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Western Sydney University launches innovative Study Hub, Fairfield Connect, enhancing accessibility to higher education

Western Sydney University launches innovative Study Hub, Fairfield Connect, enhancing accessibility to higher education

The University is proud to launch Fairfield Connect, a cutting-edge study hub that will support students and the community of western Sydney.

Gender equity: ‘it’s where you live that counts’

Gender equity: ‘it’s where you live that counts’

Students swap classroom for sands of Bondi to learn life-saving lessons of water safety

Students swap classroom for sands of Bondi to learn life-saving lessons of water safety

Western Sydney University tops global sustainability ranking for second year

Western Sydney University tops global sustainability ranking for second year

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Uni Reviews

Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University.

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Western Sydney University is made up of several campuses that each have their own history. They came together when WSU was formed in 1989. WSU is the main university destination for the students of Sydney's expanding western suburbs. If you've studied at the university, feel free to post a review and let others know about your student experience.

Student Reviews

63 responses.

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Needs to get its act together

IT staff can be helpful, thought the IT infrastructure is truly garbage. The Graduate Research School is an understaffed nightmare, especially for international students. Nothing is intuitive, everything when setting up takes 10 times longer than your imagined longest wait.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (26) No (3)

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Awful, simply awful.

A horrible University which does not value students.

Computer labs where logins take forever and classes are abandoned.

Lots of rhetoric about the student experience but boy oh boy it’s just awful. Shut it down!

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (56) No (2)

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STAY AWAY INDEED

You are not a human being, you are a number and LOTS OF MONEY There are a few good professors you want to learn from but not many Disorganised adm. staff, takes ages (more than necessary) to get required documentation Very disorganised professors have high positions – and nothing you can do, they think they are always right when they are not, and they won’t care, and they won’t show any respect, and won’t respond to your emails because why should they? During the first semester, out of 4 tutors, only ONE consistently replied to emails, and others just ignored them (this was during covid, online study). I mean what’s the point then? Meaningless activities and assessments – a lot of those, repetition, no respect towards students

Hate every single second spent at this university. This is not my first degree and not my first university, but it is the WORST university I have seen

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (61) No (4)

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Dont go here

One of the worst if not the worst uni in Australia, I can’t remember a time where I didn’t have so many issues prior to the start of the semester from having trouble to login to getting kicked out for absolutely no reason other than leave of absence email I sent to a teacher as I was told took a break that semester and caused me to get kicked out, also the payment methods are so horrible with so many issues, and there are so many issues that I cant be asked to actually write them all down, this uni genuinely ruined my mental health. SMH

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (38) No (5)

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DO NOT GO TO WSU

I would rate it 0 stars.

Hey, this is gonna be a long one because I just need to warn everyone. I attend WSU & have complete a Bachelors with them. I’m currently doing my masters. DO NOT GO TO WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY.

Stay. AWAY. I seriously would recommend going to a TAFE or private institution or even travelling to the city is worth more than going to this university. My biggest issue with the university is their lack of IT user friendly systems, lack of organisation, lack of communication and just sheer rudeness of the staff. For starters their graduation was a joke, they ruined it for me. Which is sad because I never got a graduation in highschool because I left in year 10 and went straight into university at 17- so this was my first graduation EVER. The day before they decided to send us this email:

We are excited to see you on campus this week to celebrate your graduation. This year, we have seen unprecedented attendance at our graduation ceremonies, so we know that you are just as excited as we are.

Due to this larger-than-usual attendance, we will, unfortunately, need to limit the number of guests who are able to enter the auditorium due to capacity limits.

Up to three of your guests will be able to attend and watch the proceedings within the auditorium, while remaining guests will be able to watch a livestream of the ceremony on campus within another indoor venue. The only exception to this will be any single adults with sole caring responsibilities for up to three children aged 16 years or younger, who will be permitted into the auditorium.

Please continue to only bring a maximum of four guests to campus to ensure we are able to provide an optimal livestream experience in our overflow venue.

We understand that this may not be the news you were hoping for but you and your guests will still be able to celebrate your achievement with you and you can take plenty of photos on campus in your graduation hat and gown.

As a gesture to thank you for your understanding you will receive a $10 refund for one guest ticket. Please allow up to three weeks for this to be processed back into the account you used to pay to attend your ceremony.

We look forward to celebrating your graduation with you soon.”

THIS WAS THE DAY BEFORE THE CEREMONY AND needless to say, I had people travelling FAR and who took time of work to watch this event & they weren’t even allowed into the hall. I took my four allocated guest, my partner being one of them. We show up & only my brother, sister and mum was allowed into the hall. My partner was not allowed to watch my graduation. He was forced to watch it from A LIVE STREAM IN another hall on a screen, online, which he paid $10 and it didn’t connect to the screen for half of the ceremony. The worst part is there were still seats left in the hall. The security also yelled at my partner, different staff yelled at my family and me for WALKING THE WRONG WAY WHEN THERE WHERE NO ARROWS. I am friends with someone whose sister has a physical disability and this is what she had to say: It absolutely poured rain so didn’t get many photos we all got wet etc sad as you only get this opportunity once unless you do another degree and I missed my first one bachelors with covid all was done was sent in the mail. Felt a little rushed the ceremony to be honest in a way as I’ve watched some live before and usually… talks longer and someone from school of Ed talks. Plus also the night prior to mine the uni got ranked number one so it was like at mine they were trying to plug the uni and advertise in a way. I didn’t really like the procedure to return the cape just take it off anywhere and dump it in this pile. That parking was horrible too I was there 1.5 hrs prior and my sister with a guide dog we have a disability parking permit and it was so hard to find a park even with that. I had contacted them prior too when we got the registering email when it asked for special needs of guests etc. they called me and said my guests because of mums poor vision and health and (sister) and her guide dog would allow my four guests to sit at the front. But no anyone seemed to sit there. The front would have been ideal for my sisters guide dog as it was just the Camera man there so plenty of space for her to be comfortable. So some flaws but we made the best of it.

The reason I use her as an example is because of the lack of care for the disabled within the university is QUITE evident through their repetitive behaviour.

