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Performing Arts

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts is one of the world's leading performing arts academies, recognised nationally and internationally for the quality of its acting, dance music theatre and music graduates.

Why ECU?

  • QILT logo

    ECU top in teaching quality

    For the fifth 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-ranked public university in Australia for undergraduate skills development for the sixth year in a row.

    View QILT results.

  • The Good Universities Guide 2021

    Good Universities Guide

    In the 2021 Good Universities Guide, ECU graduates have given us a 5-star rating for teaching quality, skills development, student support, learning resources, learner engagement and overall student experience.

    The 5-star rating for undergraduate teaching quality has now been achieved for 14 straight years.

    Read more about the Good Universities Guide.

  • 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 2020 Times Higher Education (THE) Young Universities Rankings, THE World University Rankings.

Courses

Study world ready

WAAPA provides world-class teaching, concert facilities and performance opportunities for aspiring professionals in acting, dance, classical, jazz or contemporary music, and musical theatre.

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.

Domestic Students

Study area guide Undergraduate course guide Postgraduate course guide

International Students

Create your own guide International student guide

Become World Ready

Experience Performing Arts at ECU.

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

WAAPA stars are born

Our graduates excel in their chosen professions around the world, confirming WAAPA's well-earned reputation.

Many well-known actors, dancers, musicians and music theatre stars, including Hugh Jackman, Meg Mac, Frances O'Connor, Jai Courtney, William McInnes, Lisa McCune, Lucy Durack, Dacre Montgomery, Emma Matthews, Jamie Oehlers, Eddie Perfect and Tim Minchin have called WAAPA home.

Student stories

  • Alex Beard

    Alexander Beard

    Bachelor of Performing Arts student

    "WAAPA has led to opportunities I would never have thought realistic three years ago"

    This is largely thanks to the incredible work of the staff who go out of their way to help each student realise their ambitions. The most rewarding parts of the course, so far, for me have been devising and performing a solo piece, working with James Berlyn on Memory Bones at His Majesty’s Theatre. And also the study tour to the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore in early 2017.

    If you’re interested in writing, directing, performing and/or running your own theatre company, this is the course for you.

  • Mat Verevis

    Mat Verevis

    WAAPA Music Theatre graduate

    "Being at WAAPA gave me the opportunity to hone my skills and get them industry ready"

    It gave me an understanding of how the industry worked and the work ethic you need to be successful in it.

  • Ian Michael

    Ian Michael

    WAAPA Aboriginal Performance graduate

    "WAAPA really prepared me for the industry in every way possible"

    I really fell in love with theatre and the process of making it when I was at WAAPA and from pretty early on knew that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.

    I enjoyed the hard work every day and the shows I saw at WAAPA are still some of my favourite pieces of theatre I've ever seen. WAAPA really prepared me for the industry in every way possible.