Drexel in Australia: University of New South Wales (UNSW)
University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a large research institution in Sydney, Australia. It was established in 1949, and is regarded as one of the top universities in Australia and the world. Ranked in the top 40s in the QS World University Rankings, and 4th in Australia, UNSW is a popular destination for study abroad.
The UNSW exchange program completely immerses Drexel students into Australian education and culture as they take classes with the local Aussies and international students. This program is open to all Drexel majors and students may choose from a wide range of subjects.
Sydney is the largest city in Australia and over 4 million people live within the city boundaries. Located on the east coast of Australia, it is the capital of New South Wales and is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. According to the QS Best Student Cities Rankings, Sydney is #1 in Australia, and #4 worldwide.
Most classes take place at UNSW’s Kensington campus, which is only 5 minutes from one of Australia’s top beaches, Coogee Beach. UNSW is the closest university to an ocean beach in Australia. UNSW is about 30 minutes from Sydney’s city centre, which is extremely accessible by public transit.
- 3.0 minimum GPA
- Sophomore status or higher
Course Availability
UNSW Handbook and
Class Search: Use these to search coursework offered at the University of New South Wales. Please note that classes are often called "units" in Australia.
Restricted courses: the following courses are not open to exchange students.
Course Equivalencies
Students will need to get courses approved by the appropriate department for each course they plan to take at UNSW. For example, if you want to take a sociology course at UNSW for Drexel credit, its equivalent must be pre-approved by the Sociology Department at Drexel.
Grading
Students are taught and graded by Australia faculty at UNSW. Grades are noted as "CR/NCR" on their transcript and will NOT affect their GPA. In order to receive CR, students must earn a "C" or above at the host institution. Students must be a full-time student at the host institution while also taking the equivalent of a full-time load at Drexel.
Note: 4 classes is the maximum amount of courses a student can take on this program.
UNSW operates on a semester system. Since the seasons are opposite of the American calendar, the semesters run on a different schedule as well.
Click here for the academic calendar.
Fall Semester Dates and Itinerary
| Program Start Date |
Late July |
| Program End Date |
Late November |
Australia’s spring semester, also known as “Semester 2” at UNSW. Students will need to leave their spring/summer co-op about 2 months early to arrive at UNSW in time for orientation.
Spring Semester Dates and Itinerary
| Program Start Date |
Late February |
| Program End Date |
Late June |
Australia’s fall semester, also known as “Semester 1” at UNSW. Students will need to leave their fall/winter co-op about 3 weeks to 1 month early to arrive at UNSW in time for orientation. Students might also need to arrange for early finals, or to take finals proctored at Drexel in June if UNSW finals coincide with the beginning of Drexel’s summer term.
Drexel students will need to work closely with the Study Abroad office, their academic advisor and the co-op office to determine how best plan their study abroad experience. The study abroad office urges students to begin planning 12-18 months in advance.
Students will stay in dormitories. Housing is guaranteed to all students who apply for accommodation on time.
US citizens studying abroad in Australia will need a visa. While the visa process is relatively easy, students should budget about $550 for their visa and $350 for mandatory Australian health insurance.
Program Costs
This is a Drexel sponsored program, thus all of your Drexel tuition and financial aid remain the same during your term abroad. For program costs, please consult the budget sheet on this page.
Financial Aid
Financial aid applies for this program. Students who receive Federal Work Study should consider applying for the Study Abroad Online Journalist work study position (after acceptance).
Scholarships
To seek additional funding, review the Scholarship & Funding Opportunities. Remember that scholarship deadlines may be much earlier than study abroad deadlines, so plan accordingly. Students may also want to submit a revised budget to the Financial Aid Office to see if additional funding may be available.
For more information on these and many other scholarship opportunities, visit our Scholarships page.
