Perth, Australia – Fall/Academic Year 2009-10

IAP Program Handbook

Congratulations on being selected to participate in the study abroad program in Perth, Australia. You are about to embark upon an amazing experience and incredible opportunity!

This program is offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Throughout the course of your study abroad experience you will be communicating with both IAP and the CIEE staff. It is essential that you pay close attention to all information provided to you from both organizations. This IAP Program Handbook supplements handbook(s) or materials you receive from CIEE as well as the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and provides you with the most up-to-date information and advice available at the time of printing. Changes may occur before your departure or while you are abroad.

CIEE handles the program’s day-to-day operations. CIEE will send you an acceptance email which contains information on how to access your My CIEE account on the CIEE website. From your My CIEE account you can access the “Enrollment Download Center” which contains important pre-departure information, required CIEE forms, and CIEE handbooks. It is essential that you download these materials and return all required CIEE forms directly to CIEE by their deadline date. If you have questions regarding any CIEE forms or the visa process, contact your CIEE Enrollment Officer. In addition, refer to your CIEE handbook for detailed information regarding your program and host country. Generally, questions about aspects of your program abroad should be directed to CIEE (e.g., program housing options, program facilities abroad, cultural tours offered as part of the program, etc.) Questions relating to your relationship with UW-Madison or your academics should be addressed to International Academic Programs at UW-Madison (e.g., course credits, equivalents, UW Madison registration, etc.)

This program handbook contains the following information:

Contact Information 1

Program Dates 2

Preparations Before Leaving 3

Travel and Arrival Information 3

The Academic Program 3

Living Abroad 4

Student Testimonials 5

Contact Information

On-Site Contact Information
Paul Hollick, Resident Director
CIEE Study Centre – Murdoch University
Amenities Building
South Street
Murdoch, WA 6150
Australia
Tel: 011-61-8-9360-6866
Fax: 011-618-9360-6565
Email: /

CIEE Pre-Departure Contact Information

Kristina Powell, Enrollment Officer
CIEE – Perth Program
300 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101 USA
Tel: +1.207.553.4102
Fax: +1.207.553.5102
Email:

UW-Madison Information

International Academic Programs (IAP)

University of Wisconsin-Madison

250 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive

Madison, WI 53706

Tel: 608-265-6329 Fax: 608-262-6998

Web: www.studyabroad.wisc.edu

For Program Advising & Grades:
Jessa Boche
IAP Study Abroad Advisor
Tel: 608-265-6329
E-mail: / For Financial Matters:
Judy Humphrey
IAP Financial Specialist
Tel: 608-262-6785
E-mail:

Emergency Contact Information

In case of an emergency, call the main IAP number (608) 265-6329 between 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; after-hours or on weekends call the IAP staff on call at (608) 516-9440.

In an emergency, you or a family member can call CIEE 24 hours a day at 1-800-40-STUDY (from the US) or 207-553-7600 (US and overseas). This number is monitored 24 hours per day and will put you in touch with CIEE program staff in Maine.

Embassy Registration

Program participants who are U.S. citizens must register at the U.S. Embassy before departure as this will help in case of a lost passport or other mishap. You can register on-line at https://travelregistration.state.gov. If you are not a U.S. citizen, register at your home country’s embassy or consulate.

U.S. Consulate General in Perth

16 St. George’s Terrace

13th Floor

Perth WA 6000

Tel: 011-61-8-9202-1224

Tel: 011-61-8-9476-0081 (emergencies after hours)

Fax: 011-6-8-9231-9444

http://perth.usconsulate.gov/perth/

Program Dates

Fall Semester 2009 (Australian Semester 2)

Fall semester: Late July - Early December

Spring semester 2010 (Australian Semester 1)

Program runs from mid-February to mid-June.

** Refer to your CIEE Handbook for specific program dates & information.

Preparations Before Leaving

Refer to the Pre-Departure Checklist on pages four and five of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook as well as your CIEE handbook for essential information.

Immigration Documents

Participants will need to obtain a student visa. CIEE will provide program participants with application instructions as well as necessary documents to apply for the student visa. You will not be able to apply for a visa until you have received your Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE). CIEE provides detailed information on the visa process on-line, which you should follow closely. Contact CIEE with any specific visa questions.

