Completing Student Exchange and Study Abroad at UWA
As an international student, there are a few things you need to know about coming to UWA on Student Exchange or Study Abroad (SESA). Learn more about our entry requirements, fees and units, and hear from past inbound students about their experiences.
Why attend UWA as an Exchange or Study Abroad student?
More than 4,500 Global Industry Partnerships
Award-winning teachers (Australian Award for University Teaching 2020)
Five stars for Teaching Quality, Student Demand, Student Teacher Ratio (Good Universities Guide, 2021)
Ranked 90th in the world top 100 universities (QS 2023)
Hear from our students
Anyssa Queen
University of Montana, United States of America
The volunteer that took me to each talk was so nice and curious about my country and became one friend I saw through the campus during the semester.
Sergio Cardiel
Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico
Coming from a very different culture as an exchange student to UWA, I felt very nervous and had a lot of expectations of how the courses I was going to take would be.
Daanish Kachalia
McMaster University, Canada
Doing an Exchange term at the University of Western Australia has allowed me to grow so much as an individual.
Ella Shilliday
University of Bath, United Kingdom
The decision to do my study year abroad at UWA was honestly the best decision I have ever made.
Flavia Nascimento
Maua Institute of Technology, Brazil
My time at UWA was amazing, I could have contact with people from all over the world and learn about their culture.
Hailey Wachter
Bellarmine University, United States of America
Studying abroad at UWA helped to grow not only as a student, but as a person.
Entry requirements
Ensure you are eligible to study at UWA before planning your journey.
Academic requirements
Tertiary-level (university) students
To study at UWA as a Study Abroad or exchange student you should normally:
- have completed one semester of tertiary study at a recognised institution
- have a nomination from your home university to participate in the UWA Study Abroad program or complete and submit the Home University Authorisation form
- be in good academic standing at your home university
High school students
To study at UWA as a Study Abroad or exchange student you should normally:
- have completed a high school qualification in accordance with the admission requirements for entry to the relevant bachelor's degree programs at UWA (for example, BA and BSc)
English language requirements
IELTS (Academic)
An overall score minimum of 6.5, and no band less than 6.0 (must include Academic Reading and Writing modules).
Note: Results are valid for two years only.
TOEFL (next generation Internet-based test iBT)
An overall score minimum of 82 with a minimum score of: 22 in the Writing section; 18 in the Reading section, 20 in the Speaking section; and 20 in the Listening section.
Note: Results are valid for two years only.
International English language tests
View the complete list of tests by which UWA's English language competency requirement may be satisfied for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate coursework degrees.
UWA Centre for English Language Teaching (CELT) English Language Pathways
- Completion of the Academic English & Study Skills Bridging Course (Bridging Course) Module 2 with a minimum score of 70%
What if I don't meet the standard English requirements?
Students who do not meet the standard ELC requirements as set out in this section may be approved admission to UWA on the basis of the Alternative English Language Competency requirements. Students gaining admission via this pathway are assessed on a case-by-case basis and if approved they must enrol in the following unit in their first semester of enrolment:
- Professional and Academic Communication PACM1100
Minimum scores for this conditional offer are:
- IELTS 6.0 (no band score below 5.5)
- Internet-based TOEFL 70 (17 in Listening, 19 in Speaking, 14 in Reading and 20 in Writing)
UWA Centre for English Language Teaching (CELT) English Language Pathways:
- EAP Pathway 65 per cent (no band less than 60 per cent)
- Bridging Course Module 1 65 per cent / Module 2 60 per cent (no band less than 60 per cent)
Further information is available in the UWA Handbook. Enrolling in the unit PACM1100 will take the place of another coursework unit.
Check with the UWA Global Learning Office for more information. Other non-academic English courses are available at the Centre for English Language Teaching.
Applying as a Study Abroad student
Study Abroad students are required to pay tuition fees. These are paid either through your home institution or directly to UWA. Further information on fees can be found below. There are several options to apply as a Study Abroad student.
Application documents
All supporting documentation must be uploaded to your online application. This includes:
- your most recent official Academic Transcript signed and stamped by your home university (postgraduate students must also include a copy of their bachelor's degree transcript)
- evidence of English language competency (signed and stamped by home university), if applicable
- a colour copy of the details page of your passport
Where documents are not in English, a certified English translation must be enclosed with your application.
UWA has representatives in more than 60 countries. Check whether your country has a UWA representative overseas.
