Overview

This 6-week Australian Experience course, offered by Bond University, gives you the opportunity to travel across Australia by road and air experiencing a combination of class work and field trips.

Students will undertake two different courses through Bond University, both of which will give you an opportunity to see Australia's most famous landmarks and destinations while learning about Australia's culture, customs, and history. Students will be exposed to famous cultural, historical, and ecological locations throughout Australia, truly enhancing the academic experience through hands-on learning.

Let Australia be your classroom. The focus of the program will be on learning by experience. Field trips will have seminar and supervised assignment components which will be held in art galleries, museums, outdoor venues, and other institutions visited as part of this program. Travel to the famous sites of Australia including Sydney, the Outback, the Northern Territory and the Gold Coast.

Featured video:

See for yourself what makes this program so unique! Watch Bethany Kreider, an Australian Experience alumna, talk about her experience in Australia.

Location

Bond University is Australia's first independent, not-for-profit university created in the tradition of the world's most prestigious private educational institutions. The spacious, modern campus is located on Queensland's Gold Coast, which is Australia's sixth largest city and a popular holiday destination famous for its spectacular beaches, warm climate, and vibrant youth culture.

The six-week Geography, History, and Ecology program travels to various significant locations in Australia:

• Darwin - Darwin lies in the far northern tip of Australia in the Northern Territory and is well known for the nearby Kakadu National Park, which is renowned for the richness of its Aboriginal cultural sites, as well as its ecological and biological diversity.
• Canberra - As the capital city of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court of Australia, and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of several social and cultural institutions of national significance.
• Sydney - Sydney is Australia's largest and most famous city. It is Australia's largest financial center and a major international tourist destination, notable for its beaches and twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.
• Queensland Coast - Australia's Queensland Coast is famous for its gorgeous beaches, sand and coral reef islands, North Stradbroke Island, tropical rainforests, and spectacular national parks.

Academic Focus

Course Structure

The focus of both programs will be on learning by experience. Field trips will have seminar and supervised assignment components which will be held in art galleries, museums, and other institutions visited as part of the program. This six week program (June-July) through Bond University will cover two subjects – Australian Geography & Ecology: An Introduction and Australian History and Culture –  as it explores the variety of this vast and unique country.

Students will travel by road, and air to tropical Darwin and the red heart of the Northern Territory; to Canberra, the national capital; to Sydney, home of the world famous opera house and harbor bridge; and participate in a variety of excursions on the Queensland coast.

Assessment

Students will prepare work for examination and grading in all subjects. Assessment in each subject will be based on two main tasks:

• Students will be required to maintain a diary recording careful comments on what they have seen and heard during field trips and relating this to what they have learned in class and through their own investigations. This diary will need to be submitted at various times during the program.
• Subject tutors will also assign individual or group projects requiring short written reports. This part of the assessment must be completed to the satisfaction of your tutors to gain a pass grade for each subject. All students will be given a range of investigative and interpretative essay questions (students choose from a provided list of topics) for each subject, which will be submitted by the end of the course.

Credit

The six-week program will comprise two Bond University subjects, each subject requiring at least 40 hours of formal lectures which will be held in both the classroom and in the field. Students will receive a Bond University transcript for these subjects studied as part of this program.

Two subjects at Bond University is considered 50 percent of a full-time load, and is equivalent to 6-8 credit points in the US. However, it is important that students obtain approval for credit transfer from the home university. These subjects may fit any degree program as elective credits, but your academic advisor may also approve them as components of a major in such fields as environmental studies or geography. Business students will be interested in the eco-tourism and not-for-profit marketing issues raised in the programs.

Program Highlights

• Visit many of the must-see, must-do locations in Australia while gaining a thorough introduction to the ecology, geography, history, and people of Australia
• This intensive 6-week course includes three significant field trips: to the cosmopolitan city of Sydney; the national capital of Canberra; and to the Australian Outback areas of Darwin, Alice Springs/Uluru, and Kakadu National Park
• Students take two courses at Bond University, located on the stunning Gold Coast, for academic credit:
  1. Australian Geography and Ecology
  2. Australian History and Culture

Who Should Apply

Open to students of all majors who have completed at least one year of full-time university or college study. May be of particular interest to those studying geography, ecology, history, anthropology, humanities, and those seeking a program that travels to a lot of Australia in a short amount of time.

Hear more from the program faculty, William Loh

Accommodations

The Australian Experience: Geography, History and Ecology short term program will house students at a variety of different venues based on the location of the program.

Students will begin and end their 6 week program by staying on-campus at Bond University and will be allocated a dorm style room with ensuite bathroom facilities, in the student residences, which are located right in the center of the beautiful campus in the heart of the Gold Coast. In Canberra, students will be staying in dorm style housing with shared bathroom facilities. In all other locations students will stay in good quality, budget-style resort/lodge or backpacker accommodations, sharing rooms with fellow Australian Experience students.

You can feel certain that your housing will be safe, secure, and clean, and that you will be satisfied with your short course program choice. All housing fees are included in the Program Fees.

Group Flights

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad works together with STA Travel's group ticket office to arrange group flights for all short course students. This ensures that students can travel as a cohesive group to the program destination. Airfare is not included in program fees and payment of airfare is the responsibility of the student, however GlobaLinks Learning Abroad seeks the lowest possible student rate before reserving seats for participants to purchase, while still maintaining the flexibility that allows students to explore the country or surrounding countries at the conclusion of their short term program. 

Flexible Return Date

Additionally, group flights have a flexible return date. Students may choose their own return date to allow for personal travel after the conclusion of the program. Many students choose to extend their time overseas and travel independently after the program's end. We can provide you with useful travel resources and advice, as well as refer you to travel opportunities that can be pre-booked.

Scholarships Available

University Specific Scholarships

In addition to the scholarships offered through the Foundation for Global Scholars, Bond University supports every GlobaLinks Learning Abroad student accepted into The Australian Experience: Geography, History and Ecology with a $1000AUD Scholarship. Upon arrival in Australia each student will receive their scholarship directly from Bond University. No application procedure is required to receive this $1000AUD scholarship.

Featured Scholarships For All GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Students

Photo Slideshow

Watch a slideshow of photos documenting The Australian Experience: Geography, History, & Ecology program.

Fees

Fee Includes

Program Fees are in U.S. dollars. Program fees include tuition, lectures, field trips, excursions, all domestic travel within Australia, accommodation, most meals, health insurance, host university administrative fees, official transcript, health insurance and ISIC Basic card. Fees include all pre-trip services such as: orientation materials, visa assistance, personal advising, liaise with your home university, credit transfer assistance, and financial aid services.

**International airfare and some meals are an additional cost, along with personal expenses and additional excursions.

Fee Advice

Dates

Entry Requirements

Programs in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji Coordinator

Name: Kimberly Tibbetts Title: Manager, Short Term Programs Department: BIO: Kimberly is the Manager of Short Term Programs. Kimberly works with all Short Term Program Participants studying in Australia and New Zealand. Kimberly graduated with a BA in History from the University of Colorado-Boulder. While studying at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, Kimberly discovered a love for travel and international education. She has traveled extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia and Western Europe. She is very excited about spreading her passion for education and travel.