Australia: Swinburne Semester


CCIS Study Abroad in Melbourne, Australia

Program Overview

Swinburne University of Technology is located in Melbourne, Australia.  Recognized as one of the world's most liveable cities, Melbourne is the capital city of the southeastern state of Victoria, and is also identified as Australia's sporting and cultural capital.

Encompassing six campuses, four of which cater to undergraduate study, Swinburne allows international students to experience the very best of Melbourne.  The two inner suburban campuses are located in Hawthorn and Prahran, locations notable for their close proximity to many of the venues and amenities that make overseas study so enjoyable. Another undergraduate campus is located in Lilydale, a gateway suburb to the Yarra Valley, which is Victoria's premier wine-growing region and one of its most popular tourist destinations.

There are also campuses located in the outer suburbs of Wantirna and Croydon.

The international campus is located in Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo.

Campuses

The Hawthorn Campus, just 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the center of the city, is within walking distance of cafes, shopping boutiques, restaurants and supermarkets.  The closeness of public transport adds to the convenience - there is a train station adjoining the campus, and a trip on one of Melbourne's iconic trams can begin in nearby Glenferrie Road and take visitors to some of the city's most impressive landmarks.

The Prahran Campus is located 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from the CBD, and is bounded by Chapel Street, perhaps Melbourne's most fashionable shopping and nightclub precinct.  Like Hawthorn, the convenience of nearby public transport makes commuting to and from the campus easy.

The Lilydale Campus - 40 kilometres (24 miles) from the city - is set on around 60 acres of rural land and presents idyllic hill and water views.  The wonderful sense of community, created by the combination of state-of-the-art facilities and the tranquil setting, is complemented by easy access to trains and amenities.

The Sarawak Campus - Swinburne's international campus is based just 15 minutes from the city center of Kuching, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Sarawak.  Founded in 2000 by a partnership between Swinburne and the Sarawak government, it has recently undergone a significant expansion, which will help to accommodate a rapidly growing student population.

History

In 1908, George Swinburne, a member of the Victorian Parliament and the former Mayor of Hawthorn, established the Eastern Suburbs Technical College.  In 1913, the institution became Swinburne Technical College, a name that remained until 1992 when, by an act of parliament, Swinburne University of Technology was born.  This was not only recognition of its distinguished history, but marked the beginning of a new era of growth and innovation.

Today, Swinburne is building upon a strong reputation as one of the country's best universities for teaching, research and student diversity.  It prides itself on being able to treat international students to an overseas study experience that is enjoyable, rewarding and memorable.

Photo by: Donaldytong

 
Academic Profile

Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne

Swinburne teachers adhere to a philosophy that pupils should be taught how to think, not what to think.  Studying within a supportive environment, students are encouraged to become self-sufficient, resourceful and entrepreneurial.  They are also encouraged to take advantage of the university's cultural diversity and to participate in study groups with students from a range of backgrounds.  Depending on the course, they will have the opportunity to participate in lectures, tutorials, laboratory and studio sessions, group work, cross-discipline projects, case studies, discussion groups and individual research projects.

Excellent resources across all campuses, a commitment to personalized teaching and a truly global outlook make Swinburne a desirable option for international stsudents looking to study abroad.

Course Offerings

Swinburne's undergraduate courses are grouped into the following study areas (you can find course examples under some of the headings):

Arts, Psychology and Social Science, Business, Entrepreneurship and Management (Accounting, Finance, Management, Management information systems, Marketing, Microeconomics,) Design and Film & Television, Engineering and Technology, Health and Community Services, Hospitality and Tourism, Information and Communication Technologies, Multimedia, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Physics,) and Visual, Performing and Circus Arts.

Find out more information on these or other Swinburne courses.

Some of the individual units you can study at Swinburne include:

Media Literature Film: Texts and Contexts, The Media in Australia, Professional Communication Practice, Popular Culture, Built and Sustainable Communities, Professional Communication Practice, New Venture Development and Management, Scriptwriting and Directing Narrative Film, 3D Animation and Special Effects, Australia: A Global Context.

Find more information on these or other Swinburne units of study by searching this database.

Academic Highlights

One of the university's major strengths is its size.  Relative to many Australian Tertiary education providers, Swinburne is a small and highly-flexible institution.  This allows it to deliver a distinctly personalized study experience, an advantage clearly reflected in recent assessments by foremost independent bodies:

The Good Universities Guide 2008 rated Swinburne the best university in  Melbourne for Teaching Quality, Generic Skills and Graduate Satisfaction.  It was also rated one of the top three Melbourne universities for Research Intensivity and was placed in the top ten universities in Australia for teaching and learning excellence by The Australian newspaper.

 

Activities and Opportunities

Student Life

There is so much more to studying in Australia than classroom participation, and Swinburne International is dedicated to making sure students can make the most of their overseas study, both inside and outside the classroom.

Swinburne International is responsible for the orientation and support of all international students and can help with accommodation, visas, health insurance and course information.  They also organize affordable activities and daytrips to popular tourist destinations which are run most weekends during the teaching period.

The City of Melbourne produces a comprehensive guide for international students seeking more information on the city and its surrounds.  A wide array of events, restaurants, galleries, shops and things to do are included within its pages.

Study Melbourne is also an essential port of call for further details about student life in Melbourne.

Housing

Swinburne offers various accommodation options, allowing students to choose a home environment that suits their lifestyle.

