UNSW / Australian School of Business (ASB)

Also known as University of New South Wales according to answerresume, The UNSW is one of the largest universities in Australia and located in the eastern part of Sydney (Eastern Suburbs). Kensington has a pretty Asian feel and is well-groomed and safe by Sydney standards. You can easily walk to the nearest beach (Coogee Beach about 20 minutes). It’s a longer bus ride of around 30 minutes to Bondi Beach and about 20 minutes to the city center (Hyde Park) from the main gate of the university. All in all, very central by Sydney standards.

The campus itself is very spacious, offers varied variety and always looks very busy. Between or after lectures there is always a reason to go to the university bar or the White House for a few beers. In principle, larger events take place on campus every few weeks (Oktoberfest, round-house party, from time to time live bands, etc. ). There are also many different small restaurants in the food courts on campus, offering everything Turkish, Italian, Australian, Japanese, Thai, etc. But the food is unfortunately not as cheap as in a German cafeteria.

Most of the facilities at UNSW look modern, especially the newly built ASB Building (Business School). The lecture rooms are very modern in this building. There is also a lounge, which can only be used by Masters students. Extra study rooms are also available. Furthermore, the individual schools (School of Economics, School of. . . ) are mainly housed in this building.

As a Study Abroad student you are assigned to the Study Abroad office. There the studies have their own lounge on an extra floor with computers and a lot of travel brochures. The employees help at any time if you have questions about your apartment / travel / phone / studies etc.

Explanation of the courses at the ASB

• School of Banking & Finance:

In principle, this school has a very good reputation in Australia. Some German professors and doctoral students also teach and research there. The courses from well-known professors or practitioners from the banking and financial world are highly recommended. You really learn something there. But there are also courses that are only mediocre. That mostly depends on the lecturer or whether it is a compulsory subject for the master’s students there or not. The composition of the course participants varies. In finance subjects, there are often professionals, Chinese, exchange students and other nations from the rest of the world.

• School of Accounting:

The School of Accounting believes it is number 1 in accounting research worldwide. Accounting here is pretty straight forward. There are numerous subjects on specialty areas in accounting that are not available at a university in Germany. Some accounting subjects are reminiscent of a mix between strategic management and accounting, which is often only found in MBA programs. You should also prefer courses given by Australian lecturers or professors.

• Care, support:

The course leaders and lecturers offer office hours during the semester. Perhaps it is important to take care of the Study Abroad Office, which is very good. You can go to the employees or write an email at any time and you will receive feedback within a very short time.

Application process

Apply and look forward to the post.

Accommodation search

There are multiple possibilities. Either you go through the Study Abroad office, which provides an apartment in their specially rented houses. This is arguably the simplest alternative. You live with other study abroads and get to know new people. You have everything you need in the apartments (mostly very well equipped). But you can find cheaper options on the housing market.

Another alternative are the colleges. These are usually very expensive and there is also catering there. This is usually more of an advantage for undergraduates who have their own community there.

Another alternative: arrive early enough and look for an apartment yourself. Principle: Do not move into an apartment without having viewed it personally. The housing market in Sydney is anything but the German standard.

Leisure / travel

Mandatory program in and around Sydney:

• Coastal Walk (Coogee to Bondi)
• Manly Beach
• Blue Mountains
• Opera House
• Sydney Tower (possibly Sydney Aquarium)
• Taronga Zoo
• Jervis Bay
• The Rocks (Argyle, Belgium Beer Cafe etc. )

Do’s / Don’ts

• Restaurants in the vicinity of the university do significantly better in terms of price and performance
• Look for an apartment early or anti-cyclical search (not shortly before the start of the semester)
• Apartment shouldn’t be too far to the south or west of Sydney (crime)
• Find out about the admission requirements for certain courses, as you often need basic courses in the master’s degree.
• Pick the right courses that are fun
• You don’t have to buy a book for every course (saves a lot of money)
• Cost of living by German standards is very expensive at the current exchange rate (alcohol tax is absurdly high)

Overall impression

UNSW is an accurate choice. You can unreservedly recommend a study visit if you want to combine a good level of study, cosmopolitan city, intercultural issues, travel and the beach.