Australia: Psychology
Australia Gallery
Program Snapshot | |
Semester: | Summer |
Offered: | Summer 2026 |
Estimated Dates: | Mid-May to early July |
Program Focus: | Regional Area Study with Psychology Emphasis |
Prerequisites: | PSY 100, 200, 300 and Junior or Senior class standing; or PSY 100 and consent of leader. Students must satisfy the Words and Numbers CORE requirement before participating in an overseas program. |
Campus Contact: |
Yueping Zhang Associate Professor of Psychology yzhang@lclark.edu, 503-768-7646 |
Program Design
The history of Australia, the world’s smallest continent and largest island, has been molded from afar by the British and the western world and by its own diverse geography and aboriginal population. Over the last two hundred years it has grown into a multicultural society with 90 percent of its population living in urban areas.
Students participating on the program will observe and participate in human and social services programs that exist within a context of socialized medicine—a system that, according to many of those it serves, works well.
This program will focus on history, culture and psychology in contemporary Australia. The program’s location is the urban coast area of Brisbane, Queensland, where students will live with Australian host families. The program begins with 2 weeks of academic sessions in a lecture/discussion format and continues with a 5-week internship in a social service agency of interest.
Academics
Requirements Fulfilled:
General Education - This program fulfills the Global Perspectives general education requirement for students who successfully complete 8 semester credits.
Major Requirements - PSY 345 may be applied to the Psychology major.
Credits: 8 credits (2 courses)
Curriculum:
IS 290: Australian Area Study (4 credits)
The Australian Area Studies course introduces students to the history of European settlement in Australia and the development of Australian public institutions by looking at some of the major events in Australian history since 1788. Additionally, this course examines ideas relating to nation-building and cultural identity: how the identity of the country and its people is linked to the unique physical environment of the Australian continent and how that identity is conveyed in Australian art, literature and film. Area Studies also provides an historical framework for understanding the ways in which contemporary Australian society has developed.
PSY 345: Internship (4 credits)
Applied field learning experience and exposure to psychologically oriented occupations in Brisbane. Building human relations skills; becoming acquainted with important human service institutions and their social impact in an environment of socialized health and human services. Theoretical, cross-cultural and practical frameworks for intervention. Internship opportunities may include drug and alcohol treatment programs, women’s resource centers, community aftercare for psychiatric patients, programs for the elderly, and HIV/AIDS support services.
PLEASE NOTE: If a student has attended the spring LC program, and wishes to apply to remain in Australia for the summer Australia LC program, the student may not repeat the Area Study course. The student must apply to be allowed to complete an independent study on a different topic in place of IS-290.
This option would only be offered to students who have completed the Area Study course on a previous Australia program, and will only be allowed if the instructor is available to oversee the independent study. The option may not be available in all years.
Cost
2025-2026 Fee Breakdown*
Total Fee (includes Tuition, Program Fee, and Health & Wellness Fee): TBD
Tuition: TBD
Program Fee: TBD
Included in the program fee are room/housing, board/meals, and administrative fees. Not included are airfare, passport and visa expenses, primary insurance coverage, photographs, books, immunizations, and incidentals.
*Fees are updated every October for the following academic year. The fees for the Summer 2026 program will be updated here as soon as they are finalized.
Stipend: Students will receive a stipend to cover the cost of meals and transportation costs not covered by the program fee.
Estimated Airfare (Round Trip PDX to SYD): $1,500 - $2,000
Estimated Health Insurance Fee: TBD
All students participating in overseas programs are automatically enrolled in iNext, a supplemental travel insurance program. The fee for iNext is covered in the program cost. However, students are also required to have comprehensive health insurance during their time abroad. All students participating in overseas programs, both abroad and domestic, are automatically enrolled in the College’s student health insurance program. Similar to a regular semester on-campus, students participating in overseas programs may waive enrollment in the student health insurance program if they have other comprehensive health insurance (e.g., through a parent, guardian or employer) that 1) provides coverage for them in the geographic region in which they will be studying and 2) includes mental health benefits. Click here for more information regarding health insurance & overseas programs.
Australia Summer (Psychology)
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs is located in room 206 of Albany Quadrangle on the Undergraduate Campus.
MSC: 11
email overseas@lclark.edu
voice 503-768-7295
fax 503-768-7300
Director Blythe Knott
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs
Lewis & Clark
615 S. Palatine Hill Road
Portland OR 97219