Also, communication skills within the university is a joke, they don’t communicate with each-other as an INSTITUTION. They take NO accountability for their errors either and usually blame it on the students for any issues. They are disorganised and last minute and there is seriously something wrong with the systems in placed within the uni. There have been a multiple times where I needed to go to a councillors office & have gone during the opening hours for it to be LOCKED and NO ONE THERE. I remember was this one time I was having a very bad panic attack and so I went to the disability service (during opening hours) and sat outside there for thirty minutes waiting for someone, it got so bad I almost passed out on the floor. No one came. I ended up going into a prayer room to finish my panic attack and had to get my partner to come pick me up.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (34) No (1)

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Hopeless OLA and Complaint process does not work.

I am doing a BA in business majoring in Accounting (online). The only person to ask for assistance about the enrolled unit is the Online Learning Advisor (OLA). If he/she does not help us students, who can we turn to? Last month, I lodged a complaint with the student advisor team about an OLA who ignored my email and did not provide assistance. But there is no progress since then;I have been waiting for an update till now. Also, I have asked for my coming exam to be marked by somebody else, not this OLA whom I have no trust, but I am still unsure what I asked for will happen. However, other OLAs that I had for other units were all ok. I feel like I paid money to be under people who want to treat me the way they would like to whereas I could not do anything much about it. This is very bad. I would like someone who has authority to contact me directly (to get more information) as I feel that I am being treated unfairly.

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Wish I could give 0 stars

Student Central are hopeless. Replies from enquiries not answered. Holding and waiting times unacceptable.

Quality of teaching content not up to par with other universities.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (32) No (6)

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William West

I regret studying at wsu.

I regret studying at WSU (then UWS, circa 2015). Obviously, courses and campuses can vary but overall I regret studying there and especially regret staying for a fourth year which was heavily padded with time-wasting exercises and “real-life” briefs that were laughable. Some tutors did do their best to help students but there were quite a few tutors who had not been in the industry for some time and had clearly lost their passion for their work. One good thing that did come from UWS was my part-time work with the Australian Tax Office, of course, this ended when the careers department was made redundant to pay for a rebrand and exhaustive advertising, including offering free Ipads to 1st years (at the expense of loyal 4th years). In retrospect, I wish I had looked at my options before studying there because 80% of the time and energy I spent there was completely for nothing and 95% of the skills I currently use were self-taught.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (40) No (3)

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Corona-panic

When I started in 2019, I was pleasantly surprised as I had chosen WSU over USYD for the ‘Advanced Science’ programs they offer. These courses allow the student to do real research and be face-to-face with the real deal scientists and literally assist them in an area of research.

However, WSU is littered with some bad unit coordinators. And that was my first bad experience. Some assessments would be weirdly organised. Like, re-editing an old word document and pasting in hand-drawn images of molecules (or something similar to that) – so clunky, basically. But that’s not too bad. It may waist precious hours trying to untangle the lecturer’s newest assessment-puzzle kink, but it was nowhere near as bad as the English often spoken from their pulpit.

English is a real struggle, apparently. These people wouldn’t pass primary school spelling and grammar, yet were allowed to formulate the questions in my assessments.

But even all of this is manageable… I mean, just read between the lines, right? Well, no. Not when the lines they tell you are “Everything will be online from week 4”. Which it was. WSU panicked with the COVID-19 situated and shut off all on campus activity before the end of week 4, semester 1, 2020. But even that, yes, would be fine if they were prepared with online units ready to go – as perhaps they had prepared with the discovery of the virus in 2019.

No. Every unit coordinator (including the grammar-stricken ones) had to make an online version of their course in about three days. But as it would turn out, courses take a while to make, and three days would never be enough. So instead we worked at the behest of our email inbox. What did our coordinator change today? Are our practical on? How are we being assessed on practical’s? All of these question would be answered in emails sprinkled daily, weekly or hourly. Actually there was no order to the emails either. And these emails (often mis-spelled) would change the dates of the assessments, classes, online lectures, and unit material – even the type of assessments.

So chaos ensued. In order to survive the worst transition since Trump, I went part time. And must continue until 2022 ends.

Do I recommend Western Sydney University?

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (29) No (2)

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School of Communicative Arts and Humanities

Poor english.

ANY post-graduate student, who is still poor in English, should go to TAFE to apply for spoken and written English I, II or III certificates.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (21) No

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Look elsewhere

Medical School is not good, and became worse during the pandemic. They shortchange students on live lectures, using pre-recorded lectures from years before. Look elsewhere. Many students have raised this up, but have been ignored.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (35) No

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Depending on your degree, maybe stick with TAFE, or look elsewhere.

1/ WSU Spends more money on marketing and advertising than on providing support for students and hiring top tier educators. One thing you will find with this university is very polished advertisements, but the reality is the substance doesn’t match what’s in the brochure. The fact they spent literal millions on just changing the name and rebranding should tell you all you need to know about this University.

2/ Lecturers and staff are rude, and if you have to repeat a unit, you’ll notice that there isn’t a shred of creativity or variance in the lecture. Expect to listen to the exact same lecture, verbatim, word for word, the exact same slides etc if you have to repeat a unit, even several years later. The lecturers simply dont care enough to keep things interesting and update their lectures which is telling. Show up, read the same script you’ve been reading for the past decade, go home, get paid.

– Some lecturers can’t speak English effectively. This isn’t a racial thing, but as an educator in an English speaking country you have to be able to communicate effectively. The subject matter is often hard enough, without trying to understand what is being said in broken English. It simply not good enough.

In early 2020, when the world was waking up to covid, I voiced some concern to one of my lecturers that the University should do better to not have so many students in a tiny class room with no ventilation, to perhaps stagger the classes by offering more, or consider perhaps going online. (Being someone in the high risk category due to an underlying condition, this was a highly anxious time for me) – When I raised these concerns, basically the lecturer accused me of using some kind scare monger tactic to get out of class or something, he was massively rude and didnt even try to understand or listen to my concerns. In the end I stopped going to class because I was too anxious. Two weeks later the whole university had to transition to online learning because surprise surprise the infected numbers had exploded and the government mandated lockdowns, which WSU handled poorly, and while I was happy they were now taking the issue seriously, I was two weeks behind and at a major disadvantage.

