Academics

Fields of Study: Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering, Science

The University of Queensland offers a full range of fields of study. The university is particularly strong in Australian environments and sustainability, psychology, media and communication, pre-med and health, entrepreneurship and innovation, design and design computing, and indigenous studies.  

Unique study opportunities

  • Take courses in biodiversity conservation, marine and freshwater biology, and environmental sciences. Many classes include field trips to such places as Heron Island and Moreton Bay.
  • Examine the historical formation and social meanings of forms of popular culture in Australia by taking the fall course, Australian Popular Culture.
  • Learn about the social and cultural aspects of human bodies by taking the spring course, Human Bodies, Culture and Society.
  • Think about sport from a sociological perspective by taking the fall course, Sociology of Sport.
  • Immerse yourself in gaming by taking the spring course, Gaming Cultures. 

Language

Language of Instruction: English

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: 24 quarter/16 semester UC units each semester, which is equal to 8 UQ units
    • A 2 unit UQ course= 6 quarter/4 semester UC units
    • Since more UQ courses are worth 2 UQ units, most UCEAP students will take 4 courses
  • You may take one course per semester for pass/no pass credit

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 UQ.

Most clinical health courses (medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy, and veterinary science) are not available to exchange students. 

COURSE REGISTRATION AND SELECTION

You will select tentative courses on your UQ application (not your UCEAP application). Courses that you input are tentative and you can change courses all the way through the add/drop deadline at UQ which is usually the Friday of the second week of classes. 

Catalogs and resources

  • University of Queensland Course Catalog: Browse the full list of UQ courses.
    • Semester 1 is the spring term; semester 2 is the fall term.
  • Courses with field trips: Explore courses that have field trips.
  • 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. You will receive a grade conversion chart once your program begins. 

Fall grades are usually available in December. Spring grades are usually available in July. 

Requests for early grades cannot be accommodated for any reason.