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International opportunities

Gain credit towards your degree while studying abroad
Many of our students choose to study in another country as part of their degree. Take advantage of our global professional placements and short-term, semester and year-long exchanges.

When you study at Sydney, you’ll have opportunities to travel the world.

Our placement and exchange opportunities set you up for a global career as you develop skills and broaden your world perspective.

Our international engagement program includes partnerships with more than 250 universities in more than 40 countries including France, India, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

We encourage students to undertake an international experience as part of their studies and offer a range of scholarships and funding to support this.

Study abroad and exchange

Process
1

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences recommends you talk to an Exchange or Undergraduate Coordinator within your school/discipline before applying. Key academic contacts can be found on your school’s webpage.

Explore: your options for overseas study
2

Do not apply unless your degree resolution and progression allow you to enrol into the unit. You can check these in the handbook for the year you started your degree (you may need to refer to the handbook archive). If you are unsure, make an enquiry with the Student Centre. Alternatively, see: Planning your course; How do I check my course progress?; Course management (Request a degree check).
You can use this form if you need help making a change to your course, or assessing the progress in your course. Response times will vary depending on your request, however you should receive a reply within 10 working days.

Apply: how to apply for overseas study
3

For up-to-date travel information, see Smartraveller or International SOS.

Experience: your overseas study
4

Results for your overseas study: Your overseas study will appear as generic exchange units of study, rather than specific units you studied.

Return: completing your overseas study

Semester and year-long exchange

A semester abroad is the perfect accompaniment to your degree. Our comprehensive study abroad and exchange program, which includes more than 250 universities to choose from, allows you to make study plans based on your personal and academic passions.

Short-term options

Students can join an internship in Indonesia through the Australian Consortium for 'In-Country' Indonesian Studies (ACICIS). These programs are suitable for undergraduate students, postgraduate coursework students, and early career professionals and are designed for students who have no existing Indonesian language skills.

Before applying, students must email the Chair of Indonesian Studies for more information about, and approval for, these units.

Greece: Gain excavation experience and credit towards your undergraduate Archaeology major (ARCO3404 Archaeology in the Field) or postgraduate studies (ARCL6902 The Archaeology of Athens) by participating in the Athens Classical Archaeology Summer Intensive Program. During your time in Greece you will enjoy formal lectures integrated with daily visits to archaeological sites and museums in Athens and Attica. You will also travel afield to the panhellenic sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi.

Ireland: Gain excavation experience and credit towards your undergraduate Archaeology major (ARCO3404 Archaeology in the Field) by participating in the Irish Archaeology Field School (IAFS) Institute for Field Research (IFR). Staying with local families in homestay accommodation in Birr, this program also offers a deeply enriching cultural immersion.

We’ll take you out of the classroom and into a major world city like Rome, Paris or Berlin to explore the history of architecture and public spaces. Art History students also have opportunities to explore renowned galleries, collections and artworks of the city.

Students who have been accepted into the Fieldwork Unit of Study will be enrolled in ARHT3681 Fieldwork: Art and the City.

Apply for our Frank McDonald Memorial Fund.

Read more about our Art History students experiencing Art History with us and our overseas partners.

If you’re an Education or Teaching student, you can undertake a study abroad opportunity in countries like Spain, Austria, Sweden, Peru, Indonesia, and the United States of America. Over the course of three to six weeks, you’ll gain insights into different international education contexts by combining university-based learning with local school visits.

Students who have been accepted into the short-term exchange units of study will be enrolled in EDUF3553 Education Exchange.

Sweden: Umea University Education Short-term Exchange - EDUF3553

United States of America: University of California Berkeley EDUF3553 (Online) - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (EXCHANGE)

Before applying, students must email ssesw.enquiries@sydney.edu.au for more information about how these units impact their progression, as it sometimes means an additional year of study for them.

Mumbai Moments: Urban History and Heritage enables students to take part in an immersive experience participating in classes and field trips at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India.

