Ikon Institute of Australia

i am currently studying in this institute, i have messaged many emaild regarding my issue to this college but they dont care, this college main focus is 1 making student fail so that they cannot change college and have to pay again 2 based on discrimination, if you are nepali or indian then please donot study here, (one teacher made me fail… Read more

because of personal issue) 3 student union team or department of education should seriously check this institution, 4 i have so many incident that how student are facing problem in this college, i will be sharing one by one here to all, because student supporting doesnot understand and they are always in favor of their teacher.

I am loving my experience at Ikon. I almost started Psychology at another university but am beyond glad I didn't. This is exactly where I am meant to be. I have just finished my first trimester in the Diploma of Counselling and Psychotherapy and I couldn't be happier with the course materials and lecturers. I notice there are lots of negative… Read more ·  1

comments about the admin, and while I have wished for quicker replies at times it has not gotten in the way of my study. I have already recommended Ikon to my best friend and will continue to do so if anyone asks about where they should study this kind of course. The quote "healer, heal thyself" keeps coming up for me when I think about how lucky I am to find a university that has such a deep and genuinely connected curriculum. I hope the right people read this and intuitively know how unique this learning is in a world focused on numbers and profit margins.

I do not recommend this college if you are an international student, i am currently studying bachelor of early childhood education, some teachers are rude and management team does-not care, to be honest this college makes student fail to make then study again, i feel some how it is profit driven,. It is not only in my case also my a lots of friends. Show details

Ikon is amazing – Ikon is an amazing university. Reading the previous comments leads me to believe they have upped their game drastically over the last few years. Lecturers go above and beyond, the content is very engaging and the class sizes make the learning experience intimate. Big shoutout to Dr Dan Rothschild and Mikaela Grant who I’ve just had the pleasure to… Read more ·  1

be taught by in my second trimester of counselling and psychotherapy in Melbourne. Both of these teachers are walking the talk of integrative psychotherapy in their own ways and were extremely inspiring and engaging to learn from. I did my first trimester in Sydney and the teachers there were also great. Ikon admin needs more resources put towards it, but the ikon learning experience makes it all worth it. I am learning, growing and feeling more inspired every week I come to class. When I compare what I’m learning with friends who have studied at other major universities, it sounds to both of us that the curriculum at ikon is far more interesting and forward thinking. I also love the assignments. They are varied in difficulty and style, challenging and rewarding. My only feedback would be that considering most students are mature age, it is an issue that we only get our timetables a week before the next trimester starts. I found this very stressful and I know every student I speak to has the same feedback. Thank you ikon for existing and being the breath of fresh air I was looking for in the psychotherapy educational space.

Heart of gratitude – I am a student in Ikon taking Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care. I am very grateful of Ikon for I have improved my skills in writing pedagogical documentation and was able to help a child at work who we suspected to be on spectrum. He has been coming to our service for 2 years and the parents were unwilling to have him checked,… Read more ·  1

thinking that educators know nothing. After reading the child’s observation that I wrote, the parents were encouraged for the child to get assessed. He was diagnosed with level 3 autism and is now getting the support that he needs. Thank you, Ikon for the learnings and developing my values as a future early childhood teacher. You made me realise how significant we are to the lives of the children. It made me compassionate and persistent enough to make a way for this child to get the help that he needs. I cannot take credit for being an instrument to change the life of this child, the credit is IKON’s. On behalf of the child, thank you very much!

INCREDIBLE EDUCATION – I have just started Ikon and am completely loving the entire experience. It’s my first time in higher education and I am so glad I chose ikon Show reply

The teachers I met were all good and helped me. But I hate the school management very much. Because I was pregnant during the internship stage, I was extremely unwell, and even had fecal bleeding and abdominal pain for a long time. I told the school that it did not help me at all. Then the application for a leave of absence was rejected, and then… Read more

said that I was not worthy of sympathy. Then I will be disqualified from studying. Then I applied for a leave of absence from the school for a period of absence from the school because of the late stage of intestinal cancer. I almost didn't see my grandfather for nearly 6 years because I came out to study. I went back to China to take care of my grandfather, but the school also rejected me.

