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Course code C28

University Preparation Course

Creative thinkers made here.

Creative thinkers made here.

Why study at ECU?

Important

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

About this Course

Provides a pathway to enter into most undergraduate courses at ECU.

The course prepares students for university-level study by teaching them the required skills for academic success, with an emphasis on the student becoming an independent learner.

The course is conducted in a supportive and hands-on environment, and covers learning skills, research and writing processes, numeracy tools and accessing knowledge.

Additionally, students will be introduced to university life at ECU and will have access to course and career advice to assist in making informed decisions about undergraduate degree selection.

The course is suitable for both recent school leavers and mature age students who have not studied at university previously.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level

This course has been accredited by ECU as a Non-AQF Award.

Course code C28

Entry requirements

ECU admission and English language requirements apply.

See Course Entry for further information.

Fees

Entry Pathway courses are typically free to domestic students, who are usually eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place.

See Fees and Scholarships for further information.

Duration

0.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent

See Course Details for further information.

Availability & Campus

Location Semester 1 Semester 2
Joondalup FT PT FT PT
Mount Lawley FT PT FT PT
South West FT PT FT PT
Online FT PT FT PT
*FT = Full-time study PT = Part-time study

Timetable

This course has a modified timetable. See Course Notes.

Course Entry

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

  • Entry requirements for this course can vary depending on your circumstances. Please contact our Future Students team to discuss your best option.

    • Year 12 completion or equivalent.
  • English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

    • Year 12 General English grade C or better;
    • Special Tertiary Admissions Test; or*
    • Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.

    * Further information can be found on the Study course entry page.

Course Details

Semester availability

Semester 1: Study full-time at Joondalup, Mount Lawley, South West or Online

Semester 1: Study part-time at Joondalup, Mount Lawley, South West or Online

Semester 2: Study full-time at Joondalup, Mount Lawley, South West or Online

Semester 2: Study part-time at Joondalup, Mount Lawley, South West or Online

Course Structure

Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
UPU0001Learning Skills15
UPU0002Academic Writing15
UPU0006Essential Mathematics15
Plus one of the following:
UPU0004 ^Humanities15
UPU0005 ^Science15
UPU0010 ^BlaK Futurism: Indigenous Pop Culture for Tomorrow15

Students are advised to select the unit that best fits with their undergraduate study intentions.

^ Core Option

C28|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

  • This course may be able to be completed on-campus in a nine-week summer mode, prior to the beginning of first semester, so that students can get started on their undergraduate studies in the first semester.

    Summer is offered on-campus only at Joondalup and the South West. UniPrep summer is delivered from November to January.

Course learning outcomes

  1. Communicate effectively in academic contexts in preparation for an undergraduate degree.
  2. Apply academic skills and techniques appropriate for the university environment.
  3. Use digital technologies and literacies to access, analyse and synthesise relevant information from multiple sources.
  4. Show personal responsibility, autonomy and judgement for future university and career development.
  5. Work collaboratively to apply ethical conduct and cultural awareness within university contexts.

Fees and Scholarships

Fees

Entry Pathway courses are typically free to domestic students, who are usually eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place. For more information please go to Commonwealth Support for Pathway courses.

Scholarships

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

Find a scholarship

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.

Experiences

Explore your options

UniPrep graduate Savanna didn't study for an ATAR in Year 12, but found the course a great introduction to university and to the skills she needed to start a bachelors degree.

Student stories

  • Una Caitlin

    Una Catlin

    ECU UniPrep graduate and Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) student

    UniPrep was a great pathway into my undergraduate course

    I chose ECU after a lengthy consideration of which university could provide me with the best designed course in my chosen field.

    ECU combined psychology and business with a major in HR that I felt would give me the best employability skills.

    I genuinely believe that UniPrep offered by ECU provided me with both the opportunities to investigate my chosen career, and also gave me the transferrable skills I now apply every day.

    The support and encouragement I have received from my lecturers and tutors has been incredible. ECU has been an amazing experience for me academically.

  • Savanna Oats

    ECU UniPrep graduate

    UniPrep helped me jump right into my degree

    UniPrep graduate Savanna didn't study for an ATAR in Year 12, but found the course a great introduction to university and to the skills she needed to start a bachelors degree.

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.

Do you have any questions about the University Preparation Course?

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.