About University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame is a private Catholic University, extending from the West Coast of Australia in the beautiful and historic City of Fremantle, to the North-West town of Broome and across the continent to the heart of Sydney.We embrace the ancient and esteemed traditions of Catholic Universities in Europe, North America and 2000 years of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. We welcome people of all faiths or none at all. As an academic community, we welcome open and rigorous enquiry, debate and discussion.

We have an enrolment of over 12,000 students and offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Our student experience, employment and graduate outcomes are the best in New South Wales and Western Australia, and among the very best in Australia.We provide our students with the theoretical knowledge and professional skills which will empower them to realise their potential, build interconnectedness with all peoples and willingly serve the community through active participation, engagement and reflection.

We have a powerful commitment to honouring the individual and recognise that each student is graced with their own gifts and talents. We believe that higher education should prepare students for a rich, fulfilling and reflective life, not just a career path.We are a modern Catholic University, operating in a world in which the vast speed of change is felt in nearly all aspects of our daily lives. We bring to bear our traditions and our values to engage in scholarship and research, to address the developments and challenges of the modern world, to serve the common good and to assist all our students to achieve the academic excellence that we promote and expect.

• Our Objects
  The University’s Objects are at the heart of all we do as a Catholic university.The founding Objects reflect our distinct educational style, an experience that follows the traditions and practices within the Catholic intellectual tradition while welcoming students of all faiths and beliefs from around the world.The Objects are defined in Section 5 of the Act of Parliament of Western Australia which marked Notre Dame’s establishment in December 1989. Our Objects have guided our growth and development from a small but enthusiastic intake of just 50 postgraduate Education students on our Fremantle Campus in 1992 – to today’s vibrant community of more than 12,000 students across all three Campuses.
• Catholic Intellectual Tradition
  In today’s world, thinking critically and creatively are essential life skills.Notre Dame degrees, based in the Catholic intellectual tradition of liberal education, equip students with an increased ability to think and reason, a vital advantage not only during study but far beyond to their professional and personal lives.Students are encouraged to expand their minds. They learn to think creatively and critically, to see the world, its opportunities and their place in it more clearly. They learn to learn for life.We do this through our Core Curriculum courses in Philosophy, Theology and Ethics which are part of all Notre Dame degrees. They are designed to provide a unique and enduring advantage in all aspects of daily life.Through these courses students develop invaluable skills and graduate with the ability to think and reason – skills valued highly by employers.From a student point of view, we provide everything you would expect to find at any Australian university and more. At Notre Dame you will have an exceptional educational experience designed to set you up for life and a great career.
• Our Vision
  Now in the third decade of our existence as a university, we seek to realise our potential as a leading Catholic university in the competitive and shifting higher education environment nationally and internationally.Our distinctive contribution to intellectual and public life is based on our commitment to the harmony of faith and reason at the centre of Catholic discourse. This commitment underpins our vision of fidelity to the Church, full participation in academic life and committed service to the Catholic and wider communities.
• Governance
  The governance structure of Notre Dame is determined by, and stems from, its Act of Parliament and Statutes. These specify the source, role and functions of its Trustees, Board of Directors and Board of Governors, and the Principal Officers and academic leaders of the University.
• Learning and Teaching at Notre Dame
  At The University of Notre Dame Australia we take a 360-degree view of our commitment to student support. We believe our students can only fulfil their potential if they have the benefit of a high-quality education experience. So, rather than operating as a discrete entity which works in isolation from the day-to-day practices of learning and teaching, our Learning and Teaching Office (LTO) works in partnership with the academics at the coalface.One component of this partnership is to provide academics with Continuing Professional Learning (CPL) opportunities in the form of workshops, forums, seminars and one-to-one consultations. Our CPL program is informed by priority areas outlined in the University’s Learning and Teaching Strategic Plan as well as a series of ‘hot topics’ and key concerns in the higher education sector. Keynote speakers, both internal and external to the University, are featured as an integral part of the program – an initiative that is designed to bring new perspectives, enrich conversations and provide opportunities for further learning.The LTO also delivers the Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching for Higher Education (GCLTHE), a qualification that introduces academics to contemporary theories and evidence-based practices of learning and teaching in higher education. Feedback from participants shows that they greatly value the learning opportunities provided by this graduate certificate. The LTO also offers e-Resources including ‘micro-modules’. Academics completing a set of modules and an assessment may apply for credit towards their GCLTHE.
• Employment
  An exceptional educational experience requires exceptional people.The University of Notre Dame Australia offers an exceptional educational experience for its 12,000+ students coast to coast. This is made possible by our 700+ dedicated staff across our three Campuses in Fremantle, Broome and Sydney, and our seven Clinical Schools in NSW and Victoria.The University seeks to recruit outstanding people who understand and respect our Objects, and have the skill, experience, qualifications, drive and persistence to pursue them. We expect our staff to be committed to excellence, to be creative, resourceful, self-initiating, and caring of each other and their students.We want our students to grow in all aspects of their lives – intellectually and spiritually.We achieve this through providing a liberal arts education in the Catholic intellectual tradition. As a young and innovative university, we are dedicated to providing a personal service to our students and adopting a caring approach to learning. Providing high quality university teaching, and professional work experience opportunities are critical to preparing our students for life and great career.