If you choose to study online with Charles Sturt University, your course may include intensive schools.

You may be thinking: “What on earth is an intensive school and why would I need to attend one?”

An intensive school is your personal invitation to come on campus for a study experience for between one and five days. Intensive school provides face-to-face learning with academics and other students in your course, and gives you the opportunity to engage in interactive learning, go deeper into course material and ask plenty of questions.

What makes intensive school great?

Intensive school is a great way to learn new skills and better understand your subject content so you can make the most of your course. You’ll get to meet your course lecturers and students in your subjects, go to lectures, participate in practicals and tutorials, and use a range of on-campus facilities. They give you the valuable opportunity to put theories into practice and explore your learning further, in the safe and friendly environment at Charles Sturt University.

Who needs to attend intensive school?

Most intensive schools are compulsory, so you’ll need to attend if you’re studying a subject that includes one in the course outline. Once you’re enrolled, you’ll be notified if you have an intensive school for your subjects. You can also check the Dates and Venues section in the student portal that is tailored to your enrolment with us. So don’t stress – if you need to attend an intensive school, we’ll make sure you know well of time!

Where will I stay at intensive school?

When you attend intensive schools, we want you to enjoy the full Charles Sturt experience. You can stay at our affordable on-campus accommodation at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga. Enjoy all the creature comforts and you’ll be within minutes of your classes and all our facilities and services.

Accommodation varies from campus to campus, but we know you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the comfort and cosiness of an authentic dorm experience. You can even enjoy some of the nutritious cuisine prepared at our on-campus eateries and chill out in our dining halls.

Intensive schools are typically held during session breaks so there’s a good chance your dorm buddies will be your new res school mates. You’ll be able to wind-down and have a chat with other students about the day’s learnings in the comfortable accommodation common areas.

Can I get any help with intensive school costs?

If you’re in a rural or remote area or even travelling from the city or interstate, we understand there can be costs attached to coming to a campus. There are good news as we offer assistance through equity and emergency grants for students who need help with accommodation costs. Find out if you’re eligible and make sure you apply.  You can also check to see if you’re eligible for any other scholarships for your course.

How will I get to my intensive school?

Our online students are based across Australia and right around the world. If you’re travelling within Australia, you’ll find all of our campus cities can be reached conveniently by air, train, bus and car. There’s plenty of information in our student portal for travelling to our campuses so when the time comes, you know it will be a breeze!

Finding your way around

If you notice the course you’re interested in studying includes an intensive school, why not begin to familiarise yourself with our campuses to get a feel for where you could soon be headed? For a more in-depth look, you can use our online maps to find out where all our services and facilities are located. By the time you come on campus, you’ll know the place as well as the on-campus crew!

Keeping connected

When you come on campus, you’ll have access to the same services that our on-campus students have. This means you can keep connected to your loved ones back home and finish your assignments and coursework on time by connecting to our on-campus wi-fi.

Explore your social side

The beauty of intensive schools is that you can take your online relationships and networks offline and catch up with people in your course at our social events. Enjoy a meal together at our on-campus eateries or have a yarn over a coffee at one of our cafes. Our social events are a great way for you to put a face to the names of other students in your subject forums while you let your hair down and unwind from all the intensive learning.

Are intensive schools on the cards?

If the course you’re looking at studying has an intensive school, now’s the perfect time to start familiarising yourself with our campus locations. If you’re from out of town, the bush, coast or even metropolitan areas, you can find out what it’s like to spread your wings at our campuses in regional Australia. You may even find yourself considering a tree change.

Thinking about getting started at uni? Want to study online? Find your course and discover your future.