Edith Cowan University Information

  • Introduction

    ECU has more than 31,000 students.

    From the scientific to the creative, there's something for everyone to study at ECU, with a diverse range of courses, and most offering the flexibility of online study.

    Our courses are designed with industry consultation and our teaching staff have extensive professional experience and networks.

    So, our students can expect to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence they'll need to meet the challenges of today's and tomorrow's workplaces.

    Our courses are also internationally recognised, with many being professionally accredited by national and international organisations.

    Student learning also extends beyond the classroom with practicum placements in real businesses or organisations, and opportunities for paid internships and international study tours.
  • Why Choose ECU?

    • ECU is rated as Australia’s top public university for undergraduate teaching quality for the 7th year in a row (QILT Student Experience Survey, 2021). ECU also topped the rankings for public universities in Australia for undergraduate overall experience, skills development and learning resources.
    • ECU has again been ranked in the world's top 100 universities under 50 years old in the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Young Universities Rankings.
    • In the 2023 Good Universities Guide, ECU maintained its long-standing 5-star rating for teaching quality. It's now 16 straight years! ECU was also rated 5-stars for undergraduate overall experience, skills development, student support, learning resources and learner engagement.
    • ECU has been ranked in the top 50 for Gender Equality (24th), Good Health and Wellbeing (24th) and Quality Education (41st) in the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact rankings, showing how the universities are working towards the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
    Fantastic facilities and programs
    As Australia's most exciting young university, ECU is set to transform the city of Perth, in developing Western Australia's first comprehensive city campus.

    Our new campus in the heart of the Perth CBD will represent the future of university education – urban, connected, integrated with business and community – and part of the lifeblood of a thriving city.

    ECU City will seamlessly bring together Creative Industries, Business and Technology to deliver a world-class university campus that transforms the city of Perth. ECU City will open to students from 2026.

    ECU also has a wide range of courses across a number of study areas with highlights including:
    • Offering one of the most comprehensive Arts and Humanities Schools in the southern hemisphere.
    • Our Business and Law students have access to state-of-the-art facilities including a Digital Hub, SMART Lab, Law Moot Court, Centre for Business Development, and Business Bureau and Tax Clinic.
    • We are ranked in the Top 175 universities worldwide for Engineering and Technology in the Times Higher Education rankings (2023).
    • We offer a comprehensive range of medical and health science courses and are ranked 30th for Sports-related courses in the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
    • ECU has a reputation for producing some of the highest quality nursing and midwifery graduates in Western Australia, and is recognised as a top 100 nursing program worldwide.
    • ECU is the only Australian university recognised as an International Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
    • ECU has been ranked the top public university in Australia for Undergraduate Teaching Quality, Skills Development and Learning Resources in Teacher Education in the 2021 QILT survey results.
    • And we are very proud to be home to WAAPA, one of the world's leading performing arts academies.

    What pathway can you take into ECU
    At ECU we attract a wide range of students, including high school graduates and students who aren't fresh out of Year 12.

    That's because we offer different options for gaining entry to our undergraduate programs. Like our Experience Based Entry Scheme or a University Preparation (UniPrep) course.

    Find out more about how ECU can help you achieve your dreams and become world ready.
  • Admission requirements

    Universities have many admission pathways, catering for applicants with varying qualifications, such as Year 12 studies, Vocational Education and Training qualifications, tertiary studies, and work and life experience.

    At ECU, we believe people from all backgrounds should have the opportunity to access a university education. That's why we've created a range of innovative admission pathways.

    Our pathways are available for school leavers and other applicants, and we provide the support and flexibility to anyone wanting to further themselves through education.

    While ECU will make every effort to offer you a place in your chosen course, attaining the minimum academic and English competency isn't an automatic guarantee. Sometimes the number of eligible applicants is greater than the number of places. Where this occurs, offers will be made on a competitive basis.

    English competency requirements
    All applicants are required to meet ECU's minimum English requirements as follows and equivalencies will be considered.