Travel and Arrival Information

Travel and arrival information will be provided by CIEE.

The Academic Program

General Academics

The Murdoch University website is http://www.murdoch.edu.au. Course descriptions, availability, and prerequisites can be found on-line at http://handbook.murdoch.edu.au/courses/. The Australian academic year lasts from mid-February through the end of November and is divided into two semesters. Semester I (S1) lasts from February through July and corresponds to Spring semester at UW-Madison. Semester II (S2) corresponds with Fall semester at UW-Madison and lasts from July through November.

Subjects are taught as a mix of lectures, tutorials or seminars, laboratory work and individual study. When deciding your subjects, you should note that Australian students are required to be self-directed in their study and to submit a considerable amount of written work in assignments and seminar or tutorial papers. A typical course at Murdoch consists of two (2) hours of lectures and one to two hours of tutorials or lab work each week.

Registration

Registration information will be provided by CIEE. In general, CIEE will communicate with you by email. You will receive detailed information on courses and requirements in your online CIEE acceptance materials. Read all of the CIEE materials carefully and return all CIEE forms directly to CIEE by their deadline date.

Course Information

All students are required to take an Australian studies course during their first semester at Murdoch University. Sample courses include: Aboriginal Culture, Australia and its Asian context, Australian Government, Australian Social History, Australian Economic History, Australian Environmental History, Australia in the Twentieth Century, Australian Literature & Film. Please note that this class can be taken as either a 3 point (4 UW-Madison credits) or 4 point (5 UW-Madison credits) option. A student can be exempted from this required course only if s/he has had a substantial background in Australian studies.

Equivalents and Course Equivalent Request Form (CERF)

Each course you take abroad must be assigned a UW-Madison “equivalent” course in order for your grades and credits to be recorded on your UW-Madison transcript. In order to establish UW-Madison course equivalents for your study abroad courses, you will submit a Course Equivalent Request Form (CERF). Information on the UW course equivalent process is available in the IAP Study Abroad Handbook.

Credits

Conversion

IAP has established the following scale for translating credits from Murdoch University to UW-Madison:

Murdoch University UW-Madison

3 points 4 credits

3.75 points 4 credits

4 points 5 credits

Limits and Load

Students are expected to enroll in a full-time academic program. Please note that Murdoch University uses a point system. A full-time load for students at Murdoch University is 9 – 12 credit points (a minimum of 9 points and a maximum of 12 points) per semester. UW Madison students studying through IAP are expected to take 12 credits points however, you can take less with the approval of your study abroad advisor. If you would like to take more than 12 credits points, you would also need approval from your study abroad advisor and you will be billed for every credit point over 12.

Most students take 11 or 12 credit points. Usually this means taking four classes, one of which will need to be an Australian related content course.

Pass/Fail/Drop/Audit

Please refer to the IAP Study Abroad Handbook for academic policies.

Grades and Grade Conversions

Students’ grades will be based on tutorial participation, a mid-term examination, papers or projects, and a final examination. Final examination often accounts for 50 percent of students’ grades. Students should be aware that the grading in Australia is usually less generous than in the United States. The Murdoch grading system has four passing grades: P (pass), C (credit), D (distinction), and HD (high distinction). HD, high distinction, is the top grade awarded to those students who have met the course objectives with distinction. Your Australian grades will be converted to an American scale by CIEE. Below you will see how Murdoch & CIEE grades convert to UW grades:

Murdoch University

/

CIEE Equivalent

/

UW-Madison Equivalent

High Distinction / A / A
Distinction / A- / AB
Credit / B / B
Pass / C / C
Conceded, Conditional, Compensatory Pass / D / D
Failure / F / F

Living Abroad

Educate yourself about your host country. Read the Preparing to Live in Another Culture section of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook. Consult the following resources as well as travel books and program binders in the Study Abroad Resource Room (250 Bascom Hall). Remember- it won't be possible to prepare yourself completely. There will be situations you will not have anticipated and your flexibility will determine in great part the kind of experience you will have while abroad.

