their academic record within two weeks of the ceremony date
More information about graduation
Phone: 9902 6011
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Housing
If you are renting a unit, flat or house, you may need to move into temporary accommodation for two or three weeks before you leave. This will give you sufficient time to organise getting your bond back and attend to any other matters that may require more time.
Give reasonable notice of lease termination to all necessary authorities:
- Real estate agents
- Landords
- Utility providers
- Phone
- Gas
- Water
- Electricity
This will allow you to clear any outstanding debts and make it easier for incoming students to seek the services of the above providers. It will also not compromise any plans you have of returning to Australia at a later date.
Things to consider:
- Give adequate notice to your landlord/estate agent that you will be leaving
- If you have a lease which you may need to break, speak to a Housing Officer on campus as soon as possible
- Ensure that the property is properly cleaned for final inspection
- Organise the final property inspection and return the keys as close as possible to the date you will vacate the property
- Cancel your telephone, gas and electricity connections and organise the final payments
- Organise the redirection of your mail through your local Post Office
- Organise to sell your goods, or arrange to have them shipped home
- Provide an address to the University for future correspondence
Do not leave your accommodation without notifying anyone because:
- You may face difficulties if you return, or try to return to Australia later
- Your actions will make it difficult for future students to get accommodation and other services. If international students get a reputation for being irresponsible or unreliable, landlords will become reluctant to rent their properties to future students
- It is illegal and irresponsible
Leaving your rented accommodation
If you are renting and need to break your lease
Breaking a lease is not always easy to do. When you signed it, you basically signed a contract to rent the premises for the period mentioned. Leaving earlier than the date mentioned in the lease is a breach of contract and there are penalties you may incur.
If you break a lease you may be liable for the following charges:
- Continued rent payment until someone else is found by you or the agent to take over the lease; plus
- A letting fee payable to the agent (but not a private landlord operating without an agent) of up to 2 weeks rent; plus
- The costs incurred by the owner or agent in advertising the property for someone else
If you find someone else to take over the lease, this will reduce the costs involved. The agent or owner has to have a very good reason not to accept someone you find to take over the lease.
Important:
There are circumstances under which you may apply to the Residential Tenancies Tribunal for a termination of the agreement if you believe the owner/agent is not taking adequate steps to re-let your property. Speak to the Housing Officer.
If your lease runs out before you leave
You must still give the landlord at least 28 days notice in writing when you intend to vacate. This must give the date of your intention to leave. The property should be thoroughly cleaned for the inspection.
Cleaning should include:
- Removing marks from the walls
- Having the carpets steam cleaned
- Cleaning benches, windows, cupboards, the bathroom et cetera
Ending your tenancy:
- It may help to go over the property condition report you received at the beginning of the tenancy to check that the property is as clean as possible
- Arrange for a property inspection on the day that you will vacate, or soon after
- Return the keys as soon as possible as the tenancy is not considered ended until the keys are returned
- If everything is sorted out satisfactorily, your bond should be returned within 14 days of leaving your accommodation. If there is a dispute, seek advice from the Housing Officer
Visit the Housing Advisory Service
If you live in Student Residence or Homestay
In most cases, leaving should be relatively simple.
- Make sure that you discuss your departure with your host or manager with plenty of time to spare
- One month's notice is recommended to allow time to discuss how you will finalise your responsibilities and get your bond back, if you have one
- You should have some idea of how much bond you will get back and when. If you can't clarify this to your satisfaction at least a week before you leave, it may be advisable to contact the Student Housing Officer
Cancellation of services
Different organisations are responsible for Telephone, Gas, Water and Electricity supplies. As a result, you will need to contact each one separately to finalise your accounts. Refer to your bills for contact phone numbers to disconnect your services.
If you know when you will be moving out, it is suggested that you give each service a week's notice before you vacate. You will need to let them know from what date you will no longer require the service, and where they can send any bills that may be outstanding.
Mail redirection
Your local post office can organise your mail to be redirected from your current address to almost any other destination. This means that mail addressed to you at your house can be redirected to another address either within Australia or overseas. There is a fee attached to this service. Contact a Post Office for further information.
Unfinished business in Australia can be made easier and quicker if you have someone in Melbourne or Australia to have mail sent to, especially if something comes up that requires a response within Australia.
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Pre-departure checklist
There may seem to be a million tasks to complete before you can board the plane for your return trip home!
