Griffith University was originally opened in Nathan, Queensland, as a single campus of 451 students, but has expanded to include five campuses in three cities, the largest of which is the Gold Coast campus at Southport and the Nathan campus in Brisbane. The Mount Gravatt and South Bank campuses are also located in Brisbane, while the Logan campus is at Meadowbrook.[11][12]
Griffith University, with about 50,000 students enrolled from more than 130 countries,[13] is a verdant university and a member of the IRU. According to the 2021 Student Experience Survey, it has the ninth-highest student satisfaction rating among all Australian universities[14] and, since 2012, has received more Australian Awards for University Teaching than any other Australian university.[15]
History
Beginning
In 1965, 174 hectares (430 acres) of natural bushland at Nathan was set aside for a new university campus.[16] Initially, the site was to be part of the University of Queensland, which was experiencing strong demand in humanities and social sciences.[16] By 1970, a new tertiary institution was being mooted, and Theodor Bray (later Sir Theodor Bray) was asked by the Queensland Government to establish a second for Brisbane and the third for the state.[clarification needed]
After several months of discussion, the government announced on 24 December 1970 that Bray would head a committee charged with establishing Griffith University.[17]
On 30 September 1971, the Queensland Government officially created and recognised Griffith University with the passing of the Assent to Griffith University Act 1971.[17] On 5 March 1975, Griffith University began teaching 451 students in four schools: Australian Environmental Studies, Humanities, Modern Asian Studies, and Science.[11]
Expansion
In the 1990s, the Dawkins Revolution saw several tertiary education reforms in Australia, resulting in a series of amalgamations of colleges and universities. In 1990, the Mount Gravatt Teachers College (est. 1969) and Gold Coast College of Advanced Education (est. 1987) became official campuses of Griffith University, remaining in the same location today. The Queensland Conservatorium of Music continued the higher education mergers and became an official part of Griffith University in 1991. Originally established in 1957, the new entity became known as Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. In 1992, Griffith's amalgamations were completed with the Queensland College of Art (QCA), established in 1881 and recognised as the oldest continuously operating art training institution in Australia, officially becoming part of the university.[17]
Griffith's fifth campus, Logan, opened in 1998. Located in the suburb of Meadowbrook, on an area of green fields south of Brisbane, the Logan campus was established to specifically address the interests and needs of the Logan City area.[12]
Griffith University was an official Partner of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Over 500 students and staff were closely involved in the planning and delivery of the event.[18]
Campuses
Griffith University's campuses are distinctive for their nature-based settings within urban environments.
Library at the Griffith University Gold Coast campus.Griffith University (Nathan campus) from Stadium Path
Gold Coast campus
The Gold Coast campus is located in the Gold Coast suburb of Southport. Set in native bushland, on the land of the Aboriginal Yugambeh and Kombumerri peoples,[19] this campus hosts over 19,000 students.[13]
Hosting approximately 2,000 students, Logan campus offers degrees in human services and social work, nursing and midwifery, business, and education.[20]
Nathan campus
Nathan, Griffith's foundation campus, is situated on the edge of Toohey Forest approximately 10 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD. Nathan hosts over 13,000 students and offers degrees in business and government, engineering and information technology, environment, humanities and languages, law, and science and aviation.[21]
The buildings at the Nathan campus were designed to fit into the environment by Roger Kirk Johnson, the founding architectural designer of the campus, following the slope of the land and using architectural means of cooling.[16] The library building was designed by Robin Gibson and won the first national award for library design. The clusters of buildings, sports facilities, bushland reserves, and recreational areas are connected by integrated networks of walking paths. On the northern edge of the campus lies the Dunn Memorial.[22]
In 2013, the six-star,[23] green-rated Sir Samuel Griffith Centre was opened on the Nathan campus. The building operates off the grid and is powered by a combination of photovoltaics and hydrogen.[24] The campus has two residential colleges for students and a range of sporting facilities.[25]
Mount Gravatt campus
Queensland Conservatorium of Music
The Mount Gravatt campus, adjacent to the Nathan campus, hosts 4,400 students. It is the university's social sciences and humanities hub and the base for research into crucial social issues, including education and suicide prevention.[26] The campus is situated on the edge of Toohey Forest. The campus includes an aquatic and fitness centre, with a heated pool and indoor and outdoor recreation areas, co-located with a 16-court tennis centre, a training oval, and basketball and netball courts. On-campus student accommodation is also available.[27]
On 6 September 2024, Griffith University announced that they would be purchasing the historic Treasury Building in Brisbane, and converting it into the university’s sixth teaching campus, which will open in 2027. The new campus will accommodate students and staff from the Schools of Business, IT and Law, and will also serve as a centre for “postgraduate and executive education”.[29]