There are on-campus residences at the Hawthorn and Lilydale campuses, with Prahran students easily able to live at Hawthorn and commute to classes.  They include:

The Residential College (Hawthorn) - it comprises 84 fully-furnished single study bedrooms and its ideal for students who have not lived away from home before.

UniLodge@Swinburne Place (Hawthorn) - these modern apartments offer flexibility, with options ranging from studios to four bedroom accommodation.

Student Residence Apartments (Hawthorn) - offering independent living, these apartments are suited to those who have lived away from home before.

The Student Village (Lilydale) - it features 25 modern and fully-furnished apartments, plus a common room with a pool table, lounge area and large flat screen TV.

Students may also choose the homestay accommodation option, which is an opportunity to live with a local family or resident.  Full homestay includes three meals per day (students generally prepare their own breakfast and lunch from ingredients provided by the host), a furnished bedroom, electricity, gas and water.  Part homestay is the same but does not include meals.

Private rental and share accommodation is another housing possibility for international students.

Alumni Feedback

An increasing number of students from the United States are expanding their career options with Australian short courses that are not necessarily aligned with the degrees they're undertaking at home.  Twenty-year-old Matthew Greenfield from Pennsylvania is one such student - he supplemented a course in neuroscience psychology with a study abroad experience at Swinburne's prestigious National Institute of Circus Arts.  Read more about his story here.

"I chose Swinburne because there is really good student integration.

The location of Hawthorn campus is awesome; it has a really chilled atmosphere.  Swinburne always organizes social events so that you can meet other people from around the world, which gives you a very global and more open-minded perspective.  It allows you to learn about different cultures and make friends globally.

My advice to other students is that if you have the opportunity, come to study at Swinburne . . ."

Fernando Gomez, International Student

"Australia is a wonderful country.  It is well-organized and incredibly multicultural, which makes it quite a unique place to study.  Even though it's a long way from my home, the people are friendly and willing to accept newcomers, which makes it a lot easier to settle in."

Carolina Ou-Smolinski, International Student

 

 

Swinburne Semester Program Details

Duration

Semester 1: February 25 - June 21, 2013

Semester 2: Aug 5 - November 29, 2013

Application Deadline(s)

First session: October 31
Second session: March 31

Eligibility Requirements

Sophomore standing with 3.0 GPA

Costs

$10,963 (CCIS Member)  Spring - to be determined
$11,263 (Non-CCIS Member)

Truman requires a $300 deposit, deducted from total amount due, upon acceptance to the program, but does not have an application fee.

Costs Included

Instructional costs, sponsor and CCIS fees, and health insurance

Truman requires a $350 non-refundable deposit at the time of acceptance, this amount will be deducted from the total fees.

Costs Not Included

(Estimated) Airfare ($2,500), room and board (aprox. $4,500), visa ($600), passport ($125), books, personal expenses, Required Austrialian Health Cover ($218)

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.

 

Your Adventure in Australia Begins Here

Submit Application Materials to Alci craig or Alice Sayeh:

PLEASE SELECT JUST ONE OF THE BELOW LISTED PROGRAM SPONSORS. DO NOT SEND APPLICATIONS TO BOTH SPONSORS 

Program Sponsor #1:

Alci Craig, Assistant Director

Center for International Education Abroad Truman State University
Kirk Building 114
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4076
(660) 785-7473 (Fax)
alcidean@truman.edu

To download, right click on the application or recommendation form and click "save as", then save the form to your desktop or downloads. Once you have completed your form, SAVE IT FIRST!!!! DO NOT CLICK "SUBMIT" until you have SAVED your form or the recipient will receive a BLANK form. Once you have saved it, click "submit" and THEN email your completed form as an attachment to the contact email address associated with the program in which you are applying. If for some reason you do not see the email address pop up when you click "submit", then email the application to the program sponsor listed here on this page.

YOU MUST NOTIFY YOUR HOME INSTITUTIONS' STUDY ABROAD OFFICE OR ADVISOR OF YOUR INTENTIONS AND ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH A COPY OF YOUR APPLICATION. 

CCIS Online Application & Instructions

CCIS Online Student Recommendation

(Students: DO NOT send the student recommendation form to your evaluators as an attachment. Please only send the page URL. The student recommendation form can be found under the "Apply Now" tab.) 

- or -

Program Sponsor #2:

Alice Sayegh, Director

International Studies
St. Bonaventure University
Reilly Center 221B
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778
(716) 375-2574
(716) 375-7882 (Fax)
asayegh@sbu.edu

To download, right click on the application or recommendation form and click "save as", then save the form to your desktop or downloads. Once you have completed your form, SAVE IT FIRST!!!! DO NOT CLICK "SUBMIT" until you have SAVED your form or the recipient will receive a BLANK form. Once you have saved it, click "submit" and THEN email your completed form as an attachment to the contact email address associated with the program in which you are applying. If for some reason you do not see the email address pop up when you click "submit", then email the application to the program sponsor listed here on this page.

YOU MUST NOTIFY YOUR HOME INSTITUTIONS' STUDY ABROAD OFFICE OR ADVISOR OF YOUR INTENTIONS AND ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH A COPY OF YOUR APPLICATION. 

CCIS Online Application & Instructions

CCIS Online Student Recommendation

(Students: DO NOT send the student recommendation form to your evaluators as an attachment. Please only send the page URL. The student recommendation form can be found under the "Apply Now" tab.) 

How do I apply?

Start the CCIS Study Abroad application process by downloading the forms.

These PDF documents are viewed using Adobe's Acrobat Reader plug-in, which is available free. If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, click here.

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.