In addition some unit coordinators, are the rudest, most arrogant people I have ever had to deal with.

There also appears to be little consequences for lecturers or unit coordinators who have a high failure rate. Their should be more scrutiny of those in charge, if 85% of the class fails, maybe, just maybe its not the students.

3/ Good tutors are a lottery. Sometimes you will get legitimately good tutors, (usually ex or undergrad students), sometimes you will get complete no shows who are literally there just to mark your work, go home and get paid who do absolutely nothing to help you, and will actually deny you help when you ask for it often siting time restraints. – WSU more or less relies on students in “PASS” sessions to help students who are volunteers who dont get paid for their work, but who more or less do most of the actual tutoring that tutors who are getting paid should be doing.

4/ Anything they can outsource and make a profit on, they will. For example, CLV or “Campus Living Villages” are a UK based company that has nothing to do with the University other than pay WSU for charging huge fees, for sub standard living conditions to students. The Gym for example, is run by a third party who in tern pays the Uni. You dont even get a student discount for the Gym, even though it sits on University land, which students pay for – It’s Disgraceful. Basically its WSU, acting like the owner of a shopping mall, with no regard to it’s students.

5/ Turn over in student services is high, and I’ve been told largely because Student Services simply isn’t getting the money or the resources to effectively give the support that students need. They have to deal with the fallout of greedy or poor decisions which are numerous, but they aren’t getting the support they need from the top. – If there is one thing WSU does have going for it, are people in student services who want to do the right thing by the students and provide as much help as they can. But sadly this isn’t enough to balance out WSU’s many significant shortcomings, only some of which have indicated here. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I would advise considering TAFE if you are local student or perhaps looking somewhere else. It’s simply not worth the money, and if you are prepared to spend that kind of money on higher education, there are more reputable options available to you.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (43) No (3)

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Pay to teach yourself, inconsiderate & rude admin/staff. AVOID THIS POOR EXCUSE OF A UNI AT ALL COSTS

The worst higher education I’ve ever received: * I enrolled for on-campus classes & yet even though most uni’s have returned to on-campus, most of my classes are still on-line. *Difficult to understand subjects are only “taught” in 1hour online Zoom classes, no advice/help is available, offered or given *Assessments are unnecessarily difficult and marked unfairly. Assessment score review process is pointless/non-existent. *Clinical placement staff are rude, condescending and are totally inflexible/inconsiderate of the non-negotiable commitments that students have outside of uni e.g. (sport, work, family). Students should be able to select blackout periods when they will not be available to complete placements. *Remediation assessment/tests are set at times/dates/locations that are totally inconvenient without consultation.

TAFE NSW HAS A MUCH HIGHER, QUALITY EDUCATION OFFERING

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AT this uni you will never meet anyone doing your course face to face

My daughter is in her first year of speech pathology. Today, 18/05/21. is only her second half day of actual attendance at the Uni, everything else has been online. She has yet to meet a single person actually studying her course in person because her only other few hours of face to face uni was spent with students doing other courses. The uni has put no effort into creating any opportunity for her to meet other students in her course. The whole uni experience for her has been disappointing and demotivating. I will be surprised if she lasts the year at this uni. I warn anyone contemplating going to this uni to check how much of your course will be online and to avoid it if possible. You might as well be doing a correspondence course from another state or overseas. I am very disappointed for her. We as a family greatly regret ever having selected this so called university.

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Peter Anderson

Righto karen.

A lot of people are studying online irrespective which Universities they are at. I’m in my third year Criminology/Psychology and was impressed at very grateful and how fast and efficiently we were transferred to online, with very little interruption to my learning.

I guess if the Uni stayed with on campus learning and your daughter contracted covid-19 you’d be on here whinging that the uni did not take enough precautions?

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There is no need for the abuse Peter

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NAATI TESTS

Feeling regretful for studying interpreting and translation. I wish I didn’t waste my time.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (28) No (4)

I think that all they want us is to regret every moment and second we spend in this course studying Interpreting and Translation.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (18) No (3)

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Worth going for International Students?

Hi, I’m interested applying to study abroad in this school from Canada but I’m getting mixed reactions based from other students writing their experience here. I was wondering, is studying to WSU worth the money I’m spending for a semester or two?

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Don’t like the medical school

Depends on the course. I am in medical school, and the culture is toxic here. I hate everyday. I want to transfer school but it is difficult to transfer in this course.

They did not give a discount for covid this year, although most courses are online. They even use pre-recorded lectures instead of hiring lecturers to do the job.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (31) No (1)

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I don't know what all the fuss is about

I am in my 2nd year in my bachelors of business (management), and the state of the university, the professors, lectures and environment is amazing! I can’t speak on how the university use to function before 2017, but it has definitely improved and in my eyes is better than many universities in Sydney.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (37) No (21)

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Wanting to Study Law and Business

I’m looking into studying Business and Law at WSU. People who are currently studying this course or have studied this course please let me know if you’ve liked it and would you recommend it? Any information is useful and greatly appreciated.

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Business/Law Double Degree WSU Rating

I am currently in a Year 11 batch living relatively near campus though I can give you suggestions through what I have heard from past relatives who have completed this course at WSU.

Pros: Geographically excellent area Good People Social life is highly regarded Easy to apply Easy to fit in etc.

Cons: It does not have a good rank in Australia overall It is a boring course especially at WSU Not a highly regarded university to study Business and Law etc.

I also do wish to study Business/Law as my future degree, however, WSU is probably ranked 6th in my choices of the university which I would want to study at.

My recommended choices University wise would be in the following order:

1. Sydney University (USYD) 2. University of Technology Sydney (UTS) 3. University of QUEENSLAND (QUT) 4. Australian National University (ANU) 5. Monash University 6. Western Sydney University (WSU)

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My experience at this university has been nothing but negative since it’s rebrand. As a current PhD student, I have been at this university for a while. I used to recommend this university before the rebrand (2015) but since then the quality of my experience has gone down and it has been obvious that they have implemented many cost cutting measures even before COVID-19.

