Creative thinkers perform here. They compose here. They build and design here. We're one of the world's leading performing arts academies. And no matter how talented you might be already, we'll challenge you to become even better. Because we know that creativity has no limits.
Includes best ranking for undergraduate teaching quality, skills development, learning resources and student support.
QILT is an independent Australian government survey.
ECU is one of the best unis in Australia for teaching. We've had 18 straight years of 5-star ratings in the Good Universities Guide to prove it!
Our postgraduate students have rated us 5 stars for their overall experience in the latest Good Universities Guide. More 5-star ratings included: skills development, student support and teaching quality.
We're ranked one of the world's best universities under 50 years old, and we've already established a global reputation for such a young institution.
In extremely competitive fields, the employment record of WAAPA graduates is outstanding and well-attuned to the needs of the industry.
WAAPA designers, arts management and production graduates are highly sought after, and many hold influential positions across performing arts companies, festivals, venues, film, television, major events, arts organisations and teaching institutions.
At WAAPA you can choose a degree specialising in a particular area, such as a Bachelor of Arts (Acting) or a Bachelor of Arts (Arts Management).
In some cases you can choose a specialisation within a degree. For example, you can specialise in Classical Vocal, Classical Instrumental, Composition and Music Technology, Jazz or Contemporary Music within a Bachelor of Music degree.
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If you already know what you're interested in, choose a discipline.
Our future student events include a mix of on-campus and online sessions designed to help you decide what to study at ECU.
If you prefer paper over pixels, please download one of our guides.
Experience Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at ECU.
Roundhouse Theatre
'The Edith' Spiegeltent
Music Auditorium
Props and Scenery Workshop
Scholarships recognise those whose life journey may have been challenging, as well as students who've shown outstanding academic excellence and endeavour.
A scholarship can help you realise your ambitions by paying for fees, text books and living expenses.
Just two years after finishing his WAAPA training, Production & Design graduate Christian Peterson is now touring the world as a sound engineer with Cirque du Soleil.
After graduating, Christian worked full-time as a sound technician on festivals, concerts and theatre shows in Perth and around Australia. After scoring a gig on the Perth leg of the Cirque du Soleil show, Kooza he was offered the tour of Australia, New Zealand and Dubai with the Cirque show, Toruk.
Christian then spent several months in Montreal, Canada – where Cirque is based – designing and building the arena version of Corteo. He is currently touring North America with Corteo. Nice work we say!
Do you have any questions about the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts study area?
WAAPA was an invaluable experience and gave me many opportunities
The Advanced Diploma course delivered exceptional training for me to develop many skills to become a professional dancer. The course involved choreographic practice, learning critical thinking skills and applying dance knowledge in performance.
It definitely contributed to my success in the professional dance industry.
WAAPA has been such a fantastic institution for me to study at
Being able to complete a Diploma, then an Advanced Diploma, and then articulate into a Bachelor of Arts (Dance) is just amazing. The dance faculty is outstanding and staff are really helpful in guiding everyone on their own individual journey. For example, they gave me their whole-hearted support in entering me in the Genée International Ballet Competition last year, leading to my selection as a finalist to perform at the Sydney Opera House.
The greatest gift WAAPA gave me was confidence
Knowing what you're doing on set and within yourself with your acting is so important. Of course I have continued to learn so much more on set, but WAAPA gave me really strong foundations to work from. Everything both of these intensive courses offered me, from script-reading to short film work, has helped me so much and allowed me to feel ready for professional work in this amazing industry.
Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.
There's more than one admission pathway into an ECU course. It depends on what you've studied already, or your work or life experience.
Course tuition fees can change, but we can give you an estimate of your costs. If you're eligible, a scholarship or student loan can help too.
Applying for a course is a fairly simple process, especially if you have scanned copies of qualifications, your resume or other paperwork, ready to upload.
Starting a course is an exciting and sometimes daunting time, so we make a massive effort to ensure you get all the support you need to have a positive experience.
