Australian National University

The Australian National University is a public research university in Canberra, Australia, founded in 1946 by the Australian Parliament. It began as a research-only institution and later added undergraduate teaching, remaining a national university with a strong graduate and research profile. The main Acton campus occupies a peninsula in the capital, adjacent to government and national cultural institutions.

Academic work is organized in colleges of science, engineering and computing, Asia and the Pacific, business and economics, arts and social sciences, law, and health and medicine. The John Curtin School of Medical Research and other research schools are central for doctoral students. Asia-Pacific studies, physics, astronomy, politics, and economics are fields long associated with ANU.

Enrollment is about 25,000 students, with a high postgraduate share. International students make up more than 40 percent of enrollment and come from more than 100 countries. Astronomer Brian Schmidt, a Nobel laureate, has served on the faculty. Alumni include former prime minister Kevin Rudd and other figures in Australian public service and science.

Graduate degrees include coursework master's, research master's, and Ph.D. programs, with joint and dual awards in some fields. Research students work under a supervisor and panel in the Australian model. The calendar is the southern-hemisphere semester system, with a main intake in February. Scholarships and research stipends are the usual support for doctoral candidates. Canberra is a planned capital; graduate life is campus-centered, with access to national libraries, archives, and government internships.

In the Grad School Navigator directory, Australian National University lists 46 graduate programs across 27 subjects: 38 master's programs and 6 doctoral programs, with the widest choice in business & management, physics and economics. Australian National University holds rank 56 in the GSN Overall University Ranking.