Frequently asked student exchange questions

By taking part in a student exchange, you will:

• Gain experience of a new culture and country
• Make friends from all over the world
• Learn a​ lot - academically and personally
• Return with more self-confidence and maturity
• Experience different teaching and learning styles

AUT has partner universities across the world for each specific area of study.

Where you can go: exchange partners

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 (University of Hawai’i at Manoa and 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.

​​​You'll study a number of courses related to your programme.

All our partner universities teach and assess in English.

Sometimes the choices you have are limited, so we recommend course planning as early as possible.

How many courses you should study

​​​You need to study a full-time load (of whatever length and structure) as set by the partner university for its own domestic students. This then equates to a full-time load of study at AUT (60 credit points per semester). If you pass this full-time study load overseas, your study programme/degree is credited with 60 credit points per semester of study.

These credits are either specified (which means they relate to the requirements of a major) or unspecified (they relate to the elective part of your degree.)

​​​Depending on where you go, a semester on a student exchange costs around $12,000 - $15,000.

​Costs will include

• 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

Do I still pay my AUT tuition fees while on 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.

We generally recommend that you go on a student exchange:

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

Final-year exchanges

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.

​​​Most of AUT's partner universities have on-campus housing and you will apply for this when you complete the application to your partner university.

​​​Sometimes you can work while you're on a student exchange overseas - but only for a limited number of hours per week. Check the embassy or consulate websites for each country for more information.

​​​You're only on your own if you choose to be. There will be students to mix/live with from the country you are living in and from other overseas partners. You can take up sport, artistic and community activities to interact with local people.

There is always a specific staff member appointed at our partner universities to take charge of exchange arrangements and student welfare.

An exchange won't add any extra time onto your degree, as all the courses you study overseas are pre-approved by your programme leader. You'll need to choose a university that offers courses similar to what you're studying at AUT.