    Bachelor and Associate degrees
    WA English course: You must have achieved:
    ATAR or TEE English
    (including English, Literature, English as an Additional Language/Dialect or English as a Second Language)
    • a final scaled score of at least 50, OR
    • a final school letter grade of A, B, or C studied in Year 12
    General English*
    (including English, Literature, English as an Additional Language/Dialect or English as a Second Language)
    • a final school letter grade of A
      (*Experienced Based Entry Scheme and Creative Arts Portfolio Entry pathway applicants only)
    WACE English (Stage 2 or 3)
    (including English, Literature, English as an Additional Language/Dialect or English as a Second Language)
    • a final scaled score of at least 50, OR
    • a final school letter grade of A, B, or C in two units (Stage 2 or above) studied in Year 12
    Wholly School Assessed
    Senior English
    • a final school letter grade of A studied in Year 12
    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
    • 140 or greater on the STAT Written English (if sat after February 2010)
    ECU Approved English Test
    • a satisfactory level of competency in an ECU approved English test.

    University Preparation and University Diploma courses
    WA English course: You must have achieved:
    ATAR or TEE English
    (including English, Literature, English as an Additional Language/Dialect or English as a Second Language)
    • a final scaled score of at least 50, OR
    • a final school letter grade of A, B, C or D studied in Year 12
    General English*
    (including English, Literature, English as an Additional Language/Dialect or English as a Second Language)
    • a final school letter grade of A, B or C studied in Year 12
    WACE English (Stage 1, 2 or 3)
    (including English, Literature, English as an Additional Language/Dialect or English as a Second Language)
    • a final scaled score of at least 50, OR
    • a final school letter grade of A, B, or C in one unit (Stage 2 or above) studied in Year 12, OR
    • a final school letter grade of A in both 1C and 1D units studied in Year 12
    Wholly School Assessed
    Senior English
    • a final school letter grade of A, B or C studied in Year 12
    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
    • 110 or greater on the STAT Written English (if sat after February 2010).

    Academic entry requirements
    ECU offers a variety of ways to meet our minimum academic entry requirements for a course, depending on what you have studied previously, or your work or life experience. We call these admission pathways.

    In addition to meeting our minimum academic requirements through one of our admission pathways, applicants may also be required to have:
    • achieved WACE or equivalent (School leaver applicants only); and
    • satisfied ECU's minimum English requirements; and
    • met any course specific prerequisites.

    Overseas qualifications
    Provision is made for the recognition of overseas qualifications. Contact Future Students on 134 328 for further advice.

  • Admission pathways

    ATAR
      If you satisfy our minimum English and academic requirements and you:
      • have or will obtain an ATAR, you may meet the admission requirements for your chosen undergraduate course with your ATAR;
      • have not or will not obtain an ATAR, you may still have some options as outlined below.
      If you've attended a school on our ECU Access List, your selection rank may be adjusted upwards and you may meet the requirements for an undergraduate course.

      Alternatively, you may:
      • be eligible to apply through our Experience Based Entry Scheme; or
      • apply for another course with a lower ATAR requirement; or
      • consider our UniPrep course which we recommend you include as a preference on your application.
      How to apply
      School Leaver applicants should apply directly to TISC, unless they are applying for WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) courses.

    Experience based entry scheme
      If you satisfy our minimum academic requirements you may be eligible to be considered through our Experience Based Entry Scheme (EBES).

      This pathway assesses your application to ECU based on the evidence that includes your school results, qualifications, and work and life experiences. It allows applicants to be considered for entry to undergraduate courses and caters for:
      • school leavers with a near-miss ATAR for their chosen course;
      • school leavers who successfully completed at least 3 ATAR courses and 1 General course;
      • other applicants, who may or may not have completed Year 12.
      Some courses do not accept applications through this pathway - this will be noted in the published Course Entry requirement for your chosen degree at ECU.

      As part of your Experience Based Entry Scheme application, you need to include:
      • an introductory letter;
      • a resume;
      • two written references;
      • copies of any certificates, awards or academic records if applicable (school leavers must also submit their most recent school report).
      EBES applicants will have their supporting documents assessed against specified criteria including reasons for study and demonstrated preparedness for tertiary level study and will be admitted to undergraduate level courses based on a competitive process.

      Eligibility for this admission pathway does not guarantee entry into an ECU course at undergraduate level.

      How to apply
      School Leavers applicants should apply to TISC and upload your supporting documents for assessment, unless they are applying for WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) courses.

