Get advice

• Talk to a Sydney Abroad Peer Adviser at the Student Centre, 9am to 5pm weekdays. They have specific knowledge on different areas of the world and can provide guidance for your application, availability of specific subject areas or an idea of how competitive places are.
• Attend an information session to find out more about the global mobility opportunities available. Sessions are specific to partners, regions and academic disciplines.
• There will also be drop-in advising sessions. These are available for selected hours at the end of each semester and are held just before applications are due.
• Attend the Sydney Abroad Fair on Eastern Avenue in April.

Understand your course and how it will be affected

It’s important that you understand the requirements and structure of your course (and major(s)) so that you can work out the best time to go overseas as well as how your progression might be affected. You can find out this information, and your course structure, in your handbook.

You may find you need to change your degree, program, specialisation, major or minor to be able to go overseas. For example, you may not be able to complete honours or an optional second major.

The Higher Education Support Act 2003 prevents Commonwealth-funded students from completing more credit points than needed for their degree. As a result, all subjects on exchange will count towards your degree credit point total.

When we assess your application, we try to ensure your study fits into your degree effectively and that you will still be able to graduate in the shortest time. However, some students may take longer to complete their degree because of:

• the rules, pre-requisites and timetable in your handbook
• subjects that are likely to be available to you at your host institution
• study visa rules for international students.

It's also possible that your Sydney graduation may be delayed, or your future study plans may be affected. This is because we can’t update your grades until we’ve received your host transcript.

It may take up to three months after the completion of your overseas study for us to receive your transcript and update your University of Sydney transcript. Depending on when you go overseas, this could mean that your Sydney graduation may be delayed, or your future study plans may be affected.

Consider life overseas

Going overseas for study can bring a new set of challenges that you might not have thought of.

If you have an existing medical condition, it’s worth thinking about how you will manage this overseas and researching what support is available if you need it.

There’s a few things you can do to be prepared:

• See a GP before you go
• Look into health and travel insurance
• Learn about the medical and support services available at the host institutions.

Make sure you’re fit to spend an extended period abroad, and that the services available at the host institution and in your host destination can meet your requirements. It is recommended that you consider the healthcare services you currently utilise and if they will be required while you are abroad.

Financial requirements

You're expected to have enough funding for the duration of your stay, and for some countries you may need to provide evidence of funding to obtain a student visa. Find out more about costs and scholarships.

Talk to your faculty or school

We recommend you talk to an exchange coordinator within your faculty or school before applying to talk about your subject choices and the best time in your course to go overseas.

The Faculty of Engineering requires their students to meet with a faculty adviser before going on exchange, and this is included in the Endorsement Conditions for those students.

Bachelor of Design in Architecture students are required to meet with their program director before going on exchange, and this is included in the Endorsement Conditions for those students.

Visas

This will depend on the duration of your mobility program, your destination, and your citizenship. Always refer to the official advice of the Consulate or Embassy of the country/countries you are travelling to. It is your responsibility to contact the appropriate authorities to ensure you have all travel documentation in order. You may also refer to the information provided by your host university.

You normally need to wait to apply for a student visa, or student permit, until after you have received your host university acceptance. You can, however, approach the embassy or consular office of your nominated host country to investigate student visa arrangements and requirements.