Arts & Humanities

If you have a passion for communication and for understanding fellow humans, this study area can lead to exciting employment or self-employment opportunities.

Find out more

Arts & Humanities at ECU

Communication is fundamental to human existence - we need to understand how people communicate with each other, both verbally and visually.

From understanding language to understanding politics and even understanding mindsets, communication is also a major theme at ECU.

Here, you can study courses as diverse as Media and Communication, Criminology, or Design. Or choose from Psychology, Arts or Counselling courses.

Why ECU?

Ranked best in Australia

ECU received the top undergraduate teaching quality ranking of all public universities in Australia in the 2019 QILT (Quality Indicators for Teaching & Learning) survey.
We're also the top-ranked Australian public university for skills development and overall educational experience (based on two-year aggregated results).
Arts and Humanities disciplines ranked among the best in Australia in the survey:
- Humanities, Culture & Social Sciences – Australia's top university for teaching quality and skills development and top in Western Australia for overall education experience, teaching quality and learning resources.
- Creative Arts – ranked #2 in Australia for teaching quality, skills development and quality of educational experience.
Good Universities Guide

In the 2020 Good Universities Guide, ECU graduates have given us a 5-star rating for:
- Teaching quality
- Skills development
- Student support
- Learning resources
- Median salary (based on the starting salary for new domestic graduates under age 25, and in their first full-time job.)
The 5-star rating for teaching quality has now been achieved for 13 straight years. We're the only public university in Australia to have achieved such a consistently high endorsement.
Read more about the Good Universities Guide.
THE Young University Rankings

ECU has been ranked in the world's top 150 universities under 50 years old in the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) Young Universities Rankings.
Young universities are measured on their teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income.
These are the same performance indicators as measured in the overall THE World University Rankings.
THE Impact Rankings

ECU has been ranked number 6 in the world for Gender Equality and number 11 for Quality Education in the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.
The rankings show how the global higher education sector is working towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
ECU is ranked in the top 50 overall, and also features at #22 for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and #28 for Good Health and Well-being.
Read more about the THE Impact Rankings
Specialised Social Science majors

We are the only university in Western Australia to offer specialised majors in Children and Family Studies and Human Services within a Social Science program.
This gives our Social Science graduates a broader range of career options.

Courses

Our course structures allow you to specialise in one area, or gain expertise in multiple areas. We know that the more multi‑skilled you are, the more likely you'll be able to succeed in today's complex technological, social and creative world.

To increase your chances of finding employment, we mix practical, hands-on experiences and industry placements with a solid theoretical background.

Study areas, degrees and majors

At ECU, we group similar fields of work into study areas – Arts & Humanities is one of them.

Within each study area you can choose a degree, for example a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Counselling.

For some degrees, you can choose a speciality, or major, like Advertising, Fashion, English or Children and Family Studies – or even a double major.

Postgraduate degrees involve coursework or research. For example, a Master of Design (by coursework), or a Master of Criminal Justice by Research.

Download a guide

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

Study area guide Undergraduate course guide Postgraduate course guide International student guide

Become World Ready

Experience Arts & Humanities at ECU.

WA Screen Academy Sound Studio

Our Sound Studio on ECU Mount Lawley Campus is one of the postgraduate learning facilities available to WA Screen Academy students.
ECU Psychological Services Centre

The ECU Psychological Services Centre is a modern training facility that provides services to the community.
Photography studio with backdrop and flash hoods

View the 360 Degree virtual tour
Consultation facilities

Our Trainees can provide psychological services to people experiencing anxiety, depression and emotional issues.

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

Laura's inventive approach to mental health

Laura Butshiire is studying a Bachelor of Social Work in the hope of one day working as a school social worker – and she is well on the way to achieving her dream.

Laura is already having an impact on the mental well-being of kids. She has run workshops at Clarkson Primary School where dogs, aerobics, basketball, parkour, dance and chalk art were all part of the program to promote mental well-being.

"The aim was to teach students practical ways of becoming more mentally healthy and for children to be able to implement strategies to look after their own mental health which they'll be able to carry through primary school, teen years, and even into adulthood," she said.

Explore your options

Meet students majoring in Graphic Design, Interactive Multimedia and Environmental and Spatial Design at ECU Mount Lawley.

Student
stories

"I chose ECU because it is simply the best option for studying broadcasting in WA"

Jerrie DemasiECU Broadcasting graduate & Channel 9 Perth News presenter

You get so much hands-on experience and real-world advice from lecturers and tutors who are often professionals in the industry.
The lecturers offered a no-nonsense approach to the industry and really prepared me for a field of work that is not glamorous and not for the faint-hearted.
I had no misconceptions about what I was signing up for which made me feel more than prepared for work experience. I have stayed in contact with my lecturer and she continues to help me with my career decisions – even today.
"ECU gives you the ability to apply your knowledge, and to experience what the industry is like"

Jordana CernottaYouth Work student

My experience studying at ECU has been great! The lecturers have been extremely helpful and the flexibility of the course has allowed me to adapt my studies to my lifestyle. At one stage, I was living in Italy, and was able to study online for a semester.
ECU also has a great reputation for providing practical experience opportunities. One of the practical placements I've already completed went so well that a year later I am still mentoring at the organisation.
"I constantly find myself looking at signs and symbols and thinking, oh, this could be designed better"

Aimee ChappellECU Design graduate

And thinking, "What if we did this?" I was always a visual artist and I just wanted to figure out a way to get a consistent income working in that field.
Through the units in my degree, especially the Fremantle-based unit, The Happiness Project, I realised it wasn't just about graphic design. For me, it's about design communication, designing systems and figuring out how to help people – asking why are we doing this? Who does it affect? How is it helpful? Thinking with empathy.
I'd always wanted to help people, but I never thought as a creative that I would find a way to both earn an income and do that.