Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University

About Edith Cowan University

Assorted pictures of students and ECU campusesGeneral information about ECU

Edith Cowan University's origins go back to 1902 when it began as a teaching college. Today it is Western Australia's second largest university with approximately 23,000 students, including in excess of 3,000 students originating from more than 80 countries. Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia, a gateway to Asia.

ECU is the only Australian University named after a woman - Edith Dircksey Cowan - Australia's first female Parliamentarian and a fighter for social justice. Edith Cowan also graces the Australian $50 note.

ECU is a contemporary university providing quality tertiary education for the students of today. We pride ourselves on being supportive, flexible and relevant to the real world. We all know that the theory is important but ECU knows that putting what you learn into practice is just as valuable. That's why our courses have a strong focus on providing real life solutions to real life problems. Practical projects, industry placements and guest speakers are key features of our programs.

We strive to provide a different learning approach, developed to maximise the student outcome and experience, as well as providing state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure.

With over 300 courses, ECU offers the flexibility and freedom to match your own talents and aspirations with a wide range of course options to give you the skills and knowledge to reach your goals.

ECU awards are recognised nationally and internationally, because of rigorous accreditation procedures used by the University, and consultation with professional and vocational groups. ECU is a member of the National Unified System of Australian Universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee. Universities throughout the world recognise ECU programs for exchange purposes.

Research

At ECU we believe that research underpins human advancement and we are committed to undertaking high quality research which has strong social, economic, environmental and cultural impact.

Our belief and investment in research has led to the implementation of successful strategies to develop high quality research which aligns with, and impacts on, our teaching and learning activities.

One strategy includes concentrating research in selected areas of strength and excellence and collaboration is encouraged with local, national and international institutions, industry and community partners, and all levels of government.

Our research areas of strength include:

  • Health and Wellness;
  • Education;
  • Environment and Sustainability;
  • Electronic Engineering and ICT;
  • Social and Community;
  • Business and Society;
  • Communications and Creative Arts; and
  • Security, Law and Justice.

The strong alignment between our research areas of strength and our course profile means our teaching and learning activities are constantly informed by research outcomes and advances.

Student and staff researchers are supported by state-of-the-art award-winning facilities, a high-quality research and research training environment and a stimulating intellectual climate.

For more information, visit the Research website.

IBM on board

ECU is the first Australian university to strike an educational alliance with global technology giant IBM. This two way partnership means students have access to the latest and best information technology. The IBM partnership also means ECU gains access to world-class research from IBM in the key areas of curriculum design and academic development.

All ECU campuses have significant wireless infrastructure providing students with the ability to study anywhere, anytime. Students can connect to the wireless network using wireless enabled laptops.

ECU Advantage

ANZ / ECU Links

Staff, students and alumni of Edith Cowan University can benefit from being a member of the ECU Links banking package. Benefits range from accounts with low fees, concessions on mortgages and a low introductory interest rate on credit card balance transfers.

Visit www.anz.com/eculinks for more information.

Joondalup Learning Precinct

The Joondalup Learning Precinct lies 25kms north of Perth and is the only known educational facility in the world incorporating a university, police academy and technical and further education college. The Precinct is made up of the three co-located education campuses of Edith Cowan University, West Coast TAFE and the Western Australia Police Academy.

These Precinct institutions work closely with local business, government, commerce and industrial clients to provide education and training programs and consultancy services tailored to assist them with their business growth.

www.joondaluplearningprecinct.com

Edith Dircksey Cowan

Edith Dircksey CowanEdith Dircksey Cowan was born in 1861 at Glengarry near Geraldton. She believed that education was fundamental to tackling the social issues of the day and further, that it was the key to growth, change and improvement. She fought tirelessly to improve conditions for women, children, families, the poor, the under-educated and the elderly. She promoted sex education in schools, migrant welfare and the formation of infant health centres.

In 1894, Edith Cowan was one of the founders of the Karrakatta Club. Following its foundation, the Club became the centre of a movement for reform making Edith Cowan the best known woman in Australia the first thirty years of this century.

Among her many achievements, Edith Cowan was instrumental in obtaining votes for women in Western Australia. She was Vice President of the Women Justices' Association and the Western Australian League of Nations Union. She helped found the Children's Protection Society which was the precursor of the Children's Court and helped create the Western Australian National Council for Women of which she was president from 1913 to 1921.

