University of Western Australia Direct Exchange

Background

Located along the banks of the Swan River in Perth, the University of Western Australia is one of Australia’s top research institutions. The high caliber of its teaching staff, state-of-the-art research facilities, well-equipped lecture theatres and laboratories provide a superb environment to stimulate creativity and growth. Since it’s opening in 1913 the University of Western Australia has become the home of many highly recognized research professionals. Along with it being home to one of the premier Universities in Australia, Perth also hosts an International Arts Festival, which has grown dramatically each year. The Arts Festival features an Opera festival and a Jazz Festival which have several live artists in indoor and outdoor settings. The University of Western Australia also houses the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, which has been acknowledged as one of the finest university galleries in Australia. The collection comprises more than 2000 artworks and contains examples from leading Australian and international artists acquired through donations, purchases and bequests.

Academic Overview

Participants of the University of Western Australia exchange program enroll full-time as "exchange students" at their host universities (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, societies, and special events. The only exception to this standard is Student Financial Aid which will continue to be administered by the University of Washington. The university system in Australia consists of 37 universities and 630,000 students. The system is mostly public with all but two of the institutions receiving state support. Degree programs generally last three years and offer the option of a fourth "honors" year for students with strong academic records. Highly specialized fields, such as engineering and medicine, often require additional studies lasting from one to three years.

Having already satisfied pre-requisites in secondary school, Australian students launch into their specialized core courses from the onset of their university careers. Once a student declares a specialization there is little room for deviation from the core curriculum. When compared to American university courses, first and second-year courses in Australia are typically more advanced and akin to Junior and Senior-level courses in the United States. Due to the highly specialized Australian curricula, UW exchange participants should have a background in their proposed area of study and not plan to enroll for courses in more than one or two specializations. In general, Australian universities place a greater emphasis on independent learning than most undergraduate programs in the United States. Students are responsible for their own learning and expected to complete a significant amount of independent reading and research outside of class. In this way, the curricula are comparable to graduate studies in the United States. (Students in the fields of science or engineering might find their course curricula to be more structured than that of the arts or social sciences with a strong emphasis on laboratory work). Grades are usually determined by a combination of paper and test scores with a very heavy emphasis on the final exam. Although Australian students normally take fewer exams than their American counterparts, they are often expected to complete more papers and oral presentations.

Australian university classes generally meet as large lectures, seminars, group discussions and/or tutorials. Lectures, seminars and discussions are similar to those taught at the UW in terms of size and general format. Tutorials are one-on-one or small group discussions with the professor teaching the course. During the tutorials students are challenged to defend their essays and discuss course topics in-depth.

Dates of Instruction

The Australian academic year is divided into two semesters: Semester 1 courses generally begin in late February or early March and end in July; Semester 2 courses begin in late-July and end in November.

Housing

Students are responsible for securing and funding their own housing in Australia 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.

Note: Student housing is an exceptional way to meet other international students but not necessarily Australian students. Most Australian students live off campus in rented flats or at home with their parents. The primary source of your interaction with Australian students will be in your classes and through your involvement with campus clubs and societies.

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 study abroad for one semester pay 1.5 quarters of UW tuition; stduents who study abroad for the full year 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 or $600 for the year.

Concurrent Enrollment

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.

Courses and Credits

The University of Washington has an exchange agreement with the University of Western Australia. This agreement specifies that the UW will recognize credit granted by this university. 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

All grades for courses completed abroad are 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 abroad.

Terms and Eligibility

UW students can elect to study for one semester or one year as part of this direct exchange. To qualify, you must:

• 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.

Application Instructions

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

• IPE application form;
• UW official transcript and official transcripts from any other universities attended;
• Two-page statement describing your objectives for participating in an exchange in Australia;
• Two letters of recommendation from UW faculty or TAs;
• Statement describing your plan for financing the exchange experience.

Once your application has been entered into the IPE database and a file made on your behalf, IPE will send an email instructing you to schedule an interview appointment with an IPE advisor.

Application Deadlines

*Late applications to be considered on a space available basis.

References