Program Duration

Academic Year: Mid July - Mid June
Fall semester: Late July - Early December
Spring semester: Mid February - Mid June
Calendar Year: Mid February - Early December

Program Description

Offered through the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), this program is co-sponsored by UW-Madison. Participants directly enroll at Murdoch University, located in Perth, Australia. More than 12,000 students are enrolled in the university’s three major academic divisions: Arts, Sciences & Engineering, and Health Sciences. The CIEE Study Center at Murdoch University appeals strongly to students with an interest in cross-cultural studies, including interest in Australia's indigenous population and culture. It is also recommended for science students, particularly those in the fields of biological science, marine biology, ecology, and the environment.

Perth is the state capital of Western Australia. With a population of 1.3 million people, its many contrasts range from skyscrapers and nightlife to over thirty miles of white sandy beaches. The local population enjoys a cosmopolitan outdoor lifestyle, first class cultural, social, and recreational amenities, and excellent proximity to the major cities of Asia.

Murdoch University is situated in the suburbs of Perth, and students usually divide their social time between the city centers of Perth and Fremantle, both easily accessible by public transportation. It is also one of Australia’s most beautiful campuses, with its stunning natural gardens, harmonious buildings, and on-campus accommodation.

Academics

Murdoch University is one of Australia’s leading universities. In addition to a wide range of liberal arts subjects, Murdoch University has particularly strong offerings in media studies, communications, and field-based sciences such as marine or estuarine biology, biological and life sciences, and environmental science. Many courses have a practical field or lab-based component. Students enroll in a full-time academic program alongside Australian students. Participants are eligible to enroll in any courses for which they are qualified. To facilitate academic understanding of Australia’s history, culture, and society, CIEE students are required to enroll in an Australian Studies course.

Murdoch University also offers well-qualified and ambitious students the opportunity to undertake a fully accredited parliamentary internship in political science and public administration, working with members of the State’s parliament under the supervision of Murdoch faculty members. This option is offered in the U.S. fall semester only.

Housing

Housing is included in the program fee. Students are assigned furnished housing on-campus at the Student Village or in off-campus housing facilities. Both accommodation facilities provide high-quality multi-cultural living environments.

Excursions and Activities

Upon arrival, a week-long orientation is conducted in Perth which familiarizes students with Australian society and culture, as well as the academic environment at Murdoch. The academic program is supplemented with a range of orientation activities and excursions focusing on Australian culture and environment such as Australian Rules football, an Aboriginal Heritage Tour, bush walking, and excursions to museums, theaters, and art galleries.

Students can participate in a heavily-subsidized field trip to the northwest of the state, taking in Australia’s outback, national parks, and one of Australia’s most beautiful, and least exploited, fringing coral reefs, Ningaloo. Students can also participate (at an extra cost) in a CIEE-sponsored journey including a three-day hill trek and a homestay with a family. In the past students have gone to Thailand and Borneo. Students also participate in a weekend sailing adventure in the world-renowned three-mast tall ship STS Leeuwin II.