This university claims to be all about supporting students but I have made multiple enquires about mental health and the only support that was provided was some “r u ok day“ notepads in PhD student common areas, although I cannot say this was a direct result of my enquiry.

My opinion on the support and transparency of the university to PhD students during the covid crisis is that it has been abysmal. On multiple occasion, questions I have asked about issues to do with this situation have been outright ignored and questions that have been answered have failed ease to my uncertainty and stress regarding COVID-19 and my academic progression.

This university regularly takes over a week to reply to any administrative email and often will make a mistake when completing the task. For example, I never received an email informing me that I had been accepted in into the PhD program even though I had been accepted. When I finally enquired about this myself I was sent the offer and the email stated that we would receive an enrolment package. Now approximately three years later and after multiple enquires I am still yet to receive the enrolment package.

This university also advertises on its website (or at least it did when I enrolled) that you can request up to $7000 per year to fund your research activity. Although the amount you can request differs by school, I have never been allowed to request more the $2500 even though I am in a high cost discipline.

I also would not recommend this university to undergraduates. I worked as a casual staff member here for a number of years and staff (at least casuals) are not provided anywhere near enough hours of pay to do the job that students expect. For example, for one particular assignment (their major assessment for a unit) I was given 12 minutes per student to mark their work; however, this assignment took me almost 1hr per student to mark. I chose to do a thorough job which took more time but would hopefully give students feedback that they could actually learn from but based on the feedback that I have observed majority of other staff members stick to the tone they are paid to mark which provides students with limited feedback.

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Björk Guðmundsdóttir

The ultimate redpill.

Not as bad as Macquarie University, trust me.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (24) No (19)

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Master of teaching( Secondary)

Hello, Is there anyone who would like to give me an idea about Master of Teaching ( secondary) course at WSU, Penrith Campus? I would like to know about the faculties and facilities for learning & development.

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Need insights on the Bachelor of Psychology program

Hi, is anyone studying or finished their Bachelor of Psychology at Western Sydney University? How is the course work and based on that, would it be a challenge to continue working while in uni? Can you please share your overall experience (international student experience would help a lot too)?

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Bad for research student

Bad support for PhD student. Perhaps, it is because we are not paying tuition fee. Student research funding is completely cut off with no notice. The policies are unfriendly to the research students and subject to change anytime they want (no respect at all). From there you can see how bossy are these departments to the research students. Technicians and officers do not need to be responsible for their advise and work. If they make mistake, you earn a sorry and fix the problem yourself in some cases.

Very good in advertising the University by building new campus and giving incredible promises. I wish they understand which group of people they are trying to attract in the future with their poor education/research support and with location that is so competitive in immigration. see definitely no much help for university in long-term.

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Is anyone studying Social work at WSU can you please share your experience, as i am interested in enrolling.

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bachelor of social work

same here, I want to enrol myself into the same course. Please share your experience, It will be very helpful to us.

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Master of Interpreting and Translation

I think the people, who are responsible for the certification and accreditation process of Interpreting and Translation studies, should have conducted a test at the beginning of the course to ensure that students would be able to score Band 1 or Band 2 at NAATI tests rather than having the trouble studying the whole course and ending up with no promising future.

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Campus Options

Hi I am looking to apply for an exchange program to WSU. I am studying Education in México and was wondering if anyone could help me decide which campus is better between Bankstown, Parramatta, or Penrith. Thank you!

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Parramatta is the best option because it is a major centre. Bankstown and Penrith, you will get bored with.

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Please tell if there’s any problem in bankstown campus for jobs and other factors apart from getting bored.

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Working while at uni in Sydney

The Bankstown campus is at Milperra. There might be work opportunities there but it will be more limited than at Parramatta.

The Penrith campus is at Kingswood. Penrith is probably a bit smaller than Bankstown.

For work, it might be worth looking into being an Uber/Ola/Didi driver. Australia is a car-centric society so a car is probably a requirement for getting about and so to recoup some of the costs, driving might help. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about where you went to uni.

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The quality of learning materials and teaching is really poor. The tutorials and lectures of Interpreting and Translation Studies are really poor, recommending us to score 50% only rather than encouraging us to better improvement of performance, self-confidence and knowledge.

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Joseph Diab

A great university and constantly improving.

Having studied the same degree (Law/Business for those who care) across three different universities, I can say that the standard of student support at WSU has prevailed (in comparison to Macquarie and UTS). I moved due to location difficulties, but it has actually been a blessing. WSU fosters the flipped-learning system, giving more flexibility for students. Students, in business/law, can access their lectures online via lecture pods or zoom programs (which are live and are only available in some units). This is good for those who are working in conjunction with study. I do find the tutors very well educated and experienced in their industry which is always a good thing. The only thing I’ll fault from the uni is the quality of some students. Some just don’t apply themselves and I don’t even know how they made it in to be frank. It is probably a reason that WSU has a stigma to it. Other than that, campuses are easily accessible, the students are nice and the flexibility of studying is great.

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Suggestions about choosing the uni or not

I’m planning to apply for my undergraduate study for accounting and finance in wsu . How is the teaching and faculty and do they provide good internship opportunities ? Should I continue to plan forward for studying in wsu or look for any other uni, please provide some suggestion so that I can take appropriate decision before it’s too late

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Rangika Ailapperuma

Low quality service.

I’m currently enrolled in master of finance at WSU. There’s flexibility of having quarters with full time international students can do two units per quarter and finish master of finance in 1.5 years. In terms of the quality of the services provided, especially for international students are very poor. SGSM (graduate school for postgraduate students) at WSU provide low quality service such as lack of communication, exaggeration of service they provide and very hard to get basic information such as enrolment or changing units etc. Not to mention education provided is also mediocre as it is hard to get consultations with tutors and most of the tutors and other staff are not very helpful. Culture of service is bad at WSU. They are more worried about the image of the university. For business related course and for international students this is definitely not the place. They also claim that internships are a choice, and it is not. It is base on performance. There’s a lot of misleading information.

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Quality of Project Management in Construction

Hi, is there anyone here studying or graduated in Project Managent with specialisation in CONSTRUCTION in WSU? I would appreciate your comments about the program and teachers quality. I have the oportunity of accepting a good scholarship acepting I am worried about how focus is this Master in my area of interest as an Architect from overseas looking for a construction position. Thank you so much!

