UNSW In-Person Exchange Fact Sheet
About UNSW

Welcome to UNSW Sydney
We are an internationally acclaimed teaching and research powerhouse, offering exchange students
a learning experience packed with academic programs, student activities and educational services.

UNSW Sydney is one of Australia's leading research and teaching universities and one of the top 100
universities in the world. We take pride in the broad range and high quality of our teaching programs.
Our teaching gains strength and currency from our research activities, strong industry links and ourinternational nature; UNSW has strong regional and global engagement. We have over 59,000
students and offer an extensive range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs.

Located in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, the University was established in 1949 and is committed
to shaping forward thinking, environmentally conscious and socially engaged students who will makea positive impact in the world. The main UNSW campus is located on a 38-hectare site at Kensington,seven kilometres from the centre of Sydney. Our other major campus is UNSW Paddington. Take
our 360 virtual campus tour1 or review UNSW Sydney: Bring your difference 2 to see what we have tooffer!
1 https://360tour.unsw.edu.au/

COVID-19
UNSW continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and we recommend you are flexible with yourplans. Up to date information on the safe return to campus can be found at COVID-19 - UNSW
Sydney3.

Course information and selection

Language of instruction
The language of instruction at UNSW is English.

Course load
You are required to enrol in a full-time load at UNSW. The normal full-time load is 18 units of credit
per term and 24 units of credit for tailored terms (3 subjects per term or 4 subjects per tailoredterm). It is not possible to overload.

Course selection
You can search for courses on the UNSW Handbook 4 and you can view instructions 5on how to
identify and search for these courses. When choosing your courses, it is important to be flexible.

2 https://youtu.be/sT5f3jHYCgY
3 https://www.covid-19.unsw.edu.au/
4 https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/search?q=&ct=subject&study_level=ugrd
5 https://sway.office.com/MSot68PWhD13NWWx?ref=Link

•You must meet any prerequisites for courses. This is assessed at the time of application, andnew courses can be submitted for approval on an ongoing basis.

•

You should check your proposed courses are offered in the term you will be on exchange.

•

It is important to have back up course options should your preferred courses not be
available. Faculties are unlikely to approve timetable clashes. We recommend you submit
course approval for all back up courses as early as possible.

•

All students are required to enrol in a full-time load each term.

•

You are expected to study with UNSW for the entire duration of your study plan, including
all exams and assessments.

•

Generally undergraduate students are not able to enrol in graduate courses, but there may
be some limited options for Law and some Science and Engineering subjects•

It is generally not possible for graduate students to enrol in undergraduate courses.

Equitable Learning Services
Equitable Learning Services 6 provide a range of services to students with disabilities, including notetakers, classwork support, assistive technology and exam adjustments.
If you receive educational adjustments at your home university, you will need to register with UNSW
Equitable Learning Services prior to study commencement to ensure the appropriate services are in
put in place by the time you start at UNSW. You will not be registered automatically.
Please note that support services in Australia may be different to the services offered at your home
university (for example, adjustments for extra time in exams may be shorter). While at UNSW you
will receive the same educational adjustments as local students, and it is best to make enquiries
about what services may be available to you before you arrive.

6 https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/disability-support-information-new-international-students

Course restrictions

While most courses are open to exchange students with the required academic background, somecourses are restricted or not available to exchange students.
•

Exchange students are limited to taking one online course only•

As courses in the Winter Term are limited and are generally electives, we recommend you
are flexible

Faculty of Law & Justice•Enrolment is restricted to Law Majors. Coursework is available at undergraduate andpostgraduate level•

Juris Doctor courses are open to students enrolled in a Juris Doctor Program at their homeinstitution•

Students are not able to take both LAWS and JURD courses simultaneously•

LLM elective courses are open to Law Exchange students•

Undergraduate and JD law enrolment for Exchange students is capped, and students areencouraged to also look at LLM elective courses•Core courses are not available to Exchange students

Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture
The Arts & Media, Education, Humanities & Languages, Social Sciences•

Students wishing to take stage 3 ARTS courses must be majoring in the desired field•

Undergraduate students can only enrol in undergraduate courses•

Postgraduate students are not eligible to take undergraduate courses•

INST, GLST, DANC, EDST, MDIA and Music courses are restricted to declared majors

Art & Design•

Courses are held at the Paddington campus, approximately 20 minutes away – a free shuttle
bus service 7 is available•

Priority will be given to students majoring in Art/Design•

Students can take a mix of courses from Paddington and Kensington (main) campus, as longas they are aware of the travel involved

Built Environment•

Students are limited to one studio-based course due to space limitations and should beflexible with subject choices

UNSW Business School
The following courses are not available to exchange students:•

Industrial Training courses including MARK2999, MARK3999, MARK4999, FINS3100,
FINS3200•

MARK6xxx courses•

GBAT course

Faculty of Medicine & Health•Exchange students can enrol in courses from the School of Medical Science however courses
in the Doctor of Medicine program are not open to exchange students.

Faculty of Engineering•

Enrolment in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science courses is extremely limited;
students need to be prepared to select courses from another major.

Faculty of Science•

Postgraduate psychology courses are not available to exchange students.

•

Undergraduate psychology courses are very limited.

Courses not open for exchange•

MBA Coursework•

Courses that are part of the Honours degree (4xxx)•

UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy (all courses starting with ‘z’)•

Doctor of Medicine program

7 https://www.estate.unsw.edu.au/plan-your-visit/public-transportTerm information and dates

The UNSW academic calendar comprises of three terms as well as a Summer Term in January (ST)and Winter (WT) intensive term in August. You can choose from one of the following term(s) or
Tailored Term(s) options. Please note the course sequence.
At the point of nomination, your home university needs to enter a study plan (term selection)for you.
This determines your length of study and terms you will be at UNSW.
Term options•

Tailored Term 1 (ST +T1) or Tailored Term 3 (WT + T3)-•

Term 1 (T1) or Term 3 (T3)-•

September to early February

Term 3 + Term 1 (T3+T1)-•

February to late AugustTerm 3 + Summer Term (T3+ST)-•

February - mid May or September to mid December

Term 1 + Term 2 (T1+T2)-•

January - mid May or August to mid December

September to mid May

Full Year - commencing Term 1 (T1+T2+T3) or Full Year - commencing Term 3 (T3+T1+T2)

•February to mid December or September to late August

Tailored Term 3 and Tailored Term 1 (WT +T3 + ST + T1)-

August to mid May

Tailored Term 1 or Tailored Term 3
Course Sequence - 1 + 3
Maximum number of courses - 4
Maximum units of credit - 24

Term 1 or Term 3
Course Sequence - 3
Maximum number of courses - 3
Maximum units of credit - 18

Term 1 + Term 2
Course Sequence - 2 + 2
Maximum number of courses - 4
Maximum units of credit - 24

Term 3 + Summer Term
Course Sequence - 3 + 1
Maximum number of courses - 4
Maximum units of credit - 24

Term 3 + Term 1
Course Sequence - 3 + 3
Maximum number of courses - 6
Maximum units of credit - 36

Full Year - commencing Term 1 or commencing Term 3
Course Sequence - 3 + 2 + 3 or 3 + 3 + 2
Maximum number of courses - 8

Maximum units of credit - 48

Tailored Term 3 and Tailored Term 1
Course Sequence - 1 + 3 + 1 + 3
Maximum number of courses - 8
Maximum units of credit - 48

Term datesPlease refer to the Academic Calendar for Study Abroad and Exchange 8 and Key dates9 for UNSW
term dates and important information. It is important you are aware of your start and end dates.
You are required to study with UNSW for the entire session and exam period. Your personal exam
timetable will be released mid term and you should not make travel arrangements until you havereceived your exam timetable.

