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Postgraduate Students

Passionate about a field of work and think you'd like to go onto more study? Or maybe you're working but looking for a competitive advantage or a career change? We offer a wide range of postgraduate courses at ECU, many of which are online and can be completed in as little as 6 months.

Why ECU?

  • QILT logo

    ECU top in teaching quality and more

    For the sixth year in a row, ECU has received the top undergraduate teaching quality ranking of all 37 public universities in Australia. ECU was also the top public university in Australia for undergraduate skills development, student support and overall experience. View QILT results.

  • The Good Universities Guide 2021

    Good Universities Guide

    ECU’s 5-star rating for undergraduate teaching quality has been achieved for 15 straight years! Five-star ratings were also achieved for undergraduate skills development, learner engagement, learning resources, student support and overall experience. All ratings are the best for a public university in Western Australia.

    Read more.

  • THE Impact Rankings

    THE Impact Rankings

    ECU has been ranked in the top 50 for Gender Equality (24th), Good Health and Wellbeing (24th) and Quality Education (41st) in the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact rankings, showing how universities are working towards the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

    Read more about the THE Impact Rankings

  • THE World University Rankings 2020 Top 100 Young

    THE Young University Rankings

    ECU has been ranked in the world's top 100 universities under 50 years old in the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Young Universities Rankings. View rankings.

Fantastic facilities and programs

ECU offers a diverse range of postgraduate courses and our facilities are some of the best you'll find at any university in Australia. We have:

  • one of Australia's fastest growing Engineering Schools
  • the largest Nursing program in Western Australia
  • Exercise Science laboratories considered among the best in the Southern Hemisphere
  • the oldest and most popular School of Education in Western Australia
  • one of the most comprehensive Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southern Hemisphere
  • one of the world's leading performing arts academies, WAAPA.

Postgraduate programs are well-supported

Postgraudate student and learning adviser discussing study notes over a coffee

At ECU, we understand there's more to your life than being a student.

Many of our postgraduate students also have busy jobs and families that require their full attention.

It's one of the reasons why we offer online and part-time study.

And you can drive to one of our metropolitan campuses from work or home and take advantage of convenient parking.

We also have professionally-accredited Childcare centres on our campuses and our Sport Centres offer short-term crèches during semesters.

Learning Advisers can help you with academic skills and career counsellors can help you plan your future.

Our Graduate Research School also provides loads of support if you're thinking about a research degree.

Pathways to postgrad

ECU Joondalup Campus

There are different entry pathways to postgraduate study at ECU.

If you have a Bachelor's degree and meet the specific admission requirements for your chosen course, you're on your way.

If you don't have a uni degree, your professional work experience could qualify you for entry to a Graduate Certificate course, and, if you're successful, onto a Diploma or a Masters.

Our postgraduate course entry page will help you understand your entry options.

Courses

What can you study here?

There are two ways you can study for a postgraduate qualification – by coursework or by research.

The majority of our postgrad coursework disciplines offer Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters level courses.

You can also advance from a Graduate Certificate to a Masters as a natural progression.

A postgraduate research degree involves the production of a written body of work, known as a thesis.

Identifying a topic, developing a proposal, conducting the research and writing the thesis are key stages of a research degree.

Study courses online

At ECU, we understand that everyone is different.

We all have different work arrangements, family responsibilities, locations and learning styles.

That's why we offer the flexibility of studying many of our postgraduate courses online.

This includes everything from a Graduate Diploma to a Masters, and even some doctorates.

Our online students receive our full support, just like their on-campus equivalents. We don't forget you!

Our study areas

To help you choose a career direction, we group similar fields of work into study areas. Within each study area you can choose an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. And within most degree courses, you can choose your specialty, or major subject.

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.

Postgraduate course guide International student guide

Become World Ready

World Ready facilities

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

Explore your options

  • Professor of Petroleum Engineering Stefan Iglauer investigates climate change mitigation.

  • Professor of Strength and Conditioning Greg Haff's research is focussed on encouraging kids to start building their fitness through Youth Resistance Training.

  • Meet Helena Halton, Director of Postgraduate Nursing Studies and Nurse Practitioner at ECU's Chronic Disease Wellness Clinic.

  • Senior lecturer in Master of Teaching (Primary) Dr Helen Adam on why young children need to be exposed to books containing cultural diversity.

  • Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics Therese O'Sullivan's research into dairy products for children has received global attention.

  • Dr Nikki Rajakaruna's research focuses on policing and she has managed projects on police use of force, issues related to police integrity and the use of intelligence in policing.

  • School of Education senior lecturer Dr Christine Cunningham identifies trends to help in the education of qualified teachers.

  • Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Jacques Oosthuizen is investigating the affects of hazardous chemicals on firefighters.

  • Arts & Humanities Senior Lecturer Dr Christopher Kueh talks about his research and his design philosophy.

  • Senior Lecturer and researcher Dr Carolyn McIntyre is an integral part of ECU's exercise medicine oncology team.

  • Dr Stacey Reinke's research looks at data as the driving force behind understanding biology and disease.

  • Cyber security and digital forensics lecturer Dr Patryk Szewczyk says personal information should not be stored on devices you're disposing of.

  • WA Regional General Manager for Siemens Limited, Andrew McCluskey, discusses why he decided to study an MBA at ECU.

  • Luke Brook, PhD (Computer Science) talks about how he's able to study, help raise 4 kids and hold down a job.

  • Associate Professor Erin Godecke is Senior Research Fellow in Speech Pathology and the Clinical Director of the Very Early Rehabilitation in SpeEch (VERSE) Trial for Aphasia after Stroke.

  • Associate Dean of Public Health and OHS and Professor of Public Medicine Amanda Devine is working to develop education resources about healthy food and drinks for kids.

  • Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Pi-Shen Seet teaches students to learn from the mistakes of the past in thinking about the future.

Student stories

  • Emmanuel Kokoroko

    Emmanuel Kokoroko

    ECU PhD Business (major in Management)

    I have no doubt I came to the right place for my doctoral degree

    I chose to do my doctorate here because I found the PhD in Business program at the School of Business and Law to be focused on conducting cutting edge and innovative research in areas that are relevant to the global community. I found my supervisors to be very supportive and dedicated to supervising my research work, they create an enabling learning environment that help me to develop my research skills and competencies.

    ECU is a great place to study. It carries this climate of a modern, world-class and ambitious institution. It looks like a place I can achieve my goals and aspirations. I have no doubt I came to the right place.

  • Jennifer Screen

    Jennifer Screen

    ECU Master of Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning) graduate

    ECU has a reputation as one of the leading universities worldwide for studying Sports Science.

    I was attempting to make my second Olympic team while completing my Masters. The course structure, online access and availability of lecturers helped me to manage everything.

  • Master of Environmental Science student, Patricia Ngati

    Patricia Ngati

    ECU Master of Environmental Science graduate

    I was interested in a Masters program that would broaden my view on environmental issues

    I was excited to find that ECU offered exactly what I was looking for as the units in the Master of Environmental Science program are multidisciplinary, covering areas ranging from science to business.

    The work integrated learning also attracted me to this course as it offers a good platform to transition into the working environment and an opportunity to apply the skills that I will have gained. So far, the course has been amazing!