      All other applicants should apply directly to ECU and upload supporting documents for assessment (ecu.edu.au/apply).

    Qualification from a recognised training organisation (RTO)
      If you have completed an RTO Certificate IV award, and you meet the minimum English and academic requirements you may be eligible to be considered for entry to most of our undergraduate courses.

      If you've completed an RTO Diploma or Advanced Diploma (or equivalent) award, you'll be eligible to be considered for entry and may also be eligible to receive credit for recognition of prior learning.

      How to apply
      School Leavers applicants should apply to TISC and upload all relevant documents, unless they are applying for WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) courses.

      All other applicants should apply directly to ECU and upload supporting documents for assessment (ecu.edu.au/apply).

    Enabling course
      If you satisfy ECU's minimum English and academic requirements, you may wish to consider our UniPrep course as an alternative pathway to our undergraduate courses.

      ECU offers the University Preparation Course (UniPrep) at three different campuses and the course is available to study online.

      On successful completion of the UniPrep, you're eligible to be considered for entry to the majority of undergraduate courses at ECU subject to you also meeting any course specific requirements and availability.

      ECU will make every effort to offer UniPrep graduates a place in their chosen undergraduate course, however, where the number of eligible applicants is greater than the number of places available, offers will be made on a competitive basis. Some courses, such as Nursing, Paramedicine and Occupational Therapy are very popular and attract a large number of applicants each year.

      Australian citizens, holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens are currently eligible to study in a Commonwealth Supported Place, making these courses free, with no up-front or deferred tuition fee. Check ECU's website for details.

      How to apply
      School Leavers applicants should apply to TISC.

      All other applicants should apply directly to ECU (ecu.edu.au/apply).

    Creative Arts portfolio entry
      Our Creative Arts Portfolio Entry (CAPE) pathway is for applicants who are passionate about art and design but may not have an ATAR or meet the minimum entry requirements by another means.

      This pathway is available for the following courses and majors:
      • Bachelor of Design (all majors)
      • Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts major only)
      • Bachelor of Media and Communication (Photomedia or Screen Production majors only)
      To be considered for any of these courses through this pathway, in addition to meeting the minimum academic requirements you'll need to satisfy the following:
      • successfully completed a minimum of 1 ATAR course;
      • successfully completed a minimum of 3 General courses with at least one course in an area related to the course/major you've selected;
      Provide a discipline specific portfolio and attend an interview to assess your potential to succeed in your selected course/major. As part of your CAPE application you need to include:
      • an introductory letter;
      • a resume;
      • copies of any certificates, awards or academic records if applicable (school leavers must also submit their most recent school report);
      • two written references; and
      • a digital creative portfolio.
      As part of this pathway, you may be contacted by ECU to attend an interview with staff from your chosen discipline.

      How to apply
      School Leaver applicants should apply to TISC and upload all relevant documents.

      All other applicants should apply direct to ECU and upload the require documents (ecu.edu.au/apply).

      As part of the application process, you may be contacted by ECU to attend an interview with staff from your chosen discipline.

      For more information please refer to Creative Arts Portfolio Entry.

    Special tertiary admissions test (STAT)
      ECU does not offer STAT to School Leaver applicants.

      Applicants completing STAT are required to satisfactorily complete both the Written English and Multiple Choice tests and achieve the minimum scores below.

      Bachelor/Associate Degrees
      STAT Prior to February 2010 After February 2010
      Written English 145 140
      Verbal or Quantitative components 115 135
      UniPrep or University Diploma Courses
      STAT Prior to February 2010 After February 2010
      Written English 125 110
      Verbal or Quantitative components 115 110

      How to apply
      Applicants should apply directly to ECU (ecu.edu.au/apply).
  • Educational access scheme

    ECU recognises that specific circumstances outside the control of an applicant may occur, which negatively impact on the individual's ability to successfully prepare for entry to university study.

    Applicants who have been impacted by one off or a series of events such as serious medical conditions or bereavements may be considered for entry.

    School leaver applicants should apply through TISC and upload all relevant documents, unless applying for WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) courses. Refer to Educational Access Scheme (EAS).

