Melbourne University
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria. The main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb just north of the Melbourne CBD. The university also has several other campuses located across Victoria. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight" lobby group, the Universitas 21 and Association of Pacific Rim Universities networks. It is colloquially known as a sandstone university and has one of the largest financial endowments of any Australian university, standing at $1.173 billion as of 2010.
The University of Melbourne consistently ranks among the best universities in Australia and the world. The university has been placed top in Australia, 37th in the world by the Times Higher Education 2011-2012 rankings of the world’s top 400 universities, and 31st in the world by QS 2011-2012 ranking. In Australia, the University of Melbourne is the second largest research organisation after the CSIRO. In 2010, it spent $767.5m on research and has consistently ranked first or second on the major national research indicators which are used by the Australian Government to allocate public funds for research and training infrastructure.
The university has more than 49,000 students, who are supported by just over 7,300 staff members. In 2008, it introduced the "Melbourne Model", a combination of various practices from American and European universities, aimed at consistency with the European Union's "Bologna process" and international relevance and standing for its degrees. Glyn Davis AC is Melbourne's vice-chancellor.
Arms
The university's coat of arms is a blue shield on which a depiction of Victory in white colour holds her laurel wreath over the stars of the Southern Cross. The motto is written on a scroll beneath the shield, Postera crescam laude ("Later I shall grow by praise" or, more freely, "We shall grow in the esteem of future generations") The Latin is from a line in a Horace ode: ego postera crescam laude recens. The arms include no crest or supporters.
History
Cussonia Court, home to the Schools of Classics and Philosophy.
Melbourne University was established by Hugh Childers Auditor-General and Finance Minister in his first Budget Speech, on 4 November 1852, who set aside a sum of £10,000 for the establishment of a University. The University was established by Act of Incorporation on 22 January 1853, with power to confer degrees in arts, medicine, laws, and music. The act provided for an annual endowment of £9,000, while a special grant of £20.000 was made for buildings that year. The foundation stone was laid on 3 July 1854, and on the same day the foundation stone for the State Library Classes commenced in 1855 with three professors and sixteen students; of this body of students, only four graduated. The original buildings were officially opened by the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Victoria, Sir Charles Hotham, on 3 October 1855. The first chancellor, Redmond Barry (later Sir Redmond), held the position until his death in 1880.
In the university's early days, an architectural master-plan was developed, establishing the intended prevailing building style as gothic revival. Early influential architects included Melbourne's own Joseph Reed, who was responsible for the design of many of the early campus buildings. Although the master-plan was followed until the 1930s, the 1950s saw the modernist style established as a new "house style", resulting in the mix of university buildings seen today.
The inauguration of the university was made possible by the wealth resulting from Victoria's gold rush. The institution was designed to be a "civilising influence" at a time of rapid settlement and commercial growth (Selleck, 2003). It was designated secular and excluded from offering degrees in divinity - the churches could establish colleges on only the northern perimeter. The local population largely rejected the supposed elitism of its professoriate, favouring teaching of 'useful' subjects like law, over those they deemed 'useless' in the city's context, like classics. The townspeople won this debate, and law was introduced in 1857, and medicine and engineering in the 1860s.
The admission of women in 1881 was a further victory for Victorians over the more conservative ruling council (Selleck 2003, p 164–165). Subsequent years saw many tensions over the direction of the emerging university and, in 1902, it was effectively bankrupt following the discovery of a ₤24,000 fraudulent defalcation by the university's bursar, Frederick Dickson, over the period 1886-1901 (when the yearly grant was £15,000). Dickson was jailed for seven years.
This resulted in a royal commission that recommended new funding structures, and an extension of disciplinary areas into agriculture and education.
By the time of World War I, governance was again a pressing concern. The council, consisting of more businesspeople than professors, obtained real powers in 1923 at the expense of the senate. Undergraduates could elect two members of the council. In this period, students tended to be drawn from affluent backgrounds, with a few opportunities for gifted scholarship students. The first vice-chancellor to be paid a salary was Raymond Priestley (1936) followed by John Medley in 1939.
After World War II, demand for Commonwealth-funded student places grew in Australia and the university catered for the demand, becoming much larger and more inclusive.
