Study abroad

Study Abroad programs at CDU provide opportunities for students to engage in life-changing study experiences in Australia.

Students can choose to study for one or two semesters at a time. As a study abroad student, you will participate as a fee-paying student, which means fees are paid directly to CDU and not to your home institution.

Generally, the courses you study at CDU can be transferred as academic credit towards your degree. Transferral of your academic credit is subject to approval from your home university.

Contact your home institution to find out if any support is available to help arrange your study abroad experience.

Have a question? Get in contact with the CDU Global Team.

How to apply

The CDU Study Abroad program invites students from all universities around the world to study some of Australia’s most unique programs and courses for a semester or two.

Start your application

You will need to include the following documents with your application:

• Copy of passport
• Proof of English language Proficiency (not required for Canada, UK, USA)
• Certified copy of a current academic transcript
• Simplified Statement (one page about why you want to study abroad and why you choose to study at CDU)

Your application process includes selecting CDU units to study. Generally, the courses you study at CDU can be transferred as academic credit towards your degree. Transferral of your academic credit is subject to approval from your host university.

Key Dates

To be confirmed.

Have a question? Get in contact with the CDU Study Abroad Team.

Unit selection

Students participating in the study abroad program are not required to obtain approval from your home university for the units you wish to enrol in at CDU. However, if you want to transfer your academic credit back to your degree at your home university, you will need to ensure that your home university approves your selected study units.

A full-time load at Charles Darwin University is 30-40 credit points per semester. Generally, 30-40 credit points are equivalent to enrolling in three to four units worth 10 credit points each.

Equivalency of 40 CDU credit points:

*Other regions do not have universal credit point systems. Refer to your home university's website to determine the full-time loading.

Study Abroad program options 

Option 1: Design your own program

You can design your own program by selecting units from CDU’s range of study areas, as long as you have the necessary prerequisites. Please note that all units are subject to availability, capacity and eligibility. Please have a look at our unit catalogue to review available units for Semester 1 and Semester 2.

Option 2: Choose a Study Abroad package

Select from our unique and exciting Study Abroad Packages, which draw on our research and teaching strengths. These packages enable you to select specialised units in an area of your interest. We recommend that you have a look at some backup units in case of timetabling clashes and availability, by looking at our unit catalogue for Semester 1 and Semester 2.

Fees and living costs

Study Abroad students enrol at CDU as fee-paying students.

*Fees for 2022 will be released in late 2021

Additional expenses

Study Abroad students will need to pay for:

• Return flights
• Compulsory overseas student health insurance
• Student visa
• Accommodation
• Living expenses
• External agency fees (optional)

* The cost of living will vary according to your lifestyle.