Australia: University of Newcastle

‌Newcastle is located about 2 hours (3 hours by train) north of Sydney and is situated right on the coast.

The University is about a 30 to 45-minute bus ride from the city center and from the beach. The University of Newcastle, on the northern side of the city, provides international students with the perfect combination of lifestyle and learning.

Newcastle is a comprehensive university so academically, it aligns really well with UNI. Today about 30,000 students study at the University of Newcastle (UoN) with over 6,000 international students from more than 80 countries. Students choose from 150 courses of study offered by 6 faculties (Colleges).

Check out the 10-minute introduction presentation by the University of Newcastle staff.


Dates & Deadlines

Term: Summer 2024
App Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2024
Program Dates: June 8 - July 7, 2024

Term: Fall 2024
App Deadline: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Program Dates: Thursday, July 11 - Saturday, November 16, 2024

‌Apply Now

Interested in studying abroad in the spring of 2025 or later? Please fill out the waitlist form below and the study abroad center will notify you when applications for future terms open:

Study Abroad Waitlist

Location

Newcastle is located about 2 hours (3 hours by train) north of Sydney and is situated right on the coast. The University is about a 30 to 45-minute bus ride from the city center and from the beach. The University of Newcastle, on the northern side of the city, provides international students with the perfect combination of lifestyle and learning.

Newcastle is a down-to-earth Australian beach side city which combines a country setting with all the advantages of city living. Newcastle is an industrial city, but it boasts wonderful beaches, casual lifestyle and it’s not far from Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.

Its population of 350,000 supports a thriving business and commercial sector and an excellent network of leading health care and educational facilities.

 A few kilometers south of the city is Australia's largest seaboard lake, Lake Macquarie, scene of many national and international sailing events. Less than an hour drive to the north is the magnificent harbor of Port Stephens, a popular center for big game fishing and sailing, surfing, and sail boarding. To the west are the internationally famous wineries of the Hunter Valley.

The University of Newcastle provides international students with the perfect combination of lifestyle and learning. Today about 30,000 students study at the University of Newcastle with over 6,000 international students from more than 80 countries. Students choose from 150 courses of study offered by 6 faculties (Colleges).

The University of Newcastle has one of the best campuses in Australia. Its 300 acres of natural bushland - complete with Australian wildlife - at the city's edge offers you peace and quiet: the perfect prerequisites for successful study. The Union houses a wide range of facilities such as cafeterias, coffee shops and bars, bookshop, credit union, gift and stationery shops. There are also two banks, a travel agency and a clinic with doctors and dentists on call.

On campus students have access to a state-of-the-art sports complex, which includes an indoor Olympic-sized swimming pool, a 60 ft climbing wall (one of the highest in Australia), two indoor basketball courts, two martial arts/aerobics studios, fully equipped weight and exercise rooms and an adjoining Health Education Center.

The semester program begins with a week long Orientation Program that prepares students for the academic and cultural experience ahead. All Study Abroad and Exchange students are free to study nearly any course offered by the University of Newcastle (from Aboriginal Studies to Psychology). 

Courses: Students typically take 3 or 4 courses while studying at UON. UNI students can take major, minor, and/or LAC courses while studying in Australia. We recommend students also try to take at least one course in a topic on Australia. Information on courses and when they are offered can be found here

Teaching Methods and Styles: Australian higher education is derived from the British model. This means that most undergraduate courses consist of lectures, classes, workshops, and tutorials each week as well as 'unstructured' time which means students should be doing individual reading and research. At the beginning of each session, students are given 'deadlines' (final dates) for the completion of assignments in all subjects. If they fail to meet these deadlines, they penalized even though they have completed the work. Lecture and class times for all coursework subjects will be given to students when they enroll during orientation week. All students are required to be at lectures and tutorials at the specified times. 

Students generally attend class 1-2 times per week for each class and the majority of graded content is weighed on a midterm and final assignment or exam. 

Academic Calendar: The university operates on a semester system with Semester 1 (our Spring semester) running from February to June and Semester 2 (our Fall semester) running from July to December. When thinking about their semester dates, it is important to remember that with it being on the other side of the hemisphere, their spring semester is our fall and vice versa. To view the academic calendar, please see here

Credits and Grades:  Australian credits are calculated differently than in the US. A 3-credit course at UNI is the same as a 10 credit course at Newcastle. That being said, most UNI students take four courses to be considered full-time. Grades are also calculated differently. The grading scale and credit transfer is as follows:

Credits Grades

40 = 16 sem hrs                               HD High Distinction                        85+ = A
20 = 8 sem hrs                                 D Distinction                                   75 -- 84 = A
10 = 4 sem hrs                                  C Credit                                           65 -- 74 = B
                                                          P Pass                                              50 -- 64 = C
                                                         UP or FF Less than 50 = no transfer credit

Program Costs

Estimated Program Cost: $18,081*

*estimated total cost of participation, actual amount depends on type of housing accommodation selected, actual airfare purchase price, personal spending habits, and other factors

Estimated Total Program Cost$18,081
Estimated U-bill Charges$10,564
Estimated Out-of-Pocket Costs$7,516

 

Fall 2024 Exchange Estimated Budget Sheet (PDF)

Fall 2024 Non-Exchange Estimated Budget Sheet (PDF)

Spring 2024 Exchange Estimated Budget Sheet (PDF)

Spring 2024 Non-Exchange Estimated Budget Sheet (PDF)

Cost of Studying On Campus at UNI*

*per semester, estimated, will vary per person

Tuition & Fees$4,864
Room & Board$4,580
Books$400
Personal Expenses$878
Transportation$320
Total$11,042

Source: https://admissions.uni.edu/cost-aid

‌Eligibility Requirements to Study Abroad

The Study Abroad Center reserves the right to determine participants' eligibility to study abroad. Students must have a completed study abroad application, including supportive recommendation form(s). Additionally, students must meet all of the following in order to be eligible to study abroad:

  • ‌Have a cumulative 2.5 GPA or higher at the time of application and maintain this cumulative GPA prior to departure and throughout the study abroad process
  • If your cumulative GPA is lower than 2.5, submit the following to the Study Abroad Center (103 East Bartlett):
    • Letters of reference from two academic contacts (e.g. academic advisor and former or current professor) supporting your pursuit of study abroad. If you are attending a faculty-led study abroad program, one of the letters must be from a course leader. However, if the program has two course leaders, only one of the letters can be from one of the course leaders.
  • Must be over the age of 18 years old
  • Must meet the course prerequisites (participation in the program is dependent upon meeting these)
  • Must be in good standing with the university
  • UNI's partner institutions may require additional eligibility requirements to be met, these vary from institution to institution. Please consult with the Study Abroad Center staff to discuss these additional requirements, if applicable.
  • Applicants traveling to a region of a country or a country with an overall Travel Advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel) will not be eligible.