Governance
Governance of the university is grounded in an act of parliament, the Melbourne University Act 2009. The peak governing body is the "Council" the key responsibilities of which include appointing the Vice Chancellor and Principal, approving the strategic direction and annual budget, establishing operational policies and procedures and overseeing academic and commercial activities as well as risk management. The chair of the Council is the "Chancellor". The "Academic Board" oversees learning, teaching and research activities and provides advice to the council on these matters. The "Committee of Convocation" represents graduates and its members are elected in proportion to the number of graduates in each faculty.
Endowment
In 2008, the university had an endowment of approximately $1.105 billion, the largest of any Australian institution. Whilst the fund had grown rapidly for several years, providing up to $100 million of income per year, it shrank by 22% in 2008 as a result of the ongoing global financial crisis of 2007–2010. However Australian endownments are relatively small compared with those of the wealthiest US universities.
Academic
The university has 12 faculties, some of which incorporate a graduate school. It also has an affiliation with the Melbourne Business School.
Peter C. Doherty is a Nobel Laureate based in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as well as being the College Visitor at Janet Clarke Hall. Sir James Mirrlees (Economic Science, 1996 - emeritus, Cambridge) and Sir Clive Granger (Economic Science, 2003 - emeritus, San Diego) both taught at the university from 2005 to 2007.
Melbourne has produced the most Rhodes Scholars of any Victorian university, including the two 2006 winners. The University also administers the Rae and Edith Bennett Travelling Scholarship for its graduates to complete postgraduate degrees in the United Kingdom.
The numbers of international students have grown from 2,000 in 1996 to over 11,000 in 2008. A separate venture, Melbourne University Private was created in 1997, and merged with the university at the end of 2005 following the easing of Commonwealth regulations to allow domestic full-fee places in Australian universities.
These faculties offer courses from Bachelor Degree to Doctorate level. Arts is the largest (7,222 students in 2004), followed by Science (6,328). The university has some of the highest admission requirements in the country, with the median ENTER of its undergraduates being 93.90. Furthermore, the university has the highest proportion of enrolments of any institution for applicants with an ENTER of 99.0 or above (those who finish in the top 1% of school leavers), with 61.6% of these applicants enrolling at Melbourne. Overall attrition and retention rates at the university are the lowest and highest respectively in Australia.
Research
In 2010 Melbourne spent $767.5m on research, and has consistently ranked first or second on the major national research indicators which are used by the Australian Government to allocate public funds for research and training infrastructure. Pure and applied research had already grown in importance from the late 19th century, but increased its reach and depth in the second half of the 20th century. Science and Arts are the best-endowed faculties in financial terms. The medical sciences benefit from proximity to a number of hospitals, and were enhanced by the opening of Bio21, a research centre focusing on pure and applied Biotechnology. Melbourne has the highest numbers of Federal Government Australian Postgraduate Awards and Postgraduate Research International Scholarships, as well as the largest totals of Research Higher Degree (RHD) student load (3,222 students in 2010) and RHD completions (715 in 2010). In 2008, Melbourne's research income totalled $380 million.
In 2010, Melbourne researchers were awarded the largest number of ARC funding grants in Australia, worth more than $42.8 million. The research funding flowed to University of Melbourne researchers after their successful performance in 2011 Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage and Discovery Grants. The University of Melbourne was the leading recipient of ARC Discovery funding with $37.6 million in project grants. The remaining $5.3 million received for Linkage Grants drew complementary industry support in excess of $20 million.
In November 2011, University of Melbourne researchers received almost $30 million in ARC grants to assist with a range of projects, from looking at new ways of monitoring urban sustainability, creating a new approach in dealing with coronary arterial blood flow to developing new low carbon cements.
Related research institutes
Clock Tower of Old Arts Building (Built 1854)
- Australia and New Zealand School of Government
- Assessment Research Centre
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute
- Bionic Ear Institute
- Centre for Eye Research Australia
- Florey Neuroscience Institutes
- Institute of Postcolonial Studies
- Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society
- Macfarlane Burnet Institute For Medical Research And Public Health
- Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research
- Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute
- National Ageing Research Institute
- Nossal Institute For Global Health
- Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute
- St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
- Tasman Institute and Tasman Asia Pacific
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
- LH Martin Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Management
About research at Melbourne
The University of Melbourne enjoys a strong global reputation for high quality research and research training, and rates highly in international rankings across all major discipline areas.
