With effect from 25 March 2020, the Australian Government announced a ban on Australians travelling overseas. The ongoing uncertainty on when these COVID related travel restrictions will ease directly impacts the International Sustainability Experience (ISE) subject. The safety and wellbeing of our students remains our main priority and for this reason La Trobe University has made the decision to postpone the offering of ISE subject. We will continue to monitor the situation and update this page with more details as they become available.
The subject will explore the interconnection of place, society and the environment, and culminate in a two-week overseas field trip. Whatever your financial situation, you could be one of the La Trobe students travelling to locations across the Asia Pacific region.
Undertake a pre-trip preparation module comprising a mix of face-to-face and online learning
A two-week international study trip where La Trobe covers the cost of airfares (with an open-ended return date), accommodation, food, transport, visa fees and insurance.2
Spend a week working on sustainability projects, helping find solutions to real-world problems.
Develop cultural awareness, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills.
Expand your social and professional network during the study tour.
About the experience
Are you passionate about making a difference to our environment? Do you want to add valuable international experience to your degree? With travel costs funded, our new International Sustainability Experience (ISE) subject will expose you to new cultures and industries while helping tackle the global issues of sustainability and environmental impact.
Available across a broad range of La Trobe business and humanities degrees, the ISE elective subject can be taken during the summer semester at the end of the first year of your degree.1
The subject will explore the interconnection of place, society and the environment, and culminate in a two-week overseas field trip. Whatever your financial situation, you could be one of the La Trobe students travelling to locations across the Asia Pacific region.
Watch Professor Nick Bisley, Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, talk about the International Sustainability Experience.
Who is eligible?
Students enrolled in the following courses are entitled to enrol in the ISE subject provided the following criteria are met:
Humanities and Social Science students
Students enrolled in the following degrees are entitled to enrol in the ISE subject provided the following criteria are met:
Students taking the subject as a second-year elective will need to have completed or received advanced standing for at least 60 credit points (equivalent to one semester full time) of their studies in an eligible degree prior to enrolling in the subject.
Students taking the subject as a third-year elective will need to be in good academic standing and have 30 credit points of third year elective space available in their degree.
Students must be granted a Visa for travel to the Asia Pacific region.
For students with particular needs, the La Trobe Student Mobility unit will work with students on an individual basis to assess whether these needs are able to be accommodated within the subject. While in many cases we will be able to make appropriate adjustments, due to the nature of the trips, which will generally include time based in rural locations, we may not be able to accommodate all cases.
These criteria apply to all students, irrespective of when they commenced their studies and whether they are full-time or part-time students.
Course code
Course
Location
ABARC
Bachelor of Archaeology
Bundoora
RBA
Bachelor of Arts
Bendigo
ABABU
Bachelor of Arts
Bundoora
HUSBAW
Bachelor of Arts
Albury Wodonga
HUSBAM
Bachelor of Arts
Mildura
BEBAP
Bachelor of Arts
Shepparton
AZAHTS
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Science
Bundoora
SZAS
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science
Bundoora
LZBAB
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts
Bendigo
LZBAM
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts
Mildura
LZBAP
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts
Shepparton
LZBAW
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts
Albury-Wodonga
LZCA
Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Arts
Bundoora
ABHIT
Bachelor of Humanities, Innovation and Technology
Bundoora
ABIR
Bachelor of International Relations
Bundoora
ABLL
Bachelor of Language and Linguistics
Bundoora
LWLWA
Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts
Bundoora
ABMC
Bachelor of Media and Communication
Bundoora
La Trobe Business School students
Acceptance into the subject is subject to availability and students satisfying the following criteria:
Students enrolled in an LBS degree at a metro campus are eligible to apply to enrol. Regional campus students who meet the required criteria will be entitled to a place in ISE.
Students taking the subject as a second-year elective will need to have completed or received advanced standing for at least 60 credit points (equivalent to one semester full time) of their studies in an eligible degree.
Students taking the subject as a third-year elective will need to be in good academic standing and have 30 credit points of third year elective space available in their degree.
Students must be granted a Visa for travel to the Asia Pacific region.
For students with particular needs, the La Trobe Student Mobility unit will work with students on an individual basis to assess whether these needs are able to be accommodated within the subject.
Based on student demand, La Trobe reserves the right to cap the number of places available to metro campus students.
The above criteria apply to all students, irrespective of when they commenced their studies and whether they are full-time or part-time students.
