The university’s mission is to make quality higher education accessible and affordable so students from all walks of life can pursue their dreams.
Torrens University Australia is a private university which was inaugurated by the former U.S. president Bill Clinton in July 2014. It is part of Laureate International Universities, a global network with more than 1,000,000+ students at nearly 60 institutions in more than 20 countries worldwide.
Torrens University was founded on the belief that when students succeed, countries prosper and society benefits. This commitment is expressed through the company’s philosophy of being ‘Here for Good’, is represented by Laureate’s status as a certified B Corporation® and conversion in 2015 to a U.S. Public Benefit Corporation, a new class of corporation committed to creating a positive impact on society.
Torrens University brings an innovative, disruptive and international approach to higher education, aiming to provide graduates with a globally oriented skill set that will make them desirable to employers. It offers a range of career-focused undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Business, Education, Hospitality, Design, Health, Project Management and Sports Management for study on-campus, online or a hybrid of both. Torrens University’s campuses can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, and are led by a team of research and career-oriented academic staff who, combined with a carefully selected group of global industry partners, help students to bridge the gap between study and work.
Torrens University students get direct and personalised access to industry-experienced lecturers and learning facilitators through small class sizes and valuable one-to-one interactions, regardless of whether they study online or on-campus.
The university’s dynamic online learning mode also means you can achieve success on your own time. On-demand access to course materials and content is provided so students can study when it is convenient for them. At specific campuses, hybrid courses are also offered that combine elements of online and face to face learning, so students have the option to select a study mode that best suits their needs.
Torrens University places special emphasis on industry placements for all of its academic programs. Apart from industry collaborations, success coaches play a major role in preparing these students for placements by conducting workshops. Students at Torrens University undertake industry placements with some of the most prestigious organisations in Australia and around the world.
Torrens University students regularly work with leading industry partners, connect with students from across our global network and, thanks to a partnership with Gallup, work with dedicated success coaches to identify and make full use of their strengths.
In 2017, students partnered with the ABC to create a virtual reality product, giving all Australian school students the opportunity to experience the significant history of Kokoda. In April 2018, we launched our first Massive Online Open Course (MOOC), ‘Voices of Autism’, the first of its type to be co-designed and co-delivered by people living with autism. More than 12,000 students from 88 different countries are currently enrolled. These are two important examples of how Torrens University is combining its knowledge and expertise with a vision to make learning accessible and innovative.
President of Torrens University Australia
Linda Brown was appointed President of Torrens University Australia and CEO, Laureate Australia and New Zealand in 2014. Linda is a member of Laureate International Universities’ global OPCOM Board, with operational responsibility for 78,000 employees, over 70 universities in 29 countries, and a member of the IP board, where she is driving the Internationalisation Strategy.
Linda has 25 years of management experience in the education sector in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her background is diverse, incorporating leadership experience in government, the private sector, social enterprise and education.
Linda is an acknowledged educational leader in the Asia Pacific region. She has represented Australia for six years at APEC Women Leaders’ Conference in Asia Pacific and was identified by Management Today as one of “25 Australian women to watch”.
Prior to joining Laureate, Linda was Deputy Vice Chancellor and Director TAFE at Swinburne University, Melbourne where she was responsible for maximizing the dual sector advantage, driving the sustainability and social inclusion strategies across the University and managing the TAFE Division. She was part of the senior executive team which facilitated a highly successful joint venture between SEEK and Swinburne to create Swinburne Online.
Previously, Linda held the position of Director of Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE where she amalgamated three TAFEs in Brisbane and was a senior Queensland Government executive with the Department of Education, Training and the Arts.
Her global business and educational experience includes Corporate CEO, Futures Stockbroker; Managing Director, Dartington, UK; and Director of Stoke-on-Trent FE College. Linda was also part of the UK Government’s rapid response team for the Further Education Funding Council, utilised to turn around failing colleges, and was part of the UK’s ‘think tank’ on education as a global business.
Linda’s qualifications include a Postgraduate Diploma in Education management awarded at the Manchester Metropolitan University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education awarded under the Royal Charter of Council for National Academic Awards.
Student Testimonials
“The reason I chose TUA to study my Masters is that it gave me ultimate flexibility; it allowed me to do a conference call in New York and collaborate with colleagues in London and complete an exam in a hotel room in Perth.” – Garreth Hallaran (Master of Business Administration)
“I want to be able to follow my passion and love for design and see what journey this degree may initiate for the rest of my life. I would like to thank Torrens for providing me with a chance for this amazing opportunity.” – Jessica Alexander (Bachelor of Media Design)