Research institutes & centres
We have established a series of cross-disciplinary research institutes and our faculties and graduate schools are affiliated with many research centres, institutes and hospitals, placing us at the heart of biomedical research in Victoria and Australia.
Research expertise
Our researchers are at the forefront of international scholarship in fields as diverse as human rights law, climate change, telecommunications and medical research.
Graduate researchers
As members of one of Australia's largest research institutions our PhD and research masters candidates work on projects spanning emerging fields as well as the full range of traditional academic disciplines.
Researchers
Research is the lifeblood of the University, and we take special interest in supporting researchers at all stages of their development.
Publications
Melbourne research is changing the world. Our researchers tackle complex issues across a spectrum of research areas. Read about our latest discoveries in our flagship publications Research Review, and Institutes in Action.
Campus
Residential colleges
Since 1872, the affiliated residential colleges have been an important part of the university. The earliest sought to emulate the finest European colleges, particularly those of Oxford. There are eleven affiliated colleges in total. Seven of the colleges are situated in an arc around the cricket oval at the northern edge of the campus, known as the College Crescent, with the other five within 15 minutes' walk of the University of Melbourne.
| Colleges | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity College 1872-  | Ormond College 1881-  | Janet Clarke Hall 1886-  | St Mary's College 1966-  |
| Queen's College 1887-  | Newman College 1918-  | Medley Hall 1954-  | |
| Whitley College, 1965- | |||
| Ridley College, 1910–2005; 2006-7 | |||
| University College, 1937- | |||
| International House, 1957- | |||
| Graduate House, 1962- | |||
| St Hilda's College, 1964- |
Architecture
Several of the original on-campus buildings, such as the Old Quad and Old Arts buildings, feature beautiful period architecture.
The expansion during the post-World War Two period saw the construction of a number of functional high-rise office buildings and laboratories, in response to space shortages. These include the Raymond Priestley building (used for administration and nicknamed the "Wind Tunnel" due to the channelling of wind through its ground level arches), the Redmond Barry building, Wilson Hall (1956, replacing the old Wilson Hall which was destroyed by fire), and some of the additions to the colleges. The Architecture building is a monolithic modernist design - a "strong statement of architectural modernism influenced by Le Corbusier".
Melba Hall and the Conservatorium of Music on Royal Parade are notable examples of Edwardian edifices which features rich Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau details. They were designed by Bates, Peebles & Smart and constructed between 1905 and 1935.
A recent spate of expansions have included the Ian Potter Gallery and the Sidney Myer Asia Centre (both designed by Nonda Katsalidis). The Potter Gallery in particular is highly regarded for its architecture, and won several awards when completed in 1999. The University Square development has extended the campus to the south, significantly opening up the grid-locked Parkville campus.
The façade of the Old Commerce building is listed on the National Trust Register as an interesting artefact. It is the facade of the former Collins Street Bank of New South Wales Melbourne office transposed on to a 1935 building (as part of the overall building design by architect Percy Everett). The bank earned architect Joseph Reed a first prize in architecture. When the building was demolished, the façade was transferred to the University of Melbourne to become the façade of the then Commerce building.
Some of the affiliated residential colleges feature notable architecture; the most beautiful is arguably the Ormond College with its large clock tower, but Newman College is also well known as one of the few remaining buildings designed by Walter Burley Griffin. A searchable archive of photos can be used to view individual features of the campus.
Ian Potter Museum of Art
Melba Hall and Conservatorium of Music
The Old Commerce building combines the relocated facade of a Collins Street bank with a 1930s building
The cloisters of the Old Quad.
1888 building
Newman College Chapel
The Chapel of Trinity College
Alice Hoy Building
South Lawn
The Grattan Street main entrance
Alan Gilbert Building, University of Melbourne in Carlton
Alan Gilbert Building in Grattan Street, Carlton
The popular Swanston Street Tram stop
Older buildings in the foreground, with newer buildings in the BackgroundLibraries
The Melbourne University Library is one of the busiest libraries in Australia, with three million visitors performing 42 million loan transactions every year. The general collection comprises over 3.5 million items including books, DVDs, photographic slides, music scores, periodicals, as well as rare maps, prints and other published materials. The Library also holds over 32,000 e-books, hundreds of databases and 63,000 general and specialist journals in digital form.