Course code
Course
Location
ECBBW
Bachelor of Business
Albury-Wodonga
RBB
Bachelor of Business
Bendigo
RBBM
Bachelor of Business
Mildura
LMBBP
Bachelor of Business
Shepparton
LBBCW
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
Albury-Wodonga
LBBCB
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
Bendigo
LBBCM
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
Mildura
LBBCS
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
Shepparton
LBBAB
Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness)
Albury-Wodonga
LBBAB
Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness)
Bendigo
LBBAB
Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness)
Mildura
LBBAB
Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness)
Shepparton
LBBSB
Bachelor of Business (Sport Development and Management)
Bendigo
LBBSW
Bachelor of Business (Sport Management)
Albury-Wodonga
LZCA
Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Arts
Bundoora
LBBTH
Bachelor of Business (Tourism & Hospitality)
Bundoora
For students enrolled in the following degrees, in addition to the eligibility criteria detailed above, acceptance into the ISE is subject to availability.
Course code
Course
Location
LBC
Bachelor of Accounting
Bundoora
LBB
Bachelor of Business
Bundoora
LBBAN
Bachelor of Business Analytics
Bundoora
LBBC
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
Bundoora
LBBAB
Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness)
Bundoora
LBBEM
Bachelor of Business (Event Management)
Bundoora
LBBHR
Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management)
Bundoora
LBBMK
Bachelor of Business (Marketing)
Bundoora
LBBS
Bachelor of Business (Sport Management)
Bundoora
LBCOM
Bachelor of Commerce
Bundoora
LBDB
Bachelor of Digital Business
Bundoora
LBF
Bachelor of Finance
Bundoora
LBIB
Bachelor of International Business
Bundoora
How to apply
Expression of interest forms for students interested in enrolling in the ISE subject will be able to be submitted between March and June of the year prior to travelling. These forms will be assessed during July and provisional (pending issue of Visas) enrolments will be confirmed in August
Enrolments will be finalised upon the issuing of Visas to provisionally enrolled students.
FAQs
Subject costs
While the travel costs for the international trip component of the ISE will be covered by La Trobe and will not require additional financial contribution from students, it should be noted that the subject itself is not ‘free’. Standard subject fees for a 30 Credit Point environmental studies subject will apply to the ISE subject.
Subject timing and key dates
Expressions of interest forms for those wishing to enrol in the subject will be available for submission from March to June . During July , students who have submitted an expression of interest will be advised of available trip dates and locations and will be able to submit their preferences regarding dates and locations. Provisional enrolments (with final confirmation of enrolment subject to the issuing of Visas) and trip allocations will be advised to students in August .
The pre-trip component of the ISE subject will occur during November The pre-trip module will include completion of an online module and attendance at a one-day workshop to be held in Bundoora. The international trips will be held between November and January. The post trip component – which is an assessment task – will be completed during the first half of February.
International trip locations and travel dates
There will be multiple trip locations across the Asia Pacific region. Most trips will include a mixture of time spent across urban and rural locations. Students who have registered an expression of interest in enrolling in the ISE subject will be advised of available locations and travel dates by 1 July . Students will then be able to submit their preference list for the available trip locations and dates. While every effort will be made to accommodate student preferences, it is not possible to guarantee that all students will receive their top preferences.
While the exact travel dates will depend on which travelling group and destination you are allocated to, all travel will occur between November and January.
Travel arrangements
Students in the ISE subject will travel in groups of up to 30 students to their allocated location. Students will be accompanied by 2 academic staff for the duration of the two weeks they spend in Asia Pacific region.
Students will be referred to a travel specialist who will assist them with obtaining appropriate Visas and will also work with the students to book their preferred return flight arrangements.
Outbound flights, in country accommodation, in country transportation and meals will be organised for each travelling group.
How the subject fits within the structure of eligible degrees
The ISE subject is a 30 credit point elective subject. As such, it is not compulsory and is not linked to any specific majors within the eligible degrees.
1. For the first year of delivery, the subject will also be offered as a third-year elective so students entering second year in 2021 can participate before their third year. After this time, the subject will revert to a second-year elective only.
2. A key feature of the International Sustainability Experience is that the costs of airfares, accommodation, food, transport, visa fees and insurance are covered, with students facing no additional charges beyond the standard subject fees that apply to any 30 credit point environmental studies
subject. Please note: While every effort will be made to accommodate all students, it may not be possible to accommodate the needs of every student.