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Academic Matters - Exchanging in your degree

Most degrees allow you to incorporate a period of exchange, but with some it is not possible, or at least not easy to arrange. This depends on the requirements of individual faculties at the University of Sydney.

If your degree has strict requirements but you still want to go on exchange, think about how to arrange your elective units. For example, if your degree involves core accounting units that cannot be substituted, you may be able to do these at the University of Sydney and leave the electives to the next semester when you go on exchange, as electives are much easier to substitute.

The following gives an overview of academic requirements and their impact on a wide range of disciplines at the University of Sydney.

By topic

By Faculty

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Undergraduate or Postgraduate?

Undergraduate usually have considerable choice of exchange options, although some restrictions apply for certain
disciplines. However, if you are an Honours student you should contact your faculty to obtain permission to study overseas, as some faculties do not permit Honours to be completed overseas.

Postgraduate applicants will face more restrictions, both at research and coursework levels. Postgraduate research students must have written support from:

  • their University of Sydney supervisor/s and postgraduate adviser in the Faculty Office, plus
  • an academic at the host university who agrees to be their supervisor during their exchange period.

Postgraduate coursework students may also have to meet additional requirements. For example, to be eligible for postgraduate exchange programs in Canada and the USA, students must have completed four years of undergraduate study. Postgraduate students will only be accepted at many universities in North America at the commencement of the northern hemisphere academic year, which typically starts in September (equivalent to second semester at the University of Sydney). Applications in January (i.e. ‘mid-year’ in the northern hemisphere academic year) at these institutions are not encouraged.

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Availability of suitable courses

The availability of suitable (or ‘creditable’) courses at partner universities is a crucial factor in choosing your exchange destination. In other words, you must make sure that your chosen university offers courses that can be translated back to the requirements of your University of Sydney degree. Upon return from exchange, your faculty will use your official overseas transcript and any other required documentation to credit your overseas results towards your University of Sydney degree.

The suitability of overseas courses can be checked by looking at partner university course catalogues in the International Office, or by exploring online handbooks on partner university websites. A good approach is to find out which units you would be studying at Sydney, review the course outlines for these units, then look for overseas courses at the same level and covering similar topics. In this way you can create a shortlist of suitable overseas universities for your desired areas of study. This information will later form part of the Academic Approvals required for your exchange application.

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Double degrees

Students enrolled in double degrees are generally able to take courses to meet the requirements of both degrees while on exchange. Combined law degrees are an exception, as the Faculty of Law will not permit law exchanges unless a student is in the last year of their undergraduate law degree.

Not all partner universities, however, are familiar with the structure of double degrees, as they are not common in overseas education systems. These universities will admit you via one faculty or academic area only and access to courses outside this main faculty may be limited or not possible. If you choose to study at one of these universities, you should ensure that you have consulted with your course coordinators at both faculties about how to make up the units you do not complete overseas, when you return to the University of Sydney.

Double degree students may be permitted to undertake two exchanges at different stages of their degree (e.g. one semester in Third Year and another semester in Fifth Year). For some double degrees eg: Arts/Social Work, students may find that exchange may not be possible for part of their course (eg: Social Work), even though international exchange will be possible for the other part (eg: Arts).

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Closed Disciplines

Due to strict degree requirements, Dentistry, Medicine (Graduate Medical Program), Nursing, Social Work and Veterinary Science (Bachelor of Veterinary Science) do not typically participate in semester or year long exchange programs. Short term overseas study programs or clinical placements may be available. You should consult your course coordinator about available opportunities.

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Internships & work experience

Internships and work experience opportunities can give you the edge in your degree and career, as well as, provide many opportunities for professional networking. Some partner universities offer these opportunities such as Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), Mexico; Boston University, USA; the University of California, USA; and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Conditions and available positions vary from semester to semester. To participate in these opportunities, your faculty will normally need to give academic approval. You should consult an Exchange Adviser for more information.

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Short-term study options

If you are unable to commit to a full semester of exchange study, you may wish to consider a period of short-term study. Whilst the University of Sydney does not formally organise short-term study options, we can provide information about available opportunities at partner and non-partner institutions eg: International Summer University Program at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark; the International Summer University at Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany; or the Study in Mexico EcoSummer Program at Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), Querétaro campus, Mexico. You should consult an Exchange Adviser for more information.

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Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources students can access exchange places through University-wide exchange agreements and one discipline-specific exchange agreement with the INP Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, ENSAT Ecole National Suprieure Agronomique de Toulouse in France. Past students have tended to go to the USA or Canada, with some popular choices being:

  • University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
  • Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, USA
  • University of California, Davis, USA
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Architecture, Design and Planning

Architecture, Design and Planning students can access faculty specific exchange places at TUE Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, and Faculty of Technology Management, in The Netherlands, as well as, places at University-wide exchange institutions. Architecture students may undertake exchanges of no more than one semester in duration. Students in the Bachelor of Design Computing may undertake exchange in the second semester of second year or first semester of the third year of the degree. The Faculty will not allow exchange in the Bachelor of Design in Architecture.