The program includes lectures from experts and field and museum visits to broaden students’ understanding of history and its complex reality. Students will be introduced to primary source material, object-based learning, and will be expected to interpret these in their politico-historic context.

Students who have been accepted into the immersive In-Country program will be enrolled in FASS2805 Exchange and Study Abroad.

All students, with department permission, have the opportunity to attend intensive Chinese In-Country Study or Indonesian In-Country Study, regardless of prior experience of the languages.

Before applying, students must email the Chair of Chinese Studies/Chair of Indonesian Studies for more information about, and approval for, these units.

Our Discipline of Media and Communications students can undertake a two-week immersive In-Country program Studying media and diplomacy in India with the Jindal School of Journalism and Communication (JSJC) at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU). Students will be taken inside the biggest media houses of India to meet with editors and journalists, and learn about our role in the region.

Students who have been accepted into the International Exchange Program will be enrolled in FASS2804 Exchange and Study Abroad.

Read more about experiencing our MECO student exchange with us and our overseas partners.

The School of Languages and Cultures offers In-Country Experience units within the Open Learning Environment (OLE) to enable you to experience language and cultural immersion as a beginner with little to no prior knowledge of a language.

Read more about experiencing our intensive international opportunities via OLEs with us and our overseas partners and watch our Student experiences: Photos, videos and stories.

Before applying, students must read important information on the application process, departmental permission, and additional fees associated with these units: sydney.edu.au/arts/ole-in-country

You can undertake overseas placements as part of many of our degrees.

For example, if you’re an undergraduate Media and Communications student you may have the opportunity to undertake an internship with an English-language newspaper in Delhi, Bangkok, Beijing, Seoul, Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Many of our postgraduate degrees, including the Master of Social Justice (Development Studies)Master of Social Justice (Human Rights)Master of Social Justice (Peace and Conflict Studies), Master of Museum and Heritage Studies, Master of Teaching (Secondary), Master of Teaching (Primary), and Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) also offer the opportunity to undertake a work placement overseas.

Degrees that take you abroad

International humanities and social sciences with Sciences Po, France

Two of the world’s leading institutions for the humanities and social sciences – the University of Sydney and Sciences Po in France – have come together to offer students a dual degree program, one of a kind in Australia. 

After completing the first two years of study in France, you will relocate to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney to continue your third and fourth year of studies in either the Bachelor of Arts (Dual Degree, Sciences Po, France) or the Bachelor of Economics (Dual Degree, Sciences Po, France)

Apply for our Sciences Po Dual Degree Scholarship.

Read more about studying dual degrees with us and our overseas partners and watch our:

A Joint PhD program offers candidates the opportunity to undertake a PhD program at Sydney, in collaboration with a partner university. Under a Joint PhD, a candidate produces a single thesis, has one examination process and receives one PhD, jointly awarded by the University of Sydney and the partner university. The program is administered on an exchange basis and is a fee waiver (tuition waived by host institution while overseas). Candidates spend time at both universities (with a minimum 30% at the University of Sydney).

For more information on the Joint PhD program, please visit our postgraduate research page.

At present, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences participates in Joint PhD programs with:

FASS International Programs

Strategic Partnerships and Engagement

Memphis Bourne Blue

Bachelor of Arts (Dual Degree, Sciences Po, France) student
Living in France has enabled me to meet people from a broad range of different cultures and backgrounds. This experience to learn and live in two very different environments is something I will always treasure.
View course details

Maxine Williams

Student overseas
International and Global Studies student
I've undertaken a language exchange program at Peking University in Beijing, studied medieval Indian history in Mumbai and will spend six months in Indonesia for my compulsory exchange.
View course details

Tushar Verma

Tushar Profile Picture
Undergraduate Exchange Program student
The exchange program gave me an opportunity to be a part of the classroom which had students from Netherlands, China, Indonesia, Italy, and of course, Australia. Interacting with such a diverse group of peers and working on projects and presentations with them was truly a wonderful experience, one which I had not experienced before. The entire semester was a testament to the global aspect of the field of media and communications.
View course details

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