If there are any words of wisdom we can impart, it’s to always shop around! Three years of your life and a likely HECS-HELP debt means you’re going to want to compare apples to apples and check out who’s lecturing, the course structures, the campus and its location – to work out the best option for you. Here’s a snapshot of the universities and institutes on offer.
ACAE
Known For: Awesome hospitality and tourism training, along with business and management courses.
FYI: They’ve got purpose built training facilities with commercial kitchens, hotel reception, restaurant, bar as well as library, cafe, IT rooms and student services.
Study Options: Full time, on campus.
More Info: acae.edu.au
CENTRAL INSTITUTE
Known For: Fashion courses, beauty therapy and massage therapy courses, sport and education
courses, music industry skills courses.
FYI: Campuses are centrally located. They’ve got apprenticeships, traineeships and customised training programs on offer, providing any number of alternatives to help students forge powerful careers.
Study Options: Full time, part time, flexible.
More Info: central.wa.edu.au
CHALLENGER INSTITUTE
Known For: Practical, hands-on learning in a variety of expansive industries highly relative to West Australians such as oil and gas, building and automotive tech, IT and maritime studies.
FYI: Challenger has multiple campuses throughout Perth, Freo and WA. If you’re interested in doing an apprenticeship, this could be the place to
check out.
Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus.
More Info: challenger.wa.edu.au
CURTIN UNIVERSITY
Known For: Its impeccable reputation for technical education, one helluva tavern, hands-on courses in architecture, fashion, design and more.
FYI: Main campus is in Bentley but they do have campuses in Kalgoorlie, Margaret River, Northam, Singapore, Sydney and more.
Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus, off
campus.
More Info: curtin.edu.au
EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY
(ECU)
Known For: Excellent research, hands-on teaching and breaking down barriers that restrict access to education.
FYI: Better known as ECU, it has two campuses – Mt Lawley and Joondalup. The Joondalup campus has a multi-million dollar sport and fitness centre and an outdoor cinema in the summer months. There’s also
on campus accommodation. ECU has a great rep for the arts – WAAPA (Western Australian Academy Of Performing Arts) is located on their Mt Lawley campus.
Study Options: Full time, part time, on or off campus.
More Info: ecu.edu.au
MURDOCH UNIVERSITY
Known For: Everything from vet science, marine biology courses and chiropractic care to indigenous communities, the awesome sports science performance lab and law
moot court.
FYI: It has over 22,000 students and 2,000 staff from across 90 different countries. There are seven undergraduate degrees with over 80 majors, and around 100 postgraduate courses across a range of disciplines including law, veterinary science, teaching, psychology, business and nursing.
Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus and off campus. Students also have access to lecture recordings for most courses on a 24-hour basis.
More info: murdoch.edu.au
SAE INSTITUTE
Known For: Leading the way in audio, film and tech education.
FYI: SAE is all about audio, film, design and games, covering all aspects of audio engineering, live sound, post-production, mixing, acoustics, filmmaking, game design, animation and more. Their partner school
QANTM is also worth looking into if you’re into any of the SAE courses on offer.
Study Options: Flexible, on campus, off campus.
More Info: sae.edu/qantm.com.au
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
Known For: Having a cool campus down in Freo and being a Catholic higher education provider.
FYI: Law, health science and nursing are popular courses chosen at Notre Dame. Notre Dame also has a number of partner universities overseas (Boston College in America is one of them) and in Broome
and Sydney.
Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus, off campus (Broome only).
More Info: nd.edu.au
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN
AUSTRALIA (UWA)
Known For: Being one of the world’s top-ranked universities, offering top notch degrees in medicine, law, finance and engineering. Boasts one of the most historic and beautiful campuses in Australia.
FYI: They’ve got a bunch of residential colleges for those who want to live on campus. If you’re looking to do a specialist course (like medicine or law, for example) you’re going to have to do an undergraduate degree first. They’ve got four undergrad degrees in areas of sciences, arts, business and design which are available for mid-year entry. Check out their open day.
Study Options: Full time, part time, off campus, on
campus.
More Info: uwa.edu.au
WA ACADEMY
Known For: Certificates, courses, fully accredited qualifications and workshops in beauty, massage, nails, makeup, business and hairdressing. WA Academy employs passionate lecturers with expertise and up to
date knowledge of their specific industry to deliver great qualifications.
FYI: They’re located on Albany Highway and have state-of-the-art training facilities and equipment to learn your chosen career.
Study Options: Full time, part time, on campus.
More Info: waacademy.com
WAAPA
Known For: Being one of Australia’s most renowned arts schools (with illustrious alumni such as Hugh Jackman, Frances O’Connor and Tim Minchin) offering courses covering all aspects of performing arts –
costume design, acting, musical theatre, dance, music, broadcasting and arts management.
FYI: Courses are rigorous and many require auditions and/or interviews as part of the application process. Teachers emphasise support, creativity and creating an environment conducive to both. WAAPA puts on
over 300 public performances a year at a range of venues.
Study Options: Full time. Hardcore.
More Info: waapa.ecu.edu.au
WCIT
Known For: Industry-led training.
FYI: West Coast Institute Of Training (WCIT) is the premier large training provider in Perth’s northern suburbs, with campuses in Joondalup, Clarkson and Wangara. As well as offering exceptional education and training in the areas of commerce and technology, health, education, social sciences, hospitality, culinary arts and trades, the Institute is partnered with the WA Police to offer an International Academy of Law
Enforcement and Security.
Study Options: Full time, part time, off campus, on
campus.
More Info: wcit.wa.edu.au
TUART COLLEGE
Tuart College offers a range of programs that helps students gain entrance to university.
The College offers a traditional WACE program where students study 4 courses over the year and sit the WACE examinations in November and gain an ATAR.
Mature Age students can do a two course ATAR. They study two courses for the full year and sit the WACE examinations in November to generate their ATAR.
Open Learning Option – Tuart College offers a wide range of WACE courses via the Open Learning Program. Students receive weekly lessons online and access lesson notes from the online learning platform. Students can study from home and prepare to sit the WACE examinations in November to generate their ATAR.
Certificate IV Academic Preparation Studies – Successful completion of the Certificate IV program Academic Preparation Studies allocates students an ATAR of 70. This enables students to apply for courses at Curtin University, Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University with ATARs less than or equal to 70.
Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) entrance to university. Tuart College offers a three-week program to help students to prepare to sit the STAT test. Courses run throughout the year.
