|
|
It’s 9,000 miles—literally half the world away—from Wichita, Kansas to Alice Springs in central Australia. Still, you might meet an Australian on almost any street corner or in any backwoods of the world. Follow their example: leave your home and find theirs. Meet their people: descendants of aborigines, Europeans, Asians. Understand their history: they too were a British colony. Explore their U.S.-sized landscape: populated coastlines, sparsely inhabited interior, deserts, tropics, wildlife, seas. Study almost anything you can at your home university and more. Speak English to anyone you meet. See everything differently. Live your story.
But where? The blue mountains, the whirling cities, the famous red dirt of the outback are all at your feet. Cosmoopolitan Sydney, glittering for more reasons than Mel, Nicole, and Russell. Coastal Wollongong, where you can surf in February and ski in July. Way-western Perth, balancing concrete-and-glass skyscrapers and Indian Ocean beaches. How should you think about studying in Australia? CIEE programs are designed to help you get the most out of your experience, and we’ll help you find one that’s right for you.
the universities are your oyster
One of the beauties of studying in Australia is that there’s no language barrier, and you’re able to enroll directly in Australian universities. It’s a matter of choosing a program that will let you pursue your interests and satisfy your major. In all three cities and on four of the five CIEE programs, you can choose from a university-wide range of courses.
if you have a particular passion
CIEE may have just the program for you. You can study studio arts including painting, photography, and object design at Sydney College of the Arts. Follow a gender or Jewish studies track at the University of Sydney. Science can be studied anywhere, but it’s a special focus at Murdoch University in Perth. If you want to learn how Australian businesses work, pursue an internship at Macquarie University in Sydney. The University of Wollongong is at the leading edge of environmental and health sciences, education, and Australian studies—though you can take an Australian-themed class (on topics like aboriginal history, Australian literature, and local vegetation) anywhere.
cosmopolitan Australia, outdoorsy Australia...or both
Australia is so vast and so varied that the most important thing to consider about studying here is in what type of environment you’d like to do it. Think about what kind of city you’d be living in: Sydney, Perth, and Wollongong are all very modern, but each has its own feel and flavor. Also look at what natural or cultural points of interest are nearby—and might make for good weekend exploring. Guided excursions to places near and far are a part of every CIEE program in Australia, and will give you real perspective on how the country and culture varies. Here is an overview of your options:
- Sydney, fun-loving and friendly metropolis
Famous for its penal colony beginnings and aborigines that have been around since the Ice Age, saucy, friendly, worldly Sydney is the oldest settlement in Australia. Gloriously situated on the harbor of Port Jackson, its nightlife glitters and its iconic Opera House symbolizes its sophisticated cultural life. You can become one of its four million people for a semester or year, studying virtually anything from linguistics to classics. Excursions here include a bushwalking trip on the New South Wales coast where you’ll meet both kangaroos and Aboriginal elders.
- Perth, multicultural capital of Western Australia
Closer to Singapore than Sydney, wild, western, multicultural Perth delivers more hours of sunshine than any Aussie city. This British colony grew slowly until the discovery of gold in the 1890s increased the population four-fold in a decade. Fremantle, the nearby port, is the city’s playground. Nearby woodlands and wetlands are a scientist’s playground. Surf the beaches you expect, admire the skyscrapers you don’t, and explore the outback. As part of this program, you’ll study your pick of liberal arts subjects, do weekend homestays with rural families, and have a chance to visit the outback or Australia’s neighbor, Thailand.
- Wollongong, uni town blending city and country
In view of the sea and an hour from Sydney, Wollongong is a 275,000-person university city at the base of Mount Keira. Its exotic-sounding name was given by aborigines and means “sound of the sea.” Benefit from its renowned coursework in humanities, education, and environmental and health sciences. Here, you’ll bushwalk on the New South Wales coast, and have the option of taking a weeklong trip to a site in another province such as Tasmania, Ayers Rock, or the Great Barrier Reef.
tour your options>>
Perth
Sydney
[internship + integrated studies]
[arts + sciences]
[studio arts]
Wollongong
|