Academics

The Spring Friendly Program at University of Sydney starts and ends earlier than their normal spring semester.  Students on this program take one unit (course) during USYD's summer session in January, and then complete three units during Semester 1.  At the end of the final teaching week, students will complete their exams early, allowing them to return home in late-May or early-June (exact date can change year to year).  Not all undergraduate units offered at the University of Sydney work with the Spring Friendly Program schedule, therefore course options are more limited compared to their normal semester program (see link below for more details).

Your academic experience abroad is going to be very different from home. Working under the policies and processes of the local institution, you may find a lot less structure, or a lot more.

Course Selection & Enrollment

  • To find information on specific courses, please review USYD's Spring Friendly Program course offerings. 
  • For assistance in selecting courses, see your faculty or college advisor. (Note: You may earn elective, distributional, minor or major credit depending on your major and college.)
  • You may need to look at courses from a previous semester (i.e.: the most recent spring semester if you want to select classes for a future spring abroad) 

Course Load & Credits

  • Take the equivalent of 15 Cornell credits (= 24 USYD credit points) for a full semester, even if it is possible to take fewer and still graduate on time
  • Decisions on the final allocation of credit are made upon successful completion of the course (must earn grade equivalent of a “C” or higher—all courses must award a letter grade).
  • For more information on courses and credits from abroad, including policies regarding start/end dates, refer to the Academic Policies page on the Education Abroad website. 

Transcript & Grades

  • Grades will appear on the Cornell transcript in the same format as they are recorded on the original transcript generated by the host institution. Grades are not factored into the Cornell GPA.
  • For information on how grades appear on the transcript and frequently asked questions, including transcript dates for graduating seniors, please refer to the Transcripts and Credits page on the Education Abroad website.
  • Your program will send your transcript to the Education Abroad Office.