Edith Cowan University, Australia

Sited in the coastal city of Perth in Western Australia, Edith Cowan University (ECU) has acquired a global reputation for its study programmes which strike a near optimal balance between practical knowledge and academic excellence. Less than two decades ago in 1991, several teacher training colleges — some with histories dating back to 1902 — were amalgamated to constitute Edith Cowan University, Australia. Since then this university named after Australia’s first woman member of parliament offers more than 300 study programmes. Designed in collaboration with industry and professional education certification boards, ECU’s study programmes are linked with real workplace experience as students are encouraged to undertake industry focused project work and internships. Recently Edith Cowan University, Australia won two prestigious Carrick Awards for teaching in the humanities, the arts and social sciences.

Edith Cowan University, Australia degrees are recognised nationally and internationally by several academic accreditation bodies, professional and vocational groups. The university is a member of the National Unified System of Australian Universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee. Universities throughout the world recognise ECU programmes for academic and faculty exchange purposes. “Our award-winning lecturers, tailor-made courses, new facilities and use of latest technologies enable us to provide world-class education. Our courses are innovative, relevant and practical,” says Prof. Kerry O. Cox, vice-chancellor.

Spread across three campuses in Perth, ECU is Western Australia’s second largest university with an aggregate enrollment of 23,000 students, including over 3,000 from more than 80 countries around the world. Moreover ECU is the first Australian university to form an educational alliance with the global technology giant IBM, which facilitates students’ access to the latest and best information technology. The IBM partnership also facilitates ECU access to world-class research from IBM in the key areas of curriculum design and academic development.

Perth. The capital of Western Australia, Perth (pop. 1.3 million) is the sixth continent’s gateway to major cities in Asia, Africa and Europe. As such Perth offers extensive international air links and sophisticated telecommunications. Scenically sited on the Swan River between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Range of mountains and boasting a strong economy with low levels of unemployment, and low crime rates compared to other cities in Oz, Perth offers hundreds of restaurants and cafes, parks, cinemas, nightclubs, and music venues as well as great shopping.

Moreover with its Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers and mild winters, this coastal city is perfect for sporting and leisure activities — everything from tennis to golf, to whale watching and sailing.

Campus facilities. ECU is spread across three campuses in Perth and one in Bunbury. The university’s main campus is Joondalup, near Perth’s major freeway. The Joondalup campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities including the Science and Health Building, a multi-million dollar recreation centre and an outdoor cinema during the summer months. This ECU campus is part of the Joondalup Learning Precinct — the only known educational facility in the world incorporating a university, police academy and technical and further education college. The precinct is constituted by the three co-located education campuses of Edith Cowan University, West Coast TAFE and the Western Australia Police Academy.

Only minutes away from Perth’s central business district is ECU’s Mount Lawley campus. Home to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, one of Australia’s most successful arts training institutions, Mount Lawley is equipped with exten-sive teaching resources, first-rate study facilities, a new gym and sports centre.

ECU’s third campus — Churchlands — is being redeveloped into a premier residential estate. Over the remainder of 2008, availability of courses at Churchlands will decrease as programmes move to Joondalup and Mount Lawley.

A two-hour drive south of Perth and in Western Australian’s second largest city is ECU’s South West (Bunbury) campus, offering modern facilities, small class sizes, a comprehensive range of courses and on-campus residential accommodation.

Each ECU campus is equipped with a well-stocked library offering book and journal collections, electronic databases, e-journals, videos, computer files and multimedia packages as well as facilities for study and research. Moreover the Joondalup and Mount Lawley campuses offer contemporary sport and recreational centres. Other on-campus facilities include coffee shops, cafeterias, travens, ATMs, bookshops and childcare centres.

Admission. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Edith Cowan’s undergrad programmes is a first class Plus Two (class XII) certification, while for entry into postgrad degree courses, it’s a first class bachelor’s degree. Foreign students have to submit an IELTS test score of 6 or TOEFL score of 550. Completed application forms must include certified copies of previous academic results and evidence of English language proficiency. The last date for submission of applications is May 31 for the academic year beginning July. Students can also apply online at www.ecu.edu.au/international.

For further information contact ECU International, Edith Cowan University, Pearson Street, Churchlands, Western Australia, 6018. Tel: (61 8) 9273 8499; Fax: (61 8) 9273 8732; email: [email protected]; website: www.ecu.edu.au.

Accommodation. ECU offers a variety of residential accommodation options on the Mount Lawley, Joondalup and South West (Bunbury) campuses. Each student village provides accommodation in self-catering units comprising six single bedrooms, two bathrooms, a lounge room and a communal kitchen. All rooms have data ports for telephone and internet access.

Students wishing to live off campus also have a wide choice of private accommodation including flats, houses and home stay.

Degree programmes. Edith Cowan offers over 300 full-time undergrad and postgrad degrees across the faculties of business and law; computing, health and science; education and arts; regional and professional studies (see box). Moreover ECU offers its degrees offshore through academic affiliations with several institutions of higher education abroad. For instance in India, the Bangalore Management Academy offers ECU’s MBA programme to 350 students enrolled in its campus in Bangalore.

Summiya Yasmeen