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Curtin University of Technology is a technology-focused university with its main campus at Bentley, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It commenced operations with its current name in 1986, and was previously known as the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT). Its current name is taken from the former Prime Minister of Australia, John Curtin.
Curtin University of Technology is Western Australia's largest university with over 31,000 students, of which nearly 11,000 study offshore. There are five main divisions at Curtin: Business; Engineering, Science and Computing; Health Sciences; Humanities; and Resources and Environment.
Curtin is regarded by many as having the premier Business School in Western Australia. The Department of Computing is renowned for high class graduates in the fields of Software Engineering and Computer Science. It also has strengths in other professional and vocational areas, that reflect its history (see below). Upon becoming a university, Curtin became eligible to grant doctorates by research, and to compete for research funding: while not considered one of Australia's 'big' research universities (such as the oldest universities in Sydney and Melbourne), Curtin has a growing reputation for research success in specific areas.
WAIT was formed in 1966. Its nucleus comprised the tertiary programs formerly conducted in the Perth Technical College which opened in 1900. In 1969 three more institutions were merged with WAIT: The W.A. School of Mines (originally opened in 1902), the Muresk Agricultural College (dating from 1926) and schools of physiotherapy and occupational therapy in operation since the 1950s.
Curtin has three campuses outside of Perth, located in Kalgoorlie, Muresk and Miri. The first two campuses reflect the university's traditional strength in mine engineering (Kalgoorlie), and agriculture and resources (Muresk).
The Miri campus, in Sarawak, Malaysia, is a significant development for the university. Previously many students from Asian nations have been taught in so-called offshore programs, through local non-university education providers in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. These students received Curtin University degrees, but were not formally studying 'at Curtin'. Now, at Miri, a complete campus of the university, rather than partner institutions, has been established.
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