Principles of the Melbourne Model: keys to a successful future
The University of Melbourne enjoys an international reputation for academic excellence. Our graduates are widely recognised as leading professionals in their fields, knowledgeable across a range of disciplines and readily adaptable to a variety of roles and environments. Central to the new Melbourne Model degrees are a number of defining principles designed to produce world-class graduates.
- Academically excellent: depth and breadth
- Pairing knowledge and experience: capstone studies
- Connecting students, employers and the community: knowledge transfer
- Creating global citizens: international experience
Academically excellent: depth and breadth
Under the Melbourne Model, all students will undertake a major as part of their new generation degree. Majors will comprise a sequence of one or two subjects in the first year, three subjects in the second year and four in third year – the equivalent of approximately one third of an undergraduate program. Breadth subjects from outside the core program will be studied alongside the major at each year level and are designed to expand student thinking in new ways into new areas.
Employers have endorsed this approach, explaining that while graduates still require a profound understanding of their discipline, they must appreciate the broader context in which their skills are employed and be ready to apply their knowledge in an increasingly wide range of situations.
Some breadth subjects will focus on the acquisition of skills that complement core studies, some will be interdisciplinary and others will provide an opportunity for study in a completely new area of interest.
More information on your breadth options is available online. Websites for each of the New Generation degrees in Arts, Biomedicine, Commerce, Environments, Music and Science have course specific information on breadth.
Pairing knowledge and experience: capstone studies
Towards the end of your degree, you will undertake a ‘capstone’ activity designed to draw together the various strands of your undergraduate education and prepare you for life as a graduate.
Typically, capstone activities will incorporate a research project or examination which encourages students to consider the broad context of their discipline. The scope of these subjects will vary, from synthesising and analysing material in the major to developing specialist skills relevant to further study or workplace applications.
For example, the New Generation Bachelor of Commerce offers a range of capstone experiences for students completing their final year of undergraduate study. Specific subjects such as, ‘Management Practicums’ and ‘Business Applications for Economics’, offer hands-on work experience. In other subjects, industry practitioners offer valuable insights to industry and commerce both locally and internationally. Competitions organised by two of the world’s leading investment banks and several third year subjects round out the Commerce capstone experience.
Connecting students, employers and the community: knowledge transfer
The Melbourne Model will give our undergraduates more opportunities to forge friendships, develop career networks and engage with the big issues.
We know that connecting with the University and with other students is a major factor in student success. The design of the new degrees means that students will be more likely to take their core subjects with the same group of students and to engage in small group projects. Students will also have access to peer mentoring programs. The new degrees also encourage student engagement with organisations outside the University: through field trips, project-based learning, internships and work placements, lectures with industry experts, student exchanges and study abroad programs, community and volunteer work.
While campus based modes of face-to-face learning and teaching remain central to the Melbourne Experience, they will be enhanced by individual and group-based e-learning experiences.
E-learning enhances anytime, anywhere access to resources, information sharing, knowledge transfer opportunities and international communities of practice.
Creating global citizens: international experience
Greater emphasis on knowledge transfer, cross-border collaborations and global partnerships in turn offers more opportunities for overseas studies and international exchange.
During the course of your degree you’ll have the opportunity to undertake study abroad, study a language, engage in online projects with students from an overseas partner university of contribute to joint international research initiatives.
More information on international exchange opportunities
All these facets of the new generation degrees come together to provide an unparalleled education, ensuring that as a graduate you’re well on the way to becoming an active global citizen.