The University of Melbourne was established in 1853 and is a public institution. More than 46,000 students, including over 12,200 students from 129 countries, take courses at Melbourne. The University launched the ground-breaking Melbourne Model in 2007 and there is a strong demand for the new courses with student retention rates remaining the highest in Australia.
The Melbourne Model introduces undergraduate programs characterized by both breadth and depth, followed by a graduate professional degree, a research higher degree or entry directly into employment. The innovative structure of the Melbourne Model allows the distinctive Melbourne experience to be combined with the best of North American traditions and emerging Asian and European educational practices.
The University of Melbourne enjoys an outstanding reputation with world rankings consistently placing us as Australia’s leading comprehensive research-intensive university, and one of the world’s top 50*. Melbourne attracts the best and brightest students and researchers and, with a history of over 160 years, we occupy a special place at the heart of our city’s cultural scene.
The University of Melbourne aims to be one of the finest universities in the world. Growing Esteem is the University's strategy for achieving high regard and for making a distinctive contribution to society.
Learning and teaching, the second strand of Growing Esteem's triple helix, focuses on supporting students to learn through curriculum and through diverse campus environment, engage in extra-curricula activities.
In 2008 the University introduced the Melbourne curriculum, the most significant set of curriculum reforms in the University's history. The curriculum features six broad, three-year undergraduate degrees, characterised by both disciplinary depth and academic breadth. These Bachelors prepare students for direct employment or further study, whether in a professional graduate program or a research higher degree. This structure is designed to provide students with greater flexibility, both in terms of subject choice and the timing of vocational decisions.
Melbourne graduate programs differ significantly from undergraduate programs in their depth and level of specialisation, preparing students for specific professions or research studies. They need to address an increased diversity in student circumstances and therefore require flexibility in the University's mode of delivery.
The curriculum caters for students who enter University at undergraduate or graduate level from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of goals: those sure of their chosen path; those who have not yet determined their future vocation; and those who begin on one path then discover another. The success of the Melbourne curriculum is dependent on the delivery of a high quality 'Melbourne Experience' to all students, combining research, learning and external engagement in a stimulating and advanced setting. Enhancing the student experience is an ongoing endeavour.
The University of Melbourne has an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Independently-published world rankings consistently place us as a leader in higher education in Australia, the Asia Pacific and around the globe.
Our rankings are a wonderful vindication of our research leadership and performance in recent years. Overall, these results underscore the growing international attractiveness of the University of Melbourne as a higher education and research destination.
At the University of Melbourne, we are proud of our outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Independently published world rankings consistently place us as a leader in higher education in Australia, the Asia-Pacific and around the globe.
The University of Melbourne has 11 residential colleges that are an ideal accommodation option if you are not from Melbourne. Living at a residential college can provide a fast way to build an academic and social network. The colleges provide sporting and cultural programs to enrich your academic experience in a thriving, warm and supportive community. All the colleges have fees but there are also accommodation scholarships available.