- Explore the rich and diverse culture and history of Sydney, and Australia, and analyze current political, economic and social challenges the country is facing
- Advance your intercultural communication skills and develop deeper understanding of opportunities and challenges that globalization brings to the academic and professional environments
- Acquire real-world professional skills through internship, which is a great way to enhance your classroom experience and your resume
- Shared bedrooms (2 or 3 students/bedroom)
- Bedding
- Shared bathroom
- Shared kitchen
- Internet access
- Coin operated laundry
The courses offered in Sydney allow you to study the subjects you need within an Australian context. Each course on Pitt in Sydney is worth 3 credits, and you have the opportunity to take 6 credits during the semester. Doing an internship? Remember that it counts as one class.
If you are seeking to count these courses towards a major, minor or certificate requirement, please meet with your respective advisor to discuss the program and what the courses will fulfill for you.
Information about how the courses on this program count towards general education requirements for different schools and campuses can be found here.
This is a part-time internship (20 hours per week). In addition, you will attend weekly discussion-led sessions that include educational support and mentoring in a classroom environment, develop personal and professional skills, and learn to contextualize your internship experience socially and culturally. You will receive 3 credits for this course.
This course examines contemporary Australian cinema and its attempt to describe a uniquely Australian identity. The course thus has two interrelated points of inquiry. First, we will attempt to appreciate the context of Australian cinema – from modes of production to distribution. Second, the course will investigate the notion of an Australian identity as it is expressed in some of the most significant films in the Australian tradition. We will look at Australian genre cinema, the 70s Renaissance and recent transformations in the Australian film industry. The course will focus specifically on the theme of national identity and the growing debates around what constitutes a national cinema. Indeed, a question to be explored is the extent to which Australian films have reflected or determined Australian values. Comparisons with appropriate U.S. values and films are encouraged.

This course is a creative writing workshop keyed to exploring the experience of travelling and living abroad in Sydney in either verse or prose texts. Along with the writing workshops, we will also read and discuss texts that focus on Australia in general and Sydney specifically from both native and foreign perspectives, noting particularly the literary techniques and strategies that various writers have used to express their experiences and observations. The class sessions will be divided almost equally between the reading and critical evaluation of selected texts and a written response to the stimuli. Half of our weekly time will be devoted to the examination of a text dealing with various authors’ experiences of Australia. These texts will provide us with a forum for discussing each author’s relationship to and the literary expression of place. The other half of our class time will function as a writer’s workshop in response to the set texts: each student will present his/her own work orally (accompanied by photocopies) to the group for reactions, critique, and suggestions for revision.

This course is offered only during the spring and summer terms.
This course explores the multi-faceted dimensions of human interaction with diverse environments in Australia , New Zealand and the Pacific to illuminate the origins of environmental concerns and current debates in these regions from pre-European contact to now. From the peopling of the Pacific to the challenge of climate change, this course is broad in its scope while concentrating selected issues such as the impact of mining, clean energy futures, our vulnerability to natural disasters and increasing urbanization. In so doing, the intersection of culture and nature is explored. The course is embedded in the environmental humanities , but uses the approaches of environmental history, as well as insights from the disciplines of science, politics, sociology and cultural studies.

This course examines the government and politics of Australia and Australian engagement in Asia. It will do so by surveying similarities with and differences from the North American democratic model and by examining Australia’s substantial and abiding interests in the Asian region. By the end of the course, students will be aware of the magnitude of the influence that the Asia Pacific region has had on Australian foreign policy. Comparisons with the United States of America will be encouraged.

