Victoria University (VU)

Victoria University (VU) is one of the few Australian universities that is a multi-sector institution (higher education and TAFE). We offer short courses, apprenticeships, certificates, diplomas, degrees and postgraduate studies.

 Our flexible learning pathways means you can choose your own study journey, entering from various points and exiting when you’ve reached your goal.

We have over 50,000 students enrolled at our campuses, primarily located in the western region of Melbourne (Australia) and at international sites. Our teaching, training, research, scholarship and partnerships are locally relevant and globally significant.

Victoria University (VU) was founded in 1916 as Footscray Technical School. After successive mergers with TAFE colleges across Melbourne's western suburbs, Victoria University of Technology was established in 1990, and renamed Victoria University in 2005.

Today, VU is one of the largest and most culturally diverse education institutions in Australia, and one of only five multi-sector universities offering vocational education (TAFE) and higher education courses.

VU now has more than 48,000 enrolled students, which includes more than 13,400 international students studying our courses onshore or with our partner institutions offshore. More than 2700 academics, teaching and general staff join with the University’s students to make VU a university that is excellent, engaged and accessible.

VU maintains strong links with local communities, government and industry, and is distinctive because of its transformational role in improving the lives of people and communities, especially in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne.

The idea for a technical school based in the western suburbs of Melbourne was first proposed in 1910 – a time of great optimism when people believed in the power of technical knowledge to positively transform lives and social conditions. It took more than five years of hard work to raise funds to build the school, but in 1916 the Footscray Technical School finally opened its doors. It would become the founding institution for VU.

Arch Hoadley was the school's principal from its founding until his death in 1947. His vision was to develop in students not only a sound technical knowledge but an appreciation of the arts, sport, outdoor and community activities. Under his leadership the school expanded rapidly and began offering trade certificate courses, diplomas in architecture, building and contracting, as well as evening classes. War and a depression saw a dip in numbers but by 1943 there were 2500 students enrolled on courses taught at the Footscray Park and Nicholson Street Campuses.

The following decade saw a gender and cultural shift. Women first enrolled in the day diploma course in 1959, and changes to the Federal Government's immigration policy saw many more European and Asian names entered on the roll.

In 1958 the school changed its name to the Footscray Technical College. Ten years later it changed its name again, this time to Footscray Institute of Technology (FIT), and in 1972 the secondary school component was separated from the rest of the Institute.

By the mid 1980s the expanded curriculum included degree courses and was well beyond the technical focus of the original Footscray Technical School. In 1990, FIT merged with the Western Institute, which had been founded three years earlier to provide TAFE and higher education courses to the outlying suburbs in Melbourne's west. This led to the establishment of Victoria University of Technology (VUT) in the same year. A further amalgamation occurred in 1998, this time with the Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE. In 2005 VUT was renamed Victoria University.