History, Affiliations and Rankings
Located in Footscray, Australia, Victoria University first opened its doors in February 1916 and is a direct descendent of Footscray Technical School. It was established by the local businesses and the community with the aim to provide students with an education that would prepare them for a career in the skilled professions and lift them out of the ranks of unskilled laborers. The School adopted the image of the 'Door of Opportunity' when it welcomed its first students from Melbourne. Today, Victoria University is one of Australia’s few dual-sector universities that fall in the top 2% of universities worldwide and maintains its role as the University of Opportunity and Success. The university is affiliated with the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL). Among Australian universities, Victoria University ranks #27, while it is placed in the bracket #601-650 globally according to QS World University Rankings 2022. As per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the university is placed in bracket of #501-600. Furthermore, the university has been ranked #600 in the US News and World Report Best Global Universities rankings 2022.
Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses
Victoria University is a multi-campus university with locations in Melbourne’s western suburbs. International students can also choose to study at VU Sydney or its partner institutions overseas. The flagship campus called the Footscray Park Campus is the largest of VU’s campuses, located next to beautiful parklands along the Maribyrnong River in one of Melbourne’s multicultural hubs. All the Victoria University campuses are modern, world-class infrastructures housing purpose-built learning facilities, including a $68 million hi-tech Sports Science laboratory precinct, modern science labs, state-of-the-art research centres equipped with hi-spec technology and more. Victoria University offers many Undergraduate degrees and Postgraduate courses, including in Business, Sports, Youth and Community Work, Science, Engineering and Education. Over 100+ courses across 9 study areas in the form of Bachelor’s, Master’s, Graduate certificates and diplomas are there for international students. In addition, VU offers TAFE courses and specialized training for industry and business.
Accomplishments and Alumni
Victoria University is one of the 39 public universities in Australia, which is a world-class institution offering world-class opportunities and known particularly for its innovative model of education. It is the 1st Australian University to deliver and implement the award-winning learning methodology, called the VU Block Model. In this setup, students get the flexibility to study one subject over a 4-week block instead of juggling with multiple subjects at the same time. It is also recognized as Australia's top university for employability skills according to QILT. Many students from China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka attend Victoria's courses through foreign university partner universities. Further, the London-based CEO Magazine puts the MBA at Victoria in Tier 1 in its 2019 global rankings, while it is 9th best globally for Sports-related subjects. The University has a prestigious network of more than 240,000 alumni living in over 134 countries. Some of the notable names include, Jeffrey Cheah (Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group), Agnes Milowka (Australian Diver, Underwater Photographer and Author), Gavin Mudd (Environmental Engineer and Associate Professor at RMIT), Alice Pollard (Author and Women’s Rights and Peace Advocate) and others.
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
At Victoria University they believe diversity is a strength – the more diverse perspectives, identities, cultural backgrounds, ages and experiences of staff and students, the better will be the working environment, research and educational experience. There are a total of 16,707 students enrolled at the university, out of which 5,336 are overseas learners. There are 507 faculty members belonging from all sorts of backgrounds. Further, the University promotes gender equity on the campus by committing to no boundaries for women in sports. The university’s placement and internship programs provide opportunities to learn from experts in a real-world setting. With 4000+ industry connections, Victoria University graduates are employers' top choice for highly skilled and technical professions. Some of the recruiting companies at Victoria University are - Telstra, ANZ, Australia Post, Deloitte, EY, KPMG Australia and more.
