Faculty of Science

General information

Although enrolling at a partner institution for one (or two) semesters, you will remain a fully enrolled student of the University of Melbourne, and are subject to our rules and regulations. Many aspects of the exchange are administered by the two universities involved but you must also be prepared to do a lot of work and organisation yourself. Ask lots of questions, research well, save money and be sure to maximise your opportunities whilst you are away either with travel, work experience, involvement in your host institution's activities and events or part-time employment.

Where to get information

Melbourne Abroad Outgoing Exchange office and resource room, third floor of the John Smyth Building, (International Centre).

Country specific organisations such as:

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Faculty of Science information sessions

Why go on Exchange?

Date: 6 October 2005
Time: 1:00 pm
Venue: Theatre 1, Old Geology Building

The Faculty of Science run two information lectures each year, one each semester, generally in April and September. An email notification will be sent to all students closer to these times.

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Scholarships

Although you pay your standard HECS or course fees at Melbourne and no tuition fees to your host institution, you are still responsible for supporting yourself financially. You will need to plan and budget for your time away and provide a breakdown of your financial situation as part of your application. You will be considered for a Melbourne Abroad scholarship on submission of your application for the exchange program.

You may also wish to investigate some other areas for monetary support.

Some countries also offer additional scholarships for visiting students. These tend to be institution specific so you will receive more information on these when you submit your application to a particular university. Please consult the Melbourne Abroad Outgoing Exchange office for further details on scholarships and grants.

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How much does exchange cost?

Obviously the cost of your exchange will vary depending on the country and institution that you choose, the type of accommodation that you select, whether or not meals are included as part of your accommodation, the type of airline ticket that you buy and a number of other factors.

You must also be sure to budget for your visa, health insurance, as well as living costs.

On average, you will need AUS$12,000 for a one semester stay and AUS$17,000 for a full year stay. Average costs will also vary depending on the type of person that you are.

Don't forget that if you receive Youth Allowance in Australia you are still eligible for this whilst you are overseas.

In some countries you are also able to be employed on a part-time basis. The Partner Institutions may be able to give you an indication of costs, and also consult the profiles of our returned students.

Be sure to be realistic about your financial situation, you want to be able to make the most of all of your opportunities whilst you are overseas and not let money worries disrupt your life. Don't factor in scholarships or extra funds until you are sure that you have them. Spend your planning time working and saving towards your trip.

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Helpful tips

Check our profiles of returned students for advice on how to plan and best prepare yourself for your adventure.

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Academic policies

Once your application has been accepted by a host institution and your place is confirmed, your Melbourne enrolment will be amended to record your exchange period for the relevant semesters.

While on exchange, you will be charged the equivalent HECS or course fees in proportion to what you study overseas, as a result of changes to the fee structure. There are different HECS bands depending on the type of subjects, so some subjects attract higher fees than others. For example, if your exchange workload is 50% arts and 50% science, two 'exchange' subjects will then appear on your enrolment - one will be represent 'Arts, 25 points' and the other, 'Science, 25 points'. Your HECS or course fees can then be determined.

It is important to advise the Faculty of Science if you change the proportion of subjects to what you had originally planned so that your enrolment remains current and accurate.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all enrolment requirements have been met before you depart the country. Your University of Melbourne email account will still be active and you will receive communication from us. You are also responsible for arranging your enrolment for your return to Melbourne, including course planning and payment of fees. Failure to do so can result in late fees or cancellation of your enrolment. Despite your status as a University of Melbourne student, you are also bound by the rules and regulations of your host institution.

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Performance expectations

Your role as an exchange student of the University of Melbourne is an important one both socially and academically. For the same reasons that we expect you to have reached a certain level of academic performance before you apply for exchange, it will be assumed that you will maintain this level of achievement at your host institution. Problems associated with academic study are one of the best ways to ruin your exchange experience. You will need to be prepared for changes in academic structure, expectations, assessment and delivery so be flexible and open-minded. You may need to modify your study habits in order to cope with these changes and still perform at a level which you used to.

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Extending your stay whilst overseas

You may find that after some time in your new home you would like to stay longer. You must notify the Faculty of Science, International Student Mobility Officer as soon as you have made this decision.

Melanie Dunkley
International Student Mobility Officer
Phone: + 61 3 8344 8228
Fax: + 61 3 8344 5803
Email: mdunkley@ unimelb.edu.au

There are a number of things which need to be done to extend your stay.

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Student safety and studying abroad

The University of Melbourne recognises its obligation to provide duty of care to students participating in an exchange program. However, many aspects of this are the responsibility of the individual student so you must take such issues into consideration in your planning and preparation.

If you are enrolled in a tertiary institution somewhere else, you can visit the University of Melbourne as part of a Study Abroad or Exchange program.

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