The libraries include:
- Architecture Library
- Baillieu Library (arts and humanities)
- Brownless Biomedical Library
- Chemistry Library
- Earth Sciences Library
- Eastern Resource Centre (ERC)
- Giblin Economics and Commerce Library
- Land and Food Resources (LFR) (Burnley, Creswick, Dookie)
- Law Library
- Lenton Parr Music, Visual and Performing Arts Library (formerly VCA Library)
- Louise Hanson-Dyer Music Library
- Mathematics Library
- Physics Research Library
- Veterinary Science Library
Library personnel also provide advice to staff and students on issues such as copyright, information management, knowledge management, information architecture and the design of business processes.
Other campuses
The university has several other campuses located across Victoria. They are situated in Burnley, Creswick, Dookie, Werribee, and Southbank, Victorian College of the Arts. The university also has its interests in Goulburn Valley, particularly in the areas of rural health, agriculture and education. The university is a part-owner of the Melbourne Business School, the leading business school in Australia in 2005 and 2006. The university has a node of the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics.
Arts and culture
The university is associated with several arts institutions in the wider community. These include:
- The Melbourne Theatre Company, the oldest professional theatre company in Australia and one of the largest theatre companies in the English-speaking world. The company is a semi-autonomous department of the university.
- The Ian Potter Museum of Art, which houses the university's visual arts collection.
- Melbourne University Publishing (formally Melbourne University Press), an academic press which has since diversified into multimedia production as well as books and monographs.
- Meanjin, an Australian literary journal.
- Thirty-three cultural collections, embodying the history of many of the academic disciplines taught at the university. These include the Grainger Museum Collection of musical cultural artefacts; the Medical History Museum covering the history of the medical profession in Victoria; and the Harry Brookes Allen Museum of Anatomy and Pathology, which contains more than 8,000 specimens relevant to the teaching of medicine and other health sciences.
- The Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation is the only centre of its kind in Australia, combining both theory and practice of cultural material conservation and is a joint initiative of the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science and the Ian Potter Museum of Art.
- The Melbourne University is host to the Future Problem Solving Program Australia (FPSPA) national finals every even year. This is held during mid-October and participants from across Australia attend the University of Melbourne for competition. The Grand Buffet Hall and the Copeland Theatre are the two main locations for ceremonies and competition.
"Growing Esteem" strategy
New strategy
Melbourne Model
In 2005, the university developed a new strategy, "Growing Esteem", incorporating strands of "Research, Teaching and Learning" and "Knowledge Transfer" (since renamed "Engagement"). Within the teaching and learning strand is a redeveloped curriculum, often referred to as the "Melbourne Model". The six "New Generation degrees" of science, biomedicine, environments, arts, music and commerce were designed to lead to graduation and the workplace, graduate degrees focusing on the professions, or research-oriented higher degrees. The new structure was introduced in 2008, with faculties governing courses in law, medicine, education and architecture establishing graduate schools to administer master's degrees. PhD candidatures are generally administered through the School of Graduate Research.
Some students and members of the wider community were critical of the Growing Esteem strategy, which came under much scrutiny in the Australian press. The university offers a minimum of 50% of the places in each of the new professional graduate degrees - 100% for education and nursing - for domestic Australian students as Commonwealth Supported Places, with the university aiming for 75% across all the new courses. The ability to offer Commonwealth Supported Places to postgraduate students is a first for an Australian university, heralding a new approach to diversity in the higher-education sector by the Howard government and the succeeding Rudd government.
Youth Allowance and Austudy has been extended to Commonwealth-approved master's degrees by coursework programs. The university is undertaking a $100-million-dollar scholarship program, funded by its significant invested endowment, course fees and other private ventures. Over 8000 students are expected to receive benefits. 20% of places in the new degrees will be allocated to the "Access Melbourne" programme.
Courses
Undergraduate courses
Undergraduate degrees offer more than 80 major fields of study in total. For your first degree, you can select one of six new generation undergraduate degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours available)
- Bachelor of Biomedicine (Honours available)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Honours available)
- Bachelor of Environments (Honours available)
- Bachelor of Music (Honours available)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours available)
Each of these degrees allows you to study what you love - in depth, and expand on your knowledge - by choosing breadth.
You will develop detailed knowledge, skills and understanding in specific disciplines through the study of one or more majors from first to third year. We call the study of a major the 'depth' component of your degree.
