Study Abroad is similar to an international exchange program, where you leave your Canadian university for one or two semesters and take classes at a university outside Canada. When you return to your Canadian university to finish your program, the credits you gained at the university abroad are counted towards your Canadian degree.

If you would like to go to Australia on a Study Abroad program, you may apply to any Australian university that offers Study Abroad Programs and accepts international students. A key difference from an exchange program is that you pay international student (study abroad) fees to the Australian university rather than paying your regular tuition fees to your Canadian university.

Students from Canada apply to Study Abroad programs through OzTREKK.

If you would like to participate in an exchange program, you should visit the International Office at your Canadian university.

Bond University:
http://www.bond.edu.au/study/international/studyabroad/

James Cook University:
http://www.isc.jcu.edu.au/studyabroad.cfm

Macquarie University:
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/studyabroad

Monash University:
http://www.monash.edu/international/studyabroad/

University of Melbourne:
http://www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/int/saex/index.html

University of Newcastle:
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/internationalstudents/03studyoptions/studyabroad.html

University of Queensland:
http://www.uq.edu.au/studyabroad/

Study Abroad Application Process

Before filling in an Australian university Study Abroad application, OzTREKK recommends that you first complete the following steps:

> Ensure you meet the general admission requirements (listed in the next section)

> Decide which semester(s) you will study in Australia

> Decide which Australian university you want to attend

> Determine whether you meet that Australian university's admission requirements

> Determine what subjects you need to complete your Canadian Bachelor degree

> Log on to your Australian university's Study Abroad website (listed above), and choose 6-8 classes/subjects per semester. Make sure the class/subject is offered during the semester that you will be in Australia, and that your selections meet the course requirements of your Bachelor program. Note: You choose extra (6-8) subjects just in case some classes are full. You will only enrol in 4 subjects while studying abroad.

> Visit your campus International Office and tell them that you want to Study Abroad, and you need to complete a 'Letter of Permission Form.' Complete the form and attach class/subject descriptions for the Australian university classes/subject you wish to take.
> Next, visit your Course Coordinator/Academic Advisor. Provide him/her with your completed 'Letter of Permission Form' and the 6-8 Australian class/subject descriptions. He/she will advise you which Australian classes/subjects will be accepted towards your Canadian bachelor degree and will sign the form and give you a copy. Put this form in a safe place!

Once you complete these steps, contact OzTREKK and ask us to send you a Study Abroad application form for the university of your choice. Complete the application form and mail it, along with your certified university transcript, your signed 'Letter of Permission' form, and all other necessary documents outlined in the application, to OzTREKK at:

102 Sumac Lane
Perth, Ontario
K7H 3C7
Canada

OzTREKK will submit your Study Abroad application form and correspond with your Australian university on your behalf.

Some Australian universities have on-line Study Abroad applications for international students to complete. If you fill out an Australian university Study Abroad application on-line, complete the process by mailing OzTREKK your certified academic transcript and the other necessary documents outlined in the paragraph above. Please include a note in your mail package to OzTREKK that lets us know you completed the application on-line and quote the application reference number that you received.

We will notify you when we receive your "Letter of Offer" from your Australian university. We will work with you through the next steps, which includes accepting the offer and paying an initial deposit and mandatory Australian health insurance coverage.

Please contact OzTREKK at any time if you have questions about the application process.


Study Abroad Application Deadlines

Study Abroad application deadlines vary for Australian universities. For Semester One (end of February), application deadlines range from the end of October to the end of December, and for Semester Two, they range from mid-April to mid-May.

The general guideline is that Canadian students should apply to OzTREKK by November to commence studies in Semester One and by the beginning of May for Semester Two. This will give you enough time to receive your "Letter of Offer" and begin to arrange for your student visa and departure.


General Admission Requirements for Canadian Students

The basic admission requirements for Study Abroad programs offered by OzTREKK's Australian university partners include:
(1) completion of one-year of full-time university study at the undergraduate level

(2) academic requirements - Australian universities have various academic requirements (grade point averages or GPAs) for study abroad applicants. Most universities require either a minimum of an American/Canadian 2.5 or 3.0 GPA on a scale of 4.0. Contact your university's International Office to determine how your university's marking system matches a 4.0 grading scale.

