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10908NAT - Certificate IV in Aboriginal Performance

Course code C84

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Important

This course is not offered for study on-campus to international students with a student visa.

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About this Course

This course prepares Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to enter the performing arts industry as a theatre, film and television actor.

On successful completion, students will have integrated acting, dance and singing into a rounded performance skill. Graduates will also have knowledge of indigenous culture in relation to contemporary performance and the skills required to audition for roles in theatre, film and television.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level

This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 4 Certificate IV Award.

Course code C84

Entry requirements

ECU admission and English language requirements apply.

See Course Entry for further information.

Fees

See Fees and Scholarships for further information.

Duration

1 year full-time

See Course Details for further information.

Availability & Campus

Location Semester 1 Semester 2
Joondalup
Mount Lawley FT
South West
Online
*FT = Full-time study PT = Part-time study ECU City 2026** **ECU City will redefine higher education in Western Australia and will be open to students from February 2026. If you are ensure about how this course is affected, speak to one of our future student specialists.

Timetable

This course has a modified timetable. See Course Notes.

Course Entry

Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.

  • The following course-specific admission requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied by all applicants. These requirements are in addition to or supersede the minimum requirements outlined within the Academic admission requirements band section below.

    All applicants are required to attend an interview. Alternatively applicants must produce another form of evidence where the candidate demonstrates competence in performance; acting skills; or dance and movement skill, to a Certificate III level. Additionally applicants must normally be turning at least 17 by 30th June in the year of commencing the course.

    For more information, including guidelines for specific disciplines, please see our Interviews, folios and auditions web page.

    Academic admission requirements (Band 1) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

    • Completion of Year 10 or equivalent.
  • English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

    • Year 10 English completion or equivalent.

Course Details

Semester availability

Semester 1: Study full-time at Mount Lawley

Course Structure

To achieve the qualification Certificate IV in Aboriginal Performance the learner must complete all fifteen core units.

Year 1 - VET Full

Acting for Camera
Unit Code Unit Title
NAT10908001Develop skills in acting for camera

Year 1 - Semester 1

Acting 1
Unit Code Unit Title
NAT10908003Develop knowledge of Indigenous writing and history for performance
CUAACT311Develop basic acting techniques for performance
Movement
Unit Code Unit Title
CUADAN214Perform basic Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander dance techniques
Voice
Unit Code Unit Title
CUAVOS311Use music and singing in performances

Year 1 - Semester 2

Create Stories
Unit Code Unit Title
CUAPRF311Create and perform stories for theatre

Year 1 - Term 3

Acting 2
Unit Code Unit Title
NAT10908004Memorise and perform Indigenous works
CUAACT411Use acting techniques in performance
Dance
Unit Code Unit Title
CUADAN312Increase depth of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander dance techniques
CUAPRF414Develop movement skills for performance
Singing
Unit Code Unit Title
CUAVOS312Develop vocal techniques for use in performance

Year 1 - Term 4

Audition Skills
Unit Code Unit Title
CUAPRF314Develop audition techniques
Production Rehearsals
Unit Code Unit Title
NAT10908002Read and understand performance texts and scripts
CUAPRF415Rehearse for performances
CUAPRF413Use different performance techniques

C84|3

For more detailed unit information for this course take a look at our Handbook. To organise your life for next semester visit the Teaching timetable.

Student handbook

Course notes

Important course notes

  • Students may be required to attend evening and weekend rehearsals, performances and workshops.

Fees and Scholarships

Fees

VET course fees are set by the WA Government and they vary from course to course. For more information, please go to Fees and Scholarships.

Some units require the payment of a fee for incidental goods or services required to complete those units. For more information and the full list of incidental fees for courses and units, visit What are Incidental Fees.

Scholarships

ECU has a scholarship program that provides many opportunities each year to students undertaking studies here.

Find a scholarship

Career Opportunities

Possible future job titles

Actor, Performer, Entertainer

Courses you can consider if you are interested in progressing further in this area.

Need some help deciding what to study?

Our future student events include a mix of on-campus and online sessions designed to help you decide what to study at ECU.

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Quick guide to uni-speak

    • The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the national regulator of qualifications in the Australian education and training system. The AQF defines the essential characteristics, including the required learning outcomes, of the different types of qualifications issued across the higher education systems in Australia.

    • ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.

    • CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.

    • A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.

    • Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.

    • If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.

    • If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.

      Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.

    • Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.

    • A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.

    • We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points - that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.

    • These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.

    • An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.

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Course Entry

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