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disillusioned and heartbroken

Psychology honours pathetic..

I graduated from a reputable college for my undergraduate degree, and after coming to Western Sydney University I wish I had never even considered pursuing further studies. The level of teaching is painfully poor, and the assignments are so difficult and no matter how much blood sweat and tears you shed over them, you are bound to fail. Universities should focus on lifting their student body up, but it seems UWS is far more concerned about how to bleed the student body of their hopes and dreams, and any remaining cash they may still have held onto. I wish I had chosen just about any other institution as I am embarassed to say that I’ve chosen such a terrible school, and am STILL MANAGING TO FAIL. I have never received grades as low as I have in this university. Go here if you want to end up depressed.

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Worst university (for international students)

Western Sydney University is a disappointment. I have been there for my Bachelor degree when it was UWS and doing my Masters now. As an international student, this place doesn’t provide the services they promise. Especially SGSM(Graduate School). Very poor service from enrolment, teaching, and other non-academic services. False and misleading information given at the enrolment. Worth spending money elsewhere if you are an international student.

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Worst university for PhD graduates and employees

UWS is the worst place in Australia for PhD students/graduates and employees. As a former PhD student in the School of Social Sciences, i had to do most of the work myself and my supervisor told me that ‘i was demanding’ when i asked for basic assistance. They never provided me with reading material or emailed me with tips or advice. As a former employee, they also treat people badly, saying we have work, but then saying, oh no, we don’t have work. I do not recommend local nor international students go there. Also, when you submit a complaint, i was told ‘we need to protect staff’ and they took the side of their full-time employees over me as a PhD student, thereby, dismissing my complaint, and blaming me for submitting a complaint. UWS, do not provide adequate support for PhD graduates nor early career researchers. They are a waste of time. I graduated there, because of my diligence, however, they are not worthy of it.

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Amazing University

I am a current 2nd year Bachelor of Business (Advanced Leadership) Bachelor of Laws Student and have found this university to be very convenient and articulate in its teaching. The student support is so advance compared to other universities that I have attended in Sydney. In addition to this, there are multiple student opportunities that arise for employment such as becoming a peer tutor. There are also multiple positions advertised for internships and workplace opportunities. I do like the flipped-class room approach (which others may not like) as it allows you to have a more flexible lifestyle as you do not have to attend university for these lectures. The recorded/interactive lectures provide students with additional study so they do not miss out on pivotal content from the course. I do see a dramatic improvement in WSU and cannot wait to see it progress further in the rankings in the years to come!

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Which Campus is better? WSU Parramatta or WSU City

I am enrolled for the Bachelor of Business at WSU but I want to know which campus to choose before I select my units. Im deciding between the Parramatta Campus and the Sydney City Campus! NEED INFO ASAP PLS!!

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Parramatta City is the Centre

Definitely Parramatta is the centre of the University and it is a short distance between Parramatta South and P City where everyone hangs out.

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Is it worth studying there?

Anyone studying a Bachelor of Communications (major in Public Relations) or Creative Industries? If so, is it worth the money to study that course at WSU? Thank you!

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disappointing

I have been studying a Master degree at WSU. frankly speaking, this university is a huge disappointment for me. As an international student, I have been just wasting money, nothing else. the quality of services and teaching is really poor. I came all the way from my home country for better education but it turns out a big mistake. Their tutorials and lectures materials are really poor and even the free content of some random websites are far more informative than their learning materials. Really, frustrating.

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Wint Yee Maung

Request suggestions to choose western sydney university or not.

I am planning to study MBA in Western Sydney University. I wonder that will Western Sydney Uni offer pathway to find job after finishing MBA? Is there anyone who attend MBA in Western Sydney University? Please suggest me!

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (18) No (10)

"No career support/development for PhD graduates/early career researchers"

1. The University does not support the career development of its postgraduate students nor early career researchers (those with higher qualifications). As a former postgrad and employee of UWS, i worked extremely hard to develop my credentials in career. This was all my own work and effort. However, UWS did not attempt to support my career or make it a place that someone with postgraduate qualifications wants to work at. As a former postgrad and employee, i want to state plainly that the institution does not support its students nor early career researchers. No attempt made at career development. 2. Also, when you complain to their Executive Hierarchy (Complaints), they protect their full-time staff, but make no real attempt to support a. postgrad students and b. early career researchers, nor address their concerns. That is they ignore your complaint/do not take it seriously as a student, and also as an employee. Upon my submission of a complaint, one comment i received from their executive hierarchy was: ‘i will not respond to your email’. Also, when you email them with concerns, they often don’t respond. Ignoring a complaint or one’s issues is not helpful either. 3. Often staff in management do not treat PhD students, PhD graduates or early career researchers well. It is unprofessional to not respond to a staff members query. 4. They either ignore your emails or are coarse and even abrasive in their manner. 5. Overall, management/executive hierarchy are not nice to deal with. 6. They owed me some money; management refused to respond to my emails. I had to do a lot of work in order to get monies owed to me. 7. I have only experienced such bad treatment at this university but not other universities. 8. The problem of disrespect and unprofessionalism appears endemic to this institution. 9. When you try to communicate with their executive hierarchy or even various managers, and are ignored, this indeed shows unprofessionalism and that it is not a nice place to work at.

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Never go there. Low quality uni compared to others in Sydney.

Ok university but if you are a male, do not every join their nursing degree. Some units are run by men-hating nazis as I have witnessed many capable men getting low marks compared to some females who used to fail in the previous semester. Even their slideshows or presentations are female-promoting. There are some good fair female teachers though like Dr Linda Gregory, etc. Marks are checked by random people, some can be phd students, some with bachelors degree and what not. There are much better universities out there. With my previous experience at Wollongong university, I can safely compare and say that this uni sucks and the new gender debate has really reached its peak here.

