The University of Melbourne

About The University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne was founded in 1853, starting with four professors and 16 students in a group of buildings on the edge of the city. In 1883 Bella Guerin graduated from the university, the first woman to do so from an Australian university. Since 2008 it has followed the Melbourne Model, in which broad undergraduate study is followed by specialised graduate and research degrees. Teaching is organised across nine faculties, from arts, science and business to engineering, law, medicine and the creative arts. The original Parkville campus is the main site, with further campuses at Southbank, Werribee, Dookie, Burnley, Creswick and Shepparton. The university reports more than 58,000 students, with international students making up 46 per cent, and more than 70 research centres and institutes.

Schools and faculties

• Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning

  Home to the Melbourne School of Design, a graduate school.

• Faculty of Arts

  Includes schools of culture and communication, history and philosophy, languages and linguistics, and social and political sciences.

• Faculty of Business and Economics

  Covers accounting, business administration, economics, finance, management and marketing.

• Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

  Includes schools of chemical and biomedical engineering, computing and information systems, and electrical, mechanical and infrastructure engineering.

• Faculty of Fine Arts and Music

  Based at Southbank, comprising the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and the Victorian College of the Arts.

• Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

  Includes the Melbourne Medical School, Melbourne Dental School and the School of Population and Global Health.

• Faculty of Science

  Covers biosciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, earth sciences, agriculture and the Melbourne Veterinary School.

• Melbourne Law School

  A graduate school established as a faculty.

Study options

• Undergraduate degrees
• Graduate coursework degrees
• PhD and graduate research degrees
• Exchange and study abroad
• Single subject study

Research

The university's research spans more than 70 centres and institutes across its nine faculties, with precincts including Melbourne Connect, the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct and the Southbank Arts Precinct. Its interdisciplinary research institutes include the Indigenous Knowledge Institute, Melbourne Biodiversity Institute, Melbourne Disability Institute, Melbourne Energy Institute and Melbourne Social Equity Institute.

Rank in Australia

#1 of 5

Research works

347,317

Citations

34.4 million

h-index

1,342

Research figures from OpenAlex (October 2026). How the directory is made.

This profile was written by WAC from The University of Melbourne’s own website and checked in October 2026. It describes the institution and is not an endorsement or a ranking of teaching quality. Is this your institution? Send a correction.