Newcastle University Agrees to $7.55 Million Settlement Over Engineering Degree

The University of Newcastle, Australia, has agreed to a $7.55 million settlement with 163 students involved in a class action over an engineering degree that was not professionally accredited.

ABC News reported that the students studied the Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours) in 2018 and 2019 and alleged that the university had misled them about the course’s professional accreditation.

Lead plaintiff Andreas Sklavos completed an additional year of study to obtain professional accreditation and was left with about $55,000 in HECS debt.

The university has since achieved full accreditation for the course, with the accreditation applied retrospectively to students who began the program from 2020.

The settlement brings the class action to an end after students claimed the lack of accreditation affected their professional opportunities.