Over the past few years you may have heard talk of South Australia’s two well-known universities — the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia — planning to merge. The process has been a rollercoaster since mid-2018 and nearly collapsed altogether! But last weekend, it was finally locked in!

The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia have formally signed a historic agreement to merge the two, creating what will become one of the largest universities in Australia!

The new university will be named the University of Adelaide, with operations expected to begin officially in 2026.

At this stage the two institutions have reached an agreement, but it still needs to be approved by the South Australian Parliament.

The two universities could not have reached this deal without the support of the state government, which has agreed to commit close to $500 million as part of the merger plan. Premier Peter Malinauskas described it as a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to build one of Australia’s top universities.The merger of these two universities is also the largest university merger in the world to date.

What we know — and don’t yet know — about the merger agreement

Both universities have pledged that no staff will lose their jobs because of the merger, at least until mid-2027. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide has already emailed staff to confirm this.

The government and the universities have announced that the new institution will be named the University of Adelaide， and will begin operating in January 2026.It will initially be governed by a transition council of up to 14 members, with each university nominating half of them.The University of South Australia will be responsible for appointing the Chancellor, while in the early stages leadership will be shared between the two universities’ Vice-Chancellors.

Further details — such as which programmes the new university will offer — have not yet been finalised.

Joining forces to grow bigger and stronger

In the QS 2024 rankings released last week, the University of Adelaide placed 89th globally. Although it climbed 20 spots to narrowly hold onto its position as one of Australia’s Group of Eight (Go8), it was just one rank ahead of the University of Technology Sydney, which surged 47 places.The University of South Australia, meanwhile, came in at 326th.

The universities’ leaders had previously said they wanted their institutions to become more financially sustainable after the financial blow dealt by the pandemic.Concentrating resources into a single, larger institution will create a more financially viable institution, delivering better research and teaching.

University of South Australia Chancellor Pauline Carr said the merger would allow the future University of Adelaide to go “further and faster” than either university could on its own.

The government had earlier said that South Australia’s universities were too small and underfunded to break into the lists of the world’s top universities.Because the universities could not undertake large-scale research, the state was being “held back” in some respects, which in turn affected their ability to attract academics and students to the state.

The existing staff’s biggest concern was whether the merger would affect their jobs. Beyond the no-redundancies-before-2027 pledge above, the South Australian Premier also said that the universities’ own analysis and business case showed that the new University of Adelaide will need an additional 1,200 staff to teach more than 13,000 students — so it is actually creating more jobs!

The South Australian Government is backing it with serious money!

The state government will contribute around $450 million to support the merger

– $200 million for a research fund

– $100 million to support enrolment for students from low socio-economic backgrounds

– a further $30 million over three years to help attract international students

– it will also spend $50 million to acquire part of the University of South Australia’s Mawson Lakes campus, and $64 million to acquire the entire Magill campus

The only remaining uncertainty is whether it will pass the South Australian Upper House; until the relevant legislation is passed, the merger cannot proceed.

University of Adelaide and University of South Australia are popular nationwide for their health and education programmes. Here’s a quick rundown of a few of their most-recommended majors — all great for migration!

University of Adelaide

Major: Master of Clinical Nursing

Duration: 2 years (February intake)

Tuition fees: AUD 52,000/year

Academic requirements: a bachelor’s degree, with no specific discipline background required, although the undergraduate study must have included human biology/anatomy

English requirements: equivalent to IELTS 7 in all four bands

Why this major: after graduating and meeting the English requirements, you can go straight to a skills assessment and apply via state-nominated Subclass 491 or Subclass 190, or Subclass 189 — a great major for migration right now

Major: Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Duration: 2 years (February and July intakes)

Tuition fees: AUD 40,000/year

Entry requirements: a bachelor’s degree, plus a 400-600 word teaching capabilities statement

English requirements: equivalent to IELTS 7 in all four bands

Why this major:

1. No specific discipline background required

2.after graduating and meeting the English requirements (there are ways to obtain an IELTS exemption), you can complete a skills assessment and apply for state-nominated or skilled independent migration via Subclass 189, 190 or 491,

University of South Australia

Major: Master of Information Technology (Enterprise Management)

Duration: 2 years (February and July intakes)

Tuition fees: AUD 34,800/year

Entry requirements: equivalent to an IELTS overall 6.5, with no less than 6 in reading and writing; an English language course can be packaged with the offer

Why this major:

No background requirement — graduates of any undergraduate discipline may apply

the programme is accredited by ACS for skills assessment; after graduating, with one year of work experience or by completing a Professional Year programme, you can undertake a skills assessment and apply via state-nominated Subclass 190 or 491, or Subclass 189 skilled independent migration

Major: Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)

Duration: 2 years (February intake)

Tuition fees: AUD 33,500/year

Entry requirements: a bachelor’s degree with one year of relevant study; a GPA average of 75 or above is recommended

English requirements: an IELTS overall of no less than 7, with no less than 7 in reading and writing and no less than 7.5 in speaking and listening

Why this major:

No background requirement; on completion, once you meet the English requirements you can go straight to a skills assessment, or, if you have accumulated 4 years of higher education in an English-speaking country, you may be able to apply for an English-language exemption.

Major: Master of Physiotherapy （Graduate Entry）

Duration: 2 years (February intake)

Tuition fees: AUD 45,800/year

Entry requirements: a GPA of 5.5/7 or above, a relevant academic background required; even applicants who meet the academic requirements are subject to a competitive selection process for admission

English requirements: equivalent to IELTS 7 in all four bands

Why this major:

after graduating you can complete a skills assessment and apply for state-nominated migration or skilled independent migration such as Subclass 189

Want to learn more about the programmes and majors at the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia? Get in touch with our consultant!

Changes to lodgement after the Subclass 462 opening! The state government has not yet received its new state-nomination quota!

The course codes for the extra 2-year Subclass 485 are out — more than expected. Are you eligible?

Subclass 491 points this low — zero income, convert to PR and still get Medicare. Check your eligibility in one read!

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Locked in! South Australia to form a super-university — $30 million to attract international students, operating in 2026!

Changes to lodgement after the Subclass 462 opening! The state government has not yet received its new state-nomination quota!

The course codes for the extra 2-year Subclass 485 are out — more than expected. Are you eligible?

Subclass 491 points this low — zero income, convert to PR and still get Medicare. Check your eligibility in one read!

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