You also have the opportunity to choose up to a quarter of your subjects from disciplines outside the core studies and majors in your degree. We call this the 'breadth' component of your degree, and it allows you to gain knowledge and understanding across a broader range of disciplines. To help you make the most of your breadth studies, the University has introduced 'tracks', approved sets of three or more subjects that progressively develop knowledge and skills relevant to the theme, topic or issue. More information about breadth tracks.
Concurrent diplomas
You can also enrol in a concurrent diploma alongside your New Generation degree — it offers you another way to follow your passion while you’re studying. We offer concurrent diplomas in the following areas:
- Informatics
- Languages
- Mathematical Sciences
- Music (Practical)
- U21 Global Issues
Other Melbourne degrees
You can also select from the following degrees:
- Bachelor of Agriculture (Honours available)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours available)
- Associate Degree in Environmental Horticulture
- Bachelor of Oral Health
Honours
An Honours year enables you to extend your knowledge of your area of specialisation. Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree in the relevant area of study either from the University of Melbourne or another institution. For more specific information about Honours, follow the links from the Bachelor degrees listed above.
Graduate courses
Professional qualifications in areas like law, medicine, dentistry and engineering. These programs offer intensive, focused study and professional knowledge — making you ‘job ready’.
Graduate professional entry programs
Graduate professional entry programs at the University of Melbourne are endorsed by the Australian Commonwealth Government as pathways to professional practice and offer pathways to professional accreditation for graduates.
Many are recognised by professional bodies in Australia and internationally.
If you are a domestic student, these programs also offer:
- Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) (most programs)
- access to government support payments for eligible students (Youth Allowance, Austudy, Abstudy) and
- entry via the Graduate Access Melbourne program which offers CSPs and bursaries to support local students who have experienced disadvantage or who are members of a specified group known to be under-represented in higher education.
- Guaranteed entry pathways to graduate degrees
- Domestic students course costs
- International students course costs
Professional Entry Programs 2012
* Master of Actuarial Science
* Master of Agricultural Science
* Master of Animal Science
* Master of Architecture
* Master of Biotechnology
* Master of Clinical Audiology
* Master of Construction Management
* Master of Cultural Materials Conservation
* Doctor of Dental Surgery
* Master of Education (Language Intervention and Hearing Impairment)
* Master of Education (Special Education, Inclusion and Early Intervention)
* Master of Education (Specific Learning Difficulties)
* Master of Educational Psychology
* Master of Engineering
* Master of Environment
* Executive Master of Arts
* Master of Forest Ecosystem Science
* Master of Food Science
* Master of Genetic Counselling
* Master of Information Systems
* Master of Information Technology
* Master of International Relations
* Master of Landscape Architecture
* Master of Management (Accounting)
* Doctor of Medicine
* The Melbourne Juris Doctor
* Master of Music Therapy (by coursework)
* Master of Nursing Science
* Master of Operations Research and Management Science
* Doctor of Optometry
* Master of Property
* Doctor of Physiotherapy
* Master of Psychology
* Master of Public Health
* Master of Science
* Master of Speech Pathology
* Master of Social Work
* Master of Spatial Information Science
* Master of Teaching (Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary)
* Master of Urban Horticulture
* Master of Urban Planning
* Doctor of Veterinary Medicine*
Professional development degrees
In an increasingly competitive global employment market, graduate study can improve your career progression and earning potential. You can also explore graduate study can simply for your own personal and intellectual development.
Graduate coursework degrees explained
| Title | Description | Articulation | Length/Mode | Prerequisite* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Certificate | Can be the first half of a Graduate Diploma or an academic award in its own right. | May be credited for a Graduate Diploma. | Six months (one semester). | Undergraduate degree. |
| Graduate Diploma | Provides expertise in a specialist area equivalent to a major at undergraduate level or initial specialist training at postgraduate level. | Some advanced subjects may be credited towards a Masters degree. | One year. | Undergraduate degree. |
| Postgraduate Certificate | A short, coherent degree in a specialist area of study. | May be credited for a Postgraduate Diploma. | Six months (one semester). | Undergraduate degree in a relevant or associated area. |
| Postgraduate Diploma | Provides current knowledge in a specialist area. There may be some research opportunities and training involved. | Some subjects may be credited towards a Masters degree. | One year. | Undergraduate degree in a relevant or associated area. |
| Masters by Coursework | Provides advanced specialist or professional training in a particular discipline or interdisciplinary area. It can also lead to professional accreditation. | Normally one to two years. Some Masters courses that offer professional accreditation may be longer than two years. | An undergraduate degree, normally at honours level or equivalent, eg. Postgraduate Diploma and/or relevant professional experience. |
New courses
Six courses were approved as "new generation undergraduate courses": generalist degrees under the "Melbourne Model". These degrees replace 96 undergraduate degrees.
