University of Western Australia

About the University of Western Australia

• Founded in 1911, the university is the oldest in Western Australia. It was also the first free university in the British Empire, actively promoting equal access to tertiary education for all social classes.
• Located three miles west of the Perth Central Business District on the banks of the Swan River and about four miles from the Indian Ocean, the self-contained campus is widely renowned for the beauty of its traditional architecture and lush gardens. With cafés, libraries, sporting facilities, an art gallery, museums and a range of shops, UWA feels like a small town with an electric social atmosphere.
• UWA is serviced well by buses to local beaches and the city center and is just a 25-minute ride to the port city of Fremantle.
• Ranked in the top 100 universities in the world (85th in ARWU 2020 and 90th in QS 2022), and seventh in Australia, the university also has 43 subjects in the world’s top 1% (ARWU 2020, QS 2021) including in the top 50:
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Earth and Marine Sciences
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Mineral and Mining Engineering
  • Geology
  • Geophysics
  • Psychology
  • Sports-related Subject

CRICOS Provider Code: 00126G

Location

The University of Western Australia is a traditional campus, located three miles west of the Perth Central Business District. Visit the google map link below to see the campus location.

Courses

ABOUT THE COURSES

Course Levels 

• The undergraduate course levels at UWA are 1000, 2000, and 3000. The 4000-level courses are restricted to honors students, and 5000-9000 is postgraduate (with a few exceptions for courses that are cross-listed as both undergraduate and postgraduate). 
• In Australia, undergraduate degrees are 3 years instead of 4, so the first-level courses dive right into material specific to that discipline, without too much intro-level context.  
• With this in mind, think of 1000-level courses as sophomore level, 2000-level courses as junior level, and 3000-level courses as senior level. Content in the 2000- and 3000-level courses will be very advanced, and you must be confident that you have the required background knowledge before taking them. 

Credit Transfer 

• Students enroll in 3-4 courses per semester, each worth 6 UWA credit points. Each course is equivalent to 3-4 US credits (as determined by your home institution). 

Prerequisites 

• Your eligibility to enroll in courses will be determined by UWA faculty based on previous coursework reflected on your college transcript(s). For courses that have prerequisites, they will look for closely matching courses you’ve previously taken. 

HOW TO FIND COURSES 

1. Visit the University of Western Australia Handbook search page. Alternatively, you can start at the Handbook home page to see all the options in a particular field of study, but you can’t filter further on this page, so you’ll need to be sure your selections meet the below criteria. 
2. Filter by: 
   1. Level of study: Undergraduate 
   2. Availability: If you’re studying abroad during Feb-June, select Semester 1; If you’re studying abroad during July-Nov, select Semester 2 
   3. Unit Level: Show All, or select 1, 2, or 3 to narrow by level 
   4. Field of Education: Show All, or select one to narrow by field 
   5. Location: Crawley (Perth) 
   6. Keyword (above): Enter a keyword or leave the space blank, then press Search. Browse through the options that populate below, or change the Field of Education filter or keyword to bring up different results. 
3. Click on an option to open the course description and review the details, and pay close attention to the following: 
   1. Course code: Must be in the 1000-3999 range (4000 and above indicates an honors or postgraduate course) 
   2. Offering 
      1. Availability: Ensure the course is offered during your semester abroad (Semester 1 is Feb-June; Semester 2 is July-Nov) 
      2. Location: UWA (Perth) 
      3. Mode: Face to face 
   3. Unit rules: Ensure you meet the applicable prerequisite requirements and enrollment restrictions – UWA faculty will look at your transcript to make sure you have taken equivalent prerequisites at your home institution. 

 COMMON FIELDS OF STUDY

Below are some common fields of study at the University of Western Australia. Use the course codes listed to search for classes in each field of study. To search for classes in these fields, refer back to the University of Western Australia Handbook.   

• Accounting – ACCT 
• Anatomy & Human Biology – ANHB 
• Earth – EART 
• Environment – ENVT 
• Finance – FINA 
• Geography- GEOG 
• History – HIST 
• Indigenous Studies – INDG 
• Management – MGMT 
• Marketing – MKTG 
• Physiology – PHYL 
• Psychology – PSYC 
• Sports Science, Exercise and Health – SSEH 

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of the fields of study at the University of Western Australia. Please refer to the University of Western Australia Handbook for a comprehensive list of course offerings. 

