University of New South Wales

Unique study opportunities

• Learn about professional practice and develop your personal capabilities for lifelong learning and work by enrolling in the Practice of Work course. You'll engage with external partners by working on real-world projects, under the guidance of academic and workplace supervisors.
• Immerse yourself in Sydney through walking tours and from many vantage points, including its beaches, rivers, parks, subcultures and multicultural communities by taking the fall course, Sydney: History, Landscapes, People.
• Explore the history of Australian sport and the development of a body of law to underpin its place and function in Australian society by taking the spring course, Sport, Law and Society in Australia.
• Examine Aboriginal Sydney through local written and oral histories, as well as notable works in film, performance, television and art by taking the fall course, Aboriginal Sydney.
• Gain a multi-perspective view on Australian history, culture and society through the accounts and experiences of visitors over the past 2 centuries by taking the spring course, Australia Through Visitors' Eyes. 

Language

Language Study: Optional

Foreign language study is available. Check the university course catalog.

Courses and credit

REQUIREMENTS WHILE ABROAD

To successfully complete this program:

• Take a full-time course of study:
  • Fall: 18 quarter/12 semester UC units, which usually equals 3 courses
  • Spring*: 24 quarter/16 semester UC units, which usually equals 4 courses
  • A 6 unit UNSW course= 6 quarter/4 semester UC units
• You may take one course per semester for pass/no pass credit

*The UCEAP spring program combines two terms at UNSW (ST + T1). You will take 1 course during the ST term and 3 courses during the T1 term.

COURSE NUMBERS AND DIVISION

Courses that begin with a 1 will earn lower division UC credit. Courses that begin with a 2 or 3 will earn upper division UC credit. 

RESTRICTIONS

UCEAP does not allow students to take courses that begin with a 4 or higher at UNSW. 

UNSW courses are extremely limited in the following fields: 

• Psychology
• Computer Science
• Biomedical Engineering

If you are majoring in one of the above fields, be prepared to take courses outside of your major. 

Only students declared in the following majors can take courses in the these fields: 

• International Studies (INST)
• Global Studies (GLST)
• Dance Studies (DANC)
• Education Studies (EDST)
• Media Studies (MDIA)
• Music Studies (MUSC)

Catalogs and resources

• UNSW Course Catalog: Browse undergraduate course offerings at UNSW.
  • Summer Term (ST) and Term 1 (T1) is spring; Term 3 (T3) is fall.
• UNSW Course Outline Finder: Find course outlines, which is what UNSW refers to syllabi as.
• UCEAP Course Catalog: See a list of some courses students have taken on this program. This is not a current representation of course offerings on this program. Reference the above links to review recent course offerings.
• Campus Credit Abroad: Learn the types of credit (major, minor, general education, elective) students from your campus received at this location. If the course you want to take is not listed here, that does not mean you can't earn major, minor, general education or elective credit for it, as the database is not fully updated and does not list all courses, even if a UCEAP student has taken it before and has earned major credit for it. Let this database help you if it's able to, but don't let it detour you. It's ultimately up to your major advisor to determine the type of UC credit you'll earn for your classes abroad. 

Academic Culture

To help you acclimate to Australian campus life and culture, there are a few key differences and similarities with UC to be aware of:

• The Australian semester is longer and has a slower pace than the UC semester or quarter.
• Students address Australian lecturers and tutors informally by their first name.
• Similar to UC, the main forms of teaching are lectures (50-500+ students), tutorials (10-25 students), seminars (30+ students; half lecture, half tutorial), and labs/practicals.
• All lectures are recorded—beware of waiting until the last minute to watch them.
• In Australia, students are expected to be independent and show initiative. Instructors won't chase you up if you miss classes or assignments.
• Assignments tend to require heavy research and critical analysis.
• You’ll need to use Australian English for assignments.

Grades

You will earn direct UC credit and grades for all coursework. Australian university grades are criterion-referenced rather than norm-referenced (i.e., curved). This means that your performance on an assignment will be compared to a predefined standard, not to the performance of your classmates. Your lecturer will advise you of this standard via a grading rubric.

Most assessment is due toward the end of the semester. In a semester, it is not uncommon to have your first assignment due in the sixth week and not receive any grades back until the eighth week. Finals may be very heavily weighted (40-80% of your final grade). There is usually a study week (called swot vac) between the last week of the semester and the start of the exam period.

UCEAP converts your Australian grades to UC grades. Fall grades are usually available in January. Spring grades are usually available in June.