Organisation
Griffith University is structured in four academic groups, with teaching offered through a range of schools, colleges, and departments.[30]
Arts, Education, and Law
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
School of Education and Professional Studies
School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science
In Australia, Griffith University ranks 18th out of 39 universities as of 2025[update].[42] As of 2022[update] Griffith is in the top 300 universities worldwide in three major world rankings; QS World University Rankings (QS)[citation needed], Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE-WUR),[43] and University Rankings by Academic Performance (URAP).[44]
Griffith also ranks highly as a young university, ranking 33rd in the 2021 QS University Rankings Top 50 Under 50[45] and 35th in the 2024 Times Higher Education Young University Rankings.[46]
Griffith has several top-ranking subjects according to the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022:[47]
Top 10
Hospitality and Tourism Management (third globally, first in Australia)
Nursing and Midwifery (second globally, first in Australia)
Top 40–100
Computer Science and Engineering
Dentistry and Oral Sciences (second in Australia)
Education
Energy Science and Engineering
Law (first in Australia)
Marine/Ocean Engineering (third in Australia)
Water Resources
Top 101–150
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Environmental Science and Engineering
Geography
Materials Science and Engineering
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Public Administration
According to Excellence in Research for Australia (2018), Griffith was rated ‘well above world standard’ in 24 fields of research, including chemical sciences, dentistry, political science, and technology.[48]
MBA
The Griffith MBA (Griffith Business School) is ranked among Australia's leading MBA programs in CEO Magazine and its 2022 MBA Rankings.[49] The rankings are compiled by the International Graduate Forum and are designed to present a 360-degree view of the world's leading business schools. The Griffith MBA is placed fourth in the top tier of Australian programs. It also features in the magazine's top 20 Global MBA Rankings.
The MBA is also the highest-ranking Australian MBA in the Aspen Institute's Centre for Business Education's most recent Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global Top 100, ranked at number 26.[50] Griffith University was awarded this ranking for its focus on responsible leadership, sustainable business practices and the Asia-Pacific. It was also acknowledged as one of Australia's best, ranking fifth in Australia in the 2019 Financial ReviewBOSS Magazine MBA Survey.[51]
Teaching awards
Griffith features prominently in Australia's national teaching awards and citations. Since 2012, Griffith has won 10 awards for Teaching Excellence, 7 awards for Programs that Enhance Learning, 46 Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, and 7 National Teaching Fellowships[citation needed]. Three Griffith staff have been named the Prime Minister's Australian Teacher of the Year.[52]
Research
Griffith researchers work in 38 centres and institutes, investigating areas such as water science, climate change adaptation, criminology and crime prevention, sustainable tourism, and health and chronic disease.
The university's major research institutes include:
Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT)
Australian Rivers Institute
Cities Research Institute
Environmental Futures Research Institute
Griffith Asia Institute
Griffith Criminology Institute
Griffith Institute for Educational Research
Griffith Institute for Tourism
Institute for Glycomics
Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems
Menzies Health Institute Queensland (formerly the Griffith Health Institute)
Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD)
Additionally, Griffith hosts several externally supported centres and facilities, including:
Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention
National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
Smart Water Research Centre
NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Nursing
Research commercialization
Griffith offers research commercialization and services for business, industry, and government through Griffith Enterprise.
Other centres
As well as research centres and institutes, Griffith has several cultural and community-focused organizations. These include the EcoCentre, which provides a space for environmental education activities, exhibitions, seminars, and workshops; and the Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue (formerly the Multi-Faith Centre).
Recognised research
In 2021, a research team led by the university discovered a new type of tree frog in New Guinea which is commonly known as the "chocolate frog".[53]
Student life
Student organisations
Nathan, Logan, Southbank, and Mt Gravatt
Griffith University has a wide array of cultural, intellectual, sporting, and social groups. On the Nathan campus, Campus Life[54] supports many clubs and societies including political and religious affiliated organisations. The Griffith University Student Representative Council (GUSRC) represents undergraduate students and the Griffith University Postgraduate Students Association (GUPSA) represents post-graduate students in all campuses apart from the Gold Coast. GUPSA is a constituent member of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.
