The University of Notre Dame Australia

• Location: Sydney, Fremantle & Broome, Australia,
• Founded: 1989
• Number of students: more than 12,000,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of study: blended.

The University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) is a private Roman Catholic university with several campuses in Australia. Undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, short-term and professional courses are taught at UNDA, while education can be obtained not only face-to-face, but also online.

UNDA adheres to five pillars in the education of new professionals: universality, education for the common good, transformative research, integration of practices, integrated human development play an important role in the learning process, the beginning of the career activity of each of the students. Students are UNDA's top priority, providing them with state-of-the-art conditions for academic, social, physical and spiritual development.

The infrastructure of three campuses, qualified teachers, the opportunity to receive comprehensive support, applied knowledge and skills, two formats of education and other advantages distinguish UNDA from many universities not only in Australia, but also around the world.

Hands-on work experience is an important part of the training. Each program focuses on preparing students for the workplace by providing theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and a variety of opportunities for professional experience. To help international students, the university provides each student with an experienced mentor who will regularly meet with the mentee, provide up-to-date information about studies and extracurricular activities, and help in adaptation.

UNDA has several specialized schools that train students in the following specialties:

• Arts & Sciences,
• Education
• Medical Sciences,
• Law, Business,
• Medicine
• Nursing, Obstetrics,
• Philosophy, theology.

UNDA also has research institutes and a department for training foreign students.

UNDA has three research institutes focused on project, experimental, and scientific activities. Their main areas of specialization are the fields of health, ethics and society, and indigenous studies.

UNDA has several residences to accommodate local and international students.

• The residential area in Broome offers students 13 rooms and 10 self-contained houses, each of which has five single bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, self-study areas. Common in the buildings are small but well-equipped kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms.
• The Fremantle campus offers accommodation in single, double rooms with full furnishings. Each resident gets a comfortable bed, a work area, wardrobes for storing personal belongings, access to shared bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen.
• There are no residential buildings on the Sydney campus, but the university staff will help students find suitable housing nearby: apartments, apartments, student residences, host family homes.

Residents of the university residences have access to shared kitchens and dining rooms, which are equipped with all necessary appliances. The cafeterias are open on school days and offer a variety of food, drinks, and snacks on several types of menus, including vegetarian and vegan.

Student life at UNDA is truly diverse: students have the opportunity to devote their free time to existing hobbies or acquire new ones by participating in student associations and clubs, sports sections, creative teams and other associations.

Thematic communities are divided into areas: academic, sports, social, spiritual, creative, and special. Some of the clubs available today on the two campuses are:

• Philosophy, Theology,
• Indigenous Peoples,
• Nursing,
• Computer games,
• Literature
• Performing Arts,
• Architecture
• Cinema Club.

The sports component of extracurricular activities is represented by a dozen types of activities, open to both beginners and more professional athletes. Students can take part in collective and individual trainings, get into the national team and defend the honor of the university in competitions. Some of the sports at UNDA are:

• Boxing
• Pilates,
• Yoga
• Volleyball
• Netball
• Running Club,
• Soccer
• Cricket
• Rugby.

Creative communities are embodied in several large-scale collectives that regularly perform at campus and off-site events. Students are part of vocal, instrumental, dance, theater groups, jointly develop their creativity and achieve excellent results in performances.

On a regular basis, all UNDA campuses organize themed events, most often on national and international holidays. Even outside of holidays, collective evenings are held on campuses, walking walks on the lake and natural surroundings, visits to cultural and historical sites are arranged.

• Five stars in the Good Universities Guide-2024 rankings in the Bachelor's, Master's categories: for student engagement, skills development, high percentage of graduate employability,
• Partnerships with local and international organizations that provide students with internships during their studies,
• Multinational student body,
• Opportunity to earn a degree completely remotely,
• Exchange programs that offer to spend one semester at UNDA.

Australia's diverse cultural communities make it a unique and special place to live. Almost a quarter of the population was born abroad, and 23% speak a language other than English.

UNDA has three campuses in cities offering a variety of cultural, historical, and entertainment venues. Sydney and Perth have trendy areas in the city centre, restaurants and shops, beaches and breathtaking natural scenery. The third campus, located in the coastal settlement of Broome with a population of 14,000, is on the western edge of the Kimberley region. Overlooking the Indian Ocean, Broome is one of the most remote settlements in Australia and is historically known for pearling. Today, Broome is a major tourist destination, with adventure tours to Roebuck Bay, the Dampier Peninsula, and the Rowley Shoals Marine Park. Its most famous attraction is Cable Beach, which is 22 km long.

All UNDA study areas are very welcoming centers: historic buildings, green courtyards and meadows offer students a variety of areas for academic, social and personal development. Some of the facilities of the university are:

• The library, renovated in 2020, houses thousands of books, scientific publications, additional educational materials,
• Dozens of classrooms equipped with interactive equipment,
• Specialized studios of fine arts, music, design,
• Computer rooms,
• House of Student Associations with many spaces for events, work on projects,
• Self-study zones,
• Cafeterias, dining halls.

UNDA campuses are open almost all year round, except for national and international holidays and weekends. The dates of the academic year vary depending on the chosen program and the date of admission.  Classes are held on weekdays, rest is organized on Saturdays and Sundays: in the first half of Monday-Friday, students are in lessons, followed by additional classes, club activities and general activities.

An approximate list of additional costs:

• Accommodation, meals on campus,
• Textbooks, stationery,
• Uniform
• Annual campus fees for technology, use of infrastructure and other services,
• Customized services, needs,
• Pocket money.

Registration procedure for the programs:

• Submission of the application, required documents,
• Receiving an official response from the admissions committee with data for access to a personal online account, full information on the chosen specialty,
• Passing possible entrance exams,
• Getting results,
• Entering the cost of the program for booking a place,
• Arrive at the campus for orientation activities, residency accommodation, and start of training.

About 450 new students are admitted to the programs every year. The number of candidates is limited due to the number of available places in the courses, based on a competitive list.

For more than 30 years of educational activity, UNDA has graduated more than 37,000 specialists, who further continued their academic path at subsequent stages and began their careers in more than 68 countries around the world.

International applicants wishing to enroll in one of UNDA's programs must provide:

• Personal documents: passport, health insurance, visa or residence permit,
• Certificate of Completion of Upper Secondary Education/Bachelor's Diploma + Evaluation Certificates,
• Language test results: TOEFL (from 73), IELTS (from 6.0), PTE Academic (from 50) or equivalent,
• Two years of professional experience,
• Resume with individual achievements.

These general requirements apply to applicants to any of the levels of education, starting from the bachelor's degree. Some specializations will require you to pass an entrance test or already have the results of specialized tests.

UNDA provides a variety of scholarship and financial programs to help students cover tuition, accommodation, and other expenses. State, federal, and university scholarships are awarded to students who have excellent academic performance, success in sports, creativity, and social life. Financial aid is available to those students who are successful in their studies, but have difficulties in paying for it.

Some of the scholarship programs are:

• Western Australian Prime Minister's Scholarship,
• UNDA International Scholarship for Bachelors, Masters,
• Humanitarian Scholarship,
• International Scholarship for Freshmen.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision