Each year ACU’s Faculty of Health Sciences offers several destinations around the world where students can undertake a community engagement unit or clinical placement/professional practice abroad as part of your studies. These activities are facilitated through our ACU overseas partners. Most of these experiences are offered to students enrolled in their final year of study at ACU.
The benefits of undertaking an international experience include:
Most STISEs are financially supported by the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Program offered by the Australian Government for eligible students. Successful NCP grant recipients who complete an NCP funded program will receive a New Colombo Plan Certificate of Attainment and become part of the NCP Alumni Network upon completion of their program.
Your health and safety are our top priority, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, ACU has introduced some temporary travel restrictions and conditions for students travelling as part of a university program.
All university-related international travel and new travel bookings by students are currently suspended.
In the meantime, we are offering a range of virtual experiences for some disciplines.
Virtual Short-Term International Study Experiences (STISEs) are flexible and affordable programs available to health sciences students wishing to gain an international experience without leaving Australia.
With information and communication technologies (ICT), you can enhance your career prospects by engaging in cross-border collaboration with organisations and health professionals around the world. Led and guided by an ACU academic and offshore facilitators, you will have access to on-campus structured learning environment and receive academic credit towards the unit of study associated with the Virtual program.
Add a competitive international edge to your ACU degree using the most advanced technologies in healthcare. Most health sciences virtual programs include telehealth, a new service approach in healthcare. Telehealth is the “use of telecommunication techniques for the purpose of providing telemedicine, medical education, and health education over a distance” as defined by the Australian Government Department of Health https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/e-health-telehealth.
Port Vila, Vanuatu: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours for community engagement.
Dates: 1- 22 June 2021
November 2021, 4-week program
January 2022, 4-week program
Funding: NCP grants
Dili, Timor Leste: available to third year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
Dates: November 2021, 5-week program
Funding: NCP grants
Danang, Vietnam: available to third year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
Dates: June - July 2021, 5-week program
Funding: NCP grants
Danang, Vietnam: available to third year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
Dates: November 2021, 5-week program
Funding: NCP grants
Dili, Timor Leste: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
Dates: November 2021, 5-week program
Funding: NCP grants
Port Vila, Vanuatu: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
Dates: July 2021, 5-week program
Funding: NCP grants
Danang, Vietnam: available to third year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
Dates: July 2021, 5-week program
Funding: NCP grants.
Subject to international travel returning in 2022, health sciences students can choose from several destinations and STISE programs. Some programs will be delivered in virtual mode. The details of these programs will be updated as more information becomes available.
Honiara, Solomon Islands: Community Engagement and Professional practice available to second and third-year undergraduate students.
NCP grants available.
Baucau, Timor Leste: Community Engagement and Professional Practice available to third year undergraduate students.
NCP grants available.
USA: A High Performance Study Tour available to 2nd year undergraduate and 3rd year post-graduate students.
Port Vila, Vanuatu: Community Engagement and Professional Practice available to third year undergraduate and post-graduate students.
NCP grants available (UG students)
Boston, USA: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours of clinical placements.
Battambang, Cambodia: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours of clinical placements. NCP grants available.
Santiago, Chile: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 80 hours of clinical placement.
Aarhus, Denmark: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 80 hours of clinical placement.
Miami, U.S.A.: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 80 hours of clinical placement.
North Carolina, U.S.A.: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 80 hours of clinical placement.
Papua New Guinea (YWAM ships): available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 80 hours of clinical placement.
Manila, Philippines: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 80 hours of clinical placement.
Singapore: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours of clinical placement.
Taipei, Taiwan: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours of clinical placement and 40 hours of community engagement.
Hyderabad, India: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours of clinical placement for nursing and 40 hours for community engagement for both nursing and midwifery. NCP grants available.
Manila, Philippines: available to third year undergraduate students.
Port Vila, Vanuatu: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours of clinical placement for nursing and 40 hours for community engagement for both nursing and midwifery. NCP grants available.
Santo, Vanuatu: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 80 hours of clinical placement for nursing and 80 hours of community engagement for midwifery. NCP grants available.
Dili, Maluk, Atauro, Timor Leste: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 40 hours of clinical placement for nursing; and 40 hours of community engagement for nursing, midwifery, and paramedicine students. NCP grants available.
Lautoka, Fiji: available to third year undergraduate students. NCP grants available.
Bali, Ubud, Indonesia: available to third year undergraduate students. NCP grants available.
Honiara, Solomon Islands: available to third year undergraduate students. NCP grants available.
Hyderabad, India: available to 2nd year undergraduate students.
NCP grants available.
Dili, Timor Leste: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 200 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Port Vila, Vanuatu: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes 200 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Danang, Vietnam: available third year undergraduate students. Includes 200 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Chile, Santiago: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 175 hours of professional practice.
Aarhus, Denmark: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 190 hours of professional practice.
Honiara, Solomon Islands: available to fourth year undergraduate students
NCP grants available.
Dili, Timor Leste: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 140 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Santo, Vanuatu: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 200 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Port Vila, Vanuatu: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 175 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Danang, Vietnam: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 190 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Dhulikhel (Kathmandu Valley), Nepal: available to third year undergraduate students. Includes hours 100 of community engagement.
Charlotte, U.S.A.: available to post graduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
Danang, Vietnam: available to fourth-year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
NCP grants available.
Dili, Timor Leste: available to fourth-year undergraduate students. Credit towards professional practice hours.
NCP grants available.
Hyderabad, India: available to second year undergraduate students. Credit towards community engagement hours.
NCP grants available.
Wellington, New Zealand: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 240 hours of professional practice.
Danang, Vietnam: available to fourth year undergraduate students. Includes 140 hours of professional practice.
NCP grants available.
Disclaimer: Programs are subject to change.
Exercise Science students travel to Port Villa in Vanuatu to help develop and foster community relationships, with a focus on leadership, health and sporting connections.
STISE costs vary depending on program duration and, student numbers and mode of delivery ranging. Costs range from approximately A$1,000 - A$2,000 for Virtual programs and A$ 3,000 – A$ 8,000 for In-country programs.
Most programs are funded through the New Colombo Plan Mobility Program for eligible ACU students.
Disclaimer: Program costs are subject to change.
Financial support to study overseas is available to eligible ACU students, including an OS-HELP Loan (*) and the ACU Vice-Chancellor and President's Learning Abroad Grant. More information on funding is available on the ACU Student Portal.
(*) Virtual programs are not eligible for the OS-Help Loan.
Current ACU students can apply via InPlace. Students who meet the initial criteria are notified by email of future opportunities.