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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students

At ECU, we help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities to achieve their dreams and aspirations through further education. We'll assist you with choosing a university entry pathway and with understanding and adapting to your new university life.

Creative thinkers made here.
Creative thinkers made here.

Why study at ECU?

  • QILT - Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching

    A great student experience

    As an ECU undergraduate, you can expect the best overall student experience of any of the 38 public universities in Australia. More about QILT.

  • The Good Universities Guide - teaching quality

    The highest quality teaching

    ECU is one of the best unis in Australia for teaching. We've had 17 straight years of 5-star ratings in the Good Universities Guide to prove it!

  • 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.

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Pathways

An ATAR score isn't the only pathway you need to get into an ECU undergraduate course.

There are a few different ways to do this, including if you didn't get the ATAR score you were aiming for. There are pathways if you've completed other qualifications, or if it's been a few years since you've studied.

For example, you can submit a successful portfolio through our Experience Based Entry or Creative Humanities Portfolio Entry pathways. Or complete a bridging course like UniPrep.

To find out more, visit our Year 12 pathways page or, if that's not you, our general entry pathways page.

Not sure about your options?

If you'd like to chat about your pathway options, please email us at: kk@ecu.edu.au

What can you study here?

To help our students with a career direction, we group similar fields of work into study areas.

Within each study area below you can choose an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. And within most degree courses, you can choose your speciality, or major subject.

Arts & Humanities

Business & Law

Engineering & Technology

Medical & Health Sciences

Nursing & Midwifery

Science

Teacher Education

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

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.

Guide for Indigenous students Undergraduate course guide Postgraduate course finder

Creative thinkers start here

As an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student you may be eligible for different kinds of Government or ECU student loans. The Aboriginal Tutorial and Mentoring Program also covers the cost of a tutor to help you with academic and study skills assistance.

You could also be eligible for a scholarship to help with the costs of studying.

Commonwealth Scholarships

For example, there are different kinds of Commonwealth Scholarships that cover higher education costs:

  • The Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship
  • The Indigenous Enabling Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship

And some provide additional financial support if you're from a rural or remote area:

  • The Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship
  • The Indigenous Enabling Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship

More about Commonwealth and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarships.

We are committed to walking with you on your university journey.

Kurongkurl Katitjin

ECU's Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Kurongkurl Katitjin provides support services and programs to help meet the academic and cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. These include:

  • Dedicated Student Success Officers
  • Nala Karla Student Rooms and facilities
  • Tutorial Assistance
  • Elder-in-Residence Program

Student stories

  • My ECU studies have taught me that hard work pays off

    My study experience has been amazing and I am grateful for the connections I have built with friends from my futsal team, who I now consider my family.

    I first began my journey with ECU through the Indigenous University Orientation Course. This pathway gave me the guidance and time to help me pick a career I am passionate about.

    The lecturers offer great support and will always do their best to help you out when you need.

    My ECU studies have taught me that hard work pays off and I am proving that more and more each semester, as I get closer to the end of my studies.

    Cassandra Catley
  • ECU offers a high level of support for my studies

    The skills I have developed throughout my time at ECU have been invaluable. I was fortunate enough to complete an internship within the ECU's Corporate Marketing and Events Team, which gave me the opportunity to apply my learnings from my studies in a real world environment.

    Balancing family, work and study has been the biggest obstacle during my studies, however ECU offers a high level of support to enable me to keep pursuing my studies and move forward with a smile on my face.

    Jarni Lee

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.