There Is no support or organisational structure – Teachers are great but it doesn’t substitute for the appalling organisation and admin. Also don’t expect your assignments marked in a timely manner. Don’t expect t student support to help you with anything or return your emails or offer support when you ask for help. I am still waiting on submissions from OCT to be marked and it’s now Dec. The… Read more

learning content and teaching is great but there is no support here or any form of professionalism. The worste organisation I’ve ever witnessed.

Disapointing – STOP scrolling and please please listen up! Do Not waist your time and money at IKON. Promised the world and given nothing ! After three years of studying here, I, along with 90% of my classmates, regret signing up for IKON. The communication from IKON is consistently poor, with conflicting information provided to different students.… Read more

Despite being aware that international students require in-person teaching, many subjects are conducted online, disregarding our needs. It's evident that IKON prioritises their own interests over the well-being of students, which is particularly concerning given the nature of our counselling course.

The workload is incredibly intense and unessesory, leading to numerous breakdowns and burnouts among students. Many assignments seemed disconnected from the course material, leaving students feeling lost and frustrated. Without external resources like ChatGPT and google, learning would have been nearly impossible. The reliance on such platforms highlights a significant gap in the teaching approach and curriculum effectiveness.

Additionally, not all subjects are consistently available, leaving students either behind or forced to enroll in subjects they have no interest in. ( You have what subject your given ). Some of the subject options are not even relevent to be coming a counsellor. (With most of the subjects, You honestly will question why are we doing this???)

Work Placement ( Expensive, Time consuming, Cost effective, a Rip Off)

Finding work experience placements is an arduous task, with little to no assistance provided by IKON. This is despite the promise of support during the course application process. Furthermore, the cost of placements is exorbitant, considering students essentially pay to work in their own time with minimal supervision/support. Placement B is over $6000. You pay this as it is classed as two subjects (Rediculas). However, it takes up no time for IKON what so ever! Its a huge money earner for IKON. You are totaly on your own from the finding of a placement to working there. Not only that you will have other subjects on top. So if your working to pay for your course.. You will NOT have time to work !

While the tutors are undoubtedly knowledgeable, their teaching skills leave much to be desired. However, [Name Removed] stands out as an exceptional tutor who genuinely enriches the learning experience.

Academic support is virtually nonexistent, with appointments impossible to secure.

Subjects should be taught in person to those wanting it! Online platforms are not worth what we paid as international students which is thousands and thousands of dollers!

In conclusion, my experience with IKON has been deeply disappointing and frustrating, echoing the sentiments of numerous other students. The issues I've highlighted are just the tip of the iceberg, and I could continue listing grievances.

It's imperative that IKON addresses the treatment of international students. Their current approach feels exploitative, driven solely by financial gain.

I hope that by raising these concerns, positive changes can be made for the benefit of all future students.

Positives - The friends I made. [Name Removed] and [Name Removed] (Tutors) [Name Removed] (Experience team) The graduation - I must give credit to IKON for their efforts in ensuring the graduation ceremony was a memorable occasion. The provision of free-flowing drinks and food, along with impeccable service, truly made it a special day for everyone. Despite the negative experiences I've had with them, I appreciate their efforts in organising such a wonderful event.

I'd like to highlight just one of many examples where IKON promised one thing but delivered another. This incident underscores the consistent pattern of discrepancy between their assurances and actions.

One year before my graduation, I reached out to IKON via email to request permission to bring one extra guest to the ceremony. This was crucial as my parents were traveling all the way from the UK to attend. IKON initially confirmed my request, advising me to remind them closer to the date.

As the time approached and my parents were preparing to fly over, I sent a reminder email to IKON. However, to my surprise and disappointment, I received a response denying my request. Despite their prior assurance, they abruptly informed me that bringing an extra guest was not allowed, only suggesting I celebrate with my parents after the ceremony in near by venues. (lol thanks for the suggestion)

This sudden change left me extremely upset, especially considering IKON was fully aware of my parents' travel plans and had initially approved my request. Their lack of empathy and understanding added to my distress, forcing me to plead with them for a resolution. Ultimately, I had to rely on the generosity of another student who offered me their plus one space.

