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Deakin University is a major centre for higher education in the state of Victoria, Australia - it emphasises real-world, application-oriented learning. It has over 64,000 students, out of which approximately 44,000 are undergraduates, and over 11,000 international students from 132 different countries.
All four campuses of Deakin University are diverse and vibrant student hubs - from the busy Burwood campus in Melbourne, to the Waurn Ponds location in Geelong, the Waterfront campus in the Geelong Central Business District, and the regional, inclusive ...
| Establishment year | 1974 |
| Total Students | 64,585 (2021) |
| International Students | 11,202 (2021) |
| QS World University Rankings 2024 | =233 |
| Campus Size | 1,112 acres |
| Total Number of Campuses | 4 (Burwood, Waurn Ponds, Waterfront, Warrnambool) |
| University Website | https://www.deakin.edu.au/ |
| No. of Schools and Divisions | 4 Faculties (Arts and Education, Business and Law, Health, Science, Engineering and Built Environment) |
| Nobel Prize Winner Alumni | 0 |
| No. of Education Programs | 115 (undergraduate), 231 (postgraduate) |
| Student to Faculty ratio | 27.6:1 (2020) |
Deakin University offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses through 4 Faculties, which are further subdivided into 14 schools and 1 Institute.
Any international applicant to Deakin University must satisfy criteria in three categories: academic, English proficiency, and visa. Each course has different academic entry requirements: for undergraduate programs, these are based on high school marks, and for postgraduate programs, these are based on Bachelor's degree grades. For UG candidates, it is important that a check of equivalent performance standards in different countries is performed: the University maintains a database of equivalent high school grades across nations. Detailed UG and PG requirements by course can either be viewed on individual program pages or in the comprehensive guide document. Student visa requirements can be understood via the Australian Ministry of Home Affairs website.
All international students must provide evidence of English proficiency: this is automatically assumed if the candidate has lived or worked in an English speaking country for at least five years. In the absence of this, IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson, or equivalent recognised test scores must be submitted. The minimum test scores vary by course, with all programs being divided into five (UG) or four (PG) bands sorted by level of English knowledge required. PG degrees typically require a band higher than UG degrees in the same discipline.
Domestic undergraduate applicants mainly need to concentrate on the academic requirements for their courses of interest: over and above the minimum level of performance required, these may also entail certain required subjects studied in high school, written tests, additional forms, or interviews.
Domestic postgraduate applicants have similar academic requirements to international PG candidates: at the minimum, a completed three year undergraduate degree in a relevant area of study is required, along with course-specific criteria.
International applicants to Deakin University - both undergraduate and postgraduate - follow the admission steps listed below:
Domestic applicants to undergraduate courses at Deakin must apply through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) portal. This allows students to enter their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and automatically generate a list of eligible courses to which they can then apply, after attaching all required documents and filling in all details.
Domestic postgraduate applicants must apply directly to Deakin University, using the application portal.
Undergraduate international students at Deakin pay tuition fees that vary by course; these course fees are roughly the same within each School. The lowest average fees are for the Social Studies courses, with approximate annual amounts payable being $28,360. The highest tuition fees are for the Medical Sciences courses ($73,992 per year). Most other programs charge international UG students between $30,000 and $40,000 p.a.
Postgraduate international students also pay the highest fees for Medicine and Medical Sciences courses, with all Dentistry and Medicine degrees costing above $50,000 per year, and the Medical Sciences PG degrees going up to $77,320 p.a. Other degrees charge tuition fees that are approximately 10% higher than similar undergraduate degrees, with few programs costing more than $40,000 per year.
Undergraduate domestic students pay reduced student contribution amounts in lieu of tuition fees, under the Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) scheme. The student contribution fee in CSPs is one of these amounts: $4,124 (for programs like Education), $8,301 (for programs like Engineering), $11,800 (for programs like Medicine), and $15,142.
Most postgraduate domestic students pay Domestic Tuition Fees for their courses; these are substantially higher than the student contribution amounts that all undergraduates pay, but are usually between 10% and 30% lower than international tuition fees. For example, the Master of Creative Arts course is associated with domestic tuition fees of approximately $23,400 per year.
