Details

• Australia
• MAWiRe-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

Application at WU: You need to write a motivational letter to apply for an exchange semester. However, the main selection criteria are your GPA from the bachelor‘s degree and the study progress and academic performance in the master’s program. Application at QUT: I received an email from QUT to apply for a student exchange. The registration can be completed through an online tool. Course registration at QUT: You can register for the courses online before arrival. There is a list of approved units you can choose from. I also selected one unit that still needed approval. I wrote an email to get the unit approved. Visa: You either have to get a Student Visa (subclass 500) or a Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462). With the Work and Holiday Visa you can study for up to four months. I applied for the Student Visa. It took me a few hours to fill out all the required information, but I received the Visa within a few minutes.

2. Accommodation

I stayed in a student accommodation called Student One Wharf Street. I shared one apartment with three other students. We shared one kitchen and had two bathrooms. My accommodation also had a study space, a BBQ area, a pool, and a common area. The accommodation was located in the CBD of Brisbane. It was a 20-minute walk to the university and a 10-minute walk to go grocery shopping. An advantage of living in student accommodation is that you can easily meet other students. Student One offered activities such as hiking, movie nights, pizza nights, and board game nights. There were also weekly boxing and yoga classes. I paid 419 AUD per week, which is quite expensive.

3. Academic life at host university

QUT has two campuses : Gardens Point , located in the CBD , and Kelvin Grove. A free shuttle service connects the two campuses. I had three lectures at Gardens Point and one lecture at Kelvin Grove. Both campuses have nice study spaces , both indoors and outdoors. There are many food stalls on campus and also some microwaves where you can heat up food. All of my courses consisted of lectures and tutorials. The lectures were online and had to be watched before going to the tutorial. The tutorials were held on campus. I took the following courses: LWS101 Ethics, Law and Healthcare: This unit deals with the relationship between law and ethics in healthcare settings. It has three assignments: a multiple-choice-quiz (10%), a problem-solving exercise (40%) , and a 3-hour exam (50%). The workload was not too high, as the exam was open-book. I could credit this course as Spezialisierung Öffentliches Recht (4 ECTS) + Course Abroad I (2.5 ECTS). LLH472 Public International Law: This unit develops knowledge of how international law is created and develops, and how it is applied by governments, legislatures, courts , and international agencies. It has two assignments: a research paper (50%) and a take-home exam (50%). Both assignments were marked strictly. I could credit this course as Fachseminar aus Europarecht und Internationalem Recht (4 ECTS) + Course Abroad I (2.5 ECTS). LWS075 International Trade Law: This unit is an introduction to the world trading system. It has two assignments: an oral presentation with a written briefing (40%) and a research paper (60%). For the policy briefing , I had to analyse a trade agreement. For the research paper , I could choose from a list of given topics. The professor in this unit was really nice and told many interesting stories. The workload was a little bit higher since writing the assessments was quite time-consuming. I could credit this course as Fachseminar aus Privatrecht (4 ECTS) + Course Abroad II (2.5 ECTS). LLB142 Regulation of Business: This unit gives an understanding of how businesses operate within the context of the Australian legal system. It has two assignments: a policy submission (50%) and an end-of-semester take-home exam (50%). I really liked attending the tutorials in this course , as the professor made them interactive. The policy submission was marked quite strictly , while the take-home exam was not too hard. I could credit this course as Spezialisierung Privatrecht (4 ECTS) + Course Abroad II (2.5 ECTS).

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport in Queensland is very cheap, as there is a flat fare of 50 cents. The bus system is very well developed in Brisbane. Additionally, there are train connections to the surrounding cities. This makes it easy to take many weekend trips and explore the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Brisbane felt like a very safe city, and it was easy to get around, as you could walk to most places. I never felt unsafe when walking alone at night. QUT has many clubs that you can join for a small fee. I joined the QUT Surfers and the QUTIES, which is a club for exchange students. Additionally, you can also join clubs at UQ (the University of Queensland). There, I joined UQ Dance and participated in dance classes every week. Brisbane also offers many free activities, such as running clubs or free fitness classes.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester in Brisbane was one of the most meaningful experiences of my studies. It was incredibly enriching to learn about different cultures and to see my studies from new perspectives. Exploring Brisbane and other parts of Australia, meeting amazing people, and forming close friendships made this time truly special. The experience contributed greatly to my personal development and allowed me to create memories that I will always value and carry with me for a lifetime.