This list may help you organise your time, and remind you of some things that you may have forgotten
- Advise your landlord/estate agent at least 4 weeks before you intend to vacate your house/flat
- Arrange for the premises to be inspected before returning the keys and request the return of your bond
- If renting, arrange to have telephone, gas, water and electricity services to be disconnected and pay all outstanding accounts
- Explore the various methods and costs of freight to send your things home
- Check the customs regulations and complete the necessary documents
- Ensure that your passport and visa are both valid. If you are transiting/stopping over in another country on your way home, ensure that you have the correct visa for that country if required
- Submit 'Application to Graduate' form and pay for graduation ceremony
- Pay any outstanding University fees or fines (e.g. library, parking, etc). Your results will not be released, or your degree granted until all fees/fines have been paid
- Pay for academic transcripts at the Student Services Centre. If required, request the University to send the transcripts to an address in your home country
- Inform the University of your overseas address for future correspondence
- Return any borrowed items (e.g. library books, videos, furniture or household items
- If you are a postgraduate student, discuss with your supervisor how thesis corrections and binding will be handled once you have returned home. (You may need to leave money with your supervisor to cover the cost of binding)
- Submit any OSHC claims that are still outstanding
- Make time to say farewell to friends and University staff
- Maybe you need to buy souvenirs for family and friends at home?
- Have you advised your family and employer of your proposed arrival details?
- Have you made arrangements for transport to the airport on the day of your departure?
- Ask the local Post Office to forward your mail to your home address
- Call at the Graduation Office and arrange to have your degree certificate posted to your overseas address if you are unable to attend the graduation ceremony
- Close all your bank accounts if required
- Join Alumni
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Selling your belongings
Sale of Books, Furniture and Other Goods
Secondhand books, furniture and other goods can be sold at a number of places. You are likely to get a better price if you sell them yourself through notices on the noticeboards around the campus.
If you want to sell them quickly and without too much fuss, you can sell them through any number of secondhand book or furniture dealers. A list of these dealers can be found in the Yellow Pages
Alternatively, your furniture and other goods can also be advertised in:
- Your local council newspaper
- The Age newspaper, Phone: 13 22 43
- The Trading Post A newspaper devoted to buying and selling of goods, Phone: 13 22 37
- Monash Marketplace Classified ads for the Monash University Community, Phone: 9905 3106
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Superannuation
Departing Australia Superannuation Payment
Temporary residents of Australia who meet the eligibility criteria can now apply for release of their benefit once they have permanently departed Australia, rather than leaving it in an Australian fund until their preservation age.
The payment is known as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment and a flat 30% Government tax will be withheld from the benefit when it is paid. The legislation only applies to people who hold and have held a temporary visa ie. student visa. Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents who have the option of returning to Australia to retire will not be able to access their benefits until they reach their preservation age.
A list of eligible visa subclasses is available at the Australian Taxation Office
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Tax return
If you have been earning income in Australia and have been paying tax, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will accept early lodgement of returns of your part year tax-free threshold for individuals prior to the end of the financial year (30 June) if you are a non-resident of Australia and you are leaving Australia permanently.
You will need to:
- Obtain a copy of TaxPack and the form 'Taxpayer leaving Australia - Request for early assessment' (NAT 3407). This form can be obtained from ATO assist or from your nearest ATO access centre
- Obtain a payment summary from each of your employers
- Complete your tax return, attach the completed 'Taxpayer leaving Australia - Request for early assessment' to the front of the return and post both forms to GPO Box 9990 in your capital city
More information can be obtained from the Personal Tax Infoline on 13 28 61.
More information about Tax Returns
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Visitor Visa
Students will be required to leave Australia before the expiry of their student visa after the completion of their course.
You may be able to apply for extension to stay in Australia as a visitor for graduation or sightseeing if:
- You do not have the condition 8503 (no further stay) on your current visa
- The application is lodged before the expiry of your current visa
- You have abided by the conditions of your previous visa and
- You have the financial means to support yourself during your stay
There are two different classes of visitor visa you can apply for:
- Short stay visitor - this class is for a total stay of 3 months or less
- Long stay visitor - this class is for a total stay of more than 3 months (only granted under exceptional circumstances)
You need to provide the following to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC):
- Your current passport (make sure your passport has not expired)
- Form 601 Application for Further Stay as a Visitor. The form is available from the International Student Support (ISS) Office. Or you can download form 601 now from the DIAC Website
- Evidence of sufficient funds for living expenses and travel without the need to work while in Australia. Once the visitor visa is granted, the student no longer has permission to work
- Where a student is asking to stay in order to attend graduation, confirmation is required from the University (a letter confirming the date of graduation)
- The application fee
More information about visitor visas
Please note:
If you complete your course one month or more earlier than expected, you are required to leave the country within 28 days even though your student visa might be valid for a longer duration. As per ESOS requirement, a report will be generated to DIAC regarding your early completion. Please visit your campus office for more information or advice.
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