The Study Overseas (SO) Program is UniSC's reciprocal exchange program whereby UniSC’s Global Mobility team nominates successful nominees to an agreed UniSC partner institution as an exchange student.
UniSC has over 70 partner institutions around the world! You can choose to study in The Americas, Europe or Asia, while earning credit towards your UniSC degree.
- SO Program duration is usually 1 Semester (4 months)
- You remain enrolled as a UniSC student, and pay tuition at UniSC as per UniSC's program fees
While overseas you will study:
- courses that may be credited towards your UniSC degree
- the equivalent of 4 UniSC courses (48 units)
- courses offered in English*
*Unless you are intending to enrol in UniSC'S In-Country Language program, in which case please contact your Course Coordinator.
Read on to get started on your Study Overseas journey.
The Study Overseas Program is conditionally open to students who are:
- Enrolled in a full UniSC undergraduate degree; and
- 18 before the commencement of the Study Overseas program.
Additionally, you must:
- Be enrolled in a UniSC program that allows you to Study Overseas - To check if your program is eligible, read the program requirements under the entry requirements tab on your program page.
- Have successfully completed 8 courses at UniSC before you commence your study overseas semester.
- Have and maintain a minimum GPA of 4.5.
- Return to UniSC with at least 1 course remaining to complete your degree.
UniSC has a number of partner institutions around the world. You can choose to study in the Americas, Europe or Asia.
Browse through our list of Semester programs.
Research potential exchange partners and the courses they offer by using the links to visit their websites. You can use this list to gain an understanding of the types of partners on offer for the Study Overseas program.
The actual partner institutions available during any given semester may differ from this list and Study Overseas applicants will be advised accordingly as part of the Study Overseas application process.
Once you’ve checked the eligibility criteria and reviewed the possible partner institutions, you are ready to start your Study Overseas journey.
If, after reading all the available information, you decide that you are interested in participating in the Study Overseas (SO) program, contact SemesterOS@usc.edu.au from your UniSC student email account.
The SO team will provide you with:
- additional information and further instructions
- the SO Program Enquiry Checklist
Once you've received the checklist, work your way through by completing each section and following the instructions.
The final step of the checklist is to request a consultation with the SO team. Consultations will only be offered to students who have completed all required sections of the checklist and supplied all requested documents. Upon receipt of your checklist and documents, the SO team will either:
- schedule a consultation with you, or
- request more information from you
It's important to note that the SO Program is managed part-time and therefore you can expect to receive a response within 2 weeks.
Once you have received confirmation via email to your UniSC student email account from the SO team, you will need to attend your agreed scheduled consultation. During the consultation, you will find out more about
- the SO Program
- the application process
- the research you need to conduct
- the SO course approval process
- SO Program costs
- scholarships/grants
- OS HELP and Government assistance
- insurances
After the consultation, you will be provided with a summary via email of everything that was discussed.
If you are planning on going on the SO Program in the next available semester, you will also receive the final UniSC partner institution list and a Confirmation of Interest (COI) form, which you will need in order to progress with your SO Program application.
Students wishing to go on the SO Program in a future semester, will receive the final UniSC partner institution list and a COI form closer to the date.
The Confirmation of Interest (COI) form forms part of your application and confirms that you are interested in progressing with your SO Program application. Only students who submit a COI form will be considered for the SO Program.
COI forms must be submitted by the COI deadline for the intended SO semester:
- Semester 1, 2023 – 15 August 2022
- Semester 2, 2023 – 15 January 2023
Amongst other details, you will use the COI form to identify your preferred partner institutions.
After the relevant COI deadline, the SO team will review all submitted COIs and carry out a preliminary preference allocation for a suitable partner institution.
Preliminary partner institutions allocations are based on
- overall demand for a partner institution
- your GPA
- your personal statement
You will be notified of your preliminary preference allocation outcome via email. If you are satisfied with the partner institution we have allocated to you on a preliminary basis, you will be asked to complete the following steps by the lapse date indicated to you:
- Complete a Study Overseas Course Approval (SOCA) form
- Complete the Academic Reference form
- Confirm you wish to proceed with your allocated partner institution
Once we receive these documents, we will finalise our assessment of preferences and verify that you are a suitable candidate for the SO Program.
Only suitable candidates will progress to the formal nomination.
Once all final preference assessments have been completed by taking into consideration the additional documents (e.g. Academic Reference form), suitable candidates will be formally nominated to the partner institution.
If you are successful, you will receive a Successful Nominee Letter which outlines your nomination details and important information you will need to know before you make your final decision to participate in the SO Program.
Successful nominees are required to formally accept their nomination by reading, signing and returning the Student Declaration included in their Successful Nominee Letter to the SO team via email.
After you have formally accepted your nomination, you will receive information regarding how to apply to the partner institution. All partner institutions have different application processes and deadlines. It is important to await further instructions and to action all required steps by the applicable deadlines.
Once you have applied, the partner institution will assess your application and advise you of the outcome. Depending on the institution and their application process, you may need to wait a few weeks/months for an outcome.
Once you receive an application outcome from the partner institution, they will also provide you with relevant information regarding starting your semester, including accommodation options, arranging your travel and visas, etc. Now is the time to organise these things.
At this stage you will also be formally enrolled in the SO Program by Student Central and your UniSC Central account will reflect this.
Before you depart to the partner institution, you will need to attend a compulsory pre-departure information session. You will be provided with more information about the session closer to the date.