Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning

Study Abroad and Exchange Opportunities

There are many reasons for you to consider completing part of your degree at an overseas university.

 

Academic Benefits

  • Gain an international perspective in your area of study
  • Study different subjects that are not offered at Melbourne
  • Improve your language skills or learn an new language
  • Learn about a new country, city and culture

Personal Benefits

  • Meet new people
  • Explore new places
  • Increase your self-confidence
  • Gain a broader outlook on life

Career Benefits

  • Give yourself a competitive advantage when looking for employment
  • Build international links and cross-cultural communication skills
  • Add something interesting to your resume

Scholarships

  • From 2009 onwards, a minimum of 800 Melbourne Abroad scholarships will be awarded each year. The scholarships, with a value of up to $2,500 supports participation in Study Abroad or Exchange programs.
  • For more information on funding is available through the Melbourne Global Mobility.

 

Read about the first hand experiences of University of Melbourne students on their Exchange blog.

Policy

Students are not normally permitted to go on exchange in the final semester of their course. This is because the Bachelor of Environments' final semester involves a capstone subject which cannot be substituted. In addition the final semester of study is a time for students and staff to consolidate and celebrate the achievements leading up to this point, and for this reason students are required to spend their final semester of study in Melbourne. Similarly students are not permitted to go on exchange in the first half of their course. Bachelor of Environments students are not required to declare a major until Semester 2 of their second year of study and devising a study plan for a student who had not yet declared a major would impact on their future options.

  1. Students must normally complete at least 100 points of study in their degree program at the University of Melbourne. This means that any student who has enrolled in the Bachelor of Environments with 200 points credit cannot go on exchange while enrolled in the Bachelor of Environments. Similarly, any student who has enrolled in the Bachelor of Environments with 150 points credit may only go on exchange for a maximum of one semester.
  1. Students must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible to apply for an exchange:
  1. Students may undertake an exchange of either one semester or two semesters, providing they will complete at least 100 points of study at the University of Melbourne (see point 1 above).
  1. The recommended time for Bachelor of Environments students to go on exchange is:

Year 2, Semester 2 AND/OR
Year 3, Semester 1

Exchanges will not normally be approved outside of the recommended times.

  1. Students studying at an overseas institution under a recognised exchange arrangement will pay tuition fees at the University of Melbourne, not the overseas institution.
  1. Students who wish to study at an overseas institution outside of a recognised exchange arrangement will need to make their own enrolment arrangements and pay tuition fees at the overseas institution, but may seek pre-approval to credit their study program towards their University of Melbourne course.

References

The Environments Student Grievance Policy will apply to students wishing to appeal against decisions made in accordance with this policy.

This policy should be read in conjunction with information made available by the Melbourne Global Mobility Office.

Procedures

Students wishing to seek approval for an exchange should make an appointment to see a Student Adviser to discuss their options. The Student Adviser will liaise with the student and the relevant course coordinator to arrange approval of the student's proposed study program overseas. Students must obtain approval for any subsequent variations to this study program.

On return from exchange, students must provide their academic transcript from the overseas institution to the Student Centre so that their exchange study can be credited to their University of Melbourne course.

Tools

Further advice on exchange can be found on the Melbourne Global Mobility Office website:

The application process is available online.

Authorisation and Responsibility

Authorised by the Environments Course Standing Committee. The Student Centre Manager is responsible for general oversight of this policy on behalf of the Committee.

Melbourne School of Design Student Centre Exchange Advisor

Justin Cusack

Student Centre, Ground Floor, Baldwin Spencer Building

T: +61 3 8344 0265
E: jcusack@unimelb.edu.au

 

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