Faculties: Engineering, Computer & Mathematical Sciences Professions Health Sciences Humanities & Social Sciences Sciences

A commitment to academic excellence

Studying at the University of Adelaide means being part of a rich tradition of excellence in education and research. Our high-calibre graduates have skills that go beyond the workplace. Our graduates make an impact on the world.

Throughout its history, the University of Adelaide has fostered a culture of excellence, where innovative and creative research and learning can flourish, and where individuals can learn of the wide-ranging opportunities to be gained from being dynamic, forward-looking and responsive to change.

The University's excellence in learning and teaching has been acknowledged with high ratings in successive editions of Australia's Good Universities Guide. In the 2003 edition, for example, the University was cited as having "a very good combination of student services and a student:staff ratio to be proud of… snaring the highest proportion of top-scoring South Australian school leavers." In the 2005 edition, it was rated five-star for prestige, staff:student ratio, and positive graduate outcomes.

The University provides teaching and learning of high quality. The excellence of its academic staff shapes an enriched learning experience for students, where curriculum is informed by current scholarship and professional practice, and evaluation and continuous review strategies make effective use of feedback from stakeholders.

The outcome is an academic environment that gives students enquiring minds, information literacy and the analysis and problem-solving skills to help them succeed throughout their lives. At Adelaide, students learn how to think.

The University of Adelaide places strong emphasis on promoting student-centred learning, increasing the appropriate use of new information technologies and imparting life-long skills. Over 120 undergraduate programs (including combined degrees) provide choice, diversity and the opportunity for students to broaden their educational experience.

A very high proportion of Adelaide graduates go on to further study: the proportion is among the highest in Australia.

The University also provides many opportunities for its students to complete part of their studies or research overseas in partner institutions, with more than 130 formal staff and student exchange linkages in place in 25 countries.

For example, in 2002 it established joint laboratories in Soil Biology & Soil Environmental Science at the University and the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This Australian first gives advanced students the chance to work in Beijing and Adelaide.

The University's Law School has an excellent reputation for international and human rights law. As a result, staff have secured an International and Human Rights Law Internship Program for students. This has seen some of Adelaide's best students travel the globe to take up internships with the United Nations, the International Committee for the Red Cross and international law courts in The Hague. Such experience adds a major dimension to students' understanding of and experience in the field, and gives them a taste of how to make an impact on people's lives right around the world.

As one of Australia's most research-intensive universities, Adelaide provides a learning environment in which the teachers are also active researchers who are among the best in their fields. In this environment, collaborative and co-operative teaching across disciplines is strongly encouraged.

The new Australian School of Petroleum, for example, combines engineering and geoscience disciplines in a southern hemisphere first. Specialist laboratory and computing facilities provide a unique environment for students from around the world to prepare for leadership roles in the petroleum industry. The School's simulation well, the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere, contributes to the rich education experience of postgraduate students.

Superb teaching facilities feature modern lecture theatre technology, state-of-the-art laboratories, worldwide database access and online teaching tools. Universal student email and wireless access make communication convenient and efficient.

Student support services include a careers service, counselling centre, child care centres, health service, help with accommodation, a language and learning service and an international student support program. The University supports its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through Wilto Yerlo (meaning "sea eagle" in the local Kaurna language), which assists with tutoring, accommodation and study skills.

A diverse mix of student clubs and societies also ensures that the educational experience offered to students at the University of Adelaide is comprehensive. The University's vibrant campus life encourages students to meet people from beyond their normal circle and to widen their experience. This is the key to developing mature, well-rounded and tolerant graduates with an understanding of the value of diversity who are capable of making an impact wherever they go.