Fees
Study Abroad (not Student Exchange) students, or their sponsors, must pay tuition fees to UWA.
Tuition fees are calculated based on your enrolment. Please indicate when accepting your offer whether you will be enrolling in three or four units. A standard full-time enrolment load at UWA is 24 points per semester.
Extra points will lead to extra fees being charged on a pro rata basis.
Students studying across two academic years (for example, Semester 2, 2023 and Semester 1, 2024) may be charged different fees for each semester.
The fees below relate to 2023 enrolments.
Tuition fees for 18 points:
- AUD$10,838 per semester
- AUD$21,675 per year
Tuition fees for 24 points:
- AUD$14,450 per semester
- AUD$28,900 per year
Student Exchange and Study Abroad at UWA
UWA courses for Student Exchange and Study Abroad students
Before selecting units we recommend you:
- read the unit description in UWA's online Handbook
- ensure you meet the prerequisites for the units that interest you
The Student Exchange and Study Abroad program allow you to choose units from any school except in the areas of Medicine, Dentistry and postgraduate Psychology.
Subjects of study at UWA are referred to as units. You'll require each relevant student office's (there may be more than one) approval for each unit you wish to take. The faculties will ensure you meet the prerequisites for each unit prior to your enrolment.
- How many units can I take?
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Student Exchange and Study Abroad students can enrol in a full academic load of 18 or 24 points per semester. Most units are worth six points, so this generally works out to three or four units per semester.
Typically, most units are offered for a semester, but some must be taken for a full year.
- How do I select my units?
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You can use the online Handbook to browse through the units offered at UWA. All units consist of four letters detailing the discipline of the unit (such as ECON for Economics, PSYC for Psychology) and four numbers.
- Units with numbers beginning from 1 to 3 are generally undergraduate units. A code beginning with 1 represents first-year level studies, 2 represents second-year level studies and so on.
- Units with a number beginning with 4 are generally honours level units and may require a minimum of three years’ study prior to enrolling. Please note honours level units are not always available to Exchange and Study Abroad students.
- Some units coded 3xxx and 4xxx are common to both postgraduate and undergraduate programs.
- Units with numbers beginning with 5 and above are postgraduate level and may require a minimum of three years’ tertiary study in a relevant field prior to enrolling.
- Units in Medicine, Dentistry and postgraduate Psychology are not available to Student Exchange and Study Abroad students.
- What do the different teaching periods mean?
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Typically, most units are offered for a semester, but some must be taken for a full year. The majority of units are offered in either Semester 1 (February to June) or Semester 2 (July to November). Some units are offered in a non-standard teaching period. These units may be available to you if the dates fall within the semester period.
- How and when do I enrol?
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You’ll have the opportunity to enrol in your units online before the semester starts. The Global Learning Office will contact you once you are eligible to complete your online enrolment.
- What are classes like?
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At UWA the emphasis is on independent learning. There will be less direction from lecturers, greater expectations of individual study outside classes, fewer assessments and heavier weighting on assessments.
You will attend weekly lectures, which may be large (sometimes more than 100 students). These will be complemented by weekly tutorials, which are smaller classes where you are expected to participate in discussion and debate. They may be compulsory and are often assessed.
- How will I be assessed?
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Final grades are based on a combination of oral and written assignments and tests, project work, participation in tutorials and final examinations. Multiple choice is not a common method of assessment.
At the completion of your study at UWA an academic record will be sent to your home university/agent. UWA will not translate grades.
Performance is graded according to the following scale:
HD (Higher Distinction): 80-100%
D (Distinction): 70-79%
CR (Credit Pass): 60-69%
P (Pass): 50-59%
N+ (Fail): 45-49%
N (Fail): 0-44%
UP (Ungraded Pass): n/a
P* (Pass Conditional): n/a
UF (Ungraded Fail): n/a
All examinations are conducted in English (except for language units) and the use of dictionaries is not permitted, nor will additional time be granted if English is not your first language. - What are the application deadlines?
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For enrolment in Semester 1 (February – June), the application deadline is 30 October of the year prior.
For enrolment in Semester 2 (July – November), the application deadline is 15 April of the same year.
Study Abroad and Exchange Course Guide
Find out all the information you need to know about study abroad and exchange through the UWA Global Learning Office.
SESA Inbound Course Guide 2023 [PDF 2.33MB]