(3) language requirements - evidence of English as a first language or an approved English language test score. If you have completed high school and/or universities studies in English, you will meet this language requirement!


Negotiating a Transfer of Credits with your Canadian University

As a Study Abroad student, you are responsible for negotiating the transfer of credits for studies undertaken at an Australian university, to your Canadian Bachelor degree.

You must ensure that your Canadian university (usually a Faculty or Department academic advisor) pre-approves the credits that you plan to complete in Australia and authorizes that your Australian courses/subjects will be counted towards your Canadian undergraduate degree when you return to Canada.

To do this, you will need to have a "Letter of Permission Form" (sometimes referred to as a "Course Approval Form") completed and approved. Visit your campus International Office and ask them for a "Letter of Permission Form". Then make an appointment with your Course Coordinator or Academic Advisor and review your Study Abroad courses/subjects with him/her. Ask the Advisor to confirm which Australian courses/subjects will be credited towards your Canadian undergraduate degree and ensure that he/she signs the Letter of Permission Form. Keep your signed "Letter of Permission Form" in a secure location, and make additional copies of it.

Finally, ask your Academic Advisor or at the campus International office whether your grades in Australia will count towards your grade point average (GPA) at your Canadian institution. At some Canadian universities, your Australian grades will count toward your GPA, while at others you will receive credit for your completing Australian courses but those grades will be GPA neutral.


The Number of Classes/Subjects taken per Semester in Australia

A full course load for a full-time student at an Australian university is four classes/subjects per semester. This is equivalent to a full course load for one semester in Canada. As a Study Abroad student, you will enrol in four classes/ subjects per semester, rather than five as you normally do in Canada.

Although you only undertake four classes/subjects per semester in Australia, your Canadian university will normally credit you for taking the equivalent of one semester's studies. This demonstrates how important it is for your Canadian university to approve your Letter of Permission Form.


Australia's Semester System

University semester dates and the yearly calendar are different in Australia than in Canada. Just as 'Semester One' in Canada begins in late summer/ early fall, so does 'Semester One' in Australia. Therefore, because Australia is in the southern hemisphere, 'Semester One' at Australian universities commences in late February/early March.

It takes some time to get your head around this, so listed below is a general guideline for the Australian university calendar year:

Semester One in Australia
Commences: Late February/ early March
Mid-semester Break: Easter (April), usually one week
Finishes: Late June/ early July

Mid-Year Break: Minimum of two weeks and often three weeks in July

Semester Two in Australia
Commences: Late July/ early August
Mid-semester Break: September, usually one week
Finishes: Mid-November/ early December


Study Abroad Scenarios

Below are some study abroad scenarios to help you understand the timing of Australian semesters and how they fit into the Canadian school year.

Q1./ I have completed my first year of undergraduate studies at a Canadian university. I want to study abroad in Australia for the second semester of my second year. When would I study in Australia?

A1./ Based on your plan to study abroad in Australia for the second semester of your second year, your schedule for studying in Canada and Australia would be:

Year 2, Semester 1	Study in Canada	September - December
Year 2, Semester 2	Study in Australia	February - June
Year 3, Semester 1	Study in Canada	September - December

Q2./ I am currently in my second year of undergraduate studies at a Canadian university. I want to study for two semesters in Australia for my third year. When would I start my third year in Australia?

A2./ Based on your plan to study abroad in Australia for two semesters for your third year of university, your schedule for studying in Canada and Australia would be:

Year 2, Semester 1	Study in Canada	September - December
Year 2, Semester 2	Study in Canada	January -April
Year 3, Semester 1	Study in Australia	July- November
Year 3, Semester 2	Study in Australia	February - June
Year 4, Semester 1	Study in Canada	September - December

QUESTIONS / HOW TO APPLY
Contact OzTREKK > info@oztrekk.com

Note: OzTREKK aims to ensure that all information and links are up-to-date and accurate. Please note that this information is subject to change without notice.