Swinburne University of Technology

Founded more than 115 years ago, Swinburne University of Technology is a world-class university creating social and economic impact through science, technology and innovation. Originally a technical college, in 1963 Swinburne led the way with one of the first industry-based learning programs and from the 1970s offered degrees in engineering, accounting, chemistry and arts.

Awarded university status in 1992, Swinburne is internationally recognised as one of the world's best universities under 50 years old. Swinburne is ranked number 24 in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings (2024) and is ranked in top 250 universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Ranking (2024).

Swinburne's commitment to high-quality teaching is what makes them educational leaders in science, technology, innovation, business and design. Swinburne's courses are all developed in consultation with industry experts, which means students graduate with the skills and experience employers are looking for. The 2024 Good Universities Guide has awarded Swinburne five-star ratings for their undergraduate student:teacher ratio, and for the overall experience.

For more than 60 years, Swinburne has been partnering with leading Australian and global organisations to offer students authentic workplace experiences. Students are given the opportunity to work on real-industry projects, solve day-to-day challenges in their field and gain the professional skills to put knowledge into practice. Swinburne provides a range of Work Integrated Learning opportunities, including placements, internships or industry-linked projects

Swinburne's campus in Hawthorn, Melbourne boasts state-of-the-art facilities with the university investing heavily in refurbishing its major facilities and building brand new ones, including a A$100 million Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre and an Advanced Technologies Centre that includes a state-of-the-art Smart Structures Laboratory for research into structural engineering – the only one of its kind in Australia.

With 34% of Swinburne's students being international students studying both onshore and offshore, Swinburne prides itself on being a university that embraces diversity and actively promotes an environment that is inclusive for all.

CRICOS 00111D RTO 3059 TEQSA PRV12148 Australian University

With an 81.7 per cent rating for undergraduate teaching quality and a five-star rating for both overall experience and student:teacher ratio (2024 Good Universities Guide), Swinburne students are some of the most satisfied:

"Having teachers that are truly engaged has made the course for me. Being taught by active, passionate, dedicated and successful writers has been inspirational. Not only do they show me my career possibilities, but they also give realistic and encouraging advice on how to succeed in the industry."
– Julie Ahearne, Bachelor of Arts with a major in Professional Writing and Editing, now known as Literature and Creative Writing.

"Nothing has been out of reach since I transferred to Swinburne. I have endless opportunities here and it's all thanks to the support systems available. The class sizes and individual attention you receive makes you feel valued and that your teachers genuinely care about helping you reach your goals."
– Zenath Sadiqzai, Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing

With a reputation for quality education and cutting-edge research, Swinburne attracts academics who are making a real-world impact through their research and teachers who bring their expert knowledge and industry experience into the classroom.

Teacher profile

Alan Duffy Astrophysicist, Vice Chair of the Space Committee, Swinburne Pro Vice-Chancellor, Flagship Initiatives

From black holes to the Big Bang, Professor Alan Duffy is one of Australia's top experts on all things galaxy-related. His research into dark matter and astrophysics has led to regular appearances in the media and on television, including shows like The Project and News Breakfast, to explain science in ways everyone can understand.

His ability to communicate complex scientific ideas and discoveries in an exciting and easy-to-understand way won him the national Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science in 2018. His impressive list of awards and accolades also includes winning the national Academic of the Year award at the Australian Space Awards in 2020.

International Student Advisers

Living and studying in a different country can be challenging. That's why Swinburne has a dedicated team of International Student Advisers available to help students with any issues they may experience. International Student Advisers are the first point of contact for students arriving at Swinburne and provide ongoing support on all issues, big or small, from advice on jobs and accommodation to help understanding visa and study obligations.

Facilities and services

The Hawthorn campus library offers students the space and resources for study outside of class. The campus also features 24-hour Latelab and quiet spaces for individual and group study.

Additional student services include:

• Careers and employment
• Counselling
• Health and wellbeing
• Accommodation
• Financial advice
• Learning and study skills
• Legal advice

In focus: Study and learning support

Swinburne's Learning and Academic Skills Centre has a range of learning support areas to help students improve their study and academic skills. Students are able to attend workshops, advice sessions, and access support if they're facing challenges.

In focus: Health and wellbeing

If students are struggling with physical, emotional or mental health difficulties, whether related to their studies or life outside Swinburne, they can access the university's comprehensive health and medical services. Students who may be experiencing family issues, stress, grief, loneliness, depression or other mental health issues can also access Swinburne's counselling and psychological services.

