Exchange FAQs

Before applying for an exchange, you must:

• read through all the information on this website
• review and understand your academic program
• review and understand your eligibility for exchange
• research the available exchange options.

If you still have specific questions, contact:

• Macquarie Abroad at mi.exchange@mq.edu.au for questions relating to applying for exchange
• your Faculty academic or program adviser for further information about how exchange might fit into your degree.

For programs like the Bachelor of International Studies, it is compulsory for you to speak with an adviser in your department before applying for exchange.

This will depend largely on how well you have pre-planned your study and whether you obtain appropriate academic credit approvals for your exchange period. It is important that you understand:

• your degree requirements
• what study you have remaining to complete
• how your exchange session will impact on your course progression.

Seek advice from your faculty's academic adviser before applying for exchange if you are concerned about extending your degree.

No. You can only enrol in units that you have space to do as part of your current degree program. These can be required units, electives, or People and Planet units. You cannot undertake your Capstone unit on exchange – this must be completed at Macquarie.

Find information on eligibility requirements for students in certain degree programs on the eligibility requirements page. You should also check the Macquarie University Handbook Archive to verify the specific requirements of your degree program as per the year you were admitted.

See further program advice from your faculty's academic adviser.

Students in the Bachelor of International Studies must complete a 12 credit-point unit called 'INTS300 International Studies In-Country Program' as part of their degree. The exchange study must relate to the language and culture of their major. Students are required to seek advice from the Department of International Studies prior to applying for exchange.

Students in the Bachelor of International Studies with the degree of Bachelor of Laws must complete a 12 credit-point unit called 'EXLW420' or 'EXLW534 Exchange Law Study Abroad Program' as part of their degree. The exchange study must relate to the law component of their degree. Students need to seek advice from the Macquarie Law School prior to applying for exchange.

Check the eligibility requirements for more information.

To receive credit for the units you wish to study while overseas, you must:

• understand your remaining Macquarie degree requirements (if needed, seek program advice from your Faculty)
• research units at your host institution that match the credit weighting, level, and area of study of your remaining elective units (for example, 200-level elective in Commerce) OR match the credit weighting, level, and content of specific units remaining in your degree (for example, MAS212 Screen Production 1)
• obtain academic approval prior to departure for Macquarie credit based on the host units you have researched (this is done via an online form – details are in your iLearn unit)
• verify that the Macquarie credit you have had approved will meet your remaining degree requirements
• enrol in the units at your host university that were pre-approved for Macquarie credit that counts towards meeting your degree requirements
• successfully complete the relevant host units and apply for a grade transfer upon your return from exchange.

Most host universities have some form of Academic Handbook (also called an Academic Calendar or Syllabus) on their website that you can use to find out what units they have on offer. Find this information by searching the host university's website.

Also, review Macquarie's Credit Transfer Register for information on potential unit mappings for many universities around the world.

No. However, you must obtain pre-approval of equivalent Macquarie credit for your preferred host university units before you go on exchange. Failure to do so may result in you being withdrawn from the exchange program.

You will need sufficient credit approved to be enrolled full-time at Macquarie (9-12 credit points) while on exchange, and you should also obtain some back-up approvals in case you cannot enrol in your preferred host units upon arrival.

The units you wish to take overseas must be approved before you go on exchange. You can find detailed instructions on how to apply for Macquarie credit based on host university units using the online form in your iLearn unit.

Each host university unit you wish to take must be approved. An academic in a relevant department will assess your request and determine the amount, level, and type of credit you will receive at Macquarie for the units you plan to study overseas.

Have you carefully checked the ‘front’ page of the website?

Many university websites have an English translation that you can access via a link on the main page, usually in the upper right-hand corner. You may see the word 'English' or a picture of a Union Jack flag near the top or bottom menu bar which will give access to an English version of their website.

If you still do not see any English version available, try using Google Translate or a browser that will enable you to browse in a translated mode – for example, right-clicking on a page using Google Chrome browser gives you the option to translate into English.

You will have to either enrol in one or two trimester(s) at the host university depending on which dates align with the Macquarie semester period. This will be coordinated with the host university at the time of application. You will receive further information about the enrolment process once you are accepted into the program.

Enrolment for semester exchange is very different from your normal unit enrolment procedure via e-Student. You cannot self-enrol in exchange units and must ensure you are not enrolled in any standard Macquarie units during your exchange session. Macquarie Abroad will process your exchange enrolment.

You will receive detailed information about enrolment  in the exchange Welcome Session and in your iLearn unit, but in short:

1. At the start of your semester on exchange, you will receive an online request asking you to confirm which of your pre-approved host university units you have enrolled in.
2. Macquarie Abroad will then enrol you in special exchange shell units that represent the credit you had pre-approved prior to departure (special comments will be added to your transcript explaining what each shell unit represents). You must enrol in a minimum of 9 credit points at Macquarie of in the pre-approved exchange credit. The exchange shell units are allocated to special exchange periods called 'Northern Hemisphere Session 1' (NHS1 - equivalent to Session 1) or 'Northern Hemisphere Session 2' (NHS2 - equivalent to Session 2), depending on what period you are on exchange.
3. Once we have processed your enrolment, you can then pay your fees to Macquarie or defer them to HECS as normal. Your transcript will look something like this:

Note that you are not allowed to be enrolled in internal Macquarie units whilst on exchange. You will need to withdraw from any internal units prior to departing for exchange.

After completion of your exchange period, grades will be marked as incomplete until you obtain your host university transcript and submit it to Macquarie Abroad for processing of your grade transfers. Failure to provide a host university transcript by the relevant deadlines will result in an automatic fail. Deadlines are either 15 June or 15 December, whichever immediately follows the end of your exchange period.

No. It is a requirement of both Macquarie and the host institutions that you be enrolled as a full-time student while on exchange.

You will need to be enrolled in the equivalent of a minimum full-time load at Macquarie (UG: min 9cp - max 12cp, PG: min 12cp - max 16cp). You will also need to meet your host institution's definition of a full-time load. This amount may differ at different institutions and may be more than Macquarie's minimum.

International students will need to be enrolled in a standard full-time load (equivalent to 12 credit points for undergraduate students or 16 credit points for postgraduate students) due to their Australian visa requirements.

We recommend you put yourself on a waiting list for the full class. If there is no waiting list, watch over it to see if places become available. Like Macquarie, many students will change classes within the first few weeks, and often places become available in full classes during this time.

This is also why we advise you to obtain back-up credit pre-approvals in case you do miss out on your preferred units. This will allow you to choose alternative units at your host university without having to worry about whether the credit will be approved or usable towards your degree.

For exchange programs (both semester-long and short-term), you do not pay tuition to the host university. Instead, you will be enrolled into a corresponding load of study of exchange shell units at Macquarie University. This type of enrolment attracts the same rate of tuition as normal units, which varies by area of study, and fees are paid to Macquarie or deferred to HECS as per the normal process.

For study abroad programs, you may have to pay tuition fees to the host institution. Visit the fees page for further information.

You have to pass at least 65% of the units you take at your host university (which must represent a full-time load). A pass is based on the host university's grading scheme. If you don't achieve this, you will be required to repay your travel grant. This repayment will be regarded as a debt to the University and sanctions may be placed on your account until repayment.

Grades from your exchange program will be transferred back to your Macquarie transcript as Satisfactory or Fail only. A passing grade is determined by the host university’s grading scale.