Established in 1967 with a current enrollment of 29,000 students including 7,000 from 94 countries worldwide, this sydney-based varsity has acquired an excellent reputation for teaching and research

Set in a verdant campus amidst spacious Sydney parklands, Macquarie University is widely recognised as Australia’s most innovative varsity with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching and research. It has been awarded more best practice rankings for technology-aided teaching than any other institution in Australia. The 38-year-old varsity boasts some of the most experienced and qualified educators in the world as 65 percent hold doctoral qualifications — way above the national average. During the past six years, MU has won 11 awards for its competitive centres of excellence in new science-based high-technology areas. Moreover the Macquarie University Research Park is Australia’s only privately funded research campus, which houses nine national research centres.

“Teaching and research at Macquarie continue to set benchmarks nationally and internationally for quality, flexibility and relevance. The latest edition of the Good Universities Guide gave us ten 5-star scores across a wide range of criteria including student demand, research grants and research intensity, cultural diversity, entry standards, all categories of student services and — for a record eighth consecutive year — graduate starting salaries,” says Prof. Di Yerbury, vice chancellor of Macquarie University, which also enjoys the distinction of publishing the Macquarie Dictionary, the official arbiter of Australian English.

Established in 1967, Macquarie has an enrollment of 29,000 students, of whom 7,000 are from 94 countries around the world. It offers a wide range of undergrad programmes across nine areas of study (see box) and an enviable list of postgrad and doctoral options in cutting edge technologies and disciplines. The Macquarie Graduate School of Management offers a full-time MBA programme which is ranked the No. 1 business studies programme in Australia and Asia and No. 50 in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit (2004). Moreover Macquarie is the first university in the world to introduce an actuarial studies degree programme and a Masters in Coptic studies.

Sydney. Situated on Australia’s eastern seaboard in the state of New South Wales, Sydney sprawls across 1,120 sq. km, an area almost as large as Beijing and six times the size of Rome. With the spectacular Sydney harbour and Opera House at its centre, the city is home to 4 million people from more than 180 countries, speaking 140 different languages. Voted three years in a row by Travel and Leisure magazine as the ‘World’s best city’, Sydney is a financial and cultural hub and boasts an amazing range of theatres, art galleries, shopping centres, night clubs, restaurants and sports facilities.

A mild climate means Sydneysiders soak up the sun all year round. Temperatures rarely fall below 10oC and, while summer temperatures can reach 40oC, average temperatures are usually very pleasant.

Campus facilities. Macquarie is set within scenic and spacious 135 acres of parkland in leafy North Ryde on Sydney’s famous north shore. The verdant campus, with lakes and creeks alive with waterbirds and parrots, is a 30-minute drive from Sydney’s central business district and houses state-of-the-art lecture halls, classrooms, laboratories, art galleries as well as Australia’s largest sculpture park.

The main library houses a collection of more than one million books and periodicals. It also contains an extensive collection of microfilms, tapes, slides, computer software, videotapes, CD-ROMs, maps and other non-printed material.

Moreover an extensive range of cultural activities help students broaden their horizons. Among the museums and collections on-campus are an art gallery and Australian history, biological sciences, earth sciences and ancient cultures museums. The Macquarie University Sport & Leisure Centre offers a variety of sporting facilities including a cardio theatre, weights and fitness room, six squash courts, two multi-purpose sport halls, two floodlit tennis courts, and a comprehensive lifestyle programme incorporating yoga, pilates and Tai Chi. There are more than 150 student clubs encompassing a wide range of interests and activities.

Admission. The minimum qualification for admission into Macquarie’s undergrad programmes is successful completion of Plus Two. Additionally applicants must submit proof of proficiency in the English language. A TOEFL or IELTS score of 6.5 and 580 is acceptable. The university also has a specific course entry rank and prerequisites for each course.

The completed application form should be accompanied with certified copies of academic records, English language test score card and an application fee of A$ 10 (Rs.330). Admissions for the semester beginning January 13, 2006 are open now.

For further information contact Macquarie International, Macquarie University, Building E3A, Level 1, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia. Tel 61 2 9850 73 46; e-mail: iso@mq.edu.au, website: www.international.mq.edu.au.

Accommodation. Macquarie University offers a range of on-campus and off-campus housing for students. On-campus housing includes the Robert Menzies and Dunmore Lang halls of residence which contain 260 modern and furnished single study bedrooms each with telephone, voice mail, and internet connection. The colleges are self-sufficient with a fully catered dining hall, computer lab, common room, laundries and library. The Herring Road apartments are also situated on-campus and offer 20 self-catering fully-furnished single bedroom flats. Additionally the Macquarie University Village offers five-bedroom townhouses with each bedroom having an ensuite bathroom and individual telephone line.

Degree programmes. Macquarie offers a wide choice of courses and subjects across the areas of business, commerce, economics, finance, statistics; humanities; education; computing and electronics; law; medical, health, speech and hearing and chiropractic studies; psychology and linguistics and sciences. Students have the flexibility to combine different study areas and earn single or double undergrad degrees.

In particular Macquarie offers enviable postgrad and doctoral research programmes in cutting edge technologies and subjects (e.g biology, wireless communications, physics, linguistics, mathematics, and geology). It also houses six national research centres in addition to more than 20 university and other research centres. 

Scholastic options at Macquarie

Macquarie University offers a wide range of undergrad and postgrad degree programmes in eight areas of study. They are:

Business, commerce, economics, finance, statistics 
Computing and electronics 
Education 
Humanities 
Law 
Medical, health, speech and hearing and chiropractic studies 
Psychology and linguistics 
Science (including environmental science) 
Society, culture, media and philosophy 
The Macquarie Graduate School of Business offers a full-time MBA programme

For a detailed list of programmes offered in each of these areas of study log on to www.international.mq.edu.au.

Bill of costs

Tuition fee (per year): A$15,840-18,480 
Health cover (per year): A$632 
Housing (per week): A$120-220 
Others (per week): A$90-100 

NB A$=Rs.33

Summiya Yasmeen