Australian Fitness Education

The Fitness Institute Australia (FIA) has many programs that are appropriate for international students. FIA has been host to an array of international students, from countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Lebanon, Israel, New Zealand, Sweden, Japan, Korea, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Russia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Singapore.

The FIA assists international students as much as possible. We can be contacted by telephone or fax, and emails will always receive a quick response. The FIA has a dedicated email addresses for overseas students - international@fia.com.au

Programs For International Students

The FIA has a number of full-time, nationally accredited programs, which are appropriate for international students. A full description of the programs we offer and links to our student prospectus can be found in the fiacourses section of this website. you can even download a full prospectus and enrol online.

Studying by Distance/Online learning
Globally over the past few years, Distance/Online learning has become an increasingly popular method of study. Students seeking to lead a more balanced lifestyle between home, education and work have selected Distance/Online learning as their preferred method of course delivery. In the current climate of health and fitness education there is strong emphasis on workplace and competency based training. The skills obtained in the workplace environment are paramount in the development for a career in the health and fitness industry. Due to the varied and extended hours of employment many aspiring health and fitness instructors have great difficulty in juggling both the requirements of work and education in furthering their academic knowledge.

Distance/Online learning now provides the flexibility for you to study in your own environment, in your own time and at a pace that suits your lifestyle. The obvious advantage is the freedom to study when the opportunity presents itself. No longer are you restricted to stringent lecture and tutorial times that often require an 80% attendance rate. Many of our students undertaking Distance/Online education programs report of the financial benefits of this type of delivery. The cost in time and travel to and from the program is saved as well as the financial benefit of being able to continue working on a full time basis if desired. There is now a whole new generation of students both old and young who are no longer restricted in educational opportunities due to their geographical location or isolation.

The FIA has recruited many of the leading Exercise Scientists in Australia to write the materials and resources for the all FIA courses. The materials in all the Distance/Online learning packages have been written in the most user friendly and comprehensive fashion, with features that allows you to read, think, discuss and then apply the information in a practical health and fitness sense. There has been some suggestion that the quality of the program materials in Distance/Online learning can be of a higher quality than campus based education that generally relies on the knowledge of the program instructor.

Distance/Online learning does not mean that you are left to navigate the program content unassisted. You are allocated an online tutor who is available at all times to answer questions, solve problems, assess and give directions when requested. This means you can attend class whenever it's convenient for you by choosing when and where you participate. The FIA is the first and only training provider in the Australian fitness industry to offer a fully integrated distance/online learning experience to assist you in realising your goals no matter where you live or what your schedule. For further information on the individual programs offered in the Distance/Online learning format go directly to the quicklinks section (right hand menu) and download the student prospectus or simply browse the rest of this website.

FIA Education Programs available:

Fitness Instructor - Certificate III in Fitness (SRF 30206)

Sports Trainer - Certificate 111 in Sport (SRS 30503)

Persnal Trainer - Certificate IV in Fitness (SRF 40206)

Massage Therapist - Certificate IV in Massage Therapy Practice (HLT 40307)

Fitness Specialist - Diploma of Fitness (SRF 50206)

Remedial Massage Therapist - Diploma of Remedial Massage (HLT 50307)

Strength & Conditioning Specialist - Diploma of Sport (SRS 50406)

About Sydney

Sydney has been voted one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has one of the world’s most celebrated harbour. There is a variety of things you can do and see in Sydney when not studying. The FIA is only 5 minutes from Central station (Devonshire exit), 10 minutes from Sydney airport, only 5 - 10 minutes by train from the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Circular Quay, The Rocks and 15 minutes from Bondi Beach. We’re also a short stroll from Darling Harbour and Chinatown. Australia’s beaches are well known around the world, and increasingly we are also becoming known for our great food, wines and a multitude of sporting and cultural activities. Add this to our relaxed lifestyle and great weather and you will quickly understand why Sydney is one of the best cities in the world for students to enjoy.

Cost of living

Australians also enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. The relatively modest cost of living in Australia is one of the main contributing factors. The Australian Government recently commissioned a study to compare the cost of studying in Australia to other countries and found that the total cost of studying in Australia (including tuition fees and living expenses) is consistently lower than that of the United States and the United Kingdom. (source: Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training).