    All other applicants should apply directly to ECU and upload supporting documents for assessment.

    To be considered through this scheme, applicants must provide a statement and any supporting documents such as medical evidence required to verify their claims.
  • Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) courses and the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) – Music Education major

    In addition to meeting the minimum academic requirements entry to WAAPA and Bachelor of Education (Secondary) – Music Education is also dependent upon a successful audition/interview/folio presentation of previous work and/or practical/theoretical test.

    Audition/interview information will be published on the ECU website in July. Check our website for up-to-date information.

    How to apply
    All applicants are required to apply directly to ECU (ecu.edu.au/apply) and upload supporting documentation.

    For further enquiries contact futurestudy@ecu.edu.au or refer to the WAAPA website.
  • ECU application process

    Apply through TISC if you:
    • Are a School Leaver applicant (excluding applicants who wish to apply through the Creative Arts Portfolio Entry pathway that are not eligible to be considered through Experience Based Entry Scheme). This includes Year 12 students currently enrolled in the UniPrep Schools course at ECU.
    Apply directly to ECU if you:
    • Are applying for a WAAPA course or the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) – Music Education major;
    • Wish to be considered through the Creative Arts Entry Pathway for the below courses:
      • Bachelor of Design (all majors);
      • Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts major only);
      • Bachelor of Media and Communication (Photomedia or Screen Production majors only)
    • Have previously been made an offer of a place in a course at ECU or with WAAPA (excluding current Year 12 students enrolled in UniPrep School) and now:
      • want to be considered for an alternative course at ECU; OR
      • wish to take up your deferred offer from 2023; OR
      • have discontinued from your course at ECU and now wish to resume your studies in that course (Readmission).
  • General information

    Our campuses and online study
    Joondalup
    The Joondalup Campus is located 25km north of Perth and is a short walk or bus ride from the Joondalup Train Station and Lakeside Joondalup, one of the largest shopping centres in WA. Joondalup campus features award-winning architecture, cafes, a bar, an outdoor cinema, a lake and loads of trees and green spaces for study. Here you can study business, law, engineering, psychology, nursing, health sciences, cybersecurity, and other science-related courses.

    Mount Lawley
    Located in the thriving cultural hub of Mount Lawley and close to Perth CBD, you can't help but be inspired by the artistic vibe at our Mount Lawley Campus. Here, you'll find one of the world's leading performing arts academies, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. The campus is home to Kurongkurl Katitjin, ECU’s Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research.

    ECU South West
    Located two hours' drive south of Perth, ECU South West in Bunbury is the largest university campus in regional Western Australia. Here, you can expect small, personalised class sizes and courses in commerce, science, health sciences, nursing, social work and teacher education. The campus features a cafe, mini-gym, creche facilities, multi-purpose sports courts, and a library with 24-hour access to a computer lab.

    Online Study
    If you'd like to study at university but can't attend classes for reasons such as distance, family or work commitments, then online study may be for you. Many of our courses and units are offered online, and our excellent support services are also available to online students. Courses can be seen via the Course Search facility.

    Deferral of an offer
    If you're offered a place you can apply to defer your offer for up to one year, subject to the course being available in the desired academic period. If deferral is approved, you'll be contacted by ECU, and provided with information on how to commence your studies in later semesters. A place for the same course and campus will only be guaranteed for the following two semesters, subject to availability. For some courses, such as WAAPA and those with competitive entry requirements, you won't be able to defer your offer and will be required to re-apply.

    Part-time study
    Part-time study doesn't necessarily refer to attendance at evening classes. Part-time study involves undertaking a lesser load than the normal full-time load. A normal full-time load is 60 credit points of study per semester, for example four units of 15 credit points each.

    Credit for recognition of prior learning (CRPL)
    See Advanced standing/credit transfer.
  • Further enquiries

    Obtain further information on ECU courses by contacting:

    Future Students
    Edith Cowan University
    270 Joondalup Drive
    JOONDALUP WA 6027

    Telephone within Australia: 134 328 (134 ECU), from Overseas: (61 8) 6304 0000
    Email: futurestudy@ecu.edu.au or
    Visit the website: ecu.edu.au and click on the Got a question? Ask Us link.

    Cricos Provider Code: 00279B