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A new era for WSU

I’ve just completed the first semester of my Master of Teaching at WSU and I could not be happier. First of all, the lecturers at the WSU School of Education, are leaders in their subject areas and have done countless research in the field of education. Evident in how often their names appear in different educational texts used throughout Australian Universities. The University itself is definitely on the rise, the facilities are very modern in every aspect and the university is investing a lot of money in its campuses. I was offered an MTeach place and what was supposedly a much more prestigious university and I attended for the first month but withdrew feeling utterly dissatisfied with the quality of teaching, how oudated the lecture theatres were and how overly crampt the tutorials were. So in this regard, WSU blew me away. I didn’t attend WSU for my undergrad and I admit I was skeptical of the uni at first, as it was never really highly regarded when I was in high school. I did however realise they had been investing a lot of money in recent years. But to cut a long story short, I couldn’t be more satisfied with my decision to move to WSU. The last thing I’d like to add from my experience is, always be aware of how highly the university regards your faculty. At the first uni I attended for the MTeach, yes the Uni as a whole was regarded as one of the best in the country but they obviously had education right down their list of priorities and this was evident in the quality of teaching and facilities. However, Education is WSU’s 3rd highest ranking faculty and is in the world’s top 100/ top 150 (depending on who you ask) and this is evident in the great quality of teaching and facilities.

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shravil singh

Need to know about the real situation not about good campus and lecturers.

Can anyone tell me the reality in terms of employability and quality of education in Civil Department (post graduation) as this is the most important criteria for students like me who are taking huge amount of loan choosing this university. Do they provide any platform or job fares for freshers as I have 2 years experience in Civil but in different field.I don’t want to fall in a trap as I have heard about Universities who are making huge profit as business agencies.It will be life changing information for me Thank you

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Did you mean “Civil Engineering” Shravil? If so, you might be interested in course ratings for engineering here: https://universityreviews.com.au/australian-rankings/best-engineering/

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ex-educator

Not a happy workplace. Rebrand was obviously a waste of money! Focus remains on attracting academics with research skills and grant funding rather than effective and skilled educators!

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Peter Maroun

I transferred from UTS business to WSU business at Parramatta City Campus and it was the best decision I have made. As a student who works part time, I enjoy the flexibility of being able to watch the lectures online, whereas UTS did not record their lectures and made attendance compulsory. The teachers at WSU are very engaging, and always offer the help when needed. The campus is positioned in a convenient location, and the groups of cafes, shopping centres and the park give off the city vibe. The people are really friendly which makes group assignments bearable. The 24 hour access to the library is a bonus!

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WSU doesn’t even offer lectures at all… all you get is a 10 minute video. I do law and business and some units literally don’t even offer any sort of lecture. You pay to teach yourself at WSU.

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Great university. Just need more food varieties around the campbelltown campus.

Really good campus and facilities. Close by and convenient to get to. The only problem I have is with the students. They lack motivation and this affects the students who actually want to do the work. Group assignments are common in every unit, and have a heavy weighting towards your individual result. And it is hard to achieve good results when more than half the group are plebs. Anyhow, the teachers are well informed and WSU cares for its students by always checking in.

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Peter Davis

I started my degree of bachelor of science at wsu, they were helpful the whole time. They had a lot of chances for work experience and job prospects in the biology field, my tutors were very helpful the transport was easy since I live right next to a hub of transport so free shuttle bus. Joined a couple of clubs had a great time would recommend wsu

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Not a really good uni, course is taught hurriedly, that is why they have received 24% in their rankings in teaching.

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This Uni improved a lot from 2015 to 2016, the improvements includes: lectures, student support, technical projects, even campus. I am a member of the Solar Car Team and Robotics Club, and we always receive support from teachers and Uni, receiving high-tec equipments and infrastructure. My course is “good”, the biggest issue is not having Math for Engineers 3 (my course is bachelor in Electrical Engineering with Honours) , which they eliminated because of the massive failure rate 85%, and divided the subject between Maths 1 and 2…

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I have studied at 3 undergraduate universities in the States and am now studying for my Master’s at two universities in Australia. University of Western Sydney is by far the worst quality ‘education’ that I have ever encountered. The disorganisation of the system makes it very difficult to engage, the poor teaching skills of the staff create a demotivating sentiment among students, the staff is helpful and can be understanding about certain problems but other members of teaching staff seem to have serious psychological issues that do not allow them to enjoy teaching, create a learning atmosphere, or improve students’ general knowledge base. In the social sciences I had instructors who teach only theories that aligned with their own political stance and did not encourage students to think for themselves. I also had an instructor who supervised my research project throughout a semester, tens days away from the due date, she announced that I should change my entire theoretical basis.

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Award Verification Service

Western sydney university award verification service.

The Award Verification service provides a searchable database of graduates from the Western Sydney University. The database displays qualifications/awards received by a student including the date of the graduation/conferral. The database is comprehensive from 2003 onwards and contains a majority of the University's earlier graduate records dating back to 1989. The graduate data is uploaded one week after each graduation round.

If you are seeking additional information about a UWS graduate you will require the graduate's authorisation to comply with New South Wales privacy laws. To request additional information, you will need to supply written consent from the graduate when you submit the online enquiry form .

Visit the frequently asked questions page for instructions on how to use this service.

Fields are not case sensitive * denotes required field Database is updated on a weekly basis

Please note: if you cannot find the graduate through this system please submit an online enquiry form to the Assessment and Graduation Unit.

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How to write a research proposal

What is a research proposal.

A research proposal should present your idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition – the what.

It should also make a case for why your question is significant and what value it will bring to your discipline – the why. 

What it shouldn't do is answer the question – that's what your research will do.

Why is it important?

Research proposals are significant because Another reason why it formally outlines your intended research. Which means you need to provide details on how you will go about your research, including:

  • your approach and methodology
  • timeline and feasibility
  • all other considerations needed to progress your research, such as resources.

Think of it as a tool that will help you clarify your idea and make conducting your research easier.

How long should it be?

Usually no more than 2000 words, but check the requirements of your degree, and your supervisor or research coordinator.

Presenting your idea clearly and concisely demonstrates that you can write this way – an attribute of a potential research candidate that is valued by assessors.

What should it include?

Project title.

Your title should clearly indicate what your proposed research is about.

Research supervisor

State the name, department and faculty or school of the academic who has agreed to supervise you. Rest assured, your research supervisor will work with you to refine your research proposal ahead of submission to ensure it meets the needs of your discipline.