In addition to tuition fees, the University also charges a Student Services and Amenities Fee, capped at a maximum of $326 for 2023.
Living costs (accommodation, food, transport, and entertainment) for international students are estimated by the University at approximately $21,000 per year, quoting the Study in Australia website; this number is similar for domestic students as well, given that rent and food have the same prices for both; the primary difference is the compulsory health insurance that overseas students must purchase.
The Burwood campus of Deakin University is located in Melbourne. This is a hub of activity; as the busiest of the four locations of the University, it is full of green open spaces adjacent to carefully constructed learning and research buildings. This idyllic suburban location is within half an hour's drive of the centre of Melbourne. The Waurn Ponds campus is located in the city of Geelong, and houses eight thousand students. It is an ultramodern, sustainable campus that hosts world class research facilities. The Waterfront campus is in the centre of Geelong city, and is home to all the architecture programs. Finally, the regional Warrnambool campus delivers high quality education programs with small class sizes. A recent announcement revealed that Deakin will become the first foreign University to set up a campus in India.
The Burwood, Waurn Ponds, and Warrnambool campuses all have fully equipped gyms and fitness centres. In addition to cardio and weight training areas, some of these also have indoor basketball courts and fitness studios. The Waterfront campus has an additional outdoor park venue. These locations also play host to regular group fitness classes: these can be a great way for busy students who do not play sports to stay active and healthy. DeakinACTIVE is the internal organisation that coordinates all these activities: it runs the DeakinMOVES app to help students keep track of their physical fitness goals through recommended targets and friendly competitions.
Sport is a way of life at Deakin: from the academic sphere (the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences has a highly ranked Sports Science program) to the practical sphere (the Deakin Dragons sports teams find success at every level of Australia's inter-varsity competitions). Day-to-day sports are primarily organised via dozens of sports clubs and societies (under the umbrella of the Deakin University Student Association); these welcome both novices and experienced sportspeople. At the other end, there is the Elite Regional Sports Precinct at the Waurn Ponds campus: this has outdoor sports facilities created according to world class standards (e.g. a FIFA-standard soccer pitch), and supporting frameworks (training and recovery areas).
Career path alignment is a major focus area at Deakin. From the real-world learning component in every degree's syllabus to DeakinTALENT, the online and offline careers and employment hub, students are always assisted in their search for the perfect career that matches their skills and interests. The most important service provided is the jobs and internships board, which can be used by current and past students of the University to discover and apply to employment opportunities. The online Resume Review tool is also very popular: it enables real time feedback and optimisation of CVs. Holding all these parts together is the career coaching service, which provides customised advice to each student. Finally, workshops and seminars enable the community to take their skills to the next level and get ready for the crucial interview stages.
Given the high cost of education at Deakin University, especially for international and postgraduate students, scholarships are necessary for a substantial portion of the student body. The University's online tool contains a dynamically updated list of the dozens of scholarships available for undergraduate and postgraduate, domestic and international students.
The flagship award for domestic undergraduate students is the Vice-Chancellor's Academic Excellence Scholarship. This is awarded to Australian and New Zealand citizens who have an ATAR of 95 or above based on their high school marks, with special consideration given to those who have displayed exceptional abilities in extra-curricular activities or leadership. This entails a 100% waiver of both tuition fees and student services fees.
The Deakin Student Support Scholarship is meant to support domestic students - both undergraduate and postgraduate - who struggle with financial difficulties every year; hundreds of these are awarded annually, and can amount to up to $10,000 per year, depending on the course and on the level of need.
The most prestigious international award for both prospective UG and PG overseas students is the Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship. This is awarded to students based on academic merit (a minimum of 85% in prior studies, with equivalency by country), a personal statement, and evidence of how the awardee would make an outstanding ambassador for Deakin University in their country of origin and worldwide. The amounts involved are also substantial: either half or full tuition fee waivers.
The Deakin International Scholarship has a similar admission cycle and process to the Vice Chancellor's International Scholarship, with slightly lower academic achievement criteria (65% instead of 85%). The award amount is correspondingly lower: 25% of the tuition fee every semester, as opposed to 50% or 100%.
