Study abroad on the Australian Gold Coast with IFSA
Gold Coast
, Australia

Griffith University Partnership

Program Overview

Adventure-seekers, find your place under the sun on Australia’s fabled Gold Coast at a progressive university with top ranked business (AACSB accredited), criminal justice, tourism, physics, and a prestigious honors college. Art and music majors can hone their skills up the river in friendly, easy-going Brisbane at Queensland College of Art.

Details at a Glance

Application deadline

Fall: April 1
Spring: Oct. 15

Minimum GPA

2.50

Credit load

16

Housing

Apartment/Flat, Residence Hall/Dormitory

Instruction language

English

Prerequisites

None

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Academics

Looking for specific classes? Explore CHART, our exclusive class database — if the Griffith University Program is pre-approved at your institution, you’ll find classes recently taken by other IFSA students.

To browse the complete list of Griffith University courses, open the Griffith University online course catalog.

Students enroll in 4 classes each worth 10 Griffith University Credit Points for a total of 16 U.S. semester credit hours.

Queensland College of Art
The school is located across the river from the central business district in Brisbane. Please note that these schools have additional portfolio/audition requirements. Please reach out to your IFSA Enrollment Counselor to learn more.

Lab & Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and course materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

Australian Government | Department of Education | CRICOS: 00233E

Australian Government | Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency | TEQSA: PRV12076

  • Fourth-year (4000) courses are electives.
  • 5000 courses are electives for some study areas only (e.g. Law)
  • 6000 courses are undergraduate Honours courses. These are available only to students who are currently an Honours student at their home university.
  • 7000 courses and higher are part of a postgraduate degree (Masters or Ph.D.). You are not eligible to take these courses as an undergraduate study abroad student

INTERNSHIP

Community internship at Griffith University: Give back to the community by volunteering 50 hours during the semester in structured activities, projects or research. Some examples of past internships include: environmental work, executive assistance, event planning, social media work, marketing assistance, research project assistance, human resources intern or community development work. Internships are unpaid but are worth 4 U.S. semester credits (replacing one class). Internship placements may be subject to a successful interview upon arrival. If a student does not receive a placement upon arrival, another course can be easily added during registration.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

  • You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
  • You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
  • You must have completed at least one (1) year of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.

Recommendation Letter
Not required.

Visa Requirement
A visa is required for all students.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects courses taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.

Excursions

Activities and excursions are designed to pull you into the communities you visit and encourage cultural connections of every kind. There’s no extra fee to participate in these optional outings—everything is included in your program fee.

Below are examples from previous terms; outings may be different for your program. We’ll make every effort to run them all, but sometimes things we can’t control, such as local regulations and health protocols, get in the way. As result, we cannot guarantee activities and excursions.

Activities

  • Indigenous Australians Dance Performance: Watch Bangarra, a company of professional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contemporary dancers, tell powerful stories through movement, dynamic design, poetry, and music.
  • Bike Tour: Scheduled early in the semester, a bike tour is the perfect way to get orientated to the Gold Coast, get your bearings, and explore your new city.
  • NACE Competencies Workshop: Mastering the eight U.S. National Association of Colleges and Employers competencies is essential preparation for college graduates. This IFSA staff workshop helps you make meaningful links between your study abroad experience and career readiness.
  • Farewell Dinner: Savor the memories and experiences of your time in Australia during a final delicious dining experience with your IFSA family.

Excursions

  • Lamington National Park Weekend: Explore Queensland’s biodiversity in all its richness with a weekend adventure including a rainforest walking tour and visits to Mount Tamborine and Binna Burra.
  • Stradbroke Island First Nations Tour: Stradbroke Island, home to the Quandamooka People, is known for some of the most stunning scenery found anywhere in Australia. Immerse yourself in a world of ancient dreamtime stories and real-life experiences during the tour, including seeing many native animals in the wild.
  • Lone Pine Sanctuary Visit: Lone Pine is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary and collaborates with universities, government, and students on hundreds of wildlife research projects. During the three-hour visit, see more than 130 koalas, hand feed kangaroos and emus, experience a sheep dog show, spy on a shy platypus swimming, and watch the birds of prey.
  • Witches Falls Getaway: One of the oldest national parks in Australia, Tamborine Mountain features the scenic Witches Falls and hosts 85 percent of all animal species found in the Gold Coast area. Australia is known for being one of the world’s largest exporters of wine and produces wine in every state. At the Witches Falls Winery, learn about the wine making process, climate challenges, distribution, and taste!

Housing and Meals

Housing

Apartment/Flat, Residence Hall/Dormitory

Meals

Self-Catering

Details

Griffith Gold Coast students can choose between on campus apartments at Griffith University Village (GUV) or the off-campus Surfers Century apartments. Griffith University Village (GUV) Students at GUV have their own bedroom in a five-bedroom apartment. Kitchens have shared bathroom, kitchen and living areas and all meals are self-catered. Surfers Century Students at Surfers Century live in self-catered apartments with their fellow study abroad students just a few blocks from the heart of Surfer's Paradise beach and a 25–minute train or bus ride from the university. Students share a bedroom and a bathroom with another student on the program, with four total students living in a two bedroom/two bathroom apartment. Queensland College of Art — Scape apartments Students in the Queensland College of Art live in the self-catered Scape apartments in South Bank, Brisbane's cultural suburb. Students have their own bedroom and bathroom and share an apartment with other study abroad students.

Dates and Fees

Term

Term begins

Term ends

Program costs

Application deadline

Spring 2024

February 21, 2024

June 16, 2024

$21,475

Oct. 15

Fall 2024

Early July 2024

Late Oct. 2024

$21,475 (estimated)

April 1

Term

Spring 2024

Term begins

February 21, 2024

Term ends

June 16, 2024

Program costs

$21,475

Application deadline

Oct. 15

Term

Fall 2024

Term begins

Early July 2024

Term ends

Late Oct. 2024

Program costs

$21,475 (estimated)

Application deadline

April 1

Get Started

Emma Lynch

Emma Lynch

Admissions Counselor

Emma Lynch

Emma Lynch

Prearrival Counselor

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