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Academics and Exchange


Answers to your questions about the academic side of exchange



 

Will the subjects I take overseas count toward my degree?

Yes, absolutely. In fact, this is a requirement of participation in the exchange program; all subjects that you wish to gain credit for on exchange must count toward your degree.

To ensure that you receive credit for the subjects you wish to study while overseas, you must develop a Study Plan and have these subjects approved by Macquarie Academics. This will be one of your tasks after your acceptance into the Exchange Program.


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Will I have to extend my degree to participate?

No, in most cases you will not have to extend your degree to participate. In fact, the Exchange Committee strongly prefers that students finish their degree in the same amount of time that they would at Macquarie. To ensure that you will not have to extend your degree, you should make sure to speak with an Academic Adviser in your department prior to applying.



 

Can I go on exchange in the final semester of my degree?

Yes, it is possible to go on exchange in your final semester. However, it is a little bit more of a risk, especially if you have core units that you must complete on exchange.  There is no guarantee that you will be able to complete these core units on exchange until you actually arrive at your host university and complete your enrolment there.  For example, you will get all your subjects approved by the Exemptions Officers before you depart, so they may indeed approve the subjects as equivalent to your required core units.  However, there is always the chance that you may arrive to find these subjects full, or that two of the subjects conflict in the timetable, or perhaps the professor has gone on sabbatical and the subject is suddenly not on offer that semester.  In this case, if there is no alternate subject, then you may have to return to Macquarie the following semester to complete your degree.

In addition, students completing their degree on exchange must be prepared for the fact that they may not be able to participate in the first Graduation Ceremony that is held following their exchange. The Academic Programs Section cannot qualify you for your degree until we have received your transcript from the host institution. This can take anywhere from three weeks to three months following the conclusion of your semester (and occasionally longer). As soon as we receive your transcript and are able to verify that you completed your subjects successfully on exchange, you will be finished with your degree. However, due to Macquarie University deadlines, it is usually the case that students will have to wait to participate in the next Graduation Ceremony.

 

Are there any restrictions on my degree relating to exchange?

As a general rule no matter what degree you are studying, students are required to successfully complete a minimum of 50% of every general and specific requirement of any program offered at Macquarie University. (Macquarie Rule on Exchange Program Load, Academic Senate Resolution 04/290). This means you must complete at least 50% of your degree requirements, at every level (100, 200, 300, etc) here at Macquarie.

Please check the Macquarie University Handbook for specific requirements of study programs or seek advice from an Academic Adviser in your Department.

 

Bachelor of International Studies:

International Studies students have special requirements for exchange. First and foremost, you should read this PDF Document.  You should also attend an information session; we run sessions every semester designed specifically for students in this degree program.  After you have done these two things, for further advice you should speak with the Overseas Studies Adviser, Carolina Rodriguez, in the International Studies Department.

Bachelor of Law Degrees:

As you will be seeking NSW Legal Practitioners Admissions Board certification from your degree, you are limited to only going on exchange in your 4th or 5th year and you may not complete any core units while on exchange. There are plenty of elective law units in the degree that will enable you to go on exchange. Please visit the Law Department's website to read their policy on student exchanges. For more information you should speak with your department.

There is also a Short Term Program available for law students in their 4th and 5th years.

Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting):

As you will be seeking professional recognition of your Macquarie degree, you will need to ensure that you do not take any core accounting subjects on exchange. You have 18 credit points of electives so it is wise to see the Accounting Department’s exemptions officer early in your degree to structure a full semester of electives that can be taken overseas.

If you have left it too late to go on exchange and only have core accounting units to complete, you should consider the dual degree opportunities available. Alternatively, you may wish to participate in a Short Term Program.

Bachelor of International Communication:

It is strongly recommended that BIC students undertake exchange in the first semester of their 2nd year of studies at Macquarie. Due to the BIC's strict third year requirements, it is extremely difficult for BIC students to go on exchange in their third year without delaying their graduation.

Bachelor of Actuarial Studies:

Unfortunately, due to your degree requirements, and the professional qualification you are seeking, we are not aware of any appropriate exchange opportunities for you at this time.  If you believe that you have found appropriate subject at one of our Partner Institutions, please get in touch with your department and with us to discuss exchange possibilities.

Chiropractic Science:

Unfortunately, due to your degree requirements and the professional qualification you are seeking, we are not aware of any appropriate exchange opportunities for you at this time. If you believe that you have found appropriate subjects at one of our Partner Institutions, please get in touch with your department and with us to discuss exchange possibilities.


 

Do I need to talk to anyone in my department before I apply for exchange?

It is strongly recommended that you speak to someone in your department before applying for exchange. Reasons that you may need academic advice include, but are not limited to the following:

  • There may be certain semesters when it is best that you remain at Macquarie to take a crucial subject for your degree
  • There may be core units that are only offered once per year at Macquarie and if you miss the unit by going on exchange, you could delay your graduation
  • There may be a reason that you can only go on exchange for one semester
  • There may be a reason that you would need to go on exchange for two semesters
  • If you have recently changed your degree or study plan, there will be new requirements that you may not be aware of


 

I'm in the Bachelor of International Studies degree. How does exchange work for me?

International Studies students will need to enroll in the 12 credit-point unit INTS300.

Please read this PDF document that contains the complete information about the International Studies In-Country Study.


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How do I find subjects offered at the overseas institutions?

You can find subjects offered by Host Universities by checking their website through the Partner Directory page or by looking in the Exchange resource library at the Macquarie Abroad Office.

