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SAE is now a University College

SAE Creative Media Institute has welcomed the decision to designate it a ‘University College’.

The decision, made on 22 December 2023, reinforces SAE’s position as a leader in creative media education and is a recognition of its sustained delivery of quality and excellence in this area.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s (TEQSA’s) University College category is reserved for the highest performing Institutes of Higher Education.

SAE Australia’s General Manager, Dr Luke McMillan, said the transformation into a University College was a testament to the sustained excellence of the college and the dedication of its staff.

“We are thrilled to announce that SAE has been designated a University College, a recognition that honours our more than 40 years of dedication to the creative industries,” said Dr McMillan.

“We pride ourselves on providing a learning environment where individuals from all backgrounds can explore and develop their creative talents. This marks a significant contribution to the diversity and richness of the Australian Higher Education landscape.”

Dr McMillan said the new category designation recognises SAE’s superior student outcomes, processes for quality assurance and academic integrity, depth of academic leadership, support for scholarship, good teaching and learning practices that can be shared with the sector, and genuine engagement with employers, industry and the professions.

“This milestone reflects not just our commitment to superior student outcomes, robust academic processes, and deep industry engagement, but also the significant contribution our staff make to our students, and the industries and communities we serve,” he said.

This decision places SAE in an elite group of just seven University Colleges in Australia – and the only one delivering creative media education nationally.

Dr McMillian said that while SAE is proud of its new University College status, students can still expect to enjoy the same practical hands-on approach to learning for which SAE has become world renowned, including state-of-the-art facilities, teaching staff with strong industry experience and small class sizes offering an immersive learning environment.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

In 2021, the Australian Government announced a new provider category in the Higher Education sector, the University College. This category is reserved for the highest performing Institutes of Higher Education.

It recognises high-quality institutions and opportunities to develop course offerings that meet the future needs of students, employers, industry and communities.

SAE Creative Media Institute is now one of only seven University Colleges in Australia.

SAE’s classification as a University College under TEQSA’s new Provider Category Standards puts SAE in an elite group of providers. University Colleges are well regarded for their student outcomes, advanced course design and delivery, quality of faculty and engagement with employers and industry. This new category is designed to recognise the quality of providers like SAE, and help students make an informed decision about where to study by clearly identifying high performing providers.

University College status reinforces SAE’s position as a leader in creative media education and is a recognition of its sustained delivery of quality and excellence in this area.

The University College category, as designated by the Australian Government, is reserved for the highest performing Institutes of Higher Education.

As an SAE student, your studies, facilities and learning community will remain unchanged, and it’s our hope that our students and graduates may now also reap the benefits of an enhanced reputational consideration of their qualification based on the new category designation.

If you’ve been considering study in 2024, and have explored SAE’s huge range of benefits, you already know about our practical-focused studies, our first-class creative facilities and our engaged and passionate learning communities. These will remain unchanged.

As a student or graduate, it is our hope that you can now benefit from the enhanced reputational consideration of your qualification based on this new category designation.

No. The category change does not provide SAE students access to Commonwealth Supported Places at this time. Please talk to our course advisors if you’re unsure or are seeking more information about your particular circumstances.

You will still be able to continue to access FEE-HELP for your tuition. Please talk to our course advisors if you’re unsure or are seeking more information about your particular circumstances.

No. This change won’t affect the application of the loan fee, as it currently applies to a FEE-HELP debt with SAE Creative Media Institute. Please talk to our course advisors if you’re unsure or are seeking more information about your particular circumstances.

Four students gather in front of a console and editing software on monitor. SAE is now a University College

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