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
Note: The degree of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) has been discontinued; instead becoming the graduate degree Juris Doctor (JD) as of 2008. In addition, several existing courses will continue in 2008, such as medicine, veterinary science and some engineering degrees. All professional courses (including engineering, medicine, dentistry, optometry and veterinary science)have now changed from undergraduate to graduate-entry.
A number of professional courses are available only for graduate entry:
- Juris Doctor
- Doctor of Medicine
- Doctor of Dental Surgery
- Doctor of Optometry
- Doctor of Physiotherapy
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
- Master of Animal Science
- Master of Architecture
- Master of Engineering
- Master of Forest Science
- Master of Nursing Science
- Master of Property and Construction
- Master of Public Policy and Management
- Master of Social Work
- Master of Teaching
- Master of Urban Horticulture
- Master of Urban Planning
Criticisms of the "Melbourne Model"
Various groups, including trade and student unions, academics, and some students have expressed criticism of the Melbourne Model, citing job and subject cuts, and a risk of "dumbing down" content. A group of students also produced a satirical musical regarding the matter.
In 2012 however, two of the university's redeveloped courses, the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science, were the most popular undergraduate courses with incoming undergraduates in the state of Victoria. Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre data shows first preference applications for Melbourne University degrees rose by 21 percent overall from 2011, the largest increase in Victoria. There was also a 24 percent increase in applications through the Access Melbourne program for disadvantaged students, including large increases for those from rural areas and low socio-economic backgrounds. Melbourne has five of the 10 most sought degrees in the state, a level of demand which reflects the growing awareness of the university's redeveloped programs and their attractiveness to students from all backgrounds.
VCA controversy
The university's 2007 acquisition of the Victorian College of the Arts and subsequent plans to introduce the new curriculum at the campus attracted attention and criticism within the wider community. As of May 2009 the university "suspended" the Bachelor of Music Theatre and Puppetry courses at the college and there were fears they may not return under the new curriculum.
A 2005 heads of agreement over the merger of the VCA and the university stated that the management of academic programs at the VCA would ensure that "the VCA continues to exercise high levels of autonomy over the conduct and future development of its academic programs so as to ensure their integrity and quality" and also that the college's identity will be preserved. New dean Sharman Pretty outlined drastic changes under the university's plan for the college in early April 2009. As a result it is now being called into question whether the university have upheld that agreement.
Staff at the college responded to the changes, claiming the university did not value vocational arts training, and voicing fears over the future of quality training at the VCA. Former Victorian arts minister Race Matthews has also weighed in on the debate expressing his hope that, "Melbourne University will not proceed with its proposed changes to the Victorian College of the Arts," and for 'good sense' to prevail.
In November 2009, in response to these criticisms, the university named Ziggy Switkowski, the Chair of Opera Australia and former Telstra CEO, the independent chair of an open and extensive consultation and review of the Faculty of the VCA and Music (VCAM). He was joined by the Hon Mary Delahunty, a former Victorian Government Arts Minister and a journalist and writer, as a community representative with a background in the arts. These appointments followed the release of the "Defining the Future" discussion paper, which signaled the beginning of an extensive consultation on the key challenges and opportunities facing the VCA and the university in higher arts education. Members of the Review Committee were drawn from VCAM staff and students and the wider university. After and intensive five-month stakeholder consultation on the future of the VCA and the Music, Switkowski delivered his report.
