Torrens University Australia
Torrens University is a private university in Australia. It is part of the Laureate International Universities network with campuses in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Upon commission, Torrens University became the 33rd university in Australia and the first new university for 20 years. It opened in 2013 and started teaching in 2014 in its headquarters building in the Torrens Building in Adelaide city centre. Admission is through Universities Admissions Centre and South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre based on Australian Tertiary Admission Rank.
The University has about 10,000 enrolled students.
In the 2019 Student Experience Survey, Torrens University recorded the twelfth highest student satisfaction rating out of all Australian universities, with an overall satisfaction rating of 80.4.
History
Foundation and early years
An application from Laureate Education Asia to found a private university was approved by the Government of South Australia in October 2011.The go-ahead for the new university was given by the South Australian Cabinet following Premier Mike Rann's negotiations in Australia and in Cancun, Mexico, with Laureate Chairman Douglas Becker and Chancellor Michael Mann. Honorary Laureate Chancellor and former US President Bill Clinton publicly endorsed the Australian project.
"The opportunity to learn at the same university across different countries is increasingly important in our ever more connected world. I look forward to visiting the new Laureate campus in Adelaide," former President Clinton said.
The founding President and Vice-Chancellor was Fred McDougall, former deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president of the University of Adelaide.
Torrens University Australia was accredited by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency in 2012. It was originally expected to open in 2013 but commenced teaching in 2014.
Campuses
, Torrens University has many campuses across four cities in Australia, and one in New Zealand.Adelaide
Adelaide was the first location in the country, opening its first campus in the heritage-listed Torrens Building on Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga, in the CBD, in 2013.On 3 August 2015 the University opened a new campus just along the road in the old Menz Biscuits factory on Wakefield Street, and as of 2019 no longer lists Torrens Building as another campus.
Brisbane
is home to three campuses: the Fortitude Valley Campus, which is central to the CBD and within walking distance of Fortitude Valley train station; the Torrens University Language Centre on Bowen Terrace, and the Gotha Street campus.Melbourne
plays host to three campuses, two of which are located on Melbourne's main street, Flinders Street, and the third is located in the inner city suburb of Fitzroy.Sydney/Blue Mountains
There are six campuses in the Sydney region, including five within the CBD. These campuses include the Ultimo campus, The Rocks, Pyrmont, Town Hall, Kent Street, and the Blue Mountains campus on the outskirts of metropolitan Sydney. The Blue Mountains campus is located in the suburb of Leura, adjacent to Katoomba. The campus is home to Torrens University's Practical Learning Centre, simulated hotel environment where students learn hotel management as part of their practical development.Auckland, New Zealand
The Media Design School is situated in Auckland city centre, spread over several different floors in a high-rise building, each floor designed to meet the needs of each digital discipline.Organisation and academics
Schools
- APM College of Business and Communication - APM was established over 25 years ago and offers business degrees and vocational diplomas, and the opportunity to pathway into a master's degree.
- Billy Blue College of Design - Billy Blue College was created by designers for designers, offering appropriate courses for aspiring design professionals. The College started off as a magazine and later moved into a design agency. It then went on to develop into a school and now finally, a university.
- Chifley Business School - For over two decades, Chifley has provided business education across Australia and internationally through a range of post graduate courses for those looking to pursue careers in resources, engineering, and information technology.
- Media Design School - Media Design School was founded to provide trained graduates for digital and technological companies.
- Real Madrid Graduate School - The Real Madrid Graduate School was launched in 2006 to train in all disciplines related to sport.
- Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School - The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School runs hospitality and business courses.
- Torrens University Language Centre - The Torrens University Language Centre has been delivering English language programs in Australia for more than 20 years. Founded in 1995, the centre offers academic as well as general English courses to students from around the world.
- William Blue College of Hospitality Management - The William Blue College of Hospitality Management is a leading Australian private hospitality college offering bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and diploma courses that specialise in culinary management, tourism, and hospitality management including work placement with industry partners.
Research institutes and centres
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute & Torrens University Australia – Torrens and Baker Institute are collaborating on the jointly badged Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Philosophy programs in Translational Clinical Research. Baker Institute has a specialisation in cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- Public Health Information Development Unit – Since its establishment with funding from the Australian Government in 1999, the PHIDU has been committed to providing information on a broad range of health and other determinants across the lifespan. Located at Torrens University Australia since November 2015, the emphasis continues to be on the publication of small area statistics. Since 2008, PHIDU has offered free online access to a range of data for researchers to reference.
- Torrens Centre of Positive Ageing and Wellbeing – In late 2016, Laureate Australia established this centre with a key focus on addressing how societies will be able to achieve and maintain positive ageing and wellbeing for older people, both now and into the future. The vision for the Torrens Centre of Positive Ageing and Wellbeing is to build a national and international profile of excellence in innovative education, training and industry-based research in positive ageing.
Initiatives
Programs
The university currently offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Business Administration, Commerce, Education, Global Project Management, Public Health, Design and Digital Media as well as Higher Degrees by Research.Postgraduate Business courses are delivered through the Chifley Business School at Torrens University Australia imprint. Design faculties include the Media Design School and Billy Blue College of Design.
Torrens University Australia also runs English language courses.
Notable people
Vice-chancellors
- Fred McDougall
- Justin Beilby – Belby was appointed Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences in July 2005. As Executive Dean, he oversees all undergraduate training in medicine, nursing, dentistry, health sciences, psychology and public health at the University of Adelaide. Prior to that, Beilby held the position of Professor and Head of the Department of General Practice, at the University of Adelaide from 2002 - 2005. He has been involved in research and evaluation with workforce planning, primary care financing, chronic illness and the quality use of medicines for over 20 years, in both urban and rural settings. He has published widely in asthma, diabetes, point- of- care testing and primary care financing. He has been intimately involved in national and state health policy research, chairing the General Practice Item Restructuring Working Group and evaluating the Medical Benefits Scheme asthma item numbers. He is currently a member of the Medical Services Advisory Committee, Economic Sub-Committee. Beilby has been a member of the Strategic Research Initiatives Working Group of the NHMRC. He was a Commissioner in National Hospital and Health Reform Commission in 2008 - 2009. He has extensive experience in the health system reform having been a member of the Clinical Senate and SA Health Performance Council.
Chancellors
- Michael Mann AM
President
- Linda Brown – Brown was appointed President of Torrens University Australia and CEO, Laureate Australia and New Zealand in 2014. She is a member of Laureate International Universities’ global OPCOM Board, with operational responsibility for 78,000 employees, over 70 universities in 29 countries, and a member of the IP board, where she is driving the Internationalisation Strategy.
Rankings