The strongest employment and highest wages are enjoyed by Flinders University postgraduate students of any in South Australia, according to the latest Good University Guide report.

The 2020 GUG results for postgraduate outcomes affirms Flinders as the state’s preferred university for postgraduate studies and #1 SA University for overall experience.

The postgraduate results follow a strong performance in the recent undergraduate survey, which saw Flinders named the top SA University for teaching quality and student support, and five star rated for learning resources.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students) Professor Clare Pollock says it speaks to the calibre of Flinders’ courses and teaching, across the spectrum of categories.

“Whether an undergraduate embarking on higher education, or a graduate looking to extend their knowledge and skills with postgraduate study, Flinders is the university of choice as rated by those who are well placed to know – our students”

“First-hand experience and personal advocacy speaks volumes. Excellence in learning and exceptional experience are the result of the priority we place on our students” Professor Pollock says.

The postgraduate results by field demonstrate excellence in every field of endeavour, with Flinders rated best in state in at least one category in every field, and best in the nation in four categories.

“In Business and Management we have the best overall quality of educational experience in the nation, and are the best in SA for learner engagement, skills development, student support and teaching quality – plus our postgraduates enjoy median salary of $102,000 – the highest in SA” Professor Pollock says.

“Teacher Education is another very strong suit, leading the state for full time employment, and best in state and 5 stars nationally for median salary, learner engagement, learning resources, teaching quality and overall quality of educational experience.

“In Medicine our Full-Time Employment is 100% – the best in Australia – and median salary is best in the state.

“Our national strength continues in Computing and Information Systems, where we are the national leader in overall quality of educational experience, plus 5 star rated for learning resources, teaching quality and skills development. We’re the national leader in learning resources in Science and Mathematics and 5 star rated for student support in this field too.

“Pleasingly, Flinders postgraduate students have excellent employment prospects; of the eight fields scored Flinders is best in the nation in one (Medicine) and best in SA in five others (Health Services and Support, Science and Mathematics, Social Work, Teacher Education and Humanities, Culture and Social Sciences). Overall, our postgraduate full-time employment exceeds the national average.

“Our postgraduates are also well paid, with best in SA median salary in six of the seven fields scored (Business and Management, Medicine, Nursing, Social Work, Teacher Education, and Humanities, Culture and Social Sciences). On this measure too Flinders is the only SA university above the national average.

“This strong salary outcome was also a feature of our undergraduate performance, with Flinders the number one university in SA for median starting salary” she says.

“At Flinders, we recognise that much of our success can be measured by the success of our students. Our postgraduate, and indeed earlier undergraduate results show Flinders students are highly sought by employers – this is testament to the quality of our offerings and the skills with which we equip our graduates” Professor Pollock says.

“And this outcome is borne out over time – the Graduate Outcome Survey – longitudinal results released earlier in October revealed that three years after completing a degree, 98.2% of Flinders postgraduates are employed, 94.6% in full-time employment. That is the second highest graduate employment rate in the country of any university. The news of good for our undergraduates too, with 93.1% employment three years after completion, with 88.2% in full time employment.”

“Flinders has invested heavily in ensuring our courses give students everything they need to succeed – our courses are relevant, future focussed and future proofed with vital skills such as critical thinking, effective communication and teamwork – and our students are emerging job ready and wanting to make a difference” Professor Pollock says.