Proposed mode of research

Describe your proposed mode of research. Which may be closely linked to your discipline, and is where you will describe the style or format of your research, e.g. data, field research, composition, written work, social performance and mixed media etc. 

This is not required for research in the sciences, but your research supervisor will be able to guide you on discipline-specific requirements.

Aims and objectives

What are you trying to achieve with your research? What is the purpose? This section should reference why you're applying for a research degree. Are you addressing a gap in the current research? Do you want to look at a theory more closely and test it out? Is there something you're trying to prove or disprove? To help you clarify this, think about the potential outcome of your research if you were successful – that is your aim. Make sure that this is a focused statement.

Your objectives will be your aim broken down – the steps to achieving the intended outcome. They are the smaller proof points that will underpin your research's purpose. Be logical in the order of how you present these so that each succeeds the previous, i.e. if you need to achieve 'a' before 'b' before 'c', then make sure you order your objectives a, b, c.

A concise summary of what your research is about. It outlines the key aspects of what you will investigate as well as the expected outcomes. It briefly covers the what, why and how of your research. 

A good way to evaluate if you have written a strong synopsis, is to get somebody to read it without reading the rest of your research proposal. Would they know what your research is about?

Now that you have your question clarified, it is time to explain the why. Here, you need to demonstrate an understanding of the current research climate in your area of interest.

Providing context around your research topic through a literature review will show the assessor that you understand current dialogue around your research, and what is published.

Demonstrate you have a strong understanding of the key topics, significant studies and notable researchers in your area of research and how these have contributed to the current landscape.

Expected research contribution

In this section, you should consider the following:

  • Why is your research question or hypothesis worth asking?
  • How is the current research lacking or falling short?
  • What impact will your research have on the discipline?
  • Will you be extending an area of knowledge, applying it to new contexts, solving a problem, testing a theory, or challenging an existing one?
  • Establish why your research is important by convincing your audience there is a gap.
  • What will be the outcome of your research contribution?
  • Demonstrate both your current level of knowledge and how the pursuit of your question or hypothesis will create a new understanding and generate new information.
  • Show how your research is innovative and original.

Draw links between your research and the faculty or school you are applying at, and explain why you have chosen your supervisor, and what research have they or their school done to reinforce and support your own work. Cite these reasons to demonstrate how your research will benefit and contribute to the current body of knowledge.

Proposed methodology

Provide an overview of the methodology and techniques you will use to conduct your research. Cover what materials and equipment you will use, what theoretical frameworks will you draw on, and how will you collect data.

Highlight why you have chosen this particular methodology, but also why others may not have been as suitable. You need to demonstrate that you have put thought into your approach and why it's the most appropriate way to carry out your research. 

It should also highlight potential limitations you anticipate, feasibility within time and other constraints, ethical considerations and how you will address these, as well as general resources.

A work plan is a critical component of your research proposal because it indicates the feasibility of completion within the timeframe and supports you in achieving your objectives throughout your degree.

Consider the milestones you aim to achieve at each stage of your research. A PhD or master's degree by research can take two to four years of full-time study to complete. It might be helpful to offer year one in detail and the following years in broader terms. Ultimately you have to show that your research is likely to be both original and finished – and that you understand the time involved.

Provide details of the resources you will need to carry out your research project. Consider equipment, fieldwork expenses, travel and a proposed budget, to indicate how realistic your research proposal is in terms of financial requirements and whether any adjustments are needed.

Bibliography

Provide a list of references that you've made throughout your research proposal. 

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Graduate Attributes Guidelines

Purpose and context, graduate attributes, embedding and assuring graduate attributes in curriculum, applying graduate attributes.

(1) These Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Curriculum Design and Approvals Policy and associated procedures.

(2) The University Graduate Attributes describe the skills, capabilities, and qualities that students develop at Western Sydney University and are built on the values and principles of the University's Sustaining Success Strategic Plan 2021-2026 .

(3) The University supports the development of the Graduate Attributes through the underlying philosophy of all programs .

(4) The University's curriculum, including flexible program architectures, innovative partnership pedagogies and transdisciplinary experiences, support students to develop the attributes.

(5) The University is committed to ensuring that students develop self-efficacy in learning and graduate with the capacity to participate actively and responsibly in a diverse and changing world.

(6) The Graduate Attributes are life-long aspirational qualities, underpinning transdisciplinary hybrid capabilities that enable Western students to shape their success, create knowledge and engage in social innovation and advocacy for the future of work and society.

(7) The six University Graduate Attributes are:

  • Enacts the principles of intellectual enquiry.
  • Applies knowledge and skills to curate and communicate ideas truthfully, with purpose and impact.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to life-long learning.
  • Actively collaborates in partnership, with respect and reciprocity.
  • Acts ethically and responsibly with and for Indigenous Australian peoples and communities.
  • Contributes to a sustainable, diverse, and socially-just world.

(8) The University Graduate Attributes underpin curriculum development and the design of learning and teaching activities and assessment.

(9) The University Graduate Attributes provide a framework that is embedded into all programs and interpreted and defined in the context of that program . These attributes are articulated in curriculum documentation through Program Learning Outcomes and aligned assessment.

(10) Subject Learning Guides will provide visibility of the development of University Graduate Attributes to students and stakeholders. 

(11) The University's regular program review and assessment processes will be informed by the University Graduate Attributes outcomes via student feedback processes.

(12) The ways in which the Graduate Attributes link to the development of graduates through curriculum, is outlined in Table 1 and additional resources are available here.

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COMMENTS

  1. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

    Research at Western. The award of a PhD is a recognition of successful research experience of international standard in the discipline. Doctorates are completed within 3 years full-time candidature, with a maximum enrolment of four years full time, or part-time equivalent. Candidates undertake their independent research under the expert ...

  2. How to apply for the Doctor of Philosophy and Professional Doctorates

    Step 1 : Review the admission criteria. Western Sydney University must be satisfied that you have the skills and experience to commence independent study at a suitable level for entry into a doctoral program. To be eligible for admission, you must have previously completed at least one of the following degrees: Degrees from a university or ...

