How does a Semester Exchange work?
We know you're excited to find out where you can go... but before you starting searching for a Partner University to study at, it's important to understand how the Semester Exchange program works.
- You will need to choose 3 or 4 of your Swinburne units to take on Semester Exchange- you can use your Course Planner to figure out the general structure of your degree, and which ones would be most ideal to take overseas. If you want to understand more about your course, we recommend speaking to the Swinburne enrolments team, available in StudentHQ.
Keep in mind you may be able to move units around if you need to (EG you could group all of your electives into one semester)- but best to speak to an Enrolment Specialist if you're not sure about moving things around in your degree.
- After you understand your course and the units available, find a Partner University that may offer units that are similar to your Swinburne units for you to study.
- On our Study Plan document, you will list the Swinburne units you want to use and the equivalent units you intend to study at the Partner University that will take their place. For instructions on how to fill out the Study Plan, please read though our guidelines for completing your study plan.
- Different countries and universities can have very different credit systems, so it's important that you check the credit equivalence of our Partner Universities.
- For more information on the application process for Semester Exchange, read through our website and register to attend an upcoming information session, or watch a recording.
Next Step: Core or Electives?
The first question we often ask students, is whether or not they have Electives in their degree or if they are only able to use core units.
Want a quick refresher of what these terms mean?
Core units: the compulsory units that are scheduled on your degree and are directly related to your course discipline area
Electives / component units: free units that may enable you to enroll in units that are outside of your course discipline area
The reason we ask this question is because your options are vastly different depending on whether you will use core units or electives for your Semester Exchange:
Taking Electives on Semester Exchange:
When you use your electives for Semester Exchange, you do not need to do any unit matching. Instead, most courses allow you to use electives to freely choose units offered by a Partner University, even if they are outside your course discipline area.
What this means, is that students who go on Semester Exchange, who only use their Swinburne Electives, are not limited to going to Partner Universities that offer their course area and can instead choose a Partner based more on location and appeal. (EG you could be studying Business but decide to take a semester of language study, European history or yoga!)
*Note: some degrees do have limitations on what you can use your electives for and some host institutions may have their own prerequisites that you'll need to meet. So chat to us as you start planning.
Taking Core units on Semester Exchange:
Any Swinburne core unit you intend to take on Semester Exchange must be matched to a unit offered by a Partner University that is similar in terms of content and year level. Any 'core unit matches' you propose on your study plan document, must be approved by your academic Course Director, to ensure it is a suitable match (we'll guide you through the approval part at a later step).
For this reason, if you need to take core units on Semester Exchange, then you must find a Partner University that offers your study area.
If this is the case for you, then you are in luck, because we have generated a list of potential partner universities for each Swinburne Study area. Click on your course area below to find out which Partner Universities offer your study area.
Exchange Partner Colour Categories
When picking your top 3 partner universities for a semester exchange, you must take into consideration the colour category of our exchange partners. This system demonstrates the availability and popularity of each destination.
- Red: These universities are very popular with limited places available.
- Yellow: These universities are popular, but may have more spots available compared to the red category.
- Green: These universities generally have more places available compared to the red and yellow category.
If you select a partner with a Red or Yellow category as your first preference – you may only choose Yellow or Green options for your 2nd and 3rd preferences.
Note: the colour category of each partner university may change with each application round.
Finding a Partner University
Now that you know how Semester Exchange works and you've figured out if you will be using core units or electives, it's time to find a Partner University!
Below is a link to each Swinburne study area, where you will find a list of potential partner universities. This will be more useful for students who have to take any core units on Semester Exchange. If you are taking all electives, then you have more flexibility when choosing a Partner University.
Please note: the list of partner universities should be used as a guide only. Swinburne and Partner University requirements, courses and rules can change often. After looking at partner universites, head to our website to start your research!
Please speak with Swinburne Abroad for a full understanding of possible partner universities.
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