Apply to go on a student exchange as an AUT student

To be eligible to go on a student exchange, you must:

• Be a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree or taught postgraduate programme at AUT
• Have completed at least one full-time year of study before the start of the exchange*
• Have a B average grade/5.0 GPA in your tertiary studies and maintain this average up until your exchange begins**
• Ensure the proposed programme at the host university is suitable for your AUT degree
• Be a good ambassador for AUT and New Zealand
• Be committed to making the most of the exchange opportunity

If you no longer fulfil these eligibility criteria, we may need to withdraw you from the exchange programme.

Exchange is not currently available for Bachelor of Education (all majors) and Bachelor of Health Science students with the following majors: Nursing, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Oral Health, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Perioperative Practice, Paramedicine and Counselling.

_{*Some partner universities request two years of full-time study (Stockholm University Law Department)
**If your GPA is between 4.0 and 4.99, your application will be considered on a case-by-case basis and AUT International can’t guarantee acceptance to the AUT student exchange programme. We may also ask for a recommendation from an academic who has taught you within the last year.}

International students

International students can go on exchange if they meet the eligibility criteria above. You may be asked to show proof of your English language proficiency when you apply to your host university.

You also need to check with Immigration New Zealand to make sure that your time on student exchange will not impact your visa to study in New Zealand.

Timing for your exchange

The best time for you to go on exchange will vary based on:

• Your degree – each programme has a most appropriate time for exchange
• The requirements of the host university you’d like to attend
• Your study plan and mandatory courses
• When you expect to graduate

Before you apply to go on exchange, you need to discuss with your AUT faculty or school when is the best time for you to go on a student exchange and what courses to include in your study plan. Make sure you consider any prerequisites for your degree.

Final-year exchanges

We generally recommend that you go on a student exchange:

• 3-year programmes: in your second year
• 4-year programmes: in your third year

If you’d like to go in your final year, discuss this with your programme leader as soon as possible to ensure that you can still meet all the requirements of your degree and graduate as planned.

If your AUT programme includes elective courses, save them for when you’re on student exchange. Courses at a host university can never be guaranteed, so this could prevent you from going on student exchange in your final year if you can’t find a suitable equivalent for core courses you need.

Any exchanges taking place in the final semester of your degree will need individual approval from your programme leader and the AUT International exchange manager. Acceptance is not guaranteed.

Taking on an exchange semester is exciting and we want to make sure that you’re well prepared so you can enjoy the experience. There are some key things you should consider.

Your responsibilities

The AUT International team will work with you to support the application process and the logistics of securing an exchange, but it’s your responsibility to:

• Research the options available
• Research the practicalities of being on exchange
• Organise your study plan

Your study plan

You need to speak to your AUT faculty or school about your plan to go on a student exchange and how this will fit into your AUT study plan. It’s your responsibility to make sure it fits with the requirements of your degree, so plan ahead and speak to the relevant programme staff.

Our partner universities

You can view where you go can on a student exchange. To make it easy for you to research your options, we’ve grouped our partner universities by study area. These institutions don’t necessarily offer all the courses AUT has, so check that your chosen host university offers relevant courses before you apply to go on a student exchange.

You can select five partner universities in your application to go on a student exchange. We’ll try to place you at one of your preferred universities, so make sure you’ve researched your options thoroughly and are happy to attend any of the five you selected in your application.

The listed partner universities are all the partnerships we currently have, but we’ll update the page if any new partner universities are confirmed.

Money matters

While you’re on a student exchange, you’ll continue to pay your normal tuition fees to AUT. This means you don’t have to pay international fees at your host university.

You will need to pay for:

• Academic transcript release cost
• Flights
• Visa
• Travel and medical insurance
• Living costs including your accommodation, food, transport, clothing
• Course-related costs like textbooks, art supplies, lab coats, field trips
• Other costs related to going on student exchange

An exchange semester will cost approximately $12,000-$15,000, but this depends on the country you go to and could be more than this. Your host university or immigration team in your host country might ask you to prove that you have a different amount to cover your student exchange.

Due to the number of partners we have, AUT International can only provide this estimate for an exchange semester. It is your responsibility to research the costs involved for the host university you would like to attend.

Scholarships are available each semester for students to apply for. Details will be available as scholarships are announced.

Your passport

Your passport should be valid for at least six months after the end of your student exchange semester abroad. Most countries’ immigration departments require this to process your visa. If your passport expires in the next 12 months, you should renew it as soon as possible to avoid any delays.

You must have a valid passport when you apply to your host university, otherwise they may not be able to process your application and there will be delays with obtaining a visa.

How long should your passport be valid: dates example

If you’re on an exchange semester with a partner university in the UK for their Spring Semester 2025 (January to June 2025) your passport must be valid until at least December 2025.

