Faculty of Asian Studies, The Australian National University

Exchange Course Approval Process

Please note that in order to receive an approval letter in time, all students going on exchange in semester 1 of any year will have to have steps 1-2 completed by 30 November of the previous year, and all students going on exchange in semester 2 of any year will have to have steps 1-2 completed by 31 May of the year when they plan to go on exchange.

Step 1

Once you have been nominated by IEO to a particular institution, you will need to send an email to the Asian Studies sub-dean including the information stated below. Please note that NO appointments will be scheduled with prospective exchange students without this first step having been completed regardless of when the exchange is scheduled to commence.

• Full Name

• Student Number

• Phone number(s)

• Language major and Cognitive major

• Length of exchange (1 semester/full year)

• Nominated institution for exchange

• HECS loading per semester of exchange (Do you want to be enrolled in 6, 12, 18 or 24 units of Asian Studies per semester of exchange?)

Course descriptions and how to compile them for approval 
You must include in this email the full course descriptions (similar to what appears in the ANU undergraduate handbook for courses offered here). Links to course descriptions will not suffice. Feel free to organise your descriptions as an attachment in a word document or pdf file, or just include them in the body of your email. Please note that you will not be able to go through the course approval process until you have submitted your course descriptions in the manner specified here to the sub-dean.

When compiling your course descriptions, you will want to bear in mind a few things:

• No first year courses will be considered for approval unless you have not completed the maximum number of first year courses in your Asian Studies degree. The maximum number of first year courses for an Asian Studies degree as part of a combined degree is 24 units, for a straight Asian Studies degree, 48 units.

• Select a few extra courses (as backups) so that there is less of a chance that you will need to seek further approvals by email from overseas. Please remember that the approval process can take some time—time which you and others may not have at the beginning of a semester.

• Select courses which do not overlap in content with any others you have done at ANU or with any others you plan to do at ANU upon return from your exchange.

• Studying foreign languages overseas: Given the sequential nature of language courses, you will need to ensure you find a course which is the appropriate level—that is, a course which does not overlap in content with the most recent language course you have completed at ANU.

• Course descriptions in a foreign language will need to be accompanied by a translation in English.

• The Faculty of Asian Studies has determined course load equivalencies for the universities with which the ANU has active exchange agreements. These weightings are strictly enforced and students are not at liberty to operate under alternative weightings based on advice from IEO, other faculties at the ANU or from the host institution. The relevant course load for your host university will be stated in your Asian Studies Faculty Approval Letter.

• Status will be granted in increments of 6 units only.

• Some general information on course loads: We require students going on exchange to European institutions to complete 30 ECTS for every 24 units of status they wish to receive towards their Asian Studies degree—that is, 7.5 ECTS for every 6 units of Asian Studies status. For most (but not all) American and Canadian institutions on the semester system, we require 15 credit points (5 courses) for every 24 units of status granted towards an Asian Studies degree. University of California students on the quarter system will need to complete 45 credits to receive 48 units of status. Students studying at universities in Japan and Korea will receive, at most, 6 units for every two courses taken there. Please email the Asian Studies sub-dean if you wish to know the course load for your particular institution prior to submitting your course descriptions for approval.

Step 2 Once you have submitted the information required in Step 1, you will receive an email from the Asian Studies sub-dean asking you if you wish to make an appointment to discuss your exchange. Please note that appointments will not be scheduled until IEO has given you the blue exchange enrolment form. The Asian Studies sub-dean will need to sign off on this form for you to be enrolled (by IEO) in the Asian Studies Exchange code (ASIA 5920).

Step 3 You will receive by email (at the address which you give in Step 1) a copy of your Asian Studies Exchange Approval Letter. If you have allowed sufficient time for the course approval process, you should receive this letter prior to your departure. Students who have left the approval process until too late or who have not completed the approval process do not have the guarantee of the Faculty of Asian Studies that the courses they do overseas will be credited towards their Asian Studies degree at the ANU. If you find that you are unable to get into the courses for which you have received approval, you will need to submit new course descriptions as per Step 1 above. Please remember that the approval process can take some time and plan accordingly so that you do not find that you have enrolled in a course/courses for which you might not receive approval.

Step 4 Go on exchange. Have a lovely time!

Step 5 Prior to your return, obtain an official copy of your transcript from your host institution. Upon your return to the ANU, drop by the Asian Studies Faculty office to fill out and submit a status form. A photocopy of your official transcript will be taken at this time to accompany your status application. Your status will be determined based on your course approval letter. You will not receive status for any courses for which you did not receive approval. You may at this point seek status for courses completed without approval, but you will need to submit a course descriptions as per Step 1 above and you should realize that there is no guarantee that the course will be approved. Please also note that you must apply for status for your exchange. It is not something that happens automatically.