A WCCCSA Affiliate Program operated by Green River College

Dates & Deadlines

  • Application Deadline: Monday, October 30, 2023
  • Deposit Due ($650): within two weeks of your application or by October 30, 2023, whichever date is closest (non-refundable)
  • Balance of Program Fees Due: Monday, November 13, 2023
  • Tuition Due: Check your campus’s calendar
  • Program Dates: January 3 – March 24, 2024 (subject to change)

Contact your WCCCSA Campus Coordinator for more information about spending the winter in Australia and New Zealand. Or find out more by visiting the Green River College Study Abroad website or contact Megan Swanson at 253-931-6845 or mswanson@greenriver.edu.

Program Documents

About the Program

Location

Australia and New Zealand are unique countries and, because of their distance from the US, only a lucky few get to travel there. This is a ten-week program including eight weeks abroad and two weeks of online study. Week 1 of the program includes online studies in Washington state, followed by three weeks of study in Melbourne, which is situated in southeastern Australia. It is one of the great livable cities in the world, noted for its diversity, vitality, and sophistication, a center for arts and culture with ready access to the wonders of Australia’s natural history. You will have a one-week travel break before spending the next three weeks studying in Auckland, which is situated on the North Island of New Zealand. It is the largest city in New Zealand and is noted for its physical beauty of mountains, harbors, and volcanic peaks. You will again have one week to travel independently in New Zealand before returning home to wrap up your studies online in Washington. Together these two cities will introduce you to the unique aspects of both Australia and New Zealand. Upon return to the USA, you will finish up course assignments and complete required reflection activities online. Local program managers will serve as hosts and advisors to help you become familiar with Australian and New Zealand culture and lifestyle.

Week 1: Online studies in Washington state
Weeks 2-4: Travel to and study in Melbourne, Australia
Week 5: 1 week travel break in Australia
Weeks 6-8: Travel to and study in Auckland, New Zealand
Week 9: 1 week travel break in New Zealand
Week 10: Return home and complete 1 week of online study and reflection activities online

Campus & Classrooms

In Melbourne you will stay at Newman College, University of Melbourne. The campus is located just a few minutes from the city center, with easy access to all the city has to offer. There will be opportunities to go swimming in the warm waters and to explore the tourist sights. You will also have a rare chance to experience Aboriginal cultural sites and a variety of native animal species up close and personal.

While in Auckland you will stay in shared housing and take your classes at Unitec University, one of New Zealand’s top educational institutions. Studying in New Zealand is very popular with students worldwide and Auckland has a large international population.

Housing

In Melbourne, you will stay in a single dorm room at Newman College. These are college dormitories with shared baths and communal eating facilities. Lunch and dinner is included in the Dining Hall five days a week. In New Zealand, you will live in shared apartments near the Unitec campus where you will have fully equipped kitchens to do your own cooking (meals are not included in Auckland).

Faculty & Courses

Experienced community college faculty members will lead the group and teach the curriculum along with local Australian and New Zealand expert instructors. This is a study program. Students must carry a three-course, 15-credit load, and are expected to fully participate in all activities. Green River College faculty will lead the group and teach the History and English courses. Highly qualified local Australian and New Zealand faculty will teach the Biology course. Students must participate in required online coursework before and after the eight-week travel period.

History 237: History of Australia and New Zealand – 5 credits (course number varies by college)

Examines the history of Australasian nations of Australia and New Zealand from the first human inhabitants of Australia some 60,000 years ago, and the Maori settlement of New Zealand some 800 years ago, through the long and often difficult processes to become the modern island nations of Australia and New Zealand. Attention is given to the various groups who have migrated to Australasia, the European exploration and colonization of the area, the development of settlements and colonial governments, the move to nationhood in the late 19th century, and the emergence of the modern nations of Australia and New Zealand in the 20th century.

Biology 127: Natural Science of Australian/New Zealand – 5 credits (course number varies by college)

Focuses on the ecology of Australia and New Zealand, including ecosystems and human impact on ecosystems. The biodiversity, characteristics, and interactions of Australian and New Zealand flora and fauna will also be investigated within various habitats and ecosystems. A significant portion of the course will involve field observations and experiences. This course does not meet the lab distribution requirement. It is designed for the beginning college student.

English& 113: Introduction to Poetry – 5 credits (common course number)

Serves as an introduction to reading, interpreting, analyzing, and discussing poetry, with particular attention to the works’ formal elements and cultural contexts. This particular offering will focus entirely on the indigenous poets of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. In doing so, students will still experience an in-depth study of poetics such as form, rhyme, meter, imagery, figurative language, etc., but they will also experience poetry as a vital force. Throughout Aboriginal and Maori history, poetry has served a major role in shaping culture and motivating protest movements, and this class offers a unique way into these histories and movements.

Excursions/Activities

There will be prearranged fully inclusive tours during your stay, which may include:

In Australia

  • Melbourne Museum: Banjalika Aboriginal Exhibit
  • National Gallery: Aboriginal Art Exhibit
  • Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance
  • National Gallery Australian Art Exhibit
  • Bendigo – Gold Fields
  • Healsville Sanctuary
  • Mount Donna Buang Forests
  • Victoria Parliament
  • Lorne Surf Beaches
  • Cape Schanck

In New Zealand

  • Overnight stay in a traditional Maori Marae
  • Auckland Museum: Ngati Whatua O Orakei Maori Performance
  • Mount Albert Volcano and The Auckland Volcano Field
  • The Waitakere Range
  • Tiri Tiri Matangi Island Bird Sanctuary
  • Rangitoto Island Volcano
  • Auckland Art Gallery

Additional Activities

Other excursions are optional and may require an additional fee, for example:

  • Lord of the Rings Tour
  • Whale Rider Tour
  • Hobbiton

Independent Travel

There will also be plenty of opportunity on weekends and break weeks to do your own exploring using convenient public transport or tour specialists.

Cost: $7250

Included

  • 6.5 weeks housing accommodations
    • 3 weeks in a private dorm room at Newman College, University of Melbourne
    • 3 weeks in shared apartment at Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland
  • Transfers to/from Melbourne and Auckland airports
  • Weekly excursions and field trips to museums, field biology sites, etc.
  • Overnight stay in a traditional Maori Marae in Auckland
  • Most lunches and dinners at Newman College in Melbourne
  • Kitchen facilities to cook your own meals in Auckland
  • Pre-departure and arrival orientations
  • Welcome and farewell BBQ/pizza parties in Melbourne and Auckland
  • Curriculum lab fee of $350
  • Basic student medical insurance

Not Included

  • College tuition and books
  • Airfare, airport taxes, fees, and surcharges (suggested flight itinerary will be provided)
  • Passport fees; visitor visa for Australia (~$25) and New Zealand (~$30)
  • Housing accommodations during travel breaks (5 nights in each country)
  • Meals not specified
  • Personal and entertainment expenses
  • Local transportation
  • Independent travel and expenses during or after the program
  • Anything not specified as included in the program