Location
  • Australia
    • Gold Coast
Term
Fall, Spring
Subject Areas
Biochemistry Education Engineering Health Sciences History International Business Journalism Law Media Relations Psychology
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Apartment Dormitory Host Family
Language
English
Oct 04, 2023
Sep 12, 2023
14 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The Gold Coast program is ideal if you want to live and study near some of Australia’s most beautiful beaches and are looking for a wide range of courses in diverse disciplines. The program is located along the east coast of Australia which places you in the perfect location to head north, south, or west to explore the best of what Australia has to offer. At Griffith University you will find innovative and popular classes—from Multimedia Telecommunications to Internet Computing, Biomolecular Science to Visual Media, International Relations to Banking and Finance.

You are welcome to study at any one of Griffith University’s four campus locations. There is a campus at the Gold Coast and three in the Brisbane area: Southbank, Nathan, and Mt. Gravatt. Each campus offers a wide range of course options, provides students with academic and personal support and gives students the opportunity to participate in various clubs and activities.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

LGBTQIA+ Support

There are LGBTQIA+ friends, colleagues, and allies throughout the world. However, cultural understanding of gender identity and sexuality does vary from country to country. USAC has compiled a lot of resources to help you through that learning process.

Accessibility Support

USAC is dedicated to working closely with students with disabilities to ensure the best study abroad experience possible. You may request reasonable accommodations after your initial application is complete. We routinely receive requests for scheduling, material, and environmental accommodations for the classroom setting, which may include assistive technology, scribes and readers, printed material, and interpretation.

Impact

Sustainability

Environmentally-conscious students choose USAC because many of our programs are held in some of the most sustainable countries in the world. There are options to take coursework in sustainability and the environment, as well as field trips and studies where students can leave a lasting impact on their host country.

Program Highlights

  • Choose from a comprehensive range of courses, including specializations in criminology, tourism, sports management, Asia-Pacific studies, environmental science, and the arts – including music practice at the Queensland Conservatory.
  • Study at one of the most creative and influential universities in the Asia-Pacific region
  • Enjoy vibrant cities with access to magnificent beaches, pristine rain forests, and great nearby surfing and snorkeling.
  • Participate in a community internship, which allows you to volunteer for a large list of nonprofit organizations to earn credit toward your degree.

Scholarships

USAC logo

USAC Scholarships and Financial Aid

USAC awards over $2 million in scholarships and discounts each year to assist students with their study abroad expenses.

Value
$500 - $5,000

Program Dates

Application Deadline
Program Dates
-
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Program Reviews

4.75 Rating
based on 8 reviews
  • 5 rating 75%
  • 4 rating 25%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.25
  • Support 4.25
  • Fun 4.65
  • Housing 4.75
  • Safety 4.9
Showing 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Default avatar
Olivia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing experience!

The best way to describe my experience is life changing! Studying abroad allowed me to make friends from around the world, explore parts of the world most people don’t see, and learn a different culture from my own. Going to school once a week allowed for endless travels and lots of time at the beach/ pool! All of my professors were very understanding and accommodating (they know you’re not there just for academics!) If I could study abroad again I would! You will never regret your decision to go abroad!

22 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Savannah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The best four months of my life!

I studied abroad through USAC at Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia! USAC helped me feel prepared and offered a ton of resources to help me, whether it be my individual contact who I could email with questions, housing information, pre-trip booklets with information about the area, etc. They recommended I live in the Griffith University Village, where I met some amazing people from all over the world! USAC also offered an early weekend excursion which also helped me make friends at the very beginning of the semester. I truly had the best four months of my life, and USAC helped me with every step along the way! I always felt supported and they were there with all the questions and concerns I had throughout my time in Australia. The social scene was also so fun in Gold Coast! During the day there's the beach and surfing, boutique shopping, and lots of restaurants with delicious food! At night, the bars and nightclubs are a fun place to dance and hangout with friends! There's always some sort of deal for college students, so it's pretty cheap to go out and have a fun night. I always felt very safe in Gold Coast, whether it be walking around Surfer's Paradise late at night or traveling on the tram. Speaking of the tram, it's such an easy way to get around! There are two stops that are basically on campus, and you can take the tram/train system to Brisbane, Burleigh Beach, Snapper Rocks, or even the Australia Zoo (it's pretty far -- but doable!). The tram system also has a student deal so it's very cheap to get around. 10/10 would recommend going to Gold Coast -- there's the beach, nightclubs, shopping, restaurants, and easy transportation! What more could you ask for! You won't regret it :)

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Definitely do as much as you can, and take advantage of all Australia has to offer! There are so many student deals to take advantage of, like nightclub and tram discounts. I also booked so many inexpensive excursions through travel agents. I went sailing in the Whitsundays, visited the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, went to Byron Bay, scuba-dived and snorkeled, took a helicopter ride around Gold Coast, took surfing lessons, visited Brisbane, went to nightclubs, and ate at a bunch of restaurants! I also wanted to take advantage of how close I was to Asia, so I planned a weekend trip to Vietnam and then for Spring Break went to Bali, Singapore, and Thailand! All for pretty cheap. Definitely take advantage of all there is to offer, don't sit in your room all day and wait for adventures to happen. You have to go out there and make them happen, it's so worth it!
97 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sabrina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Once In a Life Time Experience