This course will introduce the psychological, biological, and experiential factors thought to influence the symptoms, etiology, course/prognosis, and treatment of mental disorders in adults. Students will develop an understanding of the rationale for the diagnostic criteria and other clinical signs accompanying common DSM-5 disorders; causal and maintenance factors of disorders; and examples of empirically supported treatments. (Pending SOR approval)

This course is offered only during the spring and summer terms.
This course will explore the causes and consequences of migration for communities, personal identities, national identities, politics, ethics, and the environment. Students will examine various reasons for people-moving and moving people across borders; investigate the myths and controversies involved; develop an understanding of how notions of belonging, citizenship, nationality, nationhood, and ‘the other’ are constructed, proliferated, and manipulated; contextualize Australia’s involvement and reaction to immigration in a global schema; analyze related case studies drawn from both Australian and international examples; and participate in field trips.
This course is designed to encourage students to engage in a critical analysis of the development of modern cities, in particular Sydney. It will trace Sydney's development from a "colonial outpost" into the "thriving metropolis" it is today. The course will examine how the forces of colonization, migration, modernization and globalization have affected the city and its inhabitants. Students will gain insights into the changing dynamics and identities of its inhabitants, and will also look at the forces which have shaped Sydney's relationship with the rest of the world. The course is organized thematically, with each theme examining different aspects of the city. It begins with an introduction to the city, then a discussion of Sydney as a colonial city, moving into an analysis of its identities, impact of migration and finally its commerce, cityscape and urban future. The course ultimately intends to help students contextualize their travels and encounters in the city, and will help them develop informed interpretations of Sydney while they are here.

This course is an introductory course on urban resilience and concepts in sustainability and its principles and the sustainable development of cities in the global, regional, and local contexts. The course will cover the environmental, socio-economic, and structural problems of contemporary cities and their consequences on natural systems and built communities. It provides a framework to examine the challenges of urbanism, issues facing cities and an opportunity to evaluate and explore “solutions”.

This is a part-time internship (20 hours per week). In addition, you will attend weekly discussion-led sessions that include educational support and mentoring in a classroom environment, develop personal and professional skills, and learn to contextualize your internship experience socially and culturally. You will receive 3 credits for this course.
Pitt runs this program in partnership with CAPA: The Global Education Network. For more than 45 years CAPA has worked with institutions of higher education to build programs that meet students’ goals for learning abroad. The CAPA Sydney Center is hosted at TAFE NSW Sydney Institute, in a beautiful centrally located heritage building.
Pitt Study Abroad also sends a faculty member from the Pittsburgh campus to teach and serve as a go-to for students.
Nazir Noori

Salam! I’m Nazir and I'm your Study Abroad Program Manager. I was born and raised abroad and went to schools in Afghanistan, Iran, and the U.S. I also took classes in India and United Arab Emirates. I worked for the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and German Foreign Office for over ten years before moving to Pittsburgh in 2014. At the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, I assisted Afghan students to study in the U.S., and now I'm glad I have the opportunity to help you study abroad.
Schedule a Zoom appointment with me below or get in touch with me through email to discuss study abroad options.
Schedule an appointment
Schedule an appointment with me using Pathways!
- Log in to Pathways or use the Navigate app
- Select Appointments > Schedule an Appointment
- Select Pitt Global as the appointment type
- Select General Study Abroad as the School/Unit
- Select Study Abroad Program Specific Questions as the service
- Select Study Abroad Virtual Advising as the Location
- Select my name and find a time that works for you
Don't see a time that works for you? Just send me an email!
Items Billed by Pitt |
||
---|---|---|
In-State | Out-of-State | |
Tuition | $4,656 | $4,856 |
Program Fee | $4,643 | $4,643 |
Study Abroad Fee | $300 | $300 |
Total Billed by Pitt$ | $9,599 | $9,799 |
Estimated Additional Out-of-Pocket Costs |
||
---|---|---|
Airfare | ~$2,000 | |
Visa | ~$150 | |
Personal Expenses | $1,500 - $3,000 |
Remember that your lifestyle and spending choices can greatly affect the amount of money you'll need while abroad. Visit our Budgeting page for more information.
The amounts above are for the 2019-2020 academic year and should be used as estimates only. Pricing for 2020-2021 will be posted and announced in the fall term.
As a part of your Pitt in Sydney program fee, the following are included in the program:
- Tuition for 6 credits
- Housing
- Orientation in Sydney
- Cultural Events and Activities
- An Unlimited Transit Pass
- Excursions to Blue Mountains and Australia Walkabout Park
- Health Insurance
- Membership to the ACU Student Union
Dates for the 2020-2021 academic year will be posted in the fall!