Postgraduate students may undertake a semester exchange provided that they complete no more than 50 percent of their core requirements away. Exchange in the Master of Architecture may be undertaken in all semesters, excluding the final semester. Faculty exchange policies are available on the faculty website.

Gaining entry to many overseas destinations is challenging as there is heavy demand for studio space and some exchange partners will not accept Architecture students although they offer an Architecture curriculum. It is usually easier to obtain studio space at the start of the overseas academic year which, in the northern hemisphere, typically commences in September. You should prepare to be flexible with your exchange preferences to increase your chances of placement overseas. Portfolios will be required.

Due to competition for places, successful Architecture applicants are normally distributed across all available University-wide and discipline-specific destinations, as most host universities are only able to take one or two applicants in this discipline.

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Arts

Undergraduate Arts students generally have considerable choice in exchange destinations, although there are restricted enrolments in some academic areas at partner universities. Most students apply for University-wide exchange places, but there are a few discipline-specific exchange agreements, such as Gotland University in Sweden for archaeology and several others for language study eg: Universitè Stendhal Grenoble 3, in France.

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Economics and Business

Undergraduate

International exchange is available to undergraduates across a range of Economics and Business degrees. There are a variety of discipline-specific partnerships throughout Asia, Europe and North America, and you are advised to prioritise these destinations in your application. These direct partnerships increase accessibility to business and commerce courses which are otherwise often restricted.

Economics and Business students are also eligible to apply for places at University-wide exchange institutions. Business and Commerce courses, however, are not open at all destinations due to restricted enrolments and exclusions, e.g. due to local enrolments there is extreme competition for Business and Commerce courses in Europe, Canada and the USA. Where restricted enrolments exist, you should be flexible to increase your chances of placement overseas.

You should be aware that at most partner universities, courses in economics and economic history are usually offered in arts faculties. Business and commerce courses are normally offered in faculties of business administration or management. An Exchange Adviser will be able to give you more information on which destinations are available for particular degrees.

Due to competition for places, successful undergraduate Economics and Business applicants are normally distributed across all available University-wide and discipline-specific destinations, as most host universities are only able to take one or two applicants in this discipline.

Postgraduate

Postgraduate business and commerce students have extremely limited options both at discipline-specific and University-wide institutions. Most relevant fields of study, particularly in Canada and the USA, are taught only through a Master of Business Administration (MBA). You will normally be able to take graduate commerce courses only if these are taught outside the structure of MBA programs. Due to the extreme restrictions for postgraduate business and commerce, you should prepare to be flexible to increase your chances of placement overseas. Please consult an Exchange Adviser for more information.

Postgraduate courses in economics and economic history are usually offered overseas in arts faculties. Students in these areas tend to have a wider choice of possible destinations. Due to competition for places, successful postgraduate Economics and Business applicants are normally distributed across all available University-wide and discipline-specific destinations, as most host universities are only able to take one or two applicants in this discipline.

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Education and Social Work

Education and Social Work offers several discipline-specific exchange agreements, particularly for education students. Education and Social Work students are also eligible to apply for places at University-wide exchange institutions.

Exchange for social work students is very difficult for most students unless they are enrolled in a double degree eg: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work. Interested students are encouraged to speak to their course coordinator about the possibility of going on exchange before proceeding too far with an application.

Exchange is not always straightforward for education students. A successful application for exchange will require significant consultation with your course or year adviser to ensure that necessary progression requirements can be met. You should prepare to be flexible with your exchange preferences.

Education students may be able to undertake teaching placements while on exchange if approval is gained from both the University of Sydney and the host university. In some cases approval will not be granted due to the different professional requirements between Australia and other countries.

In addition to exchange opportunities, special arrangements for teaching placements/internships may be available through programs arranged through Education and Social Work’s Division of International and External Relations.

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Engineering and Information Technologies

There are a variety of discipline-specific exchange agreements, particularly within the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. Engineering students are also eligible to apply for places at University-wide exchange institutions.

Access to courses in some areas of engineering may be restricted at overseas universities due to extreme competition and restricted enrolments. This specifically applies to telecommunications, software, computer and information engineering.

Please consult your course or year coordinator for specific academic guidance before pursuing an exchange application. They will be able to advise if there is a particular stage of your degree most suitable for an exchange.

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Health Sciences

There is one discipline-specific partnership for Exercise and Sports Science with Oregon State University, USA, and another discipline-specific partnership for Physiotherapy with Universiteit Maastricht, Faculty of Health Sciences (Movement Science), The Netherlands. Health sciences students are also eligible to apply for University-wide exchange places.

