Student FAQs

About Edith Cowan College

Edith Cowan College (ECC) is located on Edith Cowan Universities Mount Lawley and Joondalup Campus West in Perth Western Australia. The campuses are serviced by main bus routes and train services.

ECC offers Academic English program,  Diploma courses and Post-graduate Qualifying Programs (PQP) also called Pre-Master courses.

Academic English Program leads into Diploma and PQP courses at ECC and various degree programs at ECU.

Diploma courses offer in the areas of Commerce, Computing & IT, Communications, Hotel Management, Engineering and Health Science.

PQP offers in the areas of Business, IT and Communications.

For more information please visit our courses page.

View our intakes in the important dates page.

ECC’s Academic English Program (AEP) is specifically designed for students who plan to study at an Australian university or who are interested in developing academic reading, writing, listening and communication skills. For more information please refer to the Academic English Program page.

You may apply for recognition of prior learning based on equivalent study at another university or educational institution. You can submit applications for RPL when you apply.

If you are applying for an RPL from a unit of study, you must not enrol in that unit unless your application is not approved.

Applications for RPL must be lodged with the appropriate evidence including:

  • A completed Recognition of Prior Learning form

  • Certified copies of academic transcripts and/or qualifications with approved English language translations (if applicable)

  • Copies of unit outlines describing detailed contents of learning outcomes, assessments and other course materials. Such evidence must demonstrate equivalent academic rigour (quality, time frame, breadth and depth of study content)

  • Any other evidence demonstrating that your experience, skills, knowledge and qualifications meet the academic rigour required under the respective AQF standards.

  • Proof of minimum level of English competency matching relevant course entry guidelines.

ECC has a range of student support services available.

ECC has a good mix of students from 45+ countries and accepts both local students (Australian citizens and Permanent residents) as well as International students for studies.

You can meet students from ECC prior to arrival by joining our ECC Facebook or ECC Instagram. Visit our You Tube Channel to see what students and staff have to say about ECC.

ECC recommends that appropriate arrangements must be made with respect to your accommodation, ensuring sufficient support for your personal welfare during your stay in Australia or until you reach the age of 18 years. ECC offers support and counselling to all students through its Student Counsellor and will liaise with parents regarding the welfare of younger students.

About the classes

Lecture groups have a maximum of 50 students, although most average between 25 - 35 students. Lectures are complemented by small group tutorials/workshops ensuring students receive the best of attention.

Class times can be from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Saturday. Standard classes are 3 hours, but some units may have longer classes or include additional classes for laboratories, workshops or tutorials. 

If the unit is a core unit, the student must repeat that unit again. If it is not a required unit the student must take another appropriate unit to complete the Diploma.

Edith Cowan University

Please see below:

  • Packaged international students:  Good news!  You already have your place secured with ECU.  Once you have completed your ECC program, ECU will be in touch with the next steps to transition into the University.
  • Non-Packaged students:  You can apply to ECU at any time through the ECU application portal.  Once you complete your ECC program, ECU will be in touch with the next steps to transition into the University.

Please see below:

  • If you are a packaged international student on an ECC | ECU visa, you must progress to ECU as per your student visa conditions.
  • For non-package or domestic students, the ECC Diploma can grant you some Advanced Standing status at many Australian Universities.  But don’t forget- the ECC Diplomas are specially designed and tailored for ECU courses so you can get the maximum amount of credit into your University degree.

Information about ECU may be located on their website.

Find more fun information about ECU and Perth WA.

ECU holds multiple events for future students from Open Days, to information sessions, to one-on-one counselling... and much more!  You can register for Future Student Events for free.

ECU looks forward to welcoming the ECC graduates each semester. 

  • As an international packaged student, as per your visa conditions, you have a guaranteed place to commence into 2nd year of your ECU packaged degree.
  • For non-packaged international students, you can apply to ECU at any time through the ECU application portal.  Your place can only be awarded once you complete your ECC course.  ECU will do their best to accommodate your study plans!  Please note that some courses have limited places (example Nursing).

ECU welcomes the ECC students to join us on the ECU campuses to use the state-of-the-art facilities on offer!  Please refer to the Campus Facilities page on our website for more information.

No, the university does not expect the student to pay a deposit for their 2nd year place.

Yes, you will need to discuss your study plans with the ECC justask@ecc.edu.au. Please note that changing your ECU course could affect the amount of advanced standing you will receive towards your ECU degree.

If you have not completed your high school in Australia,  UK, Ireland, USA, NZ or Canada, you need to sit your English competency test 2 months prior to graduating from your ECC Diploma.

International students must satisfy:

In addition to satisfying ECU minimum English standard requirements for this course, all applicants must also demonstrate English language proficiency as specified in the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia's (NMBA) English language skills registration standard

These requirements are as follows:

  • IELTS Academic with a minimum overall score of 7.0 and a minimum score of 7.0 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking), or
  • Occupational English Test (OET) with a minimum score of B in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking), or
  • Pearson English Test (PTE) Academic with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking), or
  • TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test:
    • 24 for listening,
    • 24 for reading,
    • 27 for writing, and
    • 23 for speaking, or
  • Completion of at least six years of primary and secondary education taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country as defined by the NMBA (including at least 2 years between years 7 and 12) with a supporting written declaration to confirm that your primary language is English, or
  • Completion of at least 5 years full-time equivalent continuous combined secondary and/or tertiary and/or vocational education taught and assessed in a recognised country as defined by the NMBA, with a supporting written declaration to confirm whether your primary language is English.  Note: The 5 years does not include the proposed ECU study. 

Note:  English tests must be completed within 2 years of the proposed course commencement date and additional requirements may apply in relation to acceptable number of test sittings and combined scores across test sittings.

Applying to ECC

You can apply online, or via an ECC authorised agent.

No, students who apply to study at ECC are not required to pay an application fee.

Completed and signed ECC application form

  • Certified copies of translated academic transcripts
  • Certificate of graduation (for PQP applications)
  • IELTS results/evidence of English proficiency (if applicable)
  • Evidence of work experience (Curriculum Vitae & references) for student applying for mature aged entry/PQP leading into MBA/MIT and MCS

Yes, FEE-HELP is available for Australian citizens who are enrolling in a Diploma course.

Yes, students who are over 21 years of aged can be accepted on the basis of mature-aged entry.

View more information regarding admission requirements.

Working while studying

International students may not enrol in studies on a part-time basis as they are required to comply with the conditions of their student visa (they must enrol full-time). If you are an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident you may choose to enrol on a part-time basis.

After the 26th April 2008, student visas are automatically issued with work rights. While studying in Australia, students may work on a part-time or a casual basis for up to 40 hours per fortnight during semester, and on a full-time basis during semester breaks (semester breaks are those marked on the ECC Academic Calendar). This does not include work that is a formal requirement of their program.

ECC provide mock interview practice and Resume writing assistant. Common sources to be used to find jobs include the Weekend or local community newspaper, notice boards on campus or the internet. For more information please refer to the Employment section on the International Students page. 

StudyPerth also offers international students with career support, internships and volunteering support.

Living in Perth

Perth offers students a great place to study in the sunshine with the city within close reach. There is a good job market and relatively low cost of living. Please refer to the StudyPerth page which provide information about Perth lifestyle and student events.

There are many accommodation options available to students in Perth. Please refer to the Accommodation page on our website for further information and a guide on prices.