Orientation
All Exchange students are required to attend a compulsory orientation according to their start term.
It is normally held the week before Term starts. Details are confirmed closer to the time.

2022 International Student Welcome•

Winter Term: 11 August•Term 3: 5 September

2023 International Student Welcome•

Summer Term: 3 January (TBC)•

Term 1: 6 February (TBC)

8 https://student.unsw.edu.au/calendar/exchange/inbound
9 https://student.unsw.edu.au/calendar/exchange/inboundApplications

How to apply
Our application is completely online. You should first be nominated by your home university (please
do not make a direct application through our website). Nomination information will be emailed toyour home university separately.

Once nominated, an email will be sent to you with information on how to submit your application.
You need to upload the following supporting documents as part of your application by theapplication deadline. We do not require hard copies of applications. We send offers and enrolment
information after the application deadline.

1. Academic transcript (with English translation, if applicable)
2. ID page of passport. (If you don’t have a current passport, please upload a copy of your old
passport and email us a copy of their new one when received)
3. Proof of English language 10 proficiency, if applicable

Deadlines
Tailored Term 1 & Term 1•

Nomination deadline: 5 October

10 https://www.unsw.edu.au/study/how-to-apply/english-language-

requirements#studyabroadexchangestudents•Application deadline: 15 October•

Term selection/length of stay deadline: 15 October

Tailored Term 3 & Term 3•

Nomination deadline: 26 March•

Application deadline: 1 April•

Term selection/length of stay deadline: 1 April

Please note all above dates are Sydney time (AEDT). We send offers and visa documentation after
the application deadline. It is not possible to change your term selection after the deadline.

Language requirements
If English is not your first language, you will need to provide proof of your English proficiency at timeof application. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one of UNSW’s approved
criteria. This is currently 6.5 IELTS or 90 TOEFL (iBT) for Exchange students. You are only required tomeet the overall score for IELTS and TOEFL, you do not need to meet each of the subtests. For priorstudy conditions and other acceptable criteria please see English language requirements | UNSW
Sydney11

It is important to check you meet our English requirements before being nominated by your home
university. It is too late to sit a test after our application deadline if you don’t meet our entry
requirements. You should arrange your language tests at least 6 months in advance.

The Australian Government also has requirements for student visas. You must verify and meet any
visa requirements.

Grade requirements
You should have equivalent to either a credit average or 3.0 GPA

11 https://www.unsw.edu.au/study/how-to-apply/english-language-

requirements#studyabroadexchangestudents

Housing, living costs & Social Activities

On-campus Housing
UNSW affiliated Colleges and Apartments 12 provide high quality accommodation and you should
apply directly to the College or Apartment as early as possible. Please make sure you select theaffiliated options when using the above link. On campus accommodation is extremely limited and is
not guaranteed even if you apply by the deadline.

Check out the UNSW Accommodation virtual tour 13.

Off-campus Housing
Most exchange students choose to live off campus and enjoy the beautiful suburbs that surround
UNSW. Sydney is a safe city, with public transport connecting the UNSW campuses, beaches, andcity centre.
•

Resources and advice 14•

We recommend students arrive 1-2 weeks early to find off campus accommodation. You
may wish to book temporary accommodation 15 to allow time to find more permanent
housing

12 https://accommodation.unsw.edu.au/compare
13 https://accommodation.unsw.edu.au/virtual -reality-tours
14 https://student.unsw.edu.au/accommodation/external

You should never arrange off-campus accommodation or transfer money from overseas.

Approximate living costs
We recommend around AU$9,000 – AU$11,000 per half year and AU$18,000 – AU$22,000 per year
for an in-person exchange. Please note note that this is for the basics 16 and does not include holiday
travel and entertainment costs.

Unless you are contacted with confirmation of a scholarship from UNSW, there are no otheravailable funding opportunities. Students are responsible for funding their own exchange.

Social Activites
There are fee-paying social activities during the term that exchange students can participate
in. Students are also encouraged to participate in other UNSW activities.

