Student Life
Student life
Your time at the University of Newcastle is not only about getting a degree - take advantage of a world of opportunities available to you.
Our three campuses in Newcastle, the Central Coast and Port Macquarie are situated in beautiful bushland settings and are great places to grab a coffee, attend events and exhibitions, partake in a spot of bar trivia, and most importantly to make lifelong friends.
Discover new ideas and ways of thinking through interacting with loads of interesting people - you'll be part of a student population of more than 35,500, including some 7,800 international students from more than 80 countries.
The Newcastle University Students' Association and the Central Coast Campus Union are run by students for students. Services include student advocacy, legal advice, student newspapers, computer access, and discounted bus tickets and photocopying.
Whether you want to join a social or sporting club, travel the world while you study, or catch a gig with some friends, there’s something for everyone.
A day in the life of a UoN student.
Our CBD sites
Depending on what you study, you may take classes at one of our two sites in the Newcastle CBD.
The Conservatorium (part of our School of Drama, Fine Art and Music) is located in the Civic Centre precinct and the Newcastle Legal Centre and Newcastle Business School are located in University House opposite Civic Park.
Central Coast campus
Our Central Coast (Ourimbah) campus is small enough to be friendly but big enough to be a place of excellence.
You’ll find modern facilities set in lush green gardens on the edge of beautiful bushland, all just a stone’s throw from both Newcastle and Sydney.
The campus is shared by the University of Newcastle, TAFE and the Central Coast Community College, as well as local businesses.
Approximately $20 million has recently been spent installing new facilities at the campus including new teaching and learning spaces for our degrees in exercise science, teaching and nursing. The library has also received a substantial extension and upgrade including a new café and revitalised 24-hour access computer lab.
‘The quad’ is the ideal place to relax on the grass, read a book, or enjoy a coffee. Speaking of coffee, there are two on-campus cafes and smaller coffee stations scattered around the grounds.
You can also take advantage of the cafeteria, bookshop and stationery retailer.
Whether you want to drive to uni or catch public transport, our Central Coast campus is ultra-convenient – there’s onsite parking and Ourimbah train station is just a short stroll away.
The campus is located approximately halfway between Newcastle and Sydney and just a five minute drive from the F3 Freeway.
As a smaller campus, you’ll get the opportunity to build a close connection with your lecturers and benefit from personalised support.
Several degrees are only offered at our Central Coast campus including podiatry, food science and human nutrition, exercise and sport science, and oral health.
Find out what it is like at our Central Coast campus.
Newcastle campus
Set on 140 hectares of natural bushland, our Newcastle (Callaghan) campus is one of the most naturally beautiful in Australia.
Amidst the gumtrees, gardens and sporting fields, you’ll find state of the art facilities built to replicate industry.
With over 27,000 students and staff studying and working on-campus, the place is often a hive of activity.
Make time to enjoy the coffee shops, unique bars, cafeterias, Subway, Gloria Jean’s, and juice and sushi bars.
Other handy businesses and services on-campus are the travel agency, bookshop, post office, gift and stationery shops, building society, medical centre and bank.
Situated in close proximity to the beach and city, the Newcastle campus is a convenient place to study.
The campus is easily accessible by both car and public transport – buses run through the campus, a train station is a short walk away, the F3 Freeway is close by and on-campus parking is available.
Port Macquarie campus
Our Port Macquarie campus is located three hours drive north of Newcastle on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast and is shared by the University of Newcastle and TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute.
You can choose to study three degrees in Port Macquarie – primary teaching, nursing and midwifery.
The campus is well-equipped to support you while you study, offering a great library, learning assistance, counselling, careers advice, disability support and online services.
There is also a great cafeteria, bookshop and stationery retailer on-campus.