In response to the Switkowski review, the university appointed two senior staff to help lead the Faculty of the VCA and Music, naming Su Baker (Director, VCA) and Gary McPherson (Director, Melbourne Conservatorium) while it searched for a new dean to lead the faculty of the VCA and music. In December 2010, the university named Barry Conyngham, a prominent Australian composer and former holder of the Harvard Chair in Australian Studies and former Vice-Chancellor of Southern Cross University, as Dean of the Faculty of the VCA and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
In 2011, the Victorian State Government allocated $24 million to support arts education at the VCA and the faculty was renamed the Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
Rankings
The following is a summary of Melbourne University rankings:
The University of Melbourne has been consistently ranked top 100 universities worldwide by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (ARWU), Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings since their publication. The university was ranked 31st in the 2011 QS World University Rankings. The Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT) has also ranked Melbourne University ahead of any other Universities in the southern hemisphere and placed it in the top 100 worldwide (together with Sydney University) since its publication.
With regard to rankings by broad subjects, The University of Melbourne has been consistently ranked top 100 worldwide for biomedicine, life and agriculture science, business, law, education, engineering, arts and humanities and social sciences, according to Times Higher Education, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (ARWU), The Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT) and the Melbourne Institute. Moreover, Melbourne University is the only one Australian institution ranked top 30 worldwide across all subjects by Times Higher Education 2009. This prominent position is also confirmed by 3 other ranking systems, with Melbourne possessing more academic disciplines ranked top 100 in the world than any other Australian institutions.
Research produced by the Melbourne Institute in 2006 ranked Australian universities across seven main discipline areas: Arts & Humanities, Business & Economics, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, and Science, with Melbourne University as the highest in business, law and medicine by both academic surveys and overall performance.
| Discipline | R1 | No. | R2 | No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Humanities | 2 | 38 | 2 | 35 |
| Business & Economics | 1 | 39 | 1 | 34 |
| Education | 1 | 35 | 2 | 32 |
| Engineering | 1 | 28 | 3 | 28 |
| Law | 1 | 29 | 1 | 28 |
| Medicine | 1 | 14 | 1 | 13 |
| Science | 2 | 38 | 3 | 31 |
- ^ R1 refers to Australian and overseas Academics' rankings in tables 3.1 -3.7 of the report.
- ^ No. refers to the number of the Australian institutions in the table against which Melbourne is compared.
- ^ R2 refers to the Articles and Research rankings in tables 5.1 - 5.7 of the report.
Melbourne Business School's MBA course was ranked 69th in the world in 2006, 79th in 2007, 75th in 2008 and 52nd in 2009. It is the highest ranked MBA course (following AGSM) in Australia for 2009 according to the Australian Financial Review.
In 2010, according to University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) University of Melbourne is the best university in Australia and 40th university in the world.
Notable graduates
List of University of Melbourne people
The University of Melbourne has produced many notable alumni, with graduates having held the offices of Prime Ministers of Australia, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Governor-General, Attorney-General, Governor of Victoria, High Court Justices, State Premiers, Nobel Laureates, a First Lady of East Timor, ministers of foreign countries, Lord Mayors, academics, architects, historians, poets, philosophers, politicians, scientists, physicists, authors, industry leaders, Defence Force generals, corporate leaders and artists.
Student activities
Melbourne University student organisations
The university student life is reflected by the variety of clubs and services funded by the University of Melbourne Student Union. Student extracurricular activities generally come under the loose umbrella of the University of Melbourne Student Union, student sporting activities under the Sports Union, and postgraduate students at University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association (a member of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations). Many student clubs are affiliated with UMSU, as well as student theatre and the official student newspaper, Farrago. A scandal engulfed the Union in 2003, eventually leading to its collapse, liquidation and subsequent rebirth as a new entity. However, given the introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism from 1 July 2006, services and activities offered by this new Union have diminished. The shortfall in funding from declining membership has been offset to an extent by a recurrent grant from the university.
Prosh Week
A celebrated tradition at Melbourne, usually held in mid-August, whereby teams of students engage in various activities - the winner claiming the 'Prosh Week Trophy'. These shenanigans include giant boat races, conga lines through the Melbourne CBD, a billy kart rally, and jelly wrestling. It culminates with the infamous Scav hunt, at the conclusion of which the winning team is announced.
The term 'Prosh' is thought to have originated in one of two ways. It is chiefly considered to have evolved from an annual charity procession that once marched through the Melbourne CBD, producing the abbreviation 'prosh'. A second theory states that the term originated from when all of the faculty social balls were held in the same week. The week was nicknamed 'Posh week' due to the number of times students would have to dress up in formal attire. The effects of alcohol caused words to be slurred, and thus 'posh' became 'prosh'.