Insurance & OSHC

Overseas Student Health Cover
An Australian student visa requires you to have Overseas Student Health Cover 17 (OSHC) for its full
duration (most students from Belgium, Norway and Sweden are exempt). OSHC is a government
requirement and cannot be waived with off-shore health insurance and/or comprehensive travel
insurance.

15 https://student.unsw.edu.au/accommodation-short-term
16 https://student.unsw.edu.au/approximate-weekly-costs
17 https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/overseas/overseas_student_health_cover.htm

The UNSW’s preferred provider is Medibank. Further instructions are provided upon acceptance.

Working
Student visas allow you to work once you have commenced your course at UNSW. You can work up
to 40 hours a fortnight during session and unlimited hours when your course is not in session.
UNSW Employability 18 can assist you with your resume and interview preparation.

Transcripts

UNSW transcripts
An official transcript will be sent to you digitally through My eQuals at the end of your exchange,
after results are released, that you can share with your home institution.

See Grade Definitions 19 and Comparing grading systems20 for details on our grading system.

Transcripts for UNSW students
For Exchange Partners who send transcripts for UNSW students electronically, please send them to
toc@unsw.edu.au21

18 http://www.careers.unsw.edu.au/
19 https://student.unsw.edu.au/grade
20 https://student.unsw.edu.au/grades -comparison-of-grading-systems
21 mailto:toc@unsw.edu.au

Contact details

Useful websites
UNSW Sydney unsw.edu.au 22
Academic calendar student.unsw.edu.au/calendar 23
Courses handbook.unsw.edu.au 24
Key Dates student.unsw.edu.au/calendar/exchange/inbound 25
Faculties unsw.edu.au/faculties 26
Housing accommodation.unsw.edu.au 27 and student.unsw.edu.au/accommodation28
Equitable Learning Services https://student.unsw.edu.au/els

Exchange Office
Email: exchange@unsw.edu.au 29
Visit us on the web at www.unsw.edu.au30

22 http://www.unsw.edu.au/
23 https://student.unsw.edu.au/calendar
24 https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/
25 https://student.unsw.edu.au/calendar/exchange/inbound
26 https://www.unsw.edu.au/faculties
27 https://www.accommodation.unsw.edu.au/
28 https://student.unsw.edu.au/accommodation
29 mailto:exchange@unsw.edu.au
30 https://www.unsw.edu.au/Exchange TeamAnna Martin - Lead, Learning Abroad Exchange
Elena Longo - Exchange Coordinator
Philippa Clement-Levin - Exchange Advisor for Asia, UK & Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and South
AfricaSuzan Dankha - Exchange Advisor for Europe
Tami Oliveira - Exchange Advisor for USA, Canada and Latin America

UNSW Security
For after hours emergencies please contact UNSW security on
General Security
P : +61 2 9385 6000
Campus Emergency
P : +61 2 9385 6666
W: www.estate.unsw.edu.au/security/your-safety

UNSW CRICOS Provider Code: 00098G | ABN: 57 195 873 179
DISCLAIMER:UNSW programs, courses and any arrangements for programs and fees including staff allocated, as
stated in the Factsheet or any other University publication, announcement or advice of the
University, are an expression of intent only and are not to be taken as a firm offer or undertaking.
The University reserves the right to make alterations to any matter contained within this publication
without notice. Information in this Factsheet is accurate as of February 2022, but may be amended
without notice by the University. All costs and fees are provided in Australian Dollars (AUD$). Any
agreement with the University does not remove the right to take action under Australia’s consumer
protection laws.
COMPLIANCE:The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 sets out the legal framework
governing delivery of education to overseas students studying in Australia on a student visa. UNSW
in providing education services to overseas students complies with the ESOS Framework and the
National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training toOverseas Students 2018 (The National Code). A description of the ESOS framework can be found at

the following link: internationaleducation.gov.au/ RegulatoryInformation/Pages/regulatoryinformation.asp