The Guidance of Infants Act (1922) which allowed women to apply to the courts if their husbands left them without adequate maintenance, was amended by the efforts of Edith Cowan and she also argued that a woman should be legally entitled to a share of her husband's income. In 1923 she was appointed to the Anglican Synod, which was predominately male, and the press commended the church for moving with the times.

Her contribution to the war effort was vast; she worked on many committees and on the formation of the WA League of Nations Union. Awarded an OBE in 1920 for her work during the war, she was elected as an endorsed Nationalist, defeating the previous Attorney General. In 1921, at the age of 60, she became the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament. Her most important feat as a parliamentarian was her contribution to the passing of the Women's Legal Status Bill, which became an Act in 1923. The Bill opened legal and other professions to Western Australian women for the first time.

Edith Dircksey Cowan on the fifty dollar noteShe contributed significantly to the development of education, particularly in government schools. She worked tirelessly to raise funds for students to attend universities in other States, prior to a university being built in Western Australia and obtained government support for her scheme. Her work in this area was acknowledged by naming Western Australia's oldest education institution and newest university after her.

Edith Cowan died on June 9, 1932 aged 71. A memorial to her in the form of a clock tower was unveiled in Kings Park on June 9, 1934.

 

Our Campuses

Mount Lawley Campus

Only minutes away from Perth's CBD and conveniently services by public transport, ECU's Mount Lawley Campus is an excellent choice for study, night or day. The Mount Lawley Campus is equipped with extensive teaching resources, first-rate study facilities, a new gym and sports centre and on-campus residential accommodation. It also forms part of a precinct with the Mount Lawley Senior High School and is home to one of Australia's most successful arts training institutions, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).

Joondalup Campus

ECU's Joondalup Campus is situated close to fast rail transport and Perth's major freeway. The purpose-built campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities including the Science and Health Building, a multi-million dollar recreation centre and an outdoor cinema during the summer months. On-campus residential accommodation is also available. The campus forms part of the Joondalup Learning Precinct (JLP), which includes West Coast TAFE and the Western Australia Police Academy.

Churchlands Campus

ECU's Churchlands Campus is being gradually redeveloped into Churchlands Green, a premium residential development. Over the remainder of 2007 and 2008, availability of courses offered at Churchlands will decrease as programs move to Joondalup and Mount Lawley.

South West Campus (Bunbury)

Located two hours drive south of Perth and in Western Australia's second largest city, ECU's South West Campus (Bunbury) is the largest university outside the metropolitan area. The campus is part of an education precinct comprising of the South West Regional College of TAFE and the Bunbury Health Campus, which includes St John of God Hospital and South West Area Health Services. The campus has modern facilities, small class sizes, offers a comprehensive range of courses and has recently built on-campus residential accommodation.

Centres and Regional Areas

Selected ECU programs are offered as a number of metropolitan and regional centres to meet local needs. Centres operate throughout Western Australia in the south at Margaret River, Albany and Katanning, north in Broome and in the mid-west region in Geraldton.

Joondalup Learning Precinct

The Joondalup Learning Precinct (JLP) is the only known educational facility in the world incorporating a university, police academy and technical and further education college. Located in the heart of Joondalup, the JLP is made up of the three co-located education campuses of Edith Cowan University, West Coast TAFE and Western Australia Police Academy. Unique to the JLP is a range of educational pathways between the three institutions that permit students to gain credits for studies at one institution towards a qualification at another institution.

Getting to ECU

A modern public transport system ensures that traveling between the three metropolitan campuses and the Perth CBD takes no more than 45 mins. (The South West Campus is approximately 200km south of Perth). For information on bus routes and train times, visit www.transperth.wa.gov.au or www.ecu.edu.au/fas/travelsmart.

Accommodation

What better way to immerse yourself in university life than by living in student housing. You can meet people from all walks of life in our student villages. ECU has a range of residential accommodation on the Mount Lawley, Joondalup and South West (Bunbury) campuses. The Student Villages provide a modern, friendly environment in self-catering units for a total population of 366 full-time students. For further information visit www.ecu.edu.au/fas/village

Students seeking private off-campus accommodation should also contact the Student Village.