Getting to FIA

FIA is the most conveniently located Fitness Institute in Australia. Located close to Central Station, the FIA is easily accessible by train, bus and even ferry. From Sydney Airport, you can catch the Airport Line to Central – the journey takes 10 minutes – or the Airport Express bus service 300. Buses from around Sydney stop at Devonshire Street and Elizabeth Street (directly outside our building). At Central Station, take the Devonshire Street exit, walk straight up Devonshire Street the FIA is almost on the intersection of Elizabeth and Devonshire Streets (slightly to the left along Elizabeth street). A map and picture of our building can be found on our website from the home page (see contact us – bottom right hand corner of the home page)

Getting around in Sydney

Sydney is geographically a very large city, but is well connected by road, rail, bus and ferry links. Cars and petrol are inexpensive by world standards, however the public transport system makes getting around Sydney very easy and inexpensive. Weekly, monthly and quarterly passes are available for travel on the Cityrail, Sydney Buses and Sydney Ferries networks. For more information visit the Sydney Transport Information site.

The FIA is two minutes walk from Central Station with a direct train service to the airport plus train and coach services to most parts of the country. For weekends away, we can recommend the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves to Sydney’s west, the Central Coast of NSW to Sydney’s north, the South Coast of NSW to Sydney’s south and the Hunter Valley wineries to Sydney’s north west. Sydney and its surrounding areas also contain 37 National Parks (including the world’s second-oldest National Park – the Royal National Park) with fantastic walking tracks and campsites, containing plants and animals you won’t see anywhere else in the world.

Contacting home

The Australian telecommunications network is completely liberalised and one of the cheapest in the world. Communication facilities are first class. The FIA has payphones close by and mobile phones are available from just about everywhere, very inexpensively. Internet cafes are widely available in Sydney – perfect for staying in contact with friends and loved ones back home. Local phone calls are untimed and even free on some plans, so staying connected to the Internet from home is not a costly exercise in Australia compared to the rest of the world. Phone cards to call home are widely available and calls are relatively inexpensive to call the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand.

English proficiency

All courses at FIA are taught in the English language. FIA courses require a high level of proficiency in oral and written English. The FIA requires students to demonstrate an English proficiency equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.0. FIA can assist you to choose an English language program that is best for your existing language skills and help you organise your smooth entry into the FIA program of your choice.

Accommodation

A wide variety of high standard accommodation is available in Sydney. Being located close to Central Station, FIA is convenient to just about every suburb of Sydney. Accommodation may be found in three main categories: homestay, individual accommodation or share accommodation. For information about accommodation in the Sydney area, please contact any of the services below.

Wake Up!
Sydney Central
509 Pitt Street
Sydney Australia
tel: +61 2 9288 7888
fax: +61 2 9288 7889

http://www.wakeup.com.au/

Sydney Central YHA
11 Rawson Place (on the corner of Pitt Street), Sydney
Phone: (02) 9218 9000
Fax: (02) 9281 9199

http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/search/region.cfm?regionid=62

Please Note: This list is compiled as a reference only. FIA cannot verify the bona-fides of any of the above-mentioned organisations, nor can it guarantee accommodation availability or costs at any time.

In discussions with international students here at the FIA we have discovered that some of the reasons why students come to live and study with us in Sydney, Australia:

FIA has superior academic programs that are highly regarded around the world by professional fitness organizations and employers

FIA boasts a wide range of programs that allow students to upgrade in small steps from one qualification to another

FIA has a diverse range of international students and it's very easy to make friends with people from both Australia and other countries

FIA's has strong links with most leading fitness industry organisations

Tuition is conducted in the English language and our programs are relatively inexpensive to most overseas countries due to a number of factors i.e. exchange rates and the high costs of equal courses in some countries

The FIA has always taken pride in our leadership role in fitness education. As the preferred institution for a fitness profession in Australia, you might care to note some of the FIA’s firsts in the industry:

FIA was the first private fitness education provider to gain VETAB accreditation for its Diploma of Fitness Program (VETAB is the NSW Government's Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board)

FIA offers Australia's only industry based Diploma program (in collaboration with a number of organizations/employers including: Steiners and Fitness First)

FIA is a founding member of the Australian Fitness Industry

FIA was the first Australian fitness training provider to offer flexible delivery (online learning, campus based lectures and workplace training and assessment)

FIA was the first fitness australian training provider to be accepted for articulation with several leading Australian Universities