The Hon Julie Bishop MP

24 July 2006

The Australian Government will fund 1,326 new commencing Commonwealth supported higher education places in Victoria, growing to 3,548 by 2010.

These places include the recent announcement by the Prime Minister, in conjunction with the recent Council of Australian Governments meeting, of 220 medical school places, 250 general nursing places, 160 mental health nursing places, 62 clinical psychology places, and 85 other health related places.

“This enormous injection of new places will provide more students with opportunities to study at university and boost our graduate workforce in key areas,” the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP said.

“New places have been allocated to areas of skills needs and student demand, particularly in regional and outer-metropolitan areas. This year our strongest commitment is being made to the training of nurses (410 places), teachers (285 places), doctors (220 places), engineers (105 places) and health professionals (85 places) in Victoria”.

Other disciplines for which new places have been allocated in Victoria include science, psychology, agricultural science, design, accounting and social work.

Nationally, the Government will deliver more than 4,600 new Commonwealth supported places. Since 2004, the Government has already created over 18,000 new places and unmet student demand has fallen by more than 60%. This year more than 90% of eligible year 12 students received a university offer, the best result in more than two decades.

As part of the Backing Australia’s Future reforms to higher education the Australian Government will inject an additional $11 billion into the higher education sector over 10 years and create more than 39,000 new Commonwealth supported places.

A full list of the new places for Victoria is attached.

Media Contacts:
Minister Bishop’s Office: Murray Hansen 0417 886 155
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Media Unit 02 6240 7300

Additional Commonwealth supported places
(commencing in 2007 unless indicated)
			Total new places
			(equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL))

Victoria
	Australian Catholic University
		Bachelor of Nursing - Ballarat	25
		Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Arts - Melbourne	10
		Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Arts - Ballarat	10
		Bachelor of Nursing - Melbourne	75
		Master of Psychology (Clinical) - Melbourne	10
		Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts (Humanities) - Melbourne	15
		Total Australian Catholic University	145
	Deakin University
		Master of Psychology (Clinical) - Burwood	21
		Medical places (commencing in 2008)	120
		Bachelor of Biomedical Science - Geelong	20
		Bachelor of Physical Education - Burwood	15
		Bachelor of Early Childhood Education - Burwood Geelong Warrnambool	20
		Bachelor of Psychology - Warrnambool	10
		Bachelor of Health Sciences - Geelong	15
		Bachelor of Health Sciences - Warrnambool	20
		Bachelor of Occupational Therapy - Geelong	10
		Total Deakin University	251
	La Trobe University
		Bachelor of Nursing - Bundoora	20
		Bachelor of Nursing (Mental Health Nursing) - Bundoora	20
		Bachelor of Physical and Health Education - Bendigo	15
		Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) - Bendigo	5
		Bachelor of Agricultural Science - Bundoora	25
		Bachelor of Physical and Outdoor Education - Bendigo	5
		Total La Trobe University	90
	Monash University
		Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychology - Peninsula	30
		Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Mental Health) - Peninsula	20
		Medical places (commencing in 2007) - (Northern Victoria)	30
		Medical places (commencing in 2008) - (Gippsland)	40
		Total Monash University	120
	RMIT University
		Grad Dip in Mental Health Nursing - Bundoora	5
		Bachelor of Design (Landscape Architecture)/Bachelor of Applied Science (Planning) - RMIT City Campus	5
		Graduate Diploma Education (Secondary) - RMIT Bundoora Campus	20
		Bachelor of Engineering (Civil and Infrastructure) - RMIT City Campus	35
		Bachelor of Applied Science (Planning) - RMIT City Campus	5
		Bachelor of Social Work/Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) - RMIT City Campus	10
		Total RMIT University	80
	Swinburne University of Technology
		Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) - Hawthorn	6
		Bachelor of Business (Accounting) - Hawthorn	30
		Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) - Hawthorn	25
		Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) - Prahran	10
		Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) - Hawthorn	25
		Total Swinburne University	96
	The University of Melbourne
		Bachelor of Nursing Science (Accelerated) - (General Nursing) - Parkville	50
		Master of Psychology - Parkville	10
		Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Practice (Psychiatric Nursing) - Parkville	40
		Bachelor of Nursing Science (Accelerated) - (Mental Health Nursing) - Parkville	5
		Medical places (commencing in 2007) - (Northern Victoria)	30
		Bachelor of Production - VCA - Southbank	4
		Master of Applied Commerce (Accounting) - Parkville	15
		Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) - Parkville	10
		Bachelor of Science - Parkville	20
		Bachelor of Planning & Design - Parkville	25
		Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Management) - Parkville	10
		Total The University of Melbourne	219
	University of Ballarat
		Bachelor of Nursing - Ballarat	20
		Master of Psychology - Ballarat	5
		Bachelor of Education - Ballarat	20
		Bachelor of Education (Physical Education) - Ballarat	20
		Total University of Ballarat	65
	Victoria University
		Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-Registration) - (General Nursing) - St Albans	40
		Masters of Psychology (Clinical) - St Albans	10
		Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-Registration) - (Mental Health Nursing) - St Albans	40
		Bachelor of Education - St Albans /Werribee	50
		Bachelor of Education - VET secondary - Melton	25
		Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedic) - St Albans	20
		Bachelor of Education - Science - St Albans /Werribee	25
		Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education - Sunbury	50
		Total Victoria University	260
	TOTAL VICTORIA		1326

Media Release

VICTORIAN STUDENTS TO BENEFIT FROM MORE THAN 1,300 NEW UNIVERSITY PLACES