Apply for an undergraduate overseas exchange

As a CBE undergraduate, you can apply to study at a partner institution as an exchange student and have credit awarded towards your CBE degree.

While on exchange, you must enrol in a full-time study load (24 units)* and only enrol in courses which will count towards your degree. We strongly recommend you plan on completing all of the compulsory courses at the ANU and use elective, List 1 or List 2 courses for exchange. If you are in a situation in which you cannot find acceptable course(s) for inclusion in your CBE degree, you will not be able to go on exchange even if you have an offer for a place at the partner institution.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for exchange, you will:

  • have successfully completed at least 48 units (one full year of study) at the ANU by the time you go on exchange and;
  • have at least 24 units remaining on your degree to be utilised for exchange*

*Unless you will be in your final semester of your ANU degree (and still have 18 units to complete) or you are registered with ANU Access and Inclusion and have official documentation from there that recommends or confirms a reduced load due to your personal circumstances.

1: Select Partner Institutions

Two semesters before exchange:

2: Fill in the Online Application and Forms

Two semesters before exchange: 

  • Start your online application via the ANU Global Programs System. In your application you will need to update your Global Programs System Profile, complete the Room Available in Degree (RAID) questionnaire for each college you are seeking credit from, and your Exchange Partner Preference questionnaire. 
  • Make sure to complete all sections on the online application, this includes uploading required forms, reading required tasks, writing a statement of purpose and filling in all questionnaires. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Should you have any questions regarding how exchange fits into your CBE degree, please email CBE Student Services on info.cbe@anu.edu.au. For more information on the application process, refer to ANU Global Programs Student Exchange Program.

3: Get Credit Approval from CBE

If you are successful in your application, you will be officially nominated to a partner institution.

You must then submit the application form to apply for credit approval for your proposed exchange courses.

Before you begin this form, you should:

  • ensure that you have reviewed the program rules for the year you commenced your degree and have a clear understanding of your remaining courses/units as this will determine the type of credit you can apply for.
  • browse your host university's course offerings and gather the course outlines for each of your proposed exchange subjects. The course outlines you provide must be in English and include:
    • detailed course description
    • detailed list of topics covered.
    • prescribed textbook and other required reading
    • prerequisites including the outlines or descriptions of those prerequisite courses.
    • contact hours.
    • assessment tasks and weighting 

The form will guide you through the process and provide more information on:

  • Types of exchange credit you can apply for
  • Credit equivalencies
  • Required documentation
  • All available Exchange Partners and credit equivalencies (preloaded in this form for you to select from)

If you have questions on the above or require more specific exchange advice, please contact mobility.cbe@anu.edu.au before commencing the form.

4: Exchange Enrolment

After you have submitted the exchange credit form in Step 3, you will be enrolled by CBE in the exchange course CBEA5920 based on how many units of credit you have requested towards your CBE degree for the exchange semester.

Your total unit load for exchange must be 24 units so if you are enrolled in a single CBE degree, this exchange enrolment will be fore 24 units.

However, if you are enrolled in a flexible double degree, you will have the option to specify how many units (6, 12, 18, or 24 units) you wish to allocate towards the CBE component of your degree. Your CBEA5920 enrolment will then be based on your nominated unit load.

Please note, you do not need to complete the enrolment change form for this step. We will take your submission of the course approval form in Step 3 as submission of your consent to add this exchange enrolment.

5: Returning to ANU after your exchange

Upon successful completion of exchange, CBE Student Services will have the agreed credit posted in your CBE degree once an official transcript from your exchange institution is provided by ANU Global Programs. Credit that appears on your record will not include the grade you achieve at the exchange institution.

Please Note: Exchange semester as the last semester before you graduate

If you go on exchange in your final semester of your CBE degree, please keep in mind that you may not be approved to graduate in time for the semester graduation ceremony as the agreed credit cannot be posted until an official transcript from your exchange institution is provided. If the transcript is received after the release of results for the semester, you will not be able to attend the graduation ceremony.