Gold Coast
The students of the Gold Coast campus are uniquely represented by board members of the Student Guild,[55] as defined by the Griffith University Act 1998,[56] and Student Guild staff manages clubs and societies on the Gold Coast campus, as well as student issues related to academic and student advocacy, financial and legal issues, wellbeing, and welfare. The Student Guild Board[57] is an elected group of students that represent all Gold Coast students, while the Gold Coast Association of Postgraduates (GCAP)[58] represents postgraduate students. The Student Guild receives SSAF funding from Griffith University to support the management and provision of services and funding to student-led clubs and societies.
Student Academy of Excellence
The Student Academy of Excellence,[59] formerly Griffith Honours College, offers high-achieving students potential opportunities to enrich their university experience through mentoring, international experiences, leadership roles, and community engagement activities.
Griffith Sports College
Students who are elite athletes are eligible to join Griffith Sports College, which provides support by helping them balance sporting and university commitments. The Griffith Sports College supports elite athletes to achieve sporting and academic excellence. Distinguished alumni spans 82 Olympians, 13 Paralympians and many Commonwealth Games athletes, including Emma McKeon, Madison de Rozario, Cameron McEvoy, and Ashleigh Gentle.
UniSport Nationals
Griffith University's Beach Volleyball Team at the UniSport Nationals 2023 held on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Griffith University competes in Australia's largest annual multi-sport event hosts 42 member universities that compete against each other in 31 different sports.[60] Griffith Sport supports Griffith Team Leaders to assist in the coordination and management of their respective sports teams. Sporting clubs are vital conduits for fostering and facilitating participation in national-level competitions such as UniSport Nationals. Student engagement in these competitions are a fulfilling and engaging experience that helps build a sense of pride and belonging within the university community.[61]
GUMURRII Student Support Unit
The GUMURRII Student Support Unit (SSU)[62] is the heart of Griffith's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and is located on each of Griffith's five campuses. GUMURRII is a dedicated Student Support Unit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff assist students from recruitment to orientation, providing undergraduate and postgraduate support through to graduation and beyond.
Griffith College
Located on Griffith University's Mount Gravatt and Gold Coast campuses, Griffith College, formerly the Queensland Institute of Business and Technology, offers undergraduate diplomas in a range of areas, which provide a pathway into many of Griffith's degree programs.
Griffith English Language Institute
Students from non-English-speaking backgrounds can study English at the Griffith English Language Institute (GELI). A wide range of English language courses is available to help students improve their English for work, travel, study, or everyday purposes.
Kinaba, KGBC colleges, Griffith University Nathan campus
Griffith University has four residential colleges, with two located on its Nathan campus and one each on its Mt Gravatt and Gold Coast campuses. The three colleges located in Brisbane compete in the sporting Inter-College Cup, also known as the ICC. The premier event of the ICC is the Phar Cup, where both female and male teams compete in rugby league matches against each other. The colleges are as follows:
Bellenden Ker College, a.k.a. BK, is a co-educational college located on the Nathan Campus in the Toohey forest reserve.
KGBC, also known as "The Flats", consist of four co-educational undergraduate and postgraduate apartments on the Nathan Campus.
Mt Gravatt College, a.k.a. MG, is a co-educational college located on the Mt Gravatt Campus which itself sits on the hill for which the surrounding suburbs are named.
Griffith University Village is a collection of co-ed apartments on the Gold Coast Campus.
Safe Campuses initiative
Between 2011 and 2016, there were 46 officially reported cases of sexual abuse and harassment on campus released by the university, resulting in no expulsions and one six-month suspension, the highest reported stats in Queensland at the time.[63] This was fewer than the 2017 Australian Human Rights Commission report on sexual assault and harassment, which found reported figures higher than this.[64]
Following the release of the report, Griffith University established the Safe Campuses Taskforce.[65] The Taskforce and its working parties are working to ensure Griffith's campuses provide safe, inclusive and respectful environments for all students and staff.
Griffith University has over 300,000 alumni.[66] Notable graduates have been journalists, musicians, actors, artists, filmmakers, photographers, athletes, activists, and politicians in the Parliament of Australia and the Parliament of Queensland.
