First students welcomed to University’s new Gosford Central building

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

The University of Newcastle’s new building in the heart of Gosford will come alive today as Welcome Week activities kick off from 10am. The day will treat hundreds of new students to live music, a free lunch and information to help make their study journey a positive one.

Students at the Welcome Week Expo at Gosford Central
Gosford Central has opened to students for 2026.

The commencing of the academic year marks a milestone for the new Mann St building, which was completed in late 2025 and expands education opportunities for people living on the Coast.

More than 2600 students have enrolled to study across the University’s Central Coast locations, including 1240 at the new Gosford Central building, which offers courses in Business, Education and Open Foundation.

University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky AO said he was looking forward to welcoming students as they begin their university journey at the new location.

“This week marks a new era for our University and the Central Coast community, who have watched this building take shape, and will now see it come to life with students. We’re very excited to see students walk through the doors for the first time,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“Today’s Welcome Week Expo is a fantastic opportunity for students to make friends, learn about the University’s clubs, societies and support services, and discover resources to help them thrive during their studies.”

Open Foundation, which provides a free pathway into university, is the top program for commencing students at Gosford Central, followed by the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary).

On offer this year for the first time is the Graduate Certificate in Pharmacist Prescribing and Advanced Practice with the University of Newcastle, the first in New South Wales to offer this program.

Program Convenor Associate Professor Sarah Dineen-Griffin said the new postgraduate program will help upskill pharmacists to ease the burden on our healthcare system.

“The expansion of pharmacy services in NSW represents a step forward in improving healthcare accessibility, particularly for regional and remote Australians,” Assoc Prof Dineen-Griffin said.

“The Grad Cert will ensure pharmacists are equipped with the knowledge, skills and clinical reasoning required for safe, evidence‑based prescribing.”

“We are thrilled to see such a positive response with a large number of pharmacists enrolled. Our students will be among the first cohort to graduate through a University in NSW,” Assoc Prof Dineen-Griffin said.

“Students will participate in clinical intensives at Gosford Central in February, where they will engage in interactive multi-disciplinary workshops, simulated patient scenarios, and structured case discussions designed to strengthen patient assessment, clinical reasoning, and interprofessional clinical practice.”

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