Future Students

The Student Exchange and Study Abroad programs at UWA allow you choose any unit which is part of a recognised degree program.

Under both programs, you choose any unit (subject or class) which is part of a recognised degree program, across any of our faculties (with the exception of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences). You must also meet the University's prerequisites. You can however, design your own program of study and select unique units only available at UWA.

To make it easier for you to determine unit (subject) equivalency for the purpose of credit transfer, UWA has developed the OUTWARD searchable database which contains comprehensive information on the academic content and outcomes of individual units. OUTWARD also includes a history of all units taken at UWA by past study abroad and exchange students. By searching this database you can see what units other students from your University, and elsewhere, have studied at UWA.

• Search for descriptions of all units and credit history on the OUTWARD database. You will also find unit descriptions in UWA's Handbooks

• Please also observe UWA's Guidelines for Assessment

Academic load

Most units have a credit value of six (6) points, though some units may have a value of 12 points. Study Abroad and Student Exchange students are expected to enrol in a full academic load of 24 points per semester. This generally works out to four units (subjects) per semester. Most units are offered on a semester basis but some are offered only on a full-year basis.

It may be possible to create 'special courses' from full-year units depending on your requirements, background, time of arrival and length of stay.

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Approval of units and credit transfers

It is your responsibility to satisfy your home college or university requirements and understand and fulfil credit transfer requirements. As final enrolment is subject to timetabling constraints and unit availability, it is recommended that approval is obtained for over and above the number of units required to fulfil a full academic load at UWA. This will allow some flexibility to change units if necessary. You may request a pre-approved study list prior to arrival. This selection may be charged after your arrive in Perth.

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Enrolment/Class registration

Pre-enrolment is not available at UWA. Final enrolment takes place during orientation. Classes do not normally fill up, so if your chosen unit is available and you have been given approval to enrol in it, you will not have any problems. You will be assigned to a course adviser who will be available during the enrolment session to assist with your selection of units. Dropping and adding of units will be fully explained during orientation.

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Method of instruction

At UWA the emphasis is on independent learning. There will be less direction from lecturers, greater expectations of individual study outside classes, fewer assessments and heavier weighting on assessments.

You will attend weekly lectures, which may be large, with sometimes more than 100 students. These will be complemented by weekly tutorials, seminars or laboratories and workshops where you will be expected to actively participate in discussion and debate with other students, tutors or lecturers. Tutorials, seminars or laboratories and workshops are usually smaller classes. They may be compulsory and are often assessed.

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Assessment and examinations

As a fully enrolled student at UWA, you will take classes with, and be examined in, the same manner and to the same standard as other students at UWA.

All units are assessed and graded at the end of each semester. All examinations are conducted in English (except for language units) and the use of dictionaries is not permitted, nor will additional time be granted if English is not your first language.

Final grades will be based on a combination of oral/written assignments and tests, project work, participation in tutorials and laboratories and final examinations. Multi-choice assessment is not a common method of assessment. Although specific unit requirements will vary, generally there is a greater emphasis placed on the final examination than you may be used to. At the end of your period of study, an official academic transcript recording the units you enrolled in and the grades you obtained will be available. Performance is graded according to the following scale:

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