In focus: Extra employability support

In addition to Swinburne's Careers and Employability services, the university offers extra support to help international students boost their employability and become job-ready:

• one-on-one career counselling
• resources to create a successful CV and cover letter
• feedback on job applications and LinkedIn profiles
• Job club to support each other's employment-seeking activities
• Information on working in Australia while studying
• Regular career and employability events

The safety and wellbeing of students is a high priority at Swinburne. The university has worked hard to create a safe, accepting and vibrant community to ensure Swinburne remains a place where everyone feels respected and offers services to ensure students, staff and visitors feel supported while on campus.

Safer Community

Swinburne's Safer Community team offers advice, support, intervention and risk management for students who feel unsafe or threatened, or are concerned about the safety of others. The team are trained to provide support, intervention and risk management around problematic behaviour.

Security

Swinburne Security professionals maintain a presence on the Hawthorn campus 24/7 for the security of all Swinburne students, staff and visitors and can respond quickly to students with security concerns. They are also available to accompany students anywhere on or around campus.

Swinburne has a long list of successful alumni, from Garth Davis, Director of Academy Award-nominated film Lion, to Dimity Hawkins, co-founder of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, winner of Australia's first Nobel Peace Prize.

One factor that sets Swinburne graduates apart from the rest is that they are equipped with not only the theoretical know-how, but also the hands-on industry skills and experience that employers look for. Over 75 per cent of Swinburne graduates find jobs within four months of graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020-2022).

Today, Swinburne graduates are spread around the globe and work for some of the most dynamic organisations from start-ups and not-for-profits to multinationals such as IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Siemens, National Australian Bank and Mercedes-Benz.

Graduate success

Huong Dang

Founder of HopeBox and Director of Marketing and Partnerships Engagement at Koto

Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, now known as the Master of Entrepreneurship

Huong Dang grew up in extreme poverty in rural Vietnam and came to Melbourne on a scholarship. After winning Victoria's International Student of the Year, she used the prize money to enrol in the Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Swinburne.

In 2023, Huong won the George and Ethel Swinburne Social Impact Award at the Swinburne Alumni Impact Awards for her work as a social entrepreneur and as founder of HopeBox, a not-for-profit creating jobs for women who have fled domestic violence.

Her other accolades include being chosen as one of 16 global leaders to take part in a prestigious residential leadership program at Yale University in 2022 and the 2023 Obama Foundation Scholars to study one year at Columbia University in New York City.

Mechanical engineering facility transformation

Swinburne's mechanical engineering facilities have been upgraded to provide a more accessible and fit-for-purpose lab space, ensuring students have access to the latest technology and advanced facilities. The new Applied Mechanics Hub is part of Swinburne's next gen_campus project; a program of work to transform our physical environment and deliver a better student experience. The hub responds to the needs and priorities of a contemporary student to deliver a next gen_experience throughout their studies.

Swinburne's new Vygo app

Swinburne has partnered with Vygo, an intuitive app designed to give students personalised, on-the-go access to Swinburne's range of support services and will make it easier for them to connect with peers, share knowledge, seek advice and stay updated. Content on the app will be tailored to a student's individual journey, connecting them quickly and easily with support services and learning opportunities relevant to them. The platform is now available to all higher education students.

Graduate Diploma of Entrepreneurship

Swinburne has launched the Graduate Diploma of Entrepreneurship, which commenced in Semester 2, 2024. The immersive 12-month course is tailored for graduates and current students who are eager to solve a problem, bring new ideas and perspectives, want to be their own boss, or are keen to start their entrepreneurial journey but don't know where to begin. In this hands-on program students will be supported by academics and industry experts to master every stage of the entrepreneurial journey by developing business concepts in cutting-edge spaces, solving pressing problems with real-world solutions and learning how to communicate confidently with potential investors.

International students can get up to 20% off their tuition fees through the Swinburne International Scholarship, which is offered to international students commencing their studies at Swinburne's Hawthorn campus in an undergraduate degree or postgraduate coursework program.

International students commencing a pathway intake in Foundation Program, UniLink diploma or Postgraduate Qualifying Program for the first time at Swinburne's Hawthorn campus may be eligible for the Swinburne International Pathway Scholarship. If eligible, students could receive up to A$3,000 off their tuition fees for the standard course duration.

Both scholarships are merit-based, and students are automatically assessed for these scholarships when they apply to Swinburne.

Swinburne also has a range of other scholarships available to international students – available here: https://www.swinburne.edu.au/scholarships

Swinburne's international scholarships are subject to change from time to time and without notice.