Swinburne University of Technology

Swinburne University of Technology is a progressive Australian public university focused on high-impact global research, high-quality teaching and active engagement with both industry and the community. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria, and was founded by the Honourable George Swinburne in 1908. It achieved university status in June 1992. Today there are more than 18,000 students enrolled in Higher education and an estimated 14,000 students enrolled in Technical and Further Education (TAFE), including nearly 7500 international students from over 100 different countries.

Swinburne University of Technology has been named amongst the top research-intensive universities in the world according to a number of prestigious world academic ranking lists. Swinburne has great pathway opportunities for all students across all levels. Swinburne offers students the opportunity to gain an international experience as part of their studies, though study tours, exchange programs, overseas internships, or a semester spent at the Sarawak campus in Malaysia. Swinburne has one of the highest student mobility rates of any university in Australia.

Accommodation options include:

• On-campus
• Off-campus
• Homestay (living with a local family while you study)
• Temporary accommodation for the first few weeks in Melbourne

There is a range of on-campus accommodation facilities for students at the Hawthorn campus including Swinburne Place Apartments, Swinburne Student Apartments and Swinburne Residential College as well as private student housing providers. Swinburne has a dedicated officer in charge of all matters relating to accommodation and she will be glad to assist you.

Swinburne has five campuses in Melbourne at Hawthorn, Prahran, Lilydale, Wantirna, Croydon – and one in Sarawak, Malaysia. Swinburne offers both vocational and higher education qualifications in the following faculties and TAFE schools:

Faculties

1. Faculty of Business and Enterprise
2. Faculty of Design 
3. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences 
4. Faculty of Higher Education, Lilydale 
5. Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies
6. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences

TAFE Schools

1. School of Creative and Service Industries
2. School of Business
3. School of Engineering, Technology and Trades
4. School of Health and Community
5. School of Sustainable Futures

Hawthorn campus
The Hawthorn campus is Swinburne’s main campus. It hosts a range of undergraduate and vocational courses, postgraduate programs, short courses and research. The Hawthorn campus is home to Australia's first Graduate School of Entrepreneurship which is the only school in Australia of its kind dedicated to the development of entrepreneurs. The campus is also the hub of Swinburne’s research activity and training centres and houses research tools including one of the fastest supercomputers in Australia, a 3D Virtual Reality Theatre, and Australia’s first baby-friendly neuroscience laboratory. Hawthorn campus offers courses in the areas of commerce, engineering and technology, information and communication technologies, aviation, arts and social sciences, sustainability, digital media and many more.

Prahran campus
The Prahran campus is known as Swinburne’s "creative campus" and is located right in the heart of cosmopolitan Prahran. The campus is home to the Faculty of Design, Australia's only faculty dedicated to design alone, and the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA). Cultural and creative courses are offered across vocational and university levels. Facilities on the Prahran campus include the David Williamson Theatre, a 119-seat theatre for student productions and exhibitions. The campus has one of Swinburne’s two training restaurants, The Apprentice, which is open to the general public and allows Swinburne’s hospitality students to put their skills into practice in a real restaurant environment. Other facilities on campus include careers and employment services, library, child care, study support, cafes, study and recreational areas.

Croydon campus
The Croydon campus is a TAFE specific campus located 27 kilometres east of Melbourne city. The campus has a particular focus on youth programs such as the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), VET in VCE and First Stop, a free advisory service relating to further education. The campus also offers purpose built facilities for apprenticeship students. Croydon campus offers TAFE courses in business, building and construction, children’s services, community services, computing, recreation and social sciences. Swinburne’s $10m Green Trades Complex at the Croydon campus was completed in June 2010. It allows Swinburne to provide leadership in green training and help Australian industries transition to a low-carbon economy. Croydon is also home to the Building Barns, built specifically for practical training, where students gain get hands-on experience in painting and decorating, carpentry and bricklaying. The Centre for Health and Wellbeing is also located at Croydon. The Centre provides flexible training in health and wellbeing throughout Victoria.

Wantirna campus
Courses offered at the Wantirna campus range from apprenticeships to advanced diploma level and are delivered in areas such as arts, business, commerce and management, engineering and technology, horticulture and environment and information and communication technologies. The TAFE Arts Department at Wantirna offers visual art, fine art, visual merchandising and product design exclusively at the Wantirna campus, as well as multimedia and graphic design. The Department of Horticulture and Environment offer courses for a range of careers such as arborists, landscape designers and nursery, parks and gardens staff. The campus is also home to mechanical and automotive courses which use the latest in automotive and training equipment.

Hawthorn campus
Just 10 minutes on the train from Melbourne's city centre, Hawthorn is Swinburne’s main campus and is located in one of the city's most beautiful suburbs. Set amongst the cafes, boutiques and bookshops of Glenferrie Road, and with the convenience of a supermarket and railway station practically on campus, it offers a desirable student lifestyle.

Prahran campus
The Prahran campus is situated within one of Melbourne's most vibrant suburbs. The campus puts you within easy walking distance of the famous Chapel Street. This major tourist attraction is a shopping precinct lined with restaurants, cafes, night clubs and boutiques stocked with the latest local and international fashions. The convenience of the campus location is enhanced by the close proximity to the local railway station. Nearby tram stops will come in handy whether you are heading into the city centre or to the neighbouring beachside suburb of St Kilda.

Croydon campus
The Croydon campus is situated in the foothills of Mt Dandenong, near local parks and shopping. There are bus links and Croydon railway station is a 10 minute walk.

Wantirna campus
The Wantirna campus is located close to Knox City shopping centre in the midst of the eastern suburbs, with free parking and local bus links, including to Ringwood railway station.