Once you receive notification from ECU accepting you into the ECU Student Exchange Program, you will need to start getting organised. There are a number of things that you will need to do and be aware of, so please read each section of this page carefully!
The Student Hub will provide you with the relevant partner institution application you will need to complete in order to apply for exchange at that partner institution.
Please note that if the partner application requires you to submit documents that you have already provided to the Student Hub as part of your ECU exchange application, you do not need to submit these documents again.
Once we receive your completed partner application and supporting documents, we will email/courier it to the partner institution on your behalf.
The partner institution will review your application and make a decision regarding your admission. Please note that the turnaround time varies from one institution to the next and can sometimes take up to 12 weeks.
Please note that, if needed, we will follow up on your behalf with the partner regarding your application.
Once your application has been successful, the partner institution will then send you further information regarding your exchange (i.e. important dates, accommodation, visas, health insurance requirements etc).
You should start looking into your accommodation options for the duration of your exchange as soon as possible. Applying for accommodation is different for each institution and housing application deadlines may apply so it is important you start looking into your housing options early.
Most of our partners have on-campus accommodation available for exchange students but you also have the option of staying off-campus. However, please note that some partners provide little or no assistance with finding off-campus accommodation.
It is important that you have a valid passport that will not expire while you are on exchange. Most countries require that your passport be valid for 6 months after the date you return.
You will most likely need to obtain a visa to allow you to study in the country of your exchange. We recommend that you visit the Consular / Embassy websites for the country/countries you will be travelling to in order to learn more about visa requirements, visa application process, required documents, visa fees and application processing times.
An acceptance letter and/or other documents from the partner institution will usually be required to apply for your visa; thus, in most cases, you will not be able to apply for a visa until after your acceptance at the partner.
Please note that the Student Hub cannot advise you on visa issues.
The Student Hub strongly recommends that you do not book your flights until you have been accepted at the partner institution and your visa, if applicable, has been granted.
It is important for you to arrive at the partner institution before the start of their orientation session, which will take place before the start of the semester. The partner institution will provide exact dates after your application has been successful.
You should also enquire about the move in / move out dates of your arranged accommodation as you may need to arrange temporary accommodation (hostel, hotel, etc.) if you arrive before the move in date and/or if you stay after the move out date.
Some partners offer a free pick up/transfer service from the airport to accommodation for newly arriving exchange students. However, these services may only be available on particular dates and advanced booking may be required. The partner institution should provide you with this information or you may be able to find it out from their website.
All students travelling overseas as part of their ECU degree must have their travel approved through ECU's travel approval process. Please note that this process must be completed no less than three weeks prior to departure for exchange. The Student Hub will help you in completing this process. We will provide you with the relevant forms and instructions for completing the travel approval process and the date that these forms must be submitted back to us. We will then obtain the relevant School approvals for you and provide you with an electronic copy of your completed and signed travel approval form. You should keep the form with you when travelling as you will need to produce it in the event of a claim on your insurance.
It is important that you have comprehensive health and travel insurance to cover you and your belongings while you are on exchange and for any travel before and/or after your exchange placement.
By having your travel approved through ECU's travel approval process you may then be covered by ECU's Student Travel Insurance at no extra cost. However, please note that ECU's Student Travel Insurance:
For further questions about ECU's Student Travel Insurance contact insurance@ecu.edu.au
Students travelling on exchange for two semesters (one year) will need to obtain their own travel/medical insurance that meets the following minimum requirements:
| Destinations | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Africa | Medical Expenses: $1,000,000 Cancellation Expenses: $20,000 Repatriation Expenses: $20,000 Personal Liability: $1,000,000 24hr Assistance: Included |
| Canada | |
| Europe | |
| Japan | |
| Middle East | |
| Russia | |
| South America | |
| UK | |
| USA | |
| Other countries | Medical Expenses: $250,000 Cancellation Expenses: $10,000 Repatriation Expenses: $10,000 Personal Liability: $1,000,000 24hr Assistance: Included |
Students doing in excess of 7 days personal travel, either before or after their one-semester exchange placement, will also need to obtain their own health/travel insurance for their additional personal travel that meets the above minimum requirements.
Please note that you may still need to purchase the specific health insurance required by the institution/country you are travelling to. We currently know this is the case for students going on exchange to:
Enrolment procedures differ from one institution to the next and the partner institution will provide you with the necessary information regarding when and how you can enrol in your units, once your application has been approved.
You may be able to enrol yourself online or through correspondence with the partner before you leave or, in some cases, you may not be able to complete your enrolment until you arrive. Please be aware that you must satisfy any prerequisites for the units you wish to complete at the partner institution. This means that you may have to provide the partner with relevant ECU unit outlines (you can obtain unit outlines from the ECU Handbook).
You must notify the Student Hub of your enrolment at the partner institution once it has been finalised so that we can organise your ECU enrolment. Please note that you must have your ECU Course Coordinator's approval (Exchange Credit Transfer Form) for all units you complete on exchange in order to receive credit towards your ECU degree.
The Student Hub will handle your ECU enrolment for your exchange semester as you still need to be enrolled at ECU for the relevant units (in the Exchange (EXC) mode).
Once you have notified us of your enrolment at the partner, we will enrol you in the corresponding ECU units that have been approved by your Course Coordinator on your Exchange Credit Transfer Form. Please note that we can only enrol you in the ECU units that have been pre-matched and approved by your Course Coordinator via the Credit Transfer Form.
We will send you a confirmation of your ECU enrolment for your exchange semester once it has been finalised. The Student Hub must be notified of any changes to your enrolment at the partner institution as we will need to adjust your ECU enrolment accordingly.
If you would like to enrol in units at the partner that are not approved on your original Credit Transfer Form, you will need to complete a new Credit Transfer Form, obtain a new approval from your ECU Course Coordinator, and return the form to the Student Hub. If you fail to do so, you will not receive credit for these units, which may delay your graduation.
All students going out on exchange must attend the pre-departure briefing session on the Joondalup campus held on the Friday during the study week break (just before the examination period). We will confirm the exact time and further details of the session closer to the date.
As an ECU exchange student, you must Register your travel with the DFAT. We recommend that you register only when you have finalised your travel plans.
You can access other important travel information on DFAT's SmartTraveller Website.
In order to be well-prepared for your exchange, we recommend that you find out as much as possible about the country where you will be going and do as much research as possible on the partner institution.
In addition to the key areas listed above, you should also look into the following: