Melbourne Polytechnic
Melbourne Polytechnic, formerly NMIT, is an institute of higher education and vocational education located in Melbourne, Australia that has been operating since 1912, and aided by a $19 million grant from the Victorian Government.
A wide selection of study options in vocational education are offered from short courses, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and traineeships through to certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and onto higher education, tertiary degrees under the Australian Qualifications Framework. In 2013, there were 511 Full Time Equivalent teaching staff and 348.5 support staff employed by Melbourne Polytechnic delivering over 500 courses. There were 50,203 total enrolments as of November 2014 including 6,284 off-shore students at overseas partner institutions.
Melbourne Polytechnic is the largest provider of primary industry training in Victoria and one of the largest in Australia offering a diverse range of courses from practical short-courses to a Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology focusing on Viticulture, Agronomy, and Agribusiness.
Management and organisation structure
Melbourne Polytechnic is managed by a board of eleven directors appointed by the Victorian State Government with the Chief Executive appointed by the board. Recent Chief Executives appointments have included Brian MacDonald, Dr Andrew Giddy, Ron Gauci and Rob Wood. On 20 October 2017, Frances Coppolillo was appointed as Chief Executive.Currently, the CE has six direct reports comprising Academic Operations; Curriculum Innovation and Teaching Excellence; Student Engagement, International and Community Partnerships; Strategy, Performance and Governance; People and Corporate Services; and Infrastructure, Sustainability and Precincts.
Faculties
Melbourne Polytechnic is structured with four faculties each containing a number of Vocational education and training Teaching Departments and Higher Education programs. During 2014, under the interim CEO leadership of Ron Gauci, the Institute undertook a major restructure reducing the teaching faculties from six to four. An International Office coordinates enrolment and services provided to international students studying at Melbourne Polytechnic. Many of the bachelor's degree courses have associate degrees embedded within them for an interim qualification and exit point after 2 years study.| Faculty | VET Teaching Departments | Higher Education |
| Foundation and Prepraratory Studies |
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| Food, Plant and Animal | Includes arboriculture, agriculture, civil construction, conservation and land management, Farriery, Floristry, horse breeding, horticulture, landscaping, meat processing, veterinary nursing, warehousing. |
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| Engineering, Design and Construction |
| Sustainable Design and Construction
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| Health and Education | Includes courses on aged care, aromatherapy, community services work, disability, early childhood education, fitness, massage, pathology, sport development. | |
| Creative Arts |
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| Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
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Courses
Short courses
Short vocational courses are offered in a variety of areas including: Beauty, Drafting, Multimedia, Hospitality, HR, IT, massage, Office Administration, Welding, Microsoft Certified Professional and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Computer Aided Drafting, and Cisco Certified Network Associate and Cisco Certified Network Professional. Courses in IELTS – International English Language Testing system – are run from Preston and Collingwood campuses to enhance the English skills of students from non-English speaking backgrounds, particularly international students.Certificate and diploma courses
As a major vocational education provider in Melbourne Melbourne Polytechnic offers Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses across all Faculties and teaching departments with many of the courses open for international students to enrol.Degree courses
In 2002 the Victorian Education Minister, Lynne Kosky, announced that TAFEs would be able to offer bachelor's degrees in specialised vocational areas not catered for by universities. Legislation was passed in 2003 and NMIT became the first Victorian TAFE to offer an undergraduate degree in 2004: The Bachelor of Applied Aquaculture course with the first students enrolling at the start of 2005.Melbourne Polytechnic has since added undergraduate degree courses in Viticulture and Winemaking, Equine Studies, Australian Popular Music, Hospitality Management, Illustration, Accounting, and two in Early Years Education. In 2012 new bachelor's degrees are being launched in Business, Information Technology, and Music Industry.
Associate Degrees are also offered in Accounting, Agriculture and Technology, Business, Early Years Studies, Equine Studies, Illustration, Information Technology, International Business, and International Business Management, Music, Music Industry, Writing and Publishing, and Tertiary Studies.
The 2014 Annual report states that two new master's degree courses have been accredited by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency for delivery: in Creative Industries, and Practising and Professional Accounting.
Bachelor of Accounting
Bachelor and associate degree program in Accounting started in 2011, with a particular focus on a sustainability and environmental management.
Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology – Aquaculture
The Bachelor of Aquaculture at Melbourne Polytechnic was the first full-time course in applied aquaculture and aquatic environmental management at the bachelor's degree level to be offered by a Victorian TAFE institute. Aquaculture research has included captive breeding of Murray Cod and biodiesel from microalgae as part of this degree program. In 2014 this degree became the Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology, delivered by Melbourne Polytechnic, but accredited by La Trobe University.
Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology – Viticulture and Winemaking
Melbourne Polytechnic has been running wine training at its Epping campus since 1993 and in the Yarra Valley since 1994. The Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking degree commenced in February 2006 using the marketing label of Australian College of Wine, established by NMIT in 2001 to enable training in viticulture, winemaking and hospitality. This label was discontinued in favour of the Northern Estates label, launched in 2010. In 2014 this degree became the Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology, delivered by Melbourne Polytechnic, but accredited by La Trobe University.
Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology – Agronomy, Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology – Agribusiness
The former Bachelor of Agriculture and Land Management degree was reformulated in 2014 as the Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology, delivered by Melbourne Polytechnic, but accredited by La Trobe University. It has majors in Agronomy and Agribusiness.
Bachelor of Built Environment
A new degree in architecture launched in the second semester of 2015.
Bachelor of Business
The Bachelor of Business commenced enrolments in 2012.
Bachelor of Education , Bachelor of Early Years Studies
In 2011 the Institute offered 2 Bachelor's degrees in early childhood education: a 4-year Bachelor of Education degree, a 3-year Bachelor of Early Years Studies, and a 2-year associate degree in Early Years Studies. They are the first training courses run by a TAFE Institute in Victoria that has achieved registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
Bachelor of Equine Studies
The degree in Equine studies has been hailed as the first course of its kind in Australia and a forerunner in higher education needed to professionalise the equine industry. Previous courses were only available at the Certificate or Diploma level at a variety of regional TAFEs. The course is based at Melbourne Polytechnic's thoroughbred stud, Northern Lodge, north of Melbourne, which has sold its yearlings for up to $125,000 as part of its commercial activities. Northern Lodge was established in 1993 comprising plus an adjoining property on a long term-lease for the stud farm, training track and a vineyard.
Bachelor of Engineering Technology
Civil Engineering bachelor and associate degree course program delivered from 2014.
Bachelor of Hospitality Management
The Bachelor of Hospitality Management commenced in 2008. The course integrates hospitality management and business management, and utilises Melbourne Polytechnic's specialist hospitality industry facilities and resources in conjunction with Hospitality Certificate and Diploma level courses.
Bachelor of Information Technology
The Bachelor of Information Technology commenced enrolments in 2012.
Bachelor of Music
The 3-year bachelor's degree include studies in jazz, classical, pop/rock, and world music and is structured around four strands : music tools and language; music practice; applying music technology and music and culture; and creativity and the music business. The course is taught by musicians and music educators: Eugene Ball and Adrian Sherriff. It joins the other music industry courses at the Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels that have been offered by Melbourne Polytechnic since 1986 in sound production, music business, and music performance. Melbourne Polytechnic has also introduced online courses in Songwriting, Arranging and Copyright for musicians which are units in its National Music Training Package.
Bachelor of Music Industry
The three-year Bachelor of Music Industry degree was launched in 2011, with ARIA award-winning musician Greg Arnold as the first academic program head. Students are able to select a major to specialise in including songwriting, sound production or music management.
Associate Degree of Veterinary Nursing
In 2015 Melbourne Polytechnic launched an associate degree of Veterinary Nursing based at the Epping campus, with new Veterinary training facilities. While Veterinary Nursing degrees have been offered for about 14 years in Great Britain, this is the first of its type to be presented in Australia.
Myerscough College in the UK advised upon and reviewed the degree program materials for the course. An agreement with the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne provides clinical placements and an end of course internship program for students.
Master of Creative Industries
The Master of Creative Industries curriculum model is based upon three thematic streams. These are Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation, Applied Creative Research and Creative Practice and Interdisciplinarity.