Exchange for health sciences students is not straightforward due to the strict requirements of most allied health courses.

A successful application for exchange will require significant consultation with a course or year adviser to ensure that necessary progression requirements can be met. When considering exchanges to North America, you should be aware that most health-related courses are only taught in professional degrees at the postgraduate level and will be closed to undergraduate students. However, there may be some possibilities for undergraduate students in Canada, as well as, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia (where some programs are instructed in English).

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Law

There are a wide variety of Law-specific exchange partnerships throughout Asia, Europe and North America. These are fully administered by the Law School and interested applicants should contact the Faculty for more information.

Law students are also eligible to apply for University-wide exchange places, though some restrictions on available destinations apply. An Exchange Adviser will be able to provide you with more information about which destinations are open to law students.

Law students are not permitted to go on exchange unless they are in the last year of their undergraduate law degree. Law students cannot satisfy any of the compulsory requirements of the LLB while on exchange, including the Jurisprudence requirement. Law students are only permitted to be on exchange for one semester and can only undertake units of study that count towards their electives. Due to competition for places, successful Law applicants seeking a University-wide exchange placement are normally distributed across all available destinations, as most host universities are only able to take one or two applicants in this discipline.

Medicine

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Medical Science degree may be permitted to participate in the International Exchange Program, however, an exchange in 4th and/or 5th semester of the course is recommended, particularly if you wish to apply for the Graduate Medical Program on your return to Australia. Much of the preparation for the Graduate Medical Program occurs during the 6th semester of the course and it may be disadvantageous to be overseas during this period.

There is one discipline-specific exchange agreement with Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, for Biomedical Science students. As the nature of these courses is quite specific, Medical Science students considering an exchange at Karolinska Institutet should discuss this with their course coordinator early in their degree.

Due to strict degree requirements, students in the Graduate Medical Program are unable to participate in the International Echange Program, but may be able to access short-term clinical placements through the Faculty of Medicine.

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Music - Sydney Conservatorium of Music

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music has several discipline-specific exchange agreements currently in Germany and the United Kingdom. These are only open to students within the Conservatorium. Due to academic restrictions at the partner universities, music students are only able to apply to the programs in the United Kingdom once per year (in October).

Music students are also eligible to apply for University-wide exchange places. Additional fees for private tuition or instruction may be required at some host universities, though all other tuition fees are normally waived at the host university. Audition recordings are normally required by the host university. Due to competition for places, successful Music applicants are normally distributed across all available University-wide and discipline-specific destinations, as most host universities are only able to
take one or two applicants in this discipline.

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Pharmacy

There is one discipline-specific partnership with København Universitet, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, in Denmark. Pharmacy students are also eligible to apply for University-wide exchange places.

Exchange for pharmacy students is not straightforward due to the strict requirements of the pharmacy degree. A successful application for exchange will require significant consultation with a course or year adviser to ensure that necessary progression requirements can be met. You should prepare to be flexible in your exchange preferences.

When considering exchange to Canada and the USA, you should be aware that most health-related courses are only taught as professional degrees at the postgraduate level and will be closed to undergraduate students. However, there may be some possibilities for undergraduate students in Canada, as well as, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia (where some programs are instructed in English).

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Science

Undergraduate science students generally have considerable choice in exchange programs, although there are restricted enrolments in some academic areas at partner universities. Most students apply for University-wide exchange places, but there is one discipline-specific exchange arrangement with Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, for Biomedical Science students (see section under Medicine).

Computer science is difficult to access at universities in Canada and the USA due to extreme competition from local enrolments. This has resulted in restrictive quotas for entry into these courses. Where quotas exist, you should prepare to be flexible to increase your chances of placement overseas. Undergraduate students may also be able to participate in research opportunities at some partner universities.

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Veterinary Science

Due to strict degree requirements, the Faculty of Veterinary Science does not typically participate in semester based exchange programs. However, it may be possible for students in the Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Science to participate in the program, after careful consultation with their course coordinator. Practical placements may be arranged through the faculty, such as under the discipline-specific professional placement program with the City University of Hong Kong for a three month period.

Visual Arts (Sydney College of the Arts)

Sydney College of the Arts has a number of discipline-specific exchange partnerships. SCA students are also eligible to apply for places at University-wide exchange institutions, though gaining entry to many overseas destinations is challenging due to limited studio space. You should prepare to be flexible with your University-wide exchange preferences. Where exchange is available, portfolios will normally be required.

SCA recommends students participate in the International Exchange Program during the later stages of their undergraduate degree or early part of their postgraduate program and only in March semester for no more than one semester. All applicants must be first reviewed by the SCA Exchange Committee in May, including students who choose to submit an application for a University-wide exchange place through the International Office. Students should consult with SCA for more specific advice on academic requirements for exchange.

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