WORST ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE – I've tried reaching out for help quite a few times, looking for some guidance and a bit of support. But every time, it's like my concerns just didn't matter. All this has been taking a toll on my mental well-being, and I've decided to step back and rethink my whole time at this university. I want you to understand, this choice isn't easy. I value… Read more

education and learning, but I've got to value my own mental health too. Taking care of myself has to come first, and that means finding a place where I can actually grow, both in my studies and as a person.

Don't Bother, Zero Stars – Studying at Ikon is one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. This institution is so poorly organised I am AMAZED it's still running. Classes are constantly moved online due to low numbers, yet they advertise "boutique" and "small class sizes" as attractive features? Lectures never have any idea what the assignments are or whats… Read more

required, it's always "Let me check" and rarely are they ever able to gain any clarity. Timetables are released a week before term starts, making planning work or other commitments impossible. Lecturers are held to a low standard and often do not deliver the required content, saying "you can do the readings, it's all there" Lecturer plagiarised an entire lesson, which was recorded as it was on zoom, this was reported to Ikon and they did nothing. Prominent psychotherapy lecturer regularly pushes and "anti-woke" agenda, goes on long rants about not having to use trans and non-binary peoples correct pronouns as it "impedes his right to language". This creates an UNSAFE and hostile environment for queer students. Again Ikon is aware and does not care.

By the final year of my degree Ikons admin were so disorganised no-one could tell me what subjects I needed to complete to finish my course. The structure of the course has changes since I began, however these changes were never communicated to students. Nothing is ever communicated to students. Went an entire trimester with NO marks returned as Ikon was having to moderate all grading. Which meant we arrived at the end of sever subjects with no idea if we had passed assignments submitted six weeks ago.

Ikon is more than aware of all of this. They receive constant feedback from frustrated students and take no action, make no changes.

Bachelor of arts therapy also does NOT qualify you for membership of ANZACATA, Ikon deliberately keep this vague on their website.

Rejected application from IKON due to mental illness fir the art therapist diploma – Mentally screen applications before allowing you in discrimination then knocked me back 3 times for the same course

Do not enrol if you want to keep your sanity – I would give this negative 10 stars if I could. This kind of education is more akin to a "school of hard knocks", there was a culture of bullying (from some teachers AND students) that the Institute did not address. Utterly unprofessional staff and I can't even talk about the teachers, do all these people have no shame? Worst "academic" experience… Read more

of my life. The whole experience stressed me out so much that I developed severe social anxiety and a compromised immune system because of this "education".

Unsupportive, alt right, anti feminist – If you have disabilities, mental illness or are a part of a minority, or just might need extensions then this course is not for you. “Foundations of Scholarly Practice” is a compulsory subject and really should be called “Why call out culture is bad”. It might make sense if I was studying politics or anthropology but this was in an art therapy… Read more

course. It is centred around the book “the coddling of the American Mind” so it would be good to look into that book, maybe read the guardian review of it- and see if you can stomach that ethos. All 4 teachers I knew love it and it feels like the bible of the school. The teacher of this class hates “wokeism” and likes to throw divisive subjects out there to get people to react. He doesn’t base his views on facts. For example when complaining about how it is unreasonable to expect people use they/them pronouns he said only one in 650,000 people suffers from gender dysphoria anyway. This is incorrect and when I pointed out the real statistic he dismissed it said “you can find a fact to prove anything”. He also claims that there is no pay gap in Australia. He would bait students into sharing views and then grill them about whatever they said- especially if it was leftist or feminist. People felt too scared to speak up and have their ideas poked holes in and he would get frustrated if no one contributed to discussions yet many people told me they didn’t feel safe to.

I have no idea how this class was meant to help me be an art therapist and when I asked I was told “it’s so we don’t get caught up in cultural trends”

The marking of essays is lazy and I would just get comments like “good work” but no feedback on how to improve my mark. You have to book academic support weeks in advance which is useless if you are struggling with an essay due in a week. Each class would have usually two required readings beforehand that would be up to 100 pages, yet we barely discussed the readings in class and the teachers often said that they weren’t very good anyway- so why are we being made to read them?

I was very sick, submitted a medical certificate and a request for a week extension on an assignment. My request was rejected and I was told I needed another one where the doctor went into detail about my illness and I needed to write a cover letter with the medical certificate explaining why this situation was unavoidable and unexpected.

The philosophy of the school is “anti fragility” which is very strange for a school that predominantly teaches therapy skills.

