Washington & Jefferson College

Fact Sheet:

Host City:

Lismore is a town of 40,000 in the state of New South Wales in southeast Australia.  It is known for being laid-back and an ecofriendly destination for outdoor adventure.  In the heart of the “Rainbow Region” is Lismore, a renowned ecotourism destination for Australians and tourists from around the world. Lismore isn’t a large city, but you'll find good music and arts in this bohemian college town. The laid-back city capitalizes on its mild weather with a busy year-round schedule of festivals and outdoor events, and it’s loaded with great restaurants, great surf, interesting people, and lots of true Aussie pubs. Outdoor adventure also abounds in the area; take advantage of opportunities to try hang-gliding, hiking, scuba diving, and whale watching.

Lismore is a great home base for visiting other parts of New South Wales and Queensland; Brisbane is three hours away by bus, and the Gold Coast and its incredible beaches are only an hour and a half away. An hour bus ride will take you to Byron Bay, Australia's surfing capital for young people.

Lismore's population is a diverse blend of original residents and 'new settlers' and supports a flourishing arts community and a dynamic live music scene. With a full calendar of weekend markets, live performances and cultural festivals, there is always something to do or see.

Institution:

The Lismore Campus, a multi-million dollar, 60 hectare complex is handy to all amenities and just three kilometres from the Central Business District of Lismore, the commercial hub of this culturally rich and rapidly developing region. Situated between rainforest and sea, two and half hours drive south of Brisbane and an one hour flight from Sydney, Lismore has many options to spend your leisure time. It has been designed to blend with the surrounding countryside, providing state-of-the-art facilities in a tranquil, harmonious learning environment.

The surrounding hills are dotted with historical villages and rustic hamlets. Nearby is Nimbin, site of the Aquarius Festival and the 'spiritual home' of Australia's alternative lifestyle movement.

Only 35 minutes from Lismore is the famed tourist centre of Byron Bay which provides an international focal point for the area's thriving hospitality industry.

Program in Brief:

If you're looking for an Australian experience at a university unlike any other, Southern Cross University is a great choice. You'll find a small campus of 4,500 students pursuing an incredible range of unique programs. Students from all over Australia attend SCU and live on campus, creating a small, extremely active community.

The campus itself is small, set on a hill that overlooks the Australian bush. Nearby are six national parks, all of which have rainforests. For more outdoor adventure, take advantage of one of SCU’s free trips for study abroad students. All study abroad students may choose one of several trips hosted by the university’s International Office.

Southern Cross University offers students the opportunity to study a quality academic program at Australia's most sought-after address. Students have the best of both worlds: study away from the distractions of the larger cities, but with easy access to them if required, in an environment of unsurpassed natural beauty with some of Australia's best beaches, rainforest and countryside.

Academic Program & Areas of Study:

In addition to standard university studies, SCU offers programs in hotel management, forestry, human movement, contemporary music, fine arts, multimedia, and Aboriginal studies. The university has one of the world's few natural medicine programs.

Another opportunity is SCU’s Outdoor Education course, which is open to students of all majors. The course gives you the chance to work in your academic field through hands-on research in the Outback; you'll also learn basic survival skills and how to navigate, rock climb, bushwalk at night, and abseil. The outdoor education unit can meet the requirements of virtually any discipline.

Business - Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing

Fine Arts - Studio Art

Liberal Arts - Asian Studies, Australian/Aboriginal Studies, Communications, Criminology, Education, English, Film Studies, Geography, History, Japanese Language/Studies, Journalism, Media Studies, Multimedia, Music Studies, Philosophy, Tourism

Sciences - Agriculture, Aviation Studies, Computer Science, Environmental Resource Management, Food Science/Nutrition, Forestry, Geology, Information Technology, Marine Science, Natural Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Sports Science

Social Sciences - Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Policy, Sociology

Student Life:

Students come from around the world to study at Southern Cross University, but you will also be amongst native Australian students.  There are always numerous activities going on around campus and being a college town, Lismore has a lot to add to the student life.  Just a quick trip from a big city, beach, or rainforest, students are never at a lack of things to do.

Housing & Meals:

The University guarantees to place all new international students in appropriate on-campus or off-campus accommodation. Housing is in residential halls with SCU degree-seeking students, which allows you to quickly fit into university life. SCU is ideal for laid-back students with an independent attitude.