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!
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
Fall Term (SP5)
August to December
Spring Term (SP2)
January to May
Please note that MBA courses are not available to Exchange Students.
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.
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:
Non-native English speakers must provide evidence of English proficiency.
Please see here for more information on minimum scores required.
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
Weather
Autumn/Winter: -4°c to 15°c
Spring/Summer: 16°c to 28°c
Currency
$ US Dollars
Local language/s
English
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:
Items | Approximate Cost (AUD) |
---|---|
Return flights from Adelaide | $2800 |
Health Insurance | $2450 per semester |
Accommodation (including meal plan) | from $1500 per month |
Meals/Groceries | $400 to $500 per month |
Accommodation | $5565 per semester |
Meals/Groceries | $400 to $500 per month |
Transportation | $40 per month |
Entertainment and incidentals including phone, laundry etc. | $400 to $500 per month |
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.
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
It is your responsibility to apply for your visa for your overseas study experience. You can refer to the relevant consulate regarding a specific countries visa requirement. UniSA is legally unable to provide visa advise. Please see below links for more information.
Australian Government DFAT brief on United States is available here.
United States embassy website can be found here.
Minnesota State University student visa FAQ is available here.
It is important to note that you will be required to travel to a US consulate in either Perth, Melbourne, Canberra or Sydney as part of your visa application.
To participate in an exchange experience, you must register your travel with International SOS (iSOS). We will provide instructions on how to do this throughout the process.
UniSA has partnered with iSOS to offer our students medical, safety and security advice, referrals, emotional support and routine and emergency assistance when travelling or living abroad.
For more information please visit the Travel Health and Safety Webpage.
Before your departure, we strongly encourage you to visit the Smartraveller website.
The website contains important information you need to know about travel documents, up to date travel advisories on destinations you may be travelling to on behalf of the University, travel tips and more.
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
Minnesota State University is not an exchange partner for Summer/Winter school.
To see other current short-term opportunities, please click here.
Want to know more about studying overseas? Check out our returned student reports.