Unethical and Unfair – Ikon does not follow government guidelines or its own policies and procedures. The academics have huge egos and are unable to consider students' needs or points of view. One of the course coordinators is probably a [Content Removed]. There is a poor culture that reflects on the staff's behavior; the staff is unprepared and doesn't have empathy.… Read more

They sell higher education, but the quality is much lower than a vocational course. They are not in the education industry; they are in the student visa industry, and they will take advantage of it. It doesn't work like in a free market; once they have our visa, they will abuse you. For example, one student with previous knowledge and experience had to do one subject twice because of their lack of competence to deliver tutorials. Your failure means more money to them. They also did not accept her credit transfer, which she got from a respected university. The student satisfaction rate is much lower than the industry average. Do not, by any means, enrol yourself in the Ikon Institute. Many healthy people were so abused that they became mentally ill because of them.

Not for me – Very disorganised, too many issues, admin team difficult, many changes which in turn resulted in a ripple effect. Am still trying to obtain my transcript and official documentation of completed degree. Still no luck. I am now currently in the midst of studying a Masters in a similar field. Hopefully things will improve with new Dean. Show details

Great learning and teachers but sub-par communication – Fantastic course content and teachers who truly care. Not enough integration between streams to give all students optimum theory backgrounds. Poor communication between admin and students for class resources, changes and requirements. Show reply

Terrible – Recently one teacher quit the Early Childhood Education course at the end trimester because of their lack of professionalism. This year a teacher quit in the middle of the trimeter and they don't have a teacher in Melbourne to replace her. The course coordinator plagiarized the online material (copying and pasting it from a book) and is still… Read more

working there while warning students about similarities in their assessments, huge hypocrisy. They take advantage of the vulnerability of international students and they don't really try to get better administration and professionals. Real leeches. Never trust hypocrites.

Overall a good place to study, with great subjects that both stretch and change you – Overall a good experience. Some lecturers are better than others but they all care about the subjects they teach and try to ensure the students pass. As a degree should be the subjects were stretching and at times I wondered if I would get there but with the help of my fellow students, lecturers and lots hard work, I always did. During my Art… Read more ·  1

Psychotherapy Batchelor's degree, I was stretched personally and a learnt a lot more than I anticipated. Ikon structured the subjects in a way that each module complemented the next. There were times when I was frustrated by gaps in the systems, but no more than I have experienced in other educational institutes. Hopefully these will be smoothed out as there are a lot of positive things about studying with Ikon.

Best place to study – Educators are professional, compassionate, and knowledgeable of the content they are teaching. Course work is okay, as it ranges from group work, projects, and individual assignments. The educators give some classes on time to work on assessments/ assignments which is good. The value of money is great, and the environment in IKON Sydney campus is safe. Show reply

I don't know how this place is still operating – I would need about 4-5 pages to describe all the deep seeded problems at Ikon, but here is just a few: - Overall, they are run very poorly, with systemic issues and gaps in their processes and systems. There seems to not be enough admin staff to sufficiently run day to day operations. Admin-wise, it is a train wreck. Things are often running late… Read more

