Five WA university courses you probably haven’t heard of

There are many high school students in Western Australia who know exactly what they want to do when they leave school, and have a plan on how to get there.

But for future students unsure of what they might want to do, or for those considering changing careers, here is a list of some of the more obscure university courses on offer in WA you may otherwise never consider.

WA universities offer some unique courses. Find out more below. Credit: Cameron Myles/ iStock

White-collar and corporate crime at Murdoch University

This criminology major is the only course of its kind in Australia.

It looks at embezzlement, insider trading, environmental crimes and more, and explores what causes criminal behaviour by a person or organisation and how it can be prevented.

Students conduct their own case research and work with local, national or international organisations on real projects as part of work-integrated learning programs.

They also learn how to investigate digital crime scenes using cyber forensics to detect criminal activity.

Future careers include fraud investigation, analysing cybercrime and national security.

Humanities in health and medicine at UWA

This major was the first of its kind in Australia, introduced in 2019, and falls within a bachelor of biomedicine.

Jenny Chang.

It is described as an interdisciplinary, humanistic and cultural study of health, illness, health care and the human body, mind and spirit.

Students study patient-centred healthcare, including units in other disciplines such as healthcare law, health economics, English literature, sports science, philosophical bioethics and mental well-being in today’s world.

“To be effective, healthcare professionals need to understand not only the workings of the body from a scientific perspective, but also know how people and societies function, and the art and science of caring for people,” the course description reads.

Undergraduate Jenny Chang said she had chosen humanities in health and medicine as her second major, alongside medical science, and that it was a perfect fit.

“It … links to my interests of literature and refugee health,” she said.

“I would highly recommend this course for anyone seeking to better understand how we as future health professionals can become more empathetic and understanding of a diverse patient population.”

Innovation at Curtin University

Curtin University is the only WA university to offer a bachelor of innovation with a major of, you guessed it, innovation.

The course was designed by researchers from the Curtin Business School and is aimed at giving students the creative mindset to solve complex industry and societal challenges.

The degree is designed to be customable to individual students, who can choose to specialise in two of more than 60 topics in the business or humanities, science and the Centre for Aboriginal Studies areas.

Future careers the degree can lead to include web development, consulting, entrepreneurship, and tourism and event management.

Contemporary popular music at UWA

Studying contemporary popular music is for aspiring future musicians, hoping to make a career in a competitive industry.

It involves gaining skills in performance and composition, songwriting and digital creativity.

The degree has many practical elements, including artistic self-management, creativity and problem-solving, as well as digital skills in production.

As well as working independently students are provided the opportunity to develop a collaborative portfolio, in a way that “aligns with the artistic practicalities of the music industry.”

International hotel and resort management at ECU

This major helps students learn the complexities of managing hotels and their operations.

This includes food and beverages, rooms division, service experience, international resort and facilities, financial and strategic management.

There are career opportunities within hotels and resorts in the accommodation and hospitality services sector globally.

Possible future jobs include a range of management roles in hotels and other tourism-related businesses.

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