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 graduates.
Find out moreWhy ECU?
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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.
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QILT rankings ECU received the top undergraduate teaching quality ranking of all public universities in the Australian Governments 2019 QILT (Quality Indicators for Learning & Teaching) survey.
We're also the top-ranked Australian public university for skills development and overall educational experience (based on two-year aggregated results).
ECU also ranked best in Australia across these disciplines for teaching quality, skills development, student support, quality of educational experience and overall educational experience:
- Humanities, Culture and Social Sciences
- Rehabilitation
- Creative Arts
- Teacher Education
Read more about the QILT survey.
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Good Universities Guide In the 2019 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 12 years in a row. We're one of only two public universities in Australia to have achieved such a consistently high endorsement.
Read more about the Good Universities Guide.
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.
Download a guide
If you prefer paper over pixels, please download one of our guides.
Become World Ready
Experience Performing Arts at ECU.
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.
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
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"WAAPA was an invaluable experience and gave me many opportunities"
Natalie AllenWAAPA Dance graduate The Advanced Diploma course delivered exceptional training for me to develop many skills to become a professional dancer. The course involved choreographic practice, learning critical thinking skills and applying dance knowledge in performance.
It definitely contributed to my success in the professional dance industry
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"WAAPA’s Arts Management course really helped me find my place in the arts industry"
Harriet RobertsWAAPA Arts Management graduate I have always craved an active role within the performing arts, but had no idea in what capacity this could be, I trusted the course to guide me in the right direction, and it did.
For me, the course operated in a two-fold way through building my theoretical knowledge of the practicalities of arts administration in the lecture room, and in pushing me to volunteer in intern positions in the industry to gain practical experience.
It was so beneficial to have the WAAPA name behind me when seeking these opportunities for development, enabling me to expand my networks and connections in the local industry. Ultimately, this led to my current position of Associate Producer at the Blue Room Theatre.
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"The WAAPA Musical Theatre course was an unbelievable launching pad for me and my fellow class mates into this crazy industry we call the performing arts"
Mackenzie DunnWAAPA Music Theatre graduate One of the many invaluable opportunities we were given, and a personal highlight for me, was working with professional creatives (choreographers, directors and writers).
Even at the end of a sweaty fourteen-hour day – that could have possibly included a keyboard spot test, a high stakes scene presentation, a song repertoire performance, show choreography rehearsal, a ballet class and a costume parade – WAAPA was constantly buzzing with passion and was an amazing place to study for three years.