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Changes at Carnegie Mellon University - Australia


Pittsburgh, PA, June 29, 2022: Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) today announced it will wind down operations in Adelaide, South Australia.  The dynamics of the international operating environment for higher education, accelerated by the impacts of COVID-19, have significantly impacted the sustainability of an ongoing, on-the-ground operation in Australia.

CMU will no longer be taking on new students for courses at its Adelaide campus. All students currently enrolled in courses will be supported and able to graduate with the CMU degree they have embarked upon. All existing courses will be completed, and staff will be given ample support and assistance during the transition.

The higher education operating environment has changed significantly in the past decade. An Australian Government report issued in October 2021 states the inbound education market is not what it once was. The global pandemic and lingering impacts of international travel restrictions, a move to blended online and on-campus delivery and the establishment of on-shore campuses in traditional source markets, including many in Asia, have all significantly impacted the Australian inbound education market.

Carnegie Mellon University Australia has been offering public policy and management and information and technology management degrees at its campus in Adelaide since 2006. In the last 16 years, more than 1200 students have completed degrees via the Adelaide campus.

Carnegie Mellon’s global mission to serve as educators, knowledge creators and engines of economic growth remains strong and it will continue to serve its students in its other international campuses and programs in Rwanda, Qatar, Portugal, and other locations.  

Statement by James Garrett, Provost, Carnegie Mellon University

We’re proud that more than 1200 students have received a first-class educational experience through CMU Australia over the last 16 years. Many of these students have since gone on to make significant contributions to their professions and communities. They will never forget the great education experience they had at CMU-Australia in Adelaide.

The world is a vastly different place than when we established operations in Australia at the start of the century and the global pandemic has accelerated and amplified these changes more than anyone could have predicted.

We’re committed to seeing our students graduate with their degrees and ensuring that we look after our staff during this transition.

We have had tremendous support from federal and South Australian Governments, the business community and the community of Adelaide and thank everyone for it.

Note: The pending closure of the CMU location in Adelaide, Australia and the university's request for a substantive change are pending approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

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