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STEM Study

ECU is a massive supporter of studies in STEM. And with an increasing number of jobs requiring creative thinking, problem solving and collaboration, supported by knowledge of subjects in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, we'll prepare you for the future by building your STEM skills.

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 18 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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Skills for now and into the future

Two students crouch down to work on a robot Students programming a robot

As the world of work changes, through automation, globalisation and the explosion in digital technologies, we need to change our skills to match.

In fact, it's predicted that future workers will spend more than double the time on job tasks that require science, maths and critical thinking than happens today.

This is why STEM is so important.

ECU's STEM Superstars

It's good to know that when you study at ECU, we have staff who are exceptional role models in the world of STEM. Meet two of them here.

Global adventure a dream come true for Shannon

Each year, a cohort of STEM educators, researchers and innovators are chosen by a panel of leaders in their fields to join a 12-month leadership program. In 2024, ECU Post Doctoral Research Fellow and Coastal Ecologist Dr Shannon Dee was selected.

Read Shannon's story

Creative thinking leads to superstar status for Chandra

Professor Chandra Salgado Kent from ECU's School of Science and the Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research is a marine scientist who's taking a creative approach to making positive change in conservation science that includes using satellite trackers and drones.

Read Chandra's story

STEM student stories

Paige turns to crime for a life in the lab

Like many school leavers, working out what she wanted to study at uni was a bit of a challenge for Paige Smith. She had a passion for all things science from a very young age, but where to start?

Read Paige's story

How a high school dropout discovered the magic of physics

"If you told me 10 years ago I'd be at university studying physics, I'd have laughed at you." Meet Nathan Pittaway, a mature age uni student in the process of changing his life, one physics exam at a time.

Read Nathan's story

Courses

What can you study here?

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

Within the five study areas below you'll find both undergraduate (first degree) and postgraduate courses in the range of STEM fields.

Why wait until university?

At ECU, our School of Engineering has programs for high school students who are interested in STEM subjects.

Engineering and technology workshops

Our CREATE program offers practical workshops where students can explore STEM disciplines in a fun way with industry professionals. Check it out in this short video.

The IGNIS Mission Student Interns Program

High school students with an interest in space and engineering can join ECU's engineering experts and space industry professionals as part of this mission to design, build and launch a satellite into Low Earth Orbit.

Read more about IGNIS  

Cargo spaceship orbits Earth Cargo spaceship orbits Earth

Download a guide

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

Domestic Students

Undergraduate course guide Postgraduate course finder

International Students

Create your own guide International student guide

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.

Creative thinkers start here

Experience STEM at ECU.

View our facilities

Student stories

  • Field experience and flexibility

    Environmental Science and Marine and Biology student Holly Winkle talks about having the flexibility to study across disciplines.

  • The chemistry was right to return to study

    Applied and Analytical Chemistry student Samantha Ridgway talks about how easy it was to come back to study as a mature age student.

  • There are fantastic opportunities to learn and grow and it looks great on your resume! 

    One of the things I didn't know before I started my course was the plethora of opportunities ECU provides to students – from networking events to volunteering opportunities. It has been the most valuable aspect for me and helped me get involved with running and attending different workshops to spread knowledge about cyber security and to learn about what it's like working within the industry.

    Soumita Kale

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.