Sport
The university has participated in various sports in its history, and currently has 39 affiliated clubs. Sport is overseen by Melbourne University Sport. Melbourne was the overall champion in the Australian University Games (AUG) in 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Beaurepaire Centre and Sports Centre
The Beaurepaire Centre is a two-storey health and fitness complex located on the campus. It houses a strength and fitness gym; and an indoor, heated, 6-lane, 25m lap pool. The Sports Centre is also located on campus, and houses a Group Fitness venue, a Yoga and Pilates venue, six squash courts, massage and physiotherapy clinic, a variety of multipurpose rooms, two multipurpose basketball stadiums, and the main Melbourne University Sport administration offices.
Tennis
The Melbourne University Tennis Club, is one of the oldest sporting clubs at the University. It was one of the founding clubs of the Melbourne University Sports Union (now known as the Melbourne University Sports Association). The club actively participates in state & regional competitions, provides weekly internal competitions to its members, and has a growing coaching program. The club's most notable victory of recent times occurred in the Winter of 2009, the Women's team won the Bayside Regional Tennis Association's Section 1 Premiership. The team was also awarded the Butterworth Trophy, which recognised that the Melbourne University Tennis team's performance surpassed the performance of the other 88 teams in the association.
Cricket
Parkville
The University of Melbourne Cricket Club, often called simply "University", plays the sport of cricket in the elite club competition of Melbourne, Australia, known as Victorian Premier Cricket. The club was founded in 1856 and played its first season of premier cricket in 1906–07. Also known as The Students, the club has won 3 first XI premierships. Its home ground is on the campus of the University of Melbourne in Parkville.
Australian Rules football
The Melbourne University Football Club founded in 1859, was a notable Australian Rules football club that played seven seasons in the Victorian Football League, and has since rejoined the ranks of amateur teams.
The women's club, the Mugars, participates in the Victorian Women's Football League and is the most successful women's football team in the country.
Rugby Union football
The Melbourne University Rugby Football Club celebrated its 100th birthday in 2008 and is one of Victoria's major Rugby Union clubs, having won many premierships over the years. Most recently, the under-20s Colts team took out the 2008 premiership. Former celebrity members include Sir Edward Dunlop, the first Victorian to represent Australia in rugby union and a notable survivor of Japanese POW camps during World War II.
Association football
The Melbourne University Blues was founded in 1947 and has maintained a consistent presence in Victoria's provisional leagues. The Melbourne University Rangers was founded as an amateur club in 1980 but has successfully moved into the professional leagues and, in 2008, won promotion to Division 3 of the Victorian State League.
Hockey
The University has hockey teams that compete in the Hockey Victoria competition. It is colloquially known as "Shop" or "Shoppers" to its members, and MUHC (pronounced "muck") to its rivals. The men's division has competed in State League One (the premier division) irregularly (most recently 2004 and 2006), often gaining promotion from State League Two only to be relegated the following year. The women's division had a State League One team in 2003-2005, and since being relegated have maintained a mid-SL2 position since.
It traditionally fields strong AUG hockey teams, winning the Syme Cup (men's division) in 1999 and 2000 and placing 2nd in 2001, 2005-07. Its best result in the women's competition has been second (2000, 2003).
Lacrosse
The Melbourne University Lacrosse Club (MULC) was established in 1883 and is the oldest continually operational lacrosse club in the world. It competes locally in the Lacrosse Victoria competition, and in its long history has won 10 premierships in the men's State League competition. The Club also has a junior program conducted through the Melbourne High School. The MULC takes part in an annual competition against the Adelaide University Lacrosse Club, with the venue alternating between Adelaide and Melbourne each year.
Cycling
The Melbourne University Cycling Club (MUCyc) is associated with Cycling Australia and competes regularly at local and national races. In 2008 MUCyc won its seventh consecutive AUG championship (2002–2008). MUCyc placed second in the 2009 University games, but wrested back the crown from UWA in 2010.
Scholarships
The Melbourne Scholarships Program is one of the most generous and comprehensive in Australia. It recognises outstanding academic achievement of students from Australia and around the world.The University is also committed to providing access to students who might otherwise be excluded from tertiary study, and we also offer a range of opportunities for those applicants.
More Scholarship Information :(http://futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/admissions/scholarships)
Photo of University
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