  3. Doctorate (PhD)

    Doctorate (PhD) Skip to content If you have problems accessing content on the Western Sydney University website, please contact the Western Sydney University Contact Service Centre on 1300 897 669. Show more links. Governance. Vice-Chancellor; Leadership and Governance; Policies; Education Quality; Sustainability;

  4. Postgraduate Degrees

    Full Time: 6 Months (Available Part Time) Postgraduate. Graduate Certificate in Acute and Critical Care Nursing. Full Time: 6 Months (Available Part Time) Postgraduate. Graduate Certificate in Advanced Imaging (MRI) Part Time: 1 Year. Postgraduate. Graduate Certificate in Aged Care Management.

  5. Doctor of Philosophy/Master of Clinical Psychology

    The PhD in this combined program will engage future clinicians in research. Following commencement of the PhD, the Master of Clinical Psychology complements this study through academic programwork. ... Western Sydney University is a multi-campus institution. The University reserves the right to alter the location of its programs between ...

  6. PhD

    The University of Western Sydney has six campuses located in Greater Western Sydney (GWS) and a mission that links its activities to the development of the region. GWS is a global centre for trade, innovation and learning with the third largest economy in Australia behind the Sydney CBD and Melbourne. Its population is the fastest growing in ...

  7. Doctor of Philosophy by Publication Policy / Policy DDS

    Section 2 - Definitions. A Doctor of Philosophy by Publication, PhD, is a research higher degree of which at least two-thirds of the study must be undertaken as independent research. The Dean is the Dean of a University School. The Director, Research Institute is the Director of a University Research Institute (Institute).

  8. Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.

    A PhD candidate at Western Sydney University will uncover new knowledge either by the discovery of new facts, the formulation of theories or the innovative re-interpretation of known data and established ideas. Your career. As a Doctor of Philosophy graduate, you can look forward to career opportunities in settings such as: ...

  9. Western Sydney University

    Western Sydney University was named #1 in the world for its social, ecological and economic impact in the 2022 and 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings. The rankings assess universities commitment to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are based on universities' teaching, research, outreach and ...

  10. Western Sydney University PhD Projects, Programmes ...

    Native Bees and Crop Pollination. Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE) is offering two PhD scholarships for highly motivated candidates to work within a research group focussed on the biology of insect pollinators and their roles in pollination of fruit and ...

  11. Graduate Studies School Postgraduate Research Scholarship: Design of

    We are now offering a research scholarship to a highly motivated PhD candidate. This PhD scholarship is funded by Graduate Studies School, Western Sydney University and 3rdAxis with $32,200 per year for three years. Tuition fee will be waived by the university for the PhD candidate who is offered the scholarship.

  12. Western Sydney University

    Western Sydney University, formerly the University of Western Sydney, is an Australian multi-campus public research university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.. The university in its current form was founded in 1989 as a federated network university with an amalgamation between the Nepean College of Advanced Education and the Hawkesbury Agricultural College.

  13. Western Sydney University : Rankings, Fees & Courses Details

    Western Sydney University is a world-class university with a growing international reach and reputation for academic excellence and impact-driven research. Ranked amongst the Top 2 percent of universities in the world, we are globally focused, research-led and committed to making a positive impact - at a regional, national and international ...

  14. Research Scholarships

    Western Sydney University Scholarship Release (Q1 2024 commencement) Applications open: 1 st August 2023. Assessment periods: Applications received by: Sunday 17 th September, 2023; ... The Graduate Research School will contact you with further information about research commencement dates.

  15. Home

    From bridging programs to workshops to Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), we have a range of initiatives that give our students the best chance of success. How Western Supports You. Western Sydney University is one of Australia's leading institutions, ranked in the top 250 universities globally. Find out about our degree programs.

  16. Postgraduate research degrees

    Grow professionally and academically through a paid 3-6 month internship with an industry partner as you complete your degree. The University of Sydney has partnered with Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern) to provide domestic and international HDR students with internship opportunities in a range of sectors and disciplines.

  17. Western Sydney University

    The University of Western Sydney (UWS) began operation on 1st January 1989, under the terms of the University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 which had been passed by the New South Wales Parliament in December 1988. However, the predecessors of the University date back as far as 1891 with the establishment of the Hawkesbury Agricultural College.

  18. Locating Theses

    Locating Western Sydney University theses. Details of all research theses (Masters by Research or above) written by postgraduate students at Western Sydney University are available via ResearchDirect. Online access to the full-text is provided in most cases, where permission to publish has been granted by the author.

  19. Western Sydney University Online

    Study at Western Sydney University Online today in an advanced and flexible digital environment. Call 1300 050 928 for more info or apply online. Calendar; 1300 050 928; ... Western Sydney University Online students graduate with a Western Sydney University qualification ...

  20. Western Sydney University Reviews by Students

    WSU is the main university destination for the students of Sydney's expanding western suburbs. If you've studied at the university, feel free to post a review and let others know about your student experience. User Rating 2.72 (186 votes) Reviews of Western Sydney University by students and graduates. Find out what people think.

  21. Western Sydney University

    The Award Verification service provides a searchable database of graduates from the Western Sydney University. The database displays qualifications/awards received by a student including the date of the graduation/conferral. The database is comprehensive from 2003 onwards and contains a majority of the University's earlier graduate records ...

  22. How to write a research proposal

    A research proposal should present your idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition - the what. It should also make a case for why your question is significant and what value it will bring to your discipline - the why. What it shouldn't do is answer the question - that's what your research will do.

  23. Graduate Attributes Guidelines / Policy DDS

    Purpose and Context (1) These Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Curriculum Design and Approvals Policy and associated procedures. (2) The University Graduate Attributes describe the skills, capabilities, and qualities that students develop at Western Sydney University and are built on the values and principles of the University's Sustaining Success Strategic Plan 2021-2026.

  24. Western Sydney University Act 1997 No 116

    (1) The University of Western Sydney is a continuation of, and the same legal entity as, the University of Western Sydney referred to in the repealed Act. (2) Any provision of Schedule 3 (Savings and Transitional Provisions) to the repealed Act that, immediately before the repeal of that Act, had any ongoing operation or effect