See below for what to do if your chosen universities' websites are in a foreign language. Also see the answer to “I can’t find any information on available subjects at my host university, what can I do?”


 

The university websites I have visited are completely in German/Dutch/French/Chinese--what should I do?

Have you carefully checked the “front” page of the website? Many university websites have an English translation that you can click to via a link on the main page. Sometimes, however, these links are very small and hard to see. You may see a British flag near the top or bottom menu bar, or you might see the word “English” in very small letters somewhere. Or, the link might be something less obvious: you might see text such as “FR / EN / GM” somewhere on the page, indicating that you can click FR to view in French, EN to view in English, or GM to view in German. When in doubt, try clicking around and see what happens.

If you still do not see any English version available, try using Google Translate. Simply visit www.google.com and take a look at the top menu bar (you will see Web, Images, Video, etc). Click on “More” and then select Translate from this drop-down menu. You will need to copy and paste the website address of the page you wish to translate, select the appropriate language, and click translate. Google will continue to translate the page as you click through.


 

Do I have to get my subjects approved before I apply to the exchange program?

No, you do not need to seek official approvals. This will happen after your acceptance into the Exchange Program. However, it is a very good idea to speak with someone in your department about your plans for exchange. An Academic Adviser is best suited to discuss your degree and its requirements with you. For more information on this, see “Do I need to talk to anyone in my department before I apply for exchange?”


 

How do I get my subjects approved?

This will happen after your acceptance into the Macquarie Student Exchange Program. The subjects you wish to take overseas must be approved before you go on exchange. You will receive a Study Plan form which you will use to get your subjects approved.

The Study Plan form looks like this:

Host University subject Equivalent Macquarie Subject Credit point value at Host Institution Year Level of Credit at MQ deemed by academic Credit Points at MQ deemed by academic Academic Approval
COMM3970: Business Finance ECON350: Money and Finance 7.5 ECTS 300 3 credits Prof. Smith, Exemptions Officer for BUS/BBA/MKTG
RGUIO3350 – Intellectual Property Unspecified Law 400 level 8 ECTS 400 3 credits Prof. Wong, Exemptions Officer for Law

Each Host University subject you wish to take must be approved. An academic in each department will determine the amount and level of credit you will receive at Macquarie University for the subjects you plan to study overseas.

To make an appointment with an academic, please see the Exemptions Officers List. Be prepared for your meeting and make sure you take along all the relevant course descriptions that you are seeking credit for, so that their equivalency and credit point values can be assessed.

Half the benefit of going on exchange is being able to take interesting classes that are not offered at Macquarie. If any subject at the Host University does not have an exact Macquarie University equivalent (e.g., “Swedish History”, “Comparative European Law”, or “Business & Development in New Europe”), you should seek "Unspecified" or "Elective" credit. This is credit towards your general degree requirements, but Unspecified or Elective units cannot be used as pre-requisites for subjects you may need to do upon your return.


 

How will enrolment work when I am on exchange?

Enrolment on exchange is very different than the normal procedure of enrolling yourself on e-student. Detailed instructions will be provided in the compulsory pre-departure sessions, but in short:

At the start of your semester on exchange, your adviser will send you an Enrolment Form. You will need to confirm the details of the subjects that you have enrolled in at your host institution. We will check that you have the necessary approvals from the correct Exemptions Officers. We will then enrol you in “Exchange Units” for those subjects. 

Using the example from the Study Plan above, after we have enrolled you, your transcript would appear like so: 

Unit 2009 Period Credit points Unit Name Grade
EXEC303 NHS1 3 Exchange Economics 303 Enrolled
EXLW405 NHS1 3 Exchange Law 405 Enrolled

Students 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.


 

What fees will I have to pay for my units?

You will pay your normal enrolment fees to Macquarie. For example, if you are enrolled in the equivalent of 9 credit points at Macquarie, you would pay the same amount that you normally do for 9 credit points.

You do not need to pay any tuition to the host institution. However, if you are undertaking an intensive language course, there may be additional fees involved.


 

Can I be enrolled part-time whilst on exchange?

No. It is a requirement of both Macquarie University and of the host institutions that you be enrolled as a full-time student whilst on exchange. This is also a requirement of most Student Visas and should your enrolment be less than full-time, you may jeopardise your student visa status.

What is full-time?

You will need to be enrolled in the equivalent of a minimum of nine credit points at Macquarie. 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.


 

Can I take an External Unit offered by Macquarie while I am on exchange?

If there is a subject Macquarie University requires you to take as part of your degree and you want to go on exchange, you may be able to take it while overseas on an external basis. Make sure you include this when you send us your enrolment details (specific information about the enrolment process is in the section for Students Currently on Exchange).


 

How will my results show up on my transcript?

For every subject that you study overseas and have had approved, you will receive either a ‘Satisfactory’ or a ‘Fail’. Once we receive the original academic transcript from the host university we will enter the result on your Macquarie award. Your GPA will remain unchanged unless you have failed units. All units being credited back to your Macquarie degree MUST have an approval from the respective Macquarie University Exemptions officer. Any units that have not been given approval for a Macquarie equivalent cannot be transferred back to your degree.

A comment will be added to your transcript to indicate your participation in the exchange program, which can be supplemented with your transcript from the host institution. If you are seeking entry to an Honours program or a Masters course and require exchange units to be taken into consideration, you will need to speak with the Macquarie Abroad Office upon your return. We will write a letter to submit with your application to these programs. Exchange should enhance, not limit, your opportunities.