Websites of Interest:

The UW-Madison International Academic Programs (IAP) website:

http://www.studyabroad.wisc.edu

Murdoch University’s website:

http://www.murdoch.edu.au

CIEE website:

http://www.ciee.org

CIEE Perth program website:

http://www.murdoch.edu.au/ciee/

U.S. State Department:

http://travel.state.gov

Center for Disease Control (CDC):

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

Australian Embassy:

http://www.austemb.org

Lonely Planet Guidebook:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

Useful Travel Books:

Let’s Go

The Lonely Planet

Michelin Guides

Rough Guide

A Fair Go for All -- Australian and American Interactions.

International Travel Health Guide by Stuart R. Rose, MD.

A Concise History of Australia by Stuart Macintyre

The Australians by Ross Terrill

Communications

When making calls, keep in mind time zone differences (www.timeanddate.com/worldclock). To make an international call to the United States, dial the access code for the country from which you are calling plus the United States country code (always “1”) followed by the appropriate U.S. area code and local number. To call internationally from the United States, dial “011”, the country code, city access code (if necessary) and the phone number . Country and city codes can be found online (www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/dialing.html). Some of above steps can vary if you are using a calling card.

Refer for your CIEE handbook for detailed information regarding communicating via telephone, email, and mail while in Australia.

Student Testimonials

The testimonials below are from past participants; they reflect various students’ experiences and are included to provide different perspectives. IAP does not endorse any specific view expressed in this section.

Preparations Before Leaving

You don’t need as many clothes as you think. And you can buy anything you didn’t bring if you miss something.

I wish I had brought more warm clothing, my laptop computer, and my CD’s.

The Lonely Planet Guidebook is good to have as a travel companion. Also, a smile is a universal gesture, use it everywhere!

More warm clothes, pictures of family and friends.

I would make sure that you bring a nalgene water bottle because they don't sell them there.

Bring an equal amount of warm and cold weather clothes. It gets a little colder than you might expect during July and August.

Travel and Arrival Information

The orientation was a great way to meet a lot of new people right away which made the transition a lot easier.

Learn the bus system early. It’s so easy and efficient!

Must see places include the Sydney Opera House, snorkeling or diving at the Ningaloo Reef and touring the wineries and caves of Margaret River.

Do some backpacking! Must see places: Margaret River, Ningaloo Reef, Karijoni National Park. These are on the west coast.

Must see Northwest and down south as well as new landscapes and things you’ve never seen before.

Getting There: I used STA travel and they are pretty cheap. Try and see if they have any options offering more flights once you're there. You will definitely want to try and get to the East Coast, and maybe Thailand or New Zealand. I was able to get to the East Coast, but it was a little difficult and expensive.

Upon arrival I had $500- this was plenty because during the first week there was an organized trip to the local bank.

I did not open a local bank account. I used my credit card to charge major purchases and my debit card to withdraw local currency. This worked out well.

I opened a bank account and had money wired. Both worked for me.

I used my credit card until I opened a bank account (which was almost immediately).

Bring all the money you think you need and put it in an account. Get a check card and that way you always have it on hand and know exactly what you have. Have a credit card for emergencies.

I had way too much money [when I arrived]…maybe $300 is good.

I opened a bank account in Australia. It was definitely not worth the time/cost! ATMs and credit cards are readily available and accepted everywhere and that way you can take advantage of good exchange rates when they occur.

Take advantage of every second! Travel! Save up lots of money or be prepared to go into debt. You’ll want to do everything while you’re there and who wants to have to worry about money?

Academic Program

Go to class and meet deadlines.

The classes on a whole were easier than my Madison classes. Abroad, independent work was encouraged as opposed to group projects.

I spent about 6-8 hours a week. About the same with a little more reading abroad. You’ll figure it out when you get there, just stay on your feet.

School work varied greatly because of the way the school system works. There were long periods where nothing was due but a big project or exam. I spent less time studying at Murdoch to get comparable grades at the UW.

The grading was harder, but the courses expected more independent learning and less reliance on the professor.

There is a lot more independent study expected from you here than there is back home. There aren’t as many contact hours.

I like the grading system here better than in the U.S. The courses that I took were very comprehensive and informational.