Overview

CQUniversity Australia has been on a phenomenal trajectory in recent years and its remarkable growth in student numbers, new courses, new campuses, infrastructure and reputation has seen it emerge as one of Australia’s truly great universities.

Originally founded in Rockhampton in 1967, as the Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) Capricornia, it was granted full University status in 1992 and was named the University of Central Queensland. The University rebranded to CQUniversity in 2009 and now has more than 30 000 students. It has firmly established itself as one of the largest universities based in regional Australia, with campuses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Melbourne, Noosa, Perth, Rockhampton, Sydney and Townsville. Along with these campuses, the University also operates study centres in Biloela, Broome, Busselton, Karratha and Yeppoon, and delivers programs in Cooma, Geraldton and Port Pirie, thanks to partnerships with the respective university centres in those communities.

In 2014, CQUniversity merged with CQ TAFE bringing together more than 175 years of combined experience in the delivery of education and training and establishing Queensland’s first comprehensive, dual sector university. As a result, CQUniversity now delivers more than 300 education and training offerings, from short courses and certificates, through to undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. Study areas include apprenticeships, trades and training, business, accounting and law, creative, performing and visual arts, education and humanities, engineering and built environment, health, information technology and digital media, psychology, social work and community services, science and environment, and work and study preparation. As a pioneer in the delivery of distance education, CQUniversity also continues to be a leader in this area with almost half of the current student cohort made up of students studying off-campus, many of whom are based in rural and remote areas.

After more than half a century working with stakeholders in regional Australia, CQUniversity is now a renowned research institution in several key disciplines and the benchmark leader for how universities should engage and collaborate with communities and industry. Its applied research focus is oriented towards real-world outcomes, with the purpose of providing solutions to challenges and identifying new opportunities for advancement in our regions and beyond.

In 2018, this research focus saw CQUniversity achieve Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) results of ‘above’ or ‘well above’ world standard in 13 categories of research including Mathematical Sciences, Applied Mathematics, Horticultural Production, Engineering, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Agriculture and Vet Sciences, Agricultural, Land and Farm Management, Public Health and Health Services and Nursing.

CQUniversity is proud to be recognised as Australia’s most inclusive university with some of the highest ratios of students from disadvantaged, mature age, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and first-in-family backgrounds. This inclusive approach and commitment to access and participation mean the University defines itself by who it embraces, rather than who it excludes.

Graduates from CQUniversity also have some of the best employment outcomes in Australia, with recent data released by the Graduate Outcomes Survey indicating that 79.9 per cent of domestic undergraduate students find full-time employment within four months of graduation, compared to the national average of 71.9 per cent. Data released by the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) also shows that CQUniversity outperforms the majority of Australian universities when it comes to the overall student experience and graduate salary outcomes.

CQUniversity places a strong emphasis on social innovation and global outreach and fosters a number of key partnerships with communities, industry and government, both in Australia and overseas. This commitment to engagement and social advancement has led to CQUniversity being recognised as Australia’s first and only Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U, an exclusive global social innovation group made up of only 40 education institutions across the world.

CQUniversity’s unique vision for diversity, outreach, engagement, research, learning and teaching, and inclusiveness, combined with its growth aspirations and continued expansion of student success, research excellence, social innovation and community engagement, has led to it being recognised within the top 600 universities in the world by the prestigious Times Higher Education World Rankings, and among the world’s best ‘young universities’ by both the Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings.

Melbourne
CQUniversity Melbourne campus is at 120 Spencer Street, adjacent to Southern Cross Station transport hub, and easily accessible by multiple tram and bus routes. The student community is strong and inclusive, with friendly faculty and professional staff offering a supportive learning environment in the heart of this exciting metropolis.

Melbourne is one of Australia's most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities, with world-renowned landmarks, high-fashion boutiques, cafe-filled laneways, film and food festivals, sporting events, art exhibitions and performing arts. Melbourne is also close to major regional tourist attractions including the Great Ocean Road, and Australia’s popular ski slopes.

With a long multicultural history, Melbourne has welcomed migration from across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. Home to nearly 5 million people, Melbourne is inclusive, progressive and hosts more than 2.5 million international visitors every year, for an exciting schedule of major events, and to enjoy the laidback lifestyle.

Highlights

• Recognised among the top 800 universities worldwide by the Times Higher Education World Rankings.
• Recognised within the world’s top 650 universities by QS World University Rankings.
• Ranked as one of the world’s best universities under 50 years of age by Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings.
• 79.5% full-time domestic graduate employment rate (within the first four months of graduation) (sector average 72.3%).*
• Consistently ranked among the top universities for graduate starting salaries.*
• Five stars for full-time employment, starting salary, postgraduate starting salaries and skills development, social equity and first generation.**
• More than 40 years of experience in the delivery of distance education.
• Largest geographical footprint of any Australian university with a campus presence in every mainland state of Australia.
• More than 300 courses available to study across six areas of discipline, from short course and certificate level through to PhD.
• More than $200 million invested in facilities and capital works over five years.
• 30,000 plus students from more than 70 countries.
• More than 13,000 students studying via distance education.
• More than 16,000 students studying on-campus.
• More than 5,000 international students.
• More than 100,000 registered alumni based across the globe.
• More than 2,500 full-time staff.
• More than $3 million worth of donor-funded scholarships available to students.
• Seamless pathway programs between vocational and tertiary programs and vice versa.
• Student leadership opportunities.
• Academic learning support in the areas of academic writing, science, mathematics and computing.
• Student support services including counselling, career and program advice, accessibility support, financial assistance and scholarships.
• Numerous global outbound study opportunities.
• National ELT Accreditation Scheme (NEAS) accredited institution.