What you can study while on exchange or study abroad
Explore the subjects you can study at Melbourne on exchange or study abroad, find out how to plan your study program, and learn about any faculty-specific subject requirements or restrictions.
Study levels and subject options
At the University of Melbourne, exchange and study abroad students can study subjects at undergraduate or graduate coursework levels across a wide range of disciplines. Graduate research students may also undertake a supervised research placement as part of their home degree.
The subjects available to you will depend on your academic background, prerequisites, level of study and the agreement in place with your home institution.
You can explore subjects through the University Handbook and use this page to understand study areas, subject planning and any faculty-specific requirements or restrictions.
Explore study areas
The University of Melbourne offers a wide range of subjects across disciplines. You can explore new areas of learning, extend your undergraduate major, or take electives that complement your home degree studies.
All subjects are listed in the University Handbook, including prerequisites, assessment details and availability. Search by keyword and use filters to refine results – including subjects open to exchange and study abroad students, discipline, semester and prerequisites. View the Subject guide (PDF).
Study areas available
| Agriculture and Veterinary Science Agriculture, Animal Science, Food Science, Veterinary Science | Internships, research and volunteering Practical experience alongside your studies |
| Architecture and Design Architecture, Construction, Design, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Property | Languages and Area Studies Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish |
| Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Anthropology, History, Philosophy, Sociology, Politics, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, Media and Communications | Law and Criminology Law, Criminology |
| Business and Economics Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing | Music and Performing Arts Music, Visual Arts, Performing Arts |
| Engineering and Information Technology Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems | Science and Environment Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Geography, Mathematics, Physics |
| Health and Biomedical Sciences Anatomy, Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Physiology, Psychology, Population Health |
Choosing your subjects
Planning your study program is a key part of your application. You’ll need to nominate the subjects you intend to study, including subject codes, as part of your application.
There are several ways to explore and select subjects:
- Search the University of Melbourne Handbook for subject codes, descriptions, prerequisites and assessments
- Browse available disciplines via our many study areas
- Review undergraduate subjects with no prerequisites
- Consider Flex Semester subjects in Semester 1 if you plan to depart Melbourne early. When you enrol in subjects from the Flex Semester list, you'll be able to depart Melbourne by the end of May, before the regular exam period.
You should also discuss your subject choices with an advisor at your home institution to ensure they align with your degree.
Can I choose any subject?
Your subject choices will depend on meeting any prerequisites, your level of study and the agreement in place with your home institution.
Study abroad students can generally take subjects across multiple faculties, provided they meet prerequisites.
Exchange students may have additional restrictions depending on their agreement:
- If your agreement is general, you can usually take subjects across faculties
- If your agreement is faculty-specific, you may only take a limited number of subjects outside that faculty.
Study plan approval and credit
If you intend to transfer credit back to your home degree, you should obtain approval from your home institution before enrolling in your subjects at Melbourne. This may affect the subjects you can choose.
See more information about completing your exchange or study abroad time on our Support page.
Study experience
What's it like to study at the University of Melbourne?
Studying in Australia may feel different to your home institution. At the University of Melbourne, you’ll be part of an academic environment that encourages independent thinking, active discussion and critical analysis.
You may notice:
- Less scheduled class time and more independent study
- A more self-directed approach to learning
- Greater emphasis on discussion in tutorials
- An analytical, rather than descriptive, style of writing
- Fewer assessment tasks, often weighted towards the end of semester
- Different approaches to grading and feedback.
We offer a range of academic support services to help you adjust and succeed in your studies.
Frequently asked questions
You can choose from a wide range of subjects, but your options will depend on your academic background, prerequisites and any faculty-specific restrictions that are referenced in the Handbook. The Handbook will list whether a subject is open to study abroad and exchange students.
Start by exploring study areas and searching the Handbook, then check prerequisites and availability. You should also discuss your subject preferences with your home institution to ensure they meet your degree requirements.
Yes. Some subjects don’t require prior study, and you can filter for these in the Handbook when searching.
Study abroad students can take subjects from different faculties, provided they meet prerequisites.
Exchange students may have limits depending on their agreement.
Each subject listing in the Handbook includes a “Further information” section that confirms whether it’s available to exchange and study abroad students.
This depends on your home institution. You should seek approval for your study plan and discuss future credit arrangements with your home institution before you enrol, to ensure your subjects can be applied towards your home degree.