University of Auckland Direct Exchange

Background

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s largest university. Established in 1883, it serves a student population of 26,000 and is internationally recognized for its excellent academic programs and research. Auckland’s main “City Campus” is located in central Auckland. Two satellite campuses, Tamaki and Medicine and Health Sciences, are outside the city center but linked to the main campus via inter-university shuttle.

The University of Auckland has 60 departments that fall under seven primary faculties: Architecture Planning and Fine Arts, Arts, Business and Economics, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Health Science, and Science. The Faculty of Arts is the school’s largest enrolling roughly 9,000 students; the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Commerce enroll approximately 6,000 students each.

New Zealand is a colorful mosaic of European, Maori, Polynesian and Asian cultures; the University of Auckland’s campus community and course offerings reflect this unique cultural identity. In addition to the university’s general course offerings, UW students with interests in Pacific archaeology, geography, ethnology or languages will discover a plethora of courses in regional studies not offered at the UW; Maori Studies and Samoan language to name a couple.

Academic Overview

Participants in the New Zealand exchanges enroll full-time as "exchange students" at the university (as opposed to degree-seeking students). As exchange students, participants take regular university classes and enjoy the same privileges and support services as degree-seeking students. These benefits include access to university library and computing facilities, university housing, counseling services, sporting clubs, student organizations and special events. The only exception to this standard is Student Financial Aid which will continue to be administered by the University of Washington.

For more information about the study environment at the New Zealand universities, we encourage you to read the evaluations of previous exchange participants and the course catalogs and student handbooks of the University of Auckland. Each of these resources is available in the IPE reference library.

Dates of Instruction

The academic year in New Zealand differs drastically from that in the United States, corresponding instead with the seasons of the southern hemisphere. The year begins in February and ends in November. Courses are taught on a semester system with the first semester extending from February to June and the second semester from July to November.

Housing

Students are responsible for securing and funding their own housing in New Zealand and are eligible for university accommodations at their host institution. Housing options vary from on and off-campus residence halls to shared flats and suites. Some accommodations include catered meal plans while others are equipped with full kitchens for self-catering. Students who do not to take advantage of university housing options generally find accommodations in private boarding homes or flats close to campus.

Cost

University of Washington's direct exchanges operate on a home-tuition basis whereby students pay regular UW tuition and fees to the UW and no tuition or fees to the host university overseas. Students who participate on semester-long exchanges will pay 1.5 quarters of UW tuition; students who participate on year-long exchanges will pay three quarters of UW tuition. Housing, living, travel and other miscellaneous expenses are the responsibility of the student. In addition, students are required to pay a UW IPE fee of $300 per semester ($600 per year).

Concurrent Enrollment

Courses and Credits

The University of Washington has an exchange agreement with the University of Auckland. The agreement specifies that the UW will recognize the credit of the partner institution overseas. Although credit is guaranteed, the type of UW credit awarded is not determined until after the exchange year has ended and the appropriate UW department has evaluated the coursework completed abroad. For this reason, it is advisable that students communicate with their regular UW academic advisers before and during the exchange period to determine the courses best suited for credit in their degree programs.

All grades for courses completed abroad must be reported on the host university’s transcript and the student’s UW transcript, regardless of the final mark or need for credit. In general, students earn the equivalent of 36-45 UW credits per year for coursework completed in New Zealand.

Terms and Eligibility

UW students can study at University of Auckland for one semester or an academic year. To qualify, you must also:

• Be enrolled as a regular, degree-seeking UW student;
• Have Junior standing or above by the exchange's beginning;
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0;
• Be flexible, independent and willing to conform to cultural customs that differ significantly from those of the US.

Health Screening

Since study abroad often means that students live with medical services and general health conditions that are different from those in their home country, you will be required to have a health screening and to submit a Health Screening Form with your Concurrent Enrollment Form.

Application Instructions and Deadlines

By the appropriate deadline, please submit your complete application to the IPE office with all of the following:

References