Swinburne University of Technology

Established over 115 years ago, Swinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn, Melbourne, is a world-class institution creating social and economic impact through innovation, science and technology. At Swinburne, courses are developed in collaboration with industry experts, which goes a long way towards enabling students to graduate with the skills and experience that employers are looking for. Swinburne's STEM disciplines are consistently ranked among the best in the world, vindicating the university's hands-on, industry-connected approach to science and technology.

For over 60 years, Swinburne has been partnering with leading organisations in Australia and the world over to offer students authentic workplace experiences, including placements, internships and industry-linked projects. Students have the opportunity to work on live-industry projects, solve day-to-day challenges in their field and gain the required professional skills to apply the knowledge acquired.

Swinburne boasts state-of-the-art facilities and has invested heavily in refurbishing its existing major facilities and building new ones. These include a AUD 100 million Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre and an Advanced Technologies Centre that houses a state-of-the-art Smart Structures Laboratory for research into structural engineering – the only one of its kind in Australia.

With a five-star rating for teaching quality across several of its courses in the 2026 Good Universities Guide, Swinburne students are some of the most satisfied in Australia. Read what some of them had to say:

"Having teachers that are truly engaged has made the course for me. Being taught by active, passionate, dedicated and successful writers has been inspirational. Not only do they show me my career possibilities, but they also give realistic and encouraging advice on how to succeed in the industry."
~ Julie Ahearne, Bachelor of Arts with a major in Professional Writing and Editing, now known as Literature and Creative Writing.

"Nothing has been out of reach since I transferred to Swinburne. I have endless opportunities here and it's all thanks to the support systems available. The class sizes and individual attention you receive makes you feel valued and that your teachers genuinely care about helping you reach your goals."
~ Zenath Sadiqzai, Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing.

With its well-earned reputation in the fields of education and research, Swinburne attracts academics who aim to create a real-world impact and teachers who share their expert knowledge and industry experience in the classroom.

Teacher profile

Alan Duffy Swinburne Pro Vice-Chancellor, Flagship Initiatives

From black holes to the Big Bang, Professor Alan Duffy is one of Australia's top experts on all things galaxy related. His research into dark matter and astrophysics has led to regular appearances in the media and on television, including shows like The Project and News Breakfast, to explain science in ways everyone can understand.

His ability to communicate complex scientific ideas and discoveries in an exciting and easy-to-understand way won him the national Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science in 2018. His impressive list of awards and accolades also includes winning the national Academic of the Year award at the Australian Space Awards in 2020.

International students at Swinburne University can get up to 20 per cent off their tuition fees through the Swinburne International Scholarship, which is offered to those commencing their studies at Swinburne's Hawthorn campus in an undergraduate degree or postgraduate coursework program.

High-achieving students can go even further with the George Swinburne International Excellence Scholarship, which recognises outstanding academic performance with up to 30 per cent off tuition fees for international students commencing an undergraduate or postgraduate course at Hawthorn for the first time.

Both scholarships are merit-based, and students are automatically assessed for these scholarships when they apply to Swinburne.

To learn more about scholarships available, students can visit the university's website.

Women in Engineering Leadership Scholarship

Swinburne is pleased to announce the new Women in Engineering Leadership Scholarship, which aims to support female international students pursuing eligible engineering or construction courses while fostering professional development and career readiness. Students who meet the eligibility criteria can receive a 30 per cent reduction in tuition fees for the standard duration of their eligible course. The courses eligible for this scholarship are the following:

• Bachelor of Construction management (Honours)
• Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
• Master of Construction and Infrastructure Management
• Master of Engineering Science
• Master of Professional Engineering

Students can visit the university's international scholarships page for more information on this scholarship.

Swinburne University of Technology offers students extensive support services, including an International Student Advisory and Support team who can help students settle into university life in Australia.

International Student Advisors (ISAs) are available to help with a range of issues, from adjusting to study at university to navigating life in Melbourne, and emergency support.

Facilities and service

The Hawthorn campus library offers students the space and resources for study outside of class. The campus also features 24-hour Latelab and quiet spaces for individual and group study.

Additional student services include:

• Careers and employment
• Counselling
• Health and wellbeing
• Accommodation
• Financial advice
• Study and learning support
• AccessAbility services
• Legal advice

Study and learning support

Swinburne's Learning and Academic Skills Centre has a range of learning support areas to help students improve their study and academic skills. Students are able to attend workshops, advice sessions, and access support if they're facing challenges.

Health and wellbeing

If students are struggling with physical, emotional or mental health difficulties, whether related to their studies or life outside Swinburne, they can access the university's comprehensive health and medical services. Students who may be experiencing family issues, stress, grief, loneliness, depression or other mental health issues can also access Swinburne's counselling and psychological services.

Extra employability support

In addition to Swinburne's Careers and Employability services, the university offers extra support to help international students boost their employability and become job-ready:

• One-on-one career counselling
• Resources to create a successful cv and cover letter
• Feedback on job applications and LinkedIn profiles
• Job club to support each other's employment-seeking activities
• Information on working in Australia while studying
• Regular career and employability events

The safety and wellbeing of students is a high priority at Swinburne. The university has worked hard to create a safe, accepting and vibrant community to ensure Swinburne remains a place where everyone feels respected and offers services to ensure students, staff and visitors feel supported while on campus.

Safer Community

Swinburne's Safer Community team offers advice, support, intervention and risk management for students who feel unsafe or threatened, or are concerned about the safety of others. The team is trained to provide support, intervention and risk management around problematic behaviour.

Security

Swinburne Security professionals maintain a presence on the Hawthorn campus 24/7 for the security of all Swinburne students, staff and visitors and can respond quickly to security concerns. They are also available to accompany students anywhere on or around campus.

Swinburne graduates are spread around the globe and work for some of the most dynamic organisations, from start-ups and not-for-profits to multinationals such as IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Siemens, National Australian Bank and Mercedes-Benz.

Guaranteed real industry experience

Swinburne is known for its industry connections and commitment to preparing students for careers they are passionate about. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) serves as a hands-on introduction for students to their chosen industry. WIL allows students the opportunity to tackle real-world challenges, grow their professional networks and sharpen their skills in competitive industry settings, all while pursuing their academic goals.

Graduate success

Here is a snapshot of a Swinburne graduate success story:

Huong Dang, Founder of HopeBox and Director of Marketing and Partnerships Engagement at Koto, Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, now known as the Master of Entrepreneurship. Huong Dang grew up in extreme poverty in rural Vietnam and came to Melbourne on a scholarship. After winning Victoria's International Student of the Year, she used the prize money to enrol in the Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Swinburne.

In 2023, Huong won the George and Ethel Swinburne Social Impact Award at the Swinburne Alumni Impact Awards for her work as a social entrepreneur and as founder of HopeBox, a not-for-profit creating jobs for women who have fled domestic violence.

Her other accolades include being chosen as one of 16 global leaders to take part in a prestigious residential leadership program at Yale University in 2022 and the 2023 Obama Foundation Scholars to study one year at Columbia University in New York City.

Women in Engineering Leadership Scholarship

Swinburne is pleased to announce the new Women in Engineering Leadership Scholarship, which aims to support female international students pursuing eligible engineering or construction courses while fostering professional development and career readiness. Students who meet the eligibility criteria can receive a 30 per cent reduction in tuition fees for the standard duration of their eligible course. The courses eligible for this scholarship are the following:

• Bachelor of Construction management (Honours)
• Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
• Master of Construction and Infrastructure Management
• Master of Engineering Science
• Master of Professional Engineering

Students can visit the university's international scholarships page for more information on this scholarship.