American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)

Sydney, Australia 
Rich in natural beauty, Australia stretches from the rugged empty spaces of the Outback to the azure seas of the Great Barrier Reef, from forests filled with wildlife to the mysterious red monolith that is Ayer’s Rock. Sydney offers students warm sun and beach days from October through April—there is no snow!

Sydney’s energetic city life centers around its magnificent harbor. Its wide banks hold a world-famous opera house and a city of walkways, parks and ferries. Sydneysiders are known for their relaxed and welcoming attitude and remarkably multicultural population. Cosmopolitan and easy to get around, Sydney is a spacious, sunny city surrounded by spectacular national parks, unspoiled bushland and 100 miles of coastline.

Macquarie University  

Macquarie is set on 55 acres of hills and natural beauty in the town of North Ryde, 10 miles northwest of Sydney’s center. It combines the best of Australia’s open spaces with a modern campus that includes teaching and research facilities and extensive areas set aside for sports and leisure. Macquarie students spend a great deal of time outdoors reading under the shade of eucalyptus trees, hiking the hills, strolling to the University’s own complex of shops and restaurants, catching a bus to Sydney’s center or swimming at the beach. AIFS provides a public transportation pass, which students use frequently for the half hour bus ride to the city center.

Established in 1966, Macquarie is one of the leading research institutions in Sydney, with an annual enrollment of 16,000. It offers a wide range of academic programs and majors that span the humanities, sciences and social sciences. Macquarie’s courses take full advantage of Sydney’s position in the Pacific Rim. At Macquarie, you can study the way writers from former colonial countries used English to create new kinds of fiction, examine how the arrival of Europeans affected Polynesian political culture or learn archaeological techniques while examining Aboriginal pre-history.

Included in AIFS program fee:

• Tuition, housing and 20 meals per week
• Cultural activities
• Services of a pre-departure Student Advisory Center and an on-site Coordinator
• 4-day visit to Melbourne
• Phone card on arrival to call the U.S.
• Computer facilities with Internet access
• Public transportation pass for bus, train and ferry

Academics

• Academic year (July-June), July-December and February-June semesters
• Open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors
• On-site orientation inSydney
• Unique Aboriginal and Australian Studies program
• Internships available
• Transcripts issued by Macquarie University
• Visa mandatory. Apply to the Australian consulate

Housing and meals

• Housing in single rooms with shared bathroom facilities in Dunmore Lang residential college
• Meals in Dunmore Lang College dining hall  

Cultural activities

• Performance at Sydney Opera House, weekend trips and sporting events
• Options tours to the Great Barrier Reef and the Outback

www.aifsabroad.com

*Source:  American Institute for Foreign Study 2005-6 Academic Year/Semester Abroad catalog