Visas and permits

You're responsible for getting the necessary visas and/or permits for the country where you'll be studying. Your exchange is conditional until you're granted the documentation you need to travel.

Some host countries may require travel to their nearest embassy or consulate, which could be in Wellington or in Canberra in Australia.

AUT International can't advise you about immigration requirements - you need to contact the relevant embassy or consulate for information.

Be an ambassador for AUT and the exchange programme

Being an advocate for the exchange programme is a key component to going on a student exchange – it helps us grow our student exchange programme and build strong relationships with our partner universities.

You can do this by:

• Chatting to students in your host country about AUT or living in New Zealand
• Supporting your host university at an exchange event to help their students find out more about us
• Sharing your experiences with other AUT students by attending AUT events and helping us spread the word about student exchange
• Taking lots of pics while you’re overseas – we’d love to see what you’re up to

There are two exchange application rounds each year: one for Semester 1 and one for Semester 2.

You need to apply a year in advance to go on exchange for a semester. For example, you’ll apply at the end of Semester 2, 2023 to go on a student exchange for Semester 2, 2024.

• Applications for Semester 1 each year will close on 1 July the previous year.
• Applications for Semester 2 each year will close on 1 December the previous year.

Some partner universities only have one intake of exchange applicants per year, these are indicated on our web page on where you can go on a student exchange. For these universities, you may need to apply even earlier (for example, apply by 1 December 2024 to go on exchange in Semester 2, 2025 or Semester 1, 2026).

Applications will be considered after the deadline so take the time to:

• Understand how an exchange semester would work within your study plan
• Make sure you’ve prepared all the necessary documents
• Research your options carefully – chat to your AUT faculty or school about your study plan, and consider practical matters like finance before you apply

As part of your application to go on a student exchange, you’ll need to provide some supporting documents.

What you’ll need to provide with your application:

1. Passport photo page
2. Student visa or Permanent Resident visa (international students only)
3. Unofficial AUT transcript (you can access this from Arion or use the copies that are emailed to you at the end of each semester)

To apply for the opportunity to go on a student exchange you need to submit an application to AUT International using the form below.

Before you start your application:

• Read all the information on this page, and the terms and conditions
• Prepare your supporting documentation to attach to the application

Apply here

Log in with your AUT username and password.

You can only submit one application in each application cycle. If you submit and have made a mistake, email aut.student.exchange@aut.ac.nz with the subject line ‘Name, Student ID, Application Error’ (insert your name and student ID).

AUT International will review applications after the application cycle deadline. We’ll email you about the outcome of your applications within six weeks after the deadline.

We’ll try to place you at one the partner universities you’ve selected in your application, so make sure you’ve researched your options thoroughly and would be happy to attend any of the five you selected in your application.

If your application is successful

• We’ll offer you a host university to be nominated to
• You will be given a deadline to respond to confirm you are happy to move forward with the nomination
• If you are not able to accept the host university offered to you, you can respond to the offer with your reasoning. AUT International will consider an alternative option on a case-by-case basis, as we cannot guarantee that a specific place will be available every semester
• AUT International will then nominate you to the selected partner university

A nomination is not an offer of place for the partner university; it means you can apply for an exchange place with them. The host university’s admissions team still needs to review your application, and will make the final decision and offer you a place if you’re accepted.

Once you’ve received a nomination for your chosen host university, it’s time to start your course approval process.

This process is done entirely online, and the AUT exchange manager will send you a course approval form.

How to choose courses

You now need to select the courses you want to take at your host university, taking into account:

• The semester the courses are taking place in*
• Your study plan from your AUT faculty or school
• Any mandatory courses you have to take during your exchange semester
• Courses you’ve already completed at AUT (your student exchange courses can't be too similar)
• The credit system at your host university to make sure you select the equivalent of 60 AUT points (60 AUT points = 30 ECTS or 15 US credits)

_{*Northern hemisphere universities have an autumn/winter semester from September to December, and then a spring/summer semester from January to June.}

Get approval from your AUT faculty or school

The course approval form shows your faculty or school which courses you want to cross-credit back to your AUT degree. This is why it’s so important that you’ve talked to them to get your study plan and understand how an exchange semester will fit into your degree.

Your faculty or school will review the details you’ve provided and will decide if the courses you’ve selected are appropriate for your degree progression. You need their approval before you enrol in any courses at your host university, otherwise you may not be able to cross-credit these courses.

Once the form has been approved by your AUT faculty or school, a copy will be sent to you and to AUT International.

Once you’ve received confirmation that your nomination has been accepted by the host university, you’ll be invited to apply directly to them. This is normally via email from their exchange team, but occasionally details will be sent to AUT International and we will share them with you.

Once your application is complete, your host university will assess this and be in touch directly with you about their decision.

What happens next?

All AUT students going on a student exchange need to attend a pre-departure session. Details about this will be sent to these students directly.