Before enrolling in a postgraduate Master’s program at Notre Dame University (Fremantle), I made specific enquiries and was assured—both initially and again prior to enrolling in my first course—that all graduate programs were available online and that lectures could be attended remotely via Zoom. This flexibility was a key reason for choosing the university.
However, in the first week of classes, I discovered there was no option to attend lectures via Zoom. When I raised this issue, the course lecturer offered to send me lecture recordings on a USB drive. While I appreciated the effort, this approach felt outdated—especially considering that most universities today upload lectures to their LMS platforms almost immediately after delivery.
I requested that the USB be formatted for macOS (Apple systems), but was told it could only be formatted for Windows. As a result, I was left unable to attend live lectures or access the recordings in a usable format.
When I followed up and forwarded the original email assurances to the course coordinator, I was informed that online availability only applied to the Sydney campus. I then contacted Student Administration in Sydney and requested a transfer, only to be told that the program is not available online at all. This contradictory information cost me weeks of time and caused a great deal of frustration.
After careful consideration, I have chosen to withdraw from the program. I have previously completed bachelor degrees at Murdoch and UWA, and my experience with those institutions was consistently professional and well-managed. In contrast, my experience with Notre Dame Fremantle has been disorganised and disappointing.
One additional issue worth noting: attempting to contact the Fremantle campus by phone often results in wait times of up to an hour, only to be told the call can’t be taken and to try again later.
Notre Dame needs to significantly improve its communication, technology infrastructure, and clarity around program delivery if it wants to remain competitive and meet student expectations in the modern academic landscape.

This university absolutely destroyed my mental health. Got put on a placement with girls and a teacher I was bullied by and asked weeks in advance if I could be put with a different teacher due to concerns for my mental health. Was met with the response “no sufficient evidence” to change my allocation after sending multiple long emails. Additionally, So many students have had their placements stuffed up by clinical office for the entire 4 years I’ve been here. Students have also been threatened to lose their degree if they choose to complain about the lack of professionalism by clinical office. Absolutely not worth it for the price you’re paying I wish I went to UTS instead.