Founded in 1870 as the College of Agriculture and Mechanic, the Colorado State University (CSU) is known to be a leading research university in the US. CSU boasts top-ranked business, veterinary medicine, and journalism schools, as well as ground-breaking research in atmospheric sciences, infectious diseases, and clean energy technologies.  

There are three campuses across the state of Colorado, with its flagship campus in Fort Collings being a 10-minute walk away from the downtown Fort Collins. The CSU Campus Recreation Center was listed as one of “The 25 Most Amazing Campus Student Recreation Centres” by Best College Reviews. 

CSU celebrates a 100+ year tradition, CSU Homecoming, a weekend where CSU commemorates its achievements and legacy. The weekend is celebrated by numerous events, including a festival on the Oval, parade, bonfire, fireworks display, 5K race, and home football game. 

Fort Collins, situated near the Rocky Mountain foothills, is best known for its microbreweries, bicycles and sustainability. The city is an hour’s drive away from Denver, the capital of the state of Colorado, however it is closer to Cheyenne, the capital and largest city of the neighbouring state of Wyoming. Fort Collins has an extensive public transportation system and bike routes on almost every road. The town centre is easy to navigate on foot as major sites, breweries, restaurants, museums and more are located close together.

The United States of America, commonly known as the United States, US, USA or simply America, is a country in North America. Most of the country is located between Canada and Mexico, but also includes places such as Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The capital is Washington D.C., but the most populous city is New York City.

At 9.8 million square kilometres, the US is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area, only slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe. It is the world's third most populous country, with an estimated population of over 327 million people.

You're likely already familiar with some aspects of the US such as cross-country road trips, hearty food portions and the massive scale of everything. It is near impossible to run out of things to discover in this country! Every one of the 50 states is incredibly different, so depending where you go within the US you might feel you’re in a different country. This a very diverse nation, as people immigrate from all over the world, bringing in different religions, races, cultural traditions, and political beliefs.

You can visit one of over 35,000 museums, check out the major cities, visit small towns and farmlands, and explore the massive and beautiful national parks such as Yellowstone and Zion. You could also visit neighbouring Canada or Mexico if you want to travel more. The US is a hub of industry and culture for nearly every aspect of modern life, so having the chance to study here can really expand your networks and open you up to future possibilities abroad.

Did you know?

A small community in the Grand Canyon still receives their mail via mule service as motorized delivery is not possible. The service runs six days a week with at least two mule trains daily so that animals and riders don’t have to make the trip down to the village and back without an overnight stop. Believe it or not, scientists at the Utah State University have proven at millimetre scale that the topography of the state of Kansas is actually flatter than a pancake!

All students must meet standard exchange selection criteria and any host institution restrictions. 

Courses in the following study areas at CSU are available for exchange students, but offerings limited. Please ensure if you are looking to take courses in these areas, that you have plety of back-up options:
- Art and Art History
- Construction Management
- Education
- Engineering

• UniSA academic transcript 
• Passport 
• Evidence of English proficiency (if applicable) 

Courses at US partner universities are generally valued at 3 credits each. Students are required to undertake a minimum of 12 credits per semester, equal to 13.5 UniSA units. 15 credits are equivalent to 18 UniSA units. 
 
Therefore we recommend that: 

• 15 US credits = 5 US courses (@ 3 credits each) is equivalent to 18 UniSA units 
• 12 US credits = 4 US courses (@ 3 credits each) is equivalent to 13.5 UniSA units 

UniSA students are not required to provide English lanaguage requirements even if English is not your native langauge.

The Class Schedule is available on the CSU website in mid-February/early March for the fall semester and mid-September/early October for the spring semester. The class schedule is an accurate list of the classes that will be offered in an upcoming term and should be used to make class selections. To utilise the search function: select the appropriate Term and most students find the advanced search feature (at the top) easier to navigate.

The Course Catalog lists all CSU courses independent of when they are taught. The catalog should only be used to get an idea of the range of classes but not used to make selections. A unique course number is assigned to each course, identifying the department, level, and subject. Prerequisites and other restrictions are identified when applicable. Course Numbers from the Course Catalog are helpful to efficiently use the Class Schedule. If a Course Number does not appear in the Class Schedule, that course is not available during that academic term.

For more information on course selection at CSU see here.

Colorado State University does not offer airport pick up. You will need to make your own way to the campus from Denver International Airport. 

More information on how to get to the campus can be found here. 

Exchange students can apply to live in Residence Halls, Aggie Village, university apartments and are encouraged to do so. Most residence hall rooms are shared with another student. On-campus housing at CSU is extremely competitive. It is important to complete the online housing application by logging onto the Housing website, choosing University Apartments or Residence Halls and then completing the application as early as possible if you would like to secure a room on campus. 

Students who wish to pursue living off-campus can find information through Off-Campus Life. The Off-Campus Life website allows you to search for rentals near CSU.  Please note that many are not furnished. 

More information on accommodation can be found here.  

As an exchange partner with the University of South Australia, you do not have to pay tuition fees to Colorado State University, instead you will pay tuition as you would normally at UniSA. Travel and living expenses are at your own cost. The table below gives an indication of costs you will incur: 

More information can be found here.

You may be eligible to receive additional grants or scholarships to fund your experience. For more information please see the funding and scholarships website.

UniSA offers travel insurance as part of your exchange for up to 270 days (can be extended up to 365 days). For more information please see travel insurance website.  

Please click here to read the travel insurance policy. 

A list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found here. 

If you have any further questions about travel insurance, please contact the UniSA Insurance Office on 08 8302 1678. 

As an exchange student at Northern Arizona University, you must purchase compulsory additional health insurance. See here for more information.