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

• Kinesiology/Exercise Science Internship Course 
  • Students of Kinesiology and Sports and Exercise Science backgrounds can opt to participate in a semester-long part-time internship, which counts as one of their courses. See the Kinesiology – Health: Study & Intern Semester page for more details.  
• SSEH1103: Physical Fitness and Health  
  • This course discusses the importance of physical activity for personal health and wellbeing in modern societies. Students are also introduced to various exercise modalities and training methods used to develop physical fitness in a safe and effective manner.  
• GEOG1104: Disasters!  
  • This course focuses on physical disasters and looks at what triggers these events from an environmental science viewpoint, and the social vulnerabilities and failures that, together, result in slowly unfolding disasters or rapid-onset catastrophic events.  
• OCEN1001: Global Oceans Challenges  
  • Students in this course analyze critical global oceans challenges, such as pollution, conservation, food, energy, and coastal protection, to gain an understanding of these challenges and think about potential solutions.  
• INDG1150: Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard  
  • In this course, students examine the often-contested historical realities of Aboriginal experience in postcolonial Australia, and how collective historical experiences transmit and transform over time. Significant eras in shaping an Australian national identity are deconstructed to highlight the cultural, social and political impact on, and from, the Aboriginal nation.  

ELIGIBILITY

• 2.5 GPA but students below this GPA are encouraged to apply. 
• Students attending a two-year institution may be considered on a case by case basis.

Activities / Immersion

Our local staff arrange various activities during the semester designed to help immerse you in the local culture. These activities are included in your semester program. In addition, if you have a specific interest or hobby, your Perth-based TEAN Resident Director will be able to point you in the right direction. Below are examples of previous activities arranged for students. Note that activities change each semester.

In addition to the TEAN-organized events, to make sure you don’t miss out on any opportunities, our local staff send out frequent emails letting you know what is happening in Perth. Ranging from community events to music festivals, we tap you into the local culture right from the start.

TOUR OF PERTH AND FREMANTLE

Get to know your new home with this tour highlighting all the local haunts in Perth and “Freo,” as well as providing historical background to the region.

AUSSIE RULES FOOTBALL MATCH

While the Australian Rules Football League originated in Victoria, Western Australia was the first state outside of Melbourne to have two teams in the national competition – West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers. We join the vocal locals to cheer on one of these teams against an east coast rival.

LEARN TO SURF

Australians love the beach – being an island nation with beautiful coastlines and 85% of the population living within an hour of a beach, it’s not surprising. Surfing is the favorite pastime of Aussie beachgoers so we introduce you to this sport early on in the semester with a lesson to get you started riding the waves.

OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS

During the semester, you’ll be busy with class and exploring your local area on the weekends. With this in mind, TEAN encourages students to get to know Australia better or travel to even more exotic destinations with excursions organized during school breaks. Participating in these excursions will depend on your program dates and semester abroad.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

TEAN has a rolling admissions process. We recommend submitting your application anytime from June for Spring applications, and from January for Fall applications. Late applications may be considered. Contact TEAN if the application deadline has passed.

PAYMENT DEADLINES

Your signed program contract and full payment for the program are due by the program deadline. Please note we do have options for using financial aid and enrolling in a payment plan if you cannot make full payment by the payment deadline. You can find more information about funding your program here

spring 2025

FALL 2025

spring 2025

• Tuition and program fees: $16,950
• Housing (on campus): $8,050 – $9,350 (includes 16-21 meals per week)

fall 2025

• Tuition and program fees: $16,600
• Housing (on campus): $7,395 – $8,025 (includes 16-21 meals per week)

What’s Included

• Full tuition (4 courses)
• Guaranteed, pre-arranged, on-campus student housing with meal plan
• Overseas health insurance, plus evacuation and repatriation insurance
• Services of local Resident Directors
• Five-day Orientation Program with some meals, excursions, accommodations and transportation
• Cultural events scheduled throughout the semester
• Wireless internet access in all housing
• Access to pre-arranged and affordable cell phone packages
• Access to unique and exciting optional excursions in New Zealand or Fiji
• Extensive pre-departure counseling and information packets
• University and course selection advice
• Official academic transcripts from host institution
• Credit approval and transfer assistance
• Help with student visa preparation
• Financial aid transfer planning
• Airport pickup and reception in Perth
• Perth Farewell Dinner at conclusion of program
• Host university orientation

What’s Not Included

• International airfare ($1,800)
• Domestic airfare in US ($500)
• Student visa ($1,060)
• Books ($365)
• Some meals
• Airport transfer at the end of the semester ($50)
• Travel insurance ($350)
• Travel and personal expenses ($1,500 – 2,500+)

*Numbers are estimated based on previous student experience and budget. Actual amounts will vary depending on student.

PASSPORT

Students must submit a current passport valid for at least 6 months after the program end date for acceptance.

If you do not currently hold a valid passport, please apply for one immediately as processing times can be very lengthy.

VISA

All students participating in a semester program in Australia (except for Australian passport-holders) are required to obtain a Student Visa prior to departing for Australia.

Students can only apply for their visa after the required documents are received from the host university. Once these documents are received (typically 2-3 months prior to departure), the Program Manager will send students step-by-step visa application instructions. The application is done entirely online, and visas are typically granted within 3 weeks of applying. The cost is $1,600 AUD (approximately $1,060 USD).