World renowned for design: QS ranks Swinburne in top 50
In Summary
- Art and Design ranked top 50
- Civil and Structural Engineering ranked top 200
- Communication and Media Studies ranked top 200
Swinburne has again been recognised as having one of the best design schools in the world by the 2016 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
Ranked at number 32 for Art and Design, Swinburne is one of only three institutions in Melbourne to be listed in the top 50 for this subject.
Executive Dean of Swinburne’s Faculty of Heath, Arts and Design, Professor Scott Thompson-Whiteside, says the university is tremendously proud of the recognition.
“Our design disciplines have been recognised for the quality of our graduates, our levels of industry engagement and our international collaborations with some of the best design schools worldwide,” says Professor Thompson-Whiteside.
“It also recognises the strength of our design research and our ability to integrate design with other disciplines across the university.”
“Our undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs bring together students, industry and researchers to produce outcome-focussed projects, not only in Melbourne but internationally as well.”
A strong foundation for rankings success
The Melbourne Design Factory, a key pillar of Swinburne’s Innovation Precinct, is a unique platform that has allowed Swinburne to focus on interdisciplinary projects and strengthen the university’s art and design areas.
Design is an important component of many research activities at Swinburne. For example, Swinburne’s Centre for Design Innovation is helping to develop the next-generation of condoms. 2015 saw the research team run a competition to re-design the branding and packaging of condoms, in a bid to increase condom usage in third-world countries.
Other recent highlights from Swinburne’s Art and Design area include:
- Nathan Kotlarewski, a PhD student, received an International Green Award for a project that sought an alternative use for balsa wood, found in Papua New Guinea
- Jesse Leeworthy, a product design engineering graduate, co-founded a sustainable drink bottle company, memobottle, which is now available in over 70 countries worldwide
- Swinburne formed an official partnershipwith one of China’s most prestigious design, research and innovation institutions, Tongji University, which will see the development of a joint PhD program.
Swinburne’s School of Design is based at the Hawthorn campus, and is housed in the university’s newest building, the Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre.
This is the second year in a row that Swinburne has ranked in the top 100 for Art and Design by the QS World University Rankings by Subject.
Other notable Swinburne rankings in the QS World University Rankings by Subject include:
The QS subject rankings draw on a methodology similar to that used for the overall QS World University Rankings, with institutions scored for academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact.