Information about work, life and play in Regional Australia

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Studying in Regional Australia - Central Queensland University


Photo: Montage, Rockhampton Queensland

The various universities located in Regional Australia form a critical part of the regional infrastructure and offer an education that is as good, in many cases better, than that offered by their metro cousins.

The Central Queensland University was founded in 1967 as the Queensland Institute of Technology (Capricornia) and has 24 000 students from over 120 countries.

A leading provider of distance education, CQU has campuses in Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Mackay and Emerald plus delivery sites on the Sunshine Coast . The University operates international campuses in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Fiji with offshore delivery sites in Hong Kong , Singapore and Shanghai.

The main campus is located in Rockampton, a major regional city with 60,000 living in the city itself, 100,000 in the greater Rockhampton area. The city is situated on Queensland's largest river, the Fitzroy, 40 kilometres inland from the beautiful Capricorn Coast beaches.

Founded in 1858, Rockhampton grew on the wealth of gold rushes and cattle empires. The City's Quay Street Heritage Precinct has well preserved heritage architecture, including historic Customs House and the classic Walter Reid Cultural Centre. The city claims with justice that very few regions offer the affordable lifestyle advantages of Rockhampton's tropical climate and all year outdoor lifestyle

Like many other of Regional Australia's universities, CQU ranks high on student satisfaction.

According to The Good Universities Guide 2006 , no other Queensland university rates higher than CQU for positive graduate outcomes. The Guide gives CQU a top rating (5 stars) for graduate outcomes and above average (4-star) ratings for graduate starting salaries and job success. CQU graduates have one of the highest employment rates in the country. According to the Graduate Careers Council of Australia (2005), almost 91 per cent of CQU graduates with a bachelor degree found full-time work within four months of finishing university as compared to a national average of 81 per cent.

More than 100 undergraduate and postgraduate programs are offered by the University's three Faculties:
  • Arts, Humanities and Education
  • Business and Informatics
  • Sciences, Engineering and Health

The University hosts the Institute for Sustainable Regional Development and is also a partner in four Co-operative Research Centres (CRCs):

  • CRC for Coastal Zone, Estuary and Waterway Management
  • CRC for Cast Metals Manufacturing
  • CRC for Railway Engineering and Technologies
  • CRC for Integrated Engineering Asset Management

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