Bachelor of Counselling

Our counselling degree will start you on an enthralling journey to unravel the human mind. You’ll begin to explore the relationship between biology, psychology and our environment.

Like learning a different language, you’ll immerse yourself in this explorative experience beginning with an exploration of yourself through self-reflection; a look at where both we, and others come from, our families, countries, languages, customs and practices.

You’ll learn about the development of humans – from infant development, to tumultuous adolescence, the becoming of adulthood, and culminating in the experience of older age, illness and death.

The course gives you the opportunity to learn interpersonal competencies, including communication, interpersonal skills, teamwork, self-reflection, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.

The clinical knowledge, diverse expertise and experience of our academic staff will help you develop the foundational skills, to use this knowledge in the future – in your own relationships, but more importantly should you wish to pursue postgraduate studies in counselling and psychotherapy.

Why ECU is a great choice for international students

Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public university in Western Australia. It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Australian parliament, and is the only Australian university named after a woman. We have three campuses in Western Australia, each offering a modern, vibrant location for study and learning.

Our campuses feature up-to-date facilities, including wireless internet, 24-hour access to computer labs, libraries with open study spaces outside office hours and a safe environment for you to study in, either by yourself or with other students. We're also committed to maintaining our environments by reducing our footprint and encouraging the achievement of a sustainable community.

When you study at ECU, you’ll get a 5 star education. That includes how you are taught, how you develop skills for the future and how you are supported throughout your course. The quality of teaching is super important, and at ECU, teaching quality rules. In an independent survey – every year for the last 16 years – our graduates have rated us 5 stars for teaching quality (Good Universities Guide)

We have 8 teaching and research schools collectively delivering a diverse range of courses across arts and humanities, business and law, education, engineering, medical and health sciences, nursing and midwifery, science and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Our comprehensive range of degrees has been developed in consultation with industry groups and our teaching staff have extensive industry experience. So, you can expect industry-relevant teaching and research in a supportive study environment that is brimming with award-winning facilities.

Degrees that take you places

ECU degrees are internationally-recognised and many of our courses are professionally-accredited by national and international professional bodies and organisations. What that means is your ECU qualification will help you find work around the world, including in your home country.

The best overall experience

At ECU we know that university life is more than studying and attending lectures. Here we encourage you to enrich your life with student clubs, sports teams, volunteering opportunities and more. In fact, we were ranked best of all Australian universities for the overall experience of undergraduate international students in the 2020 QILT survey.

Highest quality teaching

We’re one of Australia’s best universities for teaching. For an amazing 16 straight years, our graduates have rated the quality of our teaching 5 stars in the Good Universities Guide. Only three other universities in the country can match this.

Great industry connections

ECU has many partnerships and links with industry groups and organisations across Western Australia, Australia and around the globe. These connections help us provide you with opportunities to gain hands-on experience, internships or practicums while you’re studying. It can also help you find employment after you graduate!

Our exciting and innovative industry partnerships help you gain valuable industry experience and the competitive edge needed in today's global job market, who knows your next internship could earn you a top career just like International Design Graduate Aryana. Find out how an internship at IBM put her ahead of the competition!

Legendary student support

Studying in another country can be challenging for many people. But at ECU, we help you overcome any academic or personal challenges through our many support services. We’re one of the best universities in Australia for student support – we even have a Student Success team!

Additional year of post work study rights

After completing your studies you may be eligible for a Temporary Graduate Visa giving you the opportunity to live, work and study whilst gaining valuable work experience within the thriving Australian job market. Western Australia's regional city status means you may be eligible to stay in Western Australia for four to six years after completing undergraduate or postgraduate study.

WA's Expanding its Graduate Skills Occupation List

International students are an important part of the WA community and now with over 300 occupations on the Graduate Occupations List your new qualification may even lead to permanent residency, combine that with generous wages, and Perth's ranking of one of the most liveable cities in the world, there's never been a better time to study in WA.