or not done properly. - As per the recent independent 'QILT' student survey, only 64.5% of students at Ikon reported having a positive experience there. That is well below the industry average. - Ikon do not operate ethically, and are solely focussed on the $$$$ since being taken over by investors. - Ikon was pulled up by the government regulator last year for poor marking practices. Students were advised via a letter from the [Name Removed], sent via an admin person (not from him directly of course, god forbid he have to take the flack) . When some students replied to ask questions and give feedback about what had happened, their emails were ignored. - This is a regular occurrence as a student- admin staff not getting back to you when you need something. - Inconsistencies and delays with marking assessments, some students had their marks revoked, a week after they had received them, waited weeks for them to be reissued. End of trimester final marks can take months. - They advertise 'small class sizes' and yet some of the distance classes had 40+ students in them last trimester which made for a very poor learning experience. You can't have meaningful class discussions when there's over 40 people in the Zoom class. - At times, it can take up to 5 weeks to get an appointment with an academic counsellor. This is useless when you need help with an assessment. -They have more assessments per subject than many other equivalent courses run elsewhere. If you are doing 2 or 3 subjects, it would not be unusual to have 4 - 6 assessments all due within a week of each other. Prepare to be STRESSED. -Last trimester, some of our learning materials (readings, learning content etc) were not uploaded/provided until THREE WEEKS into the subject... despite the teachers chasing the admin people for weeks. The incompetence of the place is now a running joke amongst lecturers and students. - A lecturer pulled out of teaching a subject last trimester the day before the subject started. It took until week 3 for them to find a replacement. Classes were then behind, and they ran make-up classes, which not everyone could attend due to work commitments etc so they missed out on classes through no fault of their own. - One of the Sydney based lecturers, whilst a very nice person, does not run properly structured classes. Content is often missed and students are then ill equipped for the assignments. This leads to mega stress. - Overall however, it is the very hardworking lecturers who are carrying Ikon and trying to do their best amongst the administrative chaos. -Ikon decided to spring a 'new subject' on us last year. There was no mention of this subject when we enrolled, it was not listed in the course information/subjects when we signed up. Literally in week 1 of class last year, an admin person walked in and advised there was a new subject we had to complete, it is compulsory, it starts next week, and if you couldn't start it the following week, you were forced to pay $2k to do it the following trimester. They basically extorted an extra $2k out of us, over and above the advertised prices. I don't know how this is legal. -Subjects are generally only run once per year. This can make part time study a lot longer to complete. - Some of the positive reviews on here, such as the one from [Name Removed], are from people who work at Ikon. - Despite all their failings, they are bumping their prices up per subject this year, and no doubt, will continue to bump them up. - Be prepared to be highly stressed and disappointed if you join Ikon. I wish I knew this before I started, I have now left and have joined another uni, but I am so disappointed about all the wasted time and money... and most of all, all the stress . I don't expect perfection, every provider has their issues, and sometimes things can go wrong and that's okay, but this place is just utterly ridiculous.

Terrible lecturers for early childhood education – This is a business to suck money out of international students. Poorly prepared 'lecturers' with no clue about early childhood education or adult teaching. Go elsewhere if you can. If you try to complain, they will kick you out you so enter at your peril.

Best to study elsewhere… – I undertook an Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Art Therapy with Ikon Institute back in 2017/2018 in Perth. At the time, it was the only course in Art Therapy available. The teachers were great, with valuable knowledge, however I believe there are huge problems with how it’s run or managed. Besides feeling like every module was checking a box via… Read more

a completed 3000 word essay (with very little feedback), I had to finish my course at a later date, and despite handing in everything by an agreed date, and it being accepted via the student portal, i have only been able to receive a Statement of Attainment and not my Diploma, as they believe it is not complete - yet I was still signed off to complete the placement at various locations of the modules that are marked as incomplete, include one which only allows you to go on placement if that the previous module is finished.

With all my completed work, I have tried to contact them to attain my diploma, but they cannot accept it as they don’t run the Advanced Diploma anymore and told me to go to another place and see if I can get RPL.

It’s been an awful personal experience of a lot of hard work for nothing, however they’re inconsistent (being a small institution, courses are constantly cut/changed I assume…) and will not support you. Seems more about money making than guiding and qualifying new counsellors and art therapists.

The best step I took for my career as an Art Therapist – I love studying at Ikon. It feels really close and personal, like a second family, which I didn’t expect from a University. The teachers have been great and the class content is incredibly enriching. It really facilitates personal reflection and self inquiry, while still challenging you to think critically. The class environment has always been… Read more ·  1

really encouraging and insightful. Only down side is there can be a lack of organisation & communication with students. I find myself having to chase up Ikon for certain pieces of information. Besides that it’s been the best education experience I’ve ever had. Academic support is fantastic, and the counselling sessions available for students has been really helpful during difficult weeks. Overall I feel really supported and deeply enjoy what I’m learning, and how I’m being taught.

Another Brick in the Wall – In our assessments we are required to describe, evaluate, discuss, plan and talk about the importance, implementation and maintenance of the material. Unfortunately I feel in class we are not given the opportunity to fullfill these criteria. These way of learning is not stimulated in class as the learning is quite passive. The teacher reads slides… Read more

for the majority of our online learning and the critical thinking and debating is non existent (face-to-face learning is also non-existent). She just deliver the lessons to get over and done with it.