Experience world-class education at Open Day

Aspiring students and their families will delve into new course offerings and tour state-of-the-art learning facilities when La Trobe University’s largest regional campus swings open its doors this Sunday.

Registrations for the Bendigo Open Day event have jumped by more than 50 per cent this year, compared to 2022.

School leavers, people wanting to change careers, retrain or re-enter the workforce can find out about pathways, subject areas of interest and the impact of tertiary education.

Bendigo Campus Director Dr Julie Rudner said this year’s Open Day aligns with the campus celebrations of 150 years of tertiary education.

“For 150 years, tertiary education in Bendigo has created life-changing opportunities for local students and we are committed to continuing this legacy,” Dr Rudner said.

“Many of our students are the first in their family to study or are entering university as a mature-aged student and together they understand the opportunities of studying in a regional area.

“There are many ways to get into university and we actively support pathways to tertiary education, including via TAFE.”

Future students will have the opportunity to learn more about industry-leading education, health, and engineering courses.

La Trobe’s strong ties with local organisations ensure students build the experience needed to meet the regional skills shortage and be equipped for the jobs of the future.

Visual Arts Senior Lecturer Dr Kylie Banyard said prospective students will have the opportunity to learn more about new course additions such as the Bachelor of Visual Arts, which arrived on campus this year.

“Studying visual arts in a vibrant regional centre like Bendigo gives students direct access to the professional networks within our creative community through opportunities to exhibit work at La Trobe’s Phyllis Palmer Gallery and our student-run gallery Rookie, and undertake internships with partner organisations,” Dr Banyard said.

“We support hands-on learning in our purpose-built facilities, where every student from first year through to postgrad gets their own studio space and supported access to all of our specialist workshops to follow their artistic passions.”

Bendigo is home to 400 staff and more than 4,000 domestic and online students, including about 400 international students.

Dr Rudner, who arrived in Australia as an international mature-aged student from Canada, said the University and Bendigo city are committed to supporting diversity in the community.

“We welcome everyone and will do our upmost to help people achieve their dreams and have every chance of success in higher education,” Dr Rudner said.

La Trobe’s new interactive Open Day app allows visitors to schedule tours and get a feel of campus life.

Prospective students can download it here.

The Bendigo Open Day will be held from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 27 August.

To register and for more information visit La Trobe’s Open Day website.

Highlights of Open Day

  • Explore the benefits of studying locally and regionally through activities, including campus tours, workshops and guided tours of the sports centre and visual arts and engineering lab spaces.
  • Exercise prescription session with a local athlete in the exercise conditioning lab.
  • Experience the lip gloss station and gain pharmaceutical skills in an interactive pharmacy display.
  • Academic sessions for all on-campus courses (dentistry, biomedical science, nursing, visual arts, social work, engineering and education) and popular online courses (business and arts).
  • One-on-one consultations with a La Trobe course advisor at the consultation hub.
  • Discover more regional study support with Regional Connect.

Throughout August, La Trobe is hosting Open Days on campuses in Melbourne, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton and Bendigo.


Media

Jess Whitty, j.whitty@latrobe.edu.au, 0481 383 817