From its founding in 1868 as Mankato Normal School, Minnesota State University (MSU) has been an institution where big ideas meet real-world thinking. MSU has an ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and has successfully reduced its carbon footprint by 6.8% over 2011 to 2016. 
 
The campus is located next to the Rasmissen Woods park overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. With more than 14,000 students, including more than 1,300 international students from 97 countries, MSU promotes a diverse campus environment for students and staff. MSU’s vibrant campus life includes more than 200 academic student groups, intramural sports, leadership and religious organizations, honorary and professional fraternities and sororities, and special interest groups; a Women’s Center; an LGBT Center that helped earn Minnesota State Mankato’s status as one of the 100 Best Campuses for LGBT students by The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students.  
 
MSU’s Mankato College of Business is an accredited member of AACSB. In sports, the University ranked 24th for the 2018-19 season national standings in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, which recognizes institutions with broad-based programming and success in men’s and women’s sports. The Mavericks have finished in the top 25 in the country for 17 consecutive years. 

Mankato is located 1.5 hours from Saint Paul, the capital of the state of Minnesota. A small city with a population of just under 50,000, Mankato is a well-known college town and famous for its great parks and trails. In 2017, Schools.com named Mankato the second-best college town in the United States. Mankato’s natural prairies and forested areas offer impressive and picturesque landscapes. Attractions include the Minneopa State Park, Seven-Mile Creek Park and Mount Kato, a haven for activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, or mountain biking.

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. 

MSU 300-400 level courses require transcript evaluation and approval by MSU Mankato faculty before enrolment.  

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

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 

Non-native English speakers must provide evidence of English proficiency.   
  
Please see here for more information on minimum scores required.   

Find courses at MSU

Minnesota State University does not offer airport pick up. You will need to make your own way to the campus from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. 
 
However, you can book a shuttle service from the airport to campus with Land to Air Express. More information on how to get to the campus can be found here. 

Minnesota State University offers a variety of on-campus accommodation from shared dormitories to private apartments with or without meal plans. You will be able to complete your housing application once you receive your acceptance.  
 
Alternatively, if you are looking to live off-campus, please see here for more information. 
 
For more information on accommodation and meal plans, please see here.  

As an exchange partner with the University of South Australia, you do not have to pay tuition fees to Minnesota 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 Minnesota State University, you must purchase compulsory additional health insurance. See here for more information.