Description

With a population of around 1.5 million and a warm subtropical climate, Brisbane combines the best of many worlds. Renowned for its casual lifestyle, it also offers the atmosphere, first-class facilities and opportunities of a vibrant, modern capital city. Public transportation runs regularly from the campus to nearby shopping, entertainment and regional attractions.

The social climate is decidedly multi-cultural, with visitors from overseas free to follow their cultural and religious beliefs. Brisbane has one of the most modern and best-equiped cultural centers in the southern hemisphere and features theatres, concert halls, museums and art galleries, and world-class sporting facilities.

Queensland's famous beaches on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts are only an hour's drive from the city, as are numerous regional and national parks that feature breathtaking mountains, sub-tropical rainforests and a variety of native wildlife. Brisbane is also a gateway to the far north Queesland tropical coast and the Great Barrier Reef.

The University of Queensland (UQU) is one of Australia's leading universities, with an international reputation for high-quality teaching and research. Founded in Brisbane in 1910, the university is the oldest and largest of Queensland's eight universities and the state's premier center for higher education. Each semester, approximately 90 students attend the University of Queensland through the Institute for Study Abroad, making it IFSA-Butler's largest program.

With over 25,000 students, UQU is one of Australia's largest universities. The University of Queensland offers a broad range of expertise, with 63 departments and the following 14 faculties: Architecture and Planning, Arts, Business, Commerce, Economics, Dentristy, Education, Engineering, Land and Food Systems, Law, Medicine, Music, Science, Social Work, and Veterinary Science.

UQU's beautiful and spacious main campus of 114 hectares is set in a bend of the Brisbane River. With a shopping arcade, banks, a post-office, libraries, computer labs, cafeterias,a cinema, cafes, and a theater all conveniently located on campus, a student need not travel far to suit their immediate needs. There are over 100 clubs, societies, and sporting groups serving almost every possible student interest. Sporting facilities include an Olympic swimming pool, sauna and spa, tennis and squash courts, an indoor sports pavillion, a gymnasium, and numerous outdoor playing fields.

Queensland's top-notch modern facilities are surrounded by lush greenery and stunning flora and fauna. A stroll through campus offers a glimpse of the beautiful flowers, peaceful ponds, and curious animals that are found only in 'The Sunshine State.' The weather never seems to be more than a couple degrees away from perfect. Although the setting, adjacent to the charming residential neighborhood of St. Lucia, is tranquil, Brisbane's city center is only 7 kilometers away.

Highlights

Australia is a land of compelling extremes. The oldest datable land forms on earth are found in Australia, but it was the last continent to be discovered by Western explorers. It is the longest continuously inhabited continent on earth but has a written history of only 213 years. It is the smallest continent on the planet but it is also the largest island. Settled as a convict prison, today the country of Australia is one of the freest democratic societies in the world. As large as the continental United States in land area, it is home to barely 18 million people, the same population as the state of California. In a land of vast unsettled spaces, over 80 percent of the population lives in one of the five major cities.

Originally the European settlers were almost exclusively English and Irish. Today the country has sizable populations of Italians, Greeks, Malays, Indonesians and Chinese to enrich the cultural mix of this once isolated island. It is this diversity and this incredible backdrop that make Australia truly an education by itself. Combine this with the academic excellence of its universities, and you have a study abroad destination like no other.

The academic year in Australia is reversed due to the seasonal inversion in the southern hemisphere. The academic year roughly follows the calendar year, beginning in late February and ending in late November. The application deadlines for IFSA-Butler programs in Australia are November 15 for the spring semester and academic year and March 15 for the fall semester. Remember that if you leave in February for your 'spring' semester, you will be arriving in Australia at the end of their summer and will stay until the middle of their winter season.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

Inquire for more info.

Program Fees Include:

Tuition, housing, pre-departure advising and information, some fees, subsidized excursions, overseas orientation, fully-staffed IFSA-Butler office in Sydney and a Student Services Coordinator in each university city.

Experience Required

no