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Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

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.

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Why study at ECU?

  • QILT - Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching

    Top uni in WA for Creative Arts

    Includes best ranking for undergraduate teaching quality, skills development, learning resources and student support.
    QILT is an independent Australian government survey.

  • The Good Universities Guide - teaching quality

    The highest quality teaching

    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!

  • The Good Universities Guide - teaching quality

    A 5-star postgrad experience

    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.

  • THE World University Rankings Top 100 Young

    One of the world's young guns

    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.

Courses

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.

About WAAPA Courses

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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Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts Disciplines

If you already know what you're interested in, choose a discipline.

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.

Download a guide

If you prefer paper over pixels, please download one of our guides.

Creative thinkers start here

Experience Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at ECU.

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Scholarship opportunities to reduce your expenses

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.

Realise your dream with our scholarships

WAAPA stars are born

Our graduates excel in their chosen professions around the world, confirming WAAPA's well-earned reputation.

Many well-known actors, dancers, musicians and music theatre stars, including Hugh Jackman, Meg Mac, Frances O'Connor, Jai Courtney, William McInnes, Lisa McCune, Lucy Durack, Dacre Montgomery, Emma Matthews, Jamie Oehlers, Eddie Perfect and Tim Minchin have called WAAPA home.

Do you have any questions about the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts study area?

Student stories

  • The WAAPA Musical Theatre course was an unbelievable launching pad for me and my fellow class mates into this crazy industry we call the performing arts

    One of the many invaluable opportunities we were given, and a personal highlight for me, was working with professional creatives (choreographers, directors and writers).

    Even at the end of a sweaty fourteen-hour day – that could have possibly included a keyboard spot test, a high stakes scene presentation, a song repertoire performance, show choreography rehearsal, a ballet class and a costume parade – WAAPA was constantly buzzing with passion and was an amazing place to study for three years.

    Mackenzie Dunn
  • WAAPA's Arts Management course really helped me find my place in the arts industry

    I have always craved an active role within the performing arts, but had no idea in what capacity this could be, I trusted the course to guide me in the right direction, and it did.

    It was so beneficial to have the WAAPA name behind me when seeking volunteering opportunities for development, enabling me to expand my networks and connections in the local industry. Ultimately, this led to my current position of Associate Producer at the Blue Room Theatre.

    WAAPA Arts Management graduate, Harriet Roberts
  • WAAPA has led to opportunities I would never have thought realistic three years ago

    This is largely thanks to the incredible work of the staff who go out of their way to help each student realise their ambitions. The most rewarding parts of the course, so far, for me have been devising and performing a solo piece, working with James Berlyn on Memory Bones at His Majesty's Theatre. And also the study tour to the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore in early 2017.

    If you're interested in writing, directing, performing and/or running your own theatre company, this is the course for you.

    Alex Beard

The Important Things

Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.

Course Entry

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.

Fees & Scholarships

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

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.

ECU Experience

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.