History of UQ
Established through a 1909 Act of State Parliament, The University of Queensland and was the first university in the state and was officially founded on April 16, 1910, with the gazettal of appointments to the first UQ Senate. Teaching started in 1911 in Old Government House in George Street, Brisbane. In the first year there were three faculties – Arts, Science and Engineering – and 83 students (60 men and 23 women).
After World War I, the University expanded rapidly and soon outgrew its inner-city location. In 1922, an additional site in Victoria Park (now occupied by the Medical School) was secured. Four years later, Dr James O’Neil Mayne and his sister Miss Mary Emelia Mayne provided funds to buy the St Lucia site where the University’s main campus is now located. Construction started on the St Lucia site in 1937 and the first building, later named the Forgan Smith Building after the Premier of the day, was completed in 1939. During World War II, it became the advanced headquarters for the Allied Land Forces in the South West Pacific.
In 1990, the University merged with the Queensland Agricultural College at (now Gatton), 80 kilometres west of Brisbane, resulting in the union of the two oldest higher education institutions in the State and producing a substantial increase in enrolments. The former Queensland Agricultural College enrolled its first students in 1897 and the two institutions had a long history of cooperation in teaching and research activities.
In 1999, UQ opened a major campus in the provincial centre of Ipswich, taking over a site previously used by the Challinor Centre mental health facility. In January 2015 this campus transferred to the University of Southern Queensland but UQ continued to teach at the USQ Ipswich campus until 2016 to assist particular students complete their studies.
Established in 2010, UQ’s major clinical health and research teaching location at Herston is now UQ's third campus.
Why choose UQ?
Inspiring campuses in a vibrant city
Feel welcome from the moment you arrive in Queensland. With world-class learning and research facilities, a vibrant city centre and famous beaches within driving distance, our campuses are your ideal place to study, work and live.
Student Services
Student Services staff help UQ students and staff manage personal, career, welfare and learning issues. The service, located in the Student Support Services Building (Building 21D), operates from 8.30am until 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
UQ Union
UQU provides services designed to support and empower students at every stage of their experience at UQ. These services include legal, education and employment advice, migration support, environmental initiatives, and welfare assistance. The Union operates multiple food and beverage outlets on campus, which you can recognise by their UQU smiley. Additionally, the Union funds and champions 220+ clubs and societies, as well as women's, international, queer, student rights and Goorie Berrimpa collectives.
Safety awareness
The University developed its safety awareness program to maximise personal safety on campus. At UQ it includes services such as a safety bus, an escort service and a network of emergency call points on the St Lucia and Gatton campuses.
Child care
Childcare, kindergarten and after-school-care facilities (all independently operated) are available to UQ staff and students on or near all University of Queensland campuses.
Proven graduate outcomes
At UQ, we're committed to enriching your studies and developing your employability to prepare you for a career you'll love. We support you to gain knowledge, leadership skills and adopt an innovative mindset
Learn from industry leaders and experts
You'll be inspired by passionate and engaging lecturers who are ready to empower you with the skills, confidence and knowledge you need to face a future of unknowns.
One of the world's most respected universities
The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions. We strive for excellence through the creation, preservation, transfer and application of knowledge. For more than a century, we have educated and worked with outstanding people to deliver knowledge leadership for a better world.
Some Highlights:-
Top 50 worldwide
#43 in QS World University Rankings 2024
Graduate employability
#1 in Queensland for graduate employability
Leading innovation
#37 for Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities 2023
World rankings
UQ ranks among the world’s top universities, as measured by several key independent rankings, including the U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings 2023 (36), the Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities 2023 (37), CWTS Leiden Ranking 2023 (35), QS World University Rankings 2024 (43), Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023 (51), and Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 (70).
213 Fellows of Australia’s 5 learned academies – AAS, AAHMS, ASSA, ATSE, and AAH – are UQ staff (including honorary and adjunct appointments) and emeritus professors.
UQ is one of only 4 Australian members of the global Universitas 21, a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8) universities, and a member of Universities Australia.
Teaching and learning excellence
Skilled and motivated teachers are integral to providing positive teaching and learning outcomes for students.
UQ has a strong focus on teaching excellence, having won more Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) than any other university in the country and attracting the majority of Queensland's highest academic achievers, as well as top interstate and overseas students. We are committed to excellence in learning experiences and outcomes for our students.
edX
In late 2013, UQ joined edX – the world’s leading consortium of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), jointly founded in 2012 by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and acquired by 2U in late 2021. UQ is a charter member, with a seat on the edX University Advisory Board. The UQx project in the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation works with the University’s academic staff to create and present a range of MOOCs to further UQ’s Student Strategy goals for on-campus teaching.
UQx currently has 65 MOOCs and 12 programs running on edX, including 3 MicroMasters, 6 Professional Certificates, 2 XSeries and one online master's degree program, with more under development. UQx MOOCs cover subjects drawn from many disciplines, along with meta-skills courses in employability and teamwork. Since releasing its first course in March 2014, UQx has registered more than 5 million participants representing every country.
Student experience
Students can enrich their experience and ‘get the edge’ by engaging in a range of development opportunities where they can learn to identify the capabilities and attributes they've developed through these experiences, and learn to talk about their potential in a way that employers understand. This will empower them to become leaders in their chosen field and positively impact society and the communities in which they live.
In addition to flexible program choices, students can get involved in a range of activities during their studies, including global experiences, participating in conferences and research opportunities, accessing more than 200 clubs and societies, and making use of a wide range of sporting and cultural facilities.
In 2023, the University had more than 55,000 students including around 21,500 international students from 141 countries. UQ’s 20,000 postgraduate students include a large PhD cohort, and we recently celebrated our 17,700th PhD graduation. UQ is continually discovering and practising innovative approaches to fostering student retention and employability. We work towards achieving our strategic objectives by partnering with students to develop new initiatives to enhance the student experience.
Notable alumni
The University’s outstanding 332,000+ alumni include a Nobel laureate, an Academy Award winner, and leaders in government, law, science, public service and the arts. The University celebrates its alumni as its greatest assets. Their achievements reflect well on the University and, in return, we work hard to strengthen our reputation.
Research focus
The UQ Graduate School offers significant support to higher degree by research (HDR) students through a broad range of scholarships and research travel awards, dedicated office spaces, skills training, and professional development opportunities. We introduced the Career Development Framework – another first nationally – designed to accelerate HDR students’ career development and enhance their employability. Evidence indicates that the University’s research excels in both quality and impact.
