The University is the oldest tertiary institution in the State of Victoria. Established in 1853, shortly after the founding of Melbourne, the University is located just a few minutes from the centre of what is arguably Australia’s most culturally vibrant city. The main Parkville campus is recognised as the hub of Australia’s premier knowledge precinct comprising eight hospitals, many leading research institutes and a wide range of knowledge-based industries.

The Growing Esteem strategy, adopted by the University in December 2005, lays out a ten-year plan to fulfil Melbourne's aspiration to be a public-spirited and internationally-engaged institution, highly regarded for making distinctive contributions to society in research and research training, learning and teaching, and knowledge transfer. See http://growingesteem.unimelb.edu.au/

In 2008, as the cornerstone of Growing Esteem, the University introduced landmark educational reforms known collectively as the Melbourne Model. These reforms were designed to create an outstanding and distinctive Melbourne Experience for all students. The Model is based on six broad undergraduate programs followed by a graduate professional degree, research higher degree or entry directly into employment. The emphasis on academic breadth as well as disciplinary depth in the new degrees ensures that graduates will have the capacity to succeed in a world where knowledge boundaries are shifting and reforming to create new frontiers and challenges. In moving to the new model, the University is also aligning itself with the best of emerging European and Asian practice and well-established North American traditions.