If you are considering study abroad in Gold Coast, Australia... do it! You will not regret a thing! Griffith University is an amazing campus that is well organized and does everything for and by the students. The academic professors are very involved in their lectures and they are very concerned whether or not their students have learned the material or not. My suggestion is to study abroad early, so you can take the easy courses and not stress too much about the grades. Unfortunately, I did not do this and had to take some more difficult engineering courses. I spent a lot of time studying and going to classes everyday, but I don't regret it. Overall, Gold Coast is a great little city that has plenty of activities for anyone. It has several beaches and outdoor activities to take part in (i.e. surfing, snorkeling, camping, hiking, climbing, etc.) and the city life is pretty nice as well. Public transportation with the Translink Tram is great and affordable for all students, eliminating the need for a bike or car. The accommodations for Griffith University Village was good because of its proximity to campus, but for better housing, you may want to search elsewhere. The GriffithMates club on campus did several day trips to explore the city and its surrounding areas. People in the Gold Coast are very casual and laid back, they dress comfortably and many people are just looking for a good time. I have met so many students from other countries aside from Australia. Gold Coast is really a large mixing pot of other cultures and backgrounds that you can have the chance to meet. Australia is very similar to America in its set-up and culture and modernism. If this is your first time traveling alone and you aren't looking for too much of a change in culture shock, Australia is a great place to start!

90 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kaitlyn
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life Down Under

Studying abroad in Gold Coast, Australia was the absolute greatest experience of my life. Before my time abroad I had never really traveled before. I had only seen the ocean once, and I had never even been on a plane. I was extremely nervous to travel alone and be so far, for so long. But, you learn very quickly that so many others are in the same position as you, and you are all just excited to make new friends and embark on this incredible journey. Experiencing life in another country is a wonderful opportunity. I’ve learned and grown so much as a person. I went on incredible adventures. My favorite being scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. I remember thinking before I left that the hardest part of studying abroad was going to be leaving my family for 4 months. I soon learned that the hardest part of my journey was leaving my new home away from home and all the amazing people I met along the way. I think my biggest tip would be to always be yourself, and don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.

What would you improve about this program?
Having more advisors for international students. Sometimes I felt a little lost with school and the locals did not always understand my questions.
89 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Afton
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gold Coast Love

This place was amazing. I loved every second of this program. Not only did I get to learn how this country teaches, which is completely different from the US, but I also got to experience the beautiful land. Everyone is super friendly and wants to help you better yourself in any way. This place is one of my fondest memories. I would highly recommend going to study abroad in Australia and/or at least visit. You will never be the same after experiencing this culture. Also, other countries are so close and highly recommend traveling to them as well.

What would you improve about this program?
I would hope there will be more coursework available to students coming to study abroad. I know that there was some classes I couldn't take because the school wouldn't allow it.
94 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Merle
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Experience

The Gold Coast is a beautiful place to study and you have the opportunity to find your own housing and live right on the beach. There is something to do for everyone, from nature lovers to party animals and the Gold Coast is also a good starting point to travel to other parts of Australia as well as surrounding countries so that you really have more than enough things to do while you're studying abroad there. That's why you'll hopefully gain some very good time management skills.

As of the classes and the actual studying, the academic level is not as high as I expected it to be but in some classes it is still difficult to get good grades since there are a lot of group projects where everyone gets graded the same no matter what they controbuted to the group work.

91 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Meghan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great location and school

The Gold Coast is the ideal location for any study abroad student looking to explore all that Australia has to offer. From nightlife to beaches to academic settings, the Gold Coast provided it all. The opportunity to travel is also very present: whether it be renting a car and driving down to Byron Bay or booking a flight from Goldy to Sydney for the weekend, student travel is very common and VERY easy.

What would you improve about this program?
Help with finding housing. I was stressed for a while before I left for the Gold Coast because I wasn't sure what my housing situation would be. It turned out fine but I think it is an issue that should be addressed.
90 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kat
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wish I could go back! Gold Coast, AUS

Studying abroad had to be one of the best experiences of my life!
While it was a little interesting getting everything organized, as when I studied abroad in 2004 it was the first year they did the program at Griffith - so everything was new & unknown in a sense for everyone.
But once it was all organized & over the mini home-sick feeling in the beginning - it was amazing!
The Gold Coast is gorgeous, always something going on & the people are super nice!!
Australia is super easy to travel - there is so much to see, very diverse, so try to see as much as you can!
You only live once!

What would you improve about this program?
Better communication on where to stay when you first arrive and when to arrive (I was there 2 weeks earlier than I needed to be, so that added up fast) Having counselors/advisors present when you arrive to the Gold Coast to help assist with finding a place to live and how to get around, not just meeting once & leaving you all on your own.

Again, luckily it all worked out - met great new friends to live with in a beachside condo, all on our own and figured out where to go & how to get around. Everything works out in the end.
86 people found this review helpful.
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