Main café and courtyard. Photo credit: Place Laboratory
Curtin University is a large university located in Bentley, a residential area about 8 km from the Perth city centre. Curtin is attended by large numbers of international students. Is Curtin a good choice for them or others? If you've studied at Curtin, have your say by posting a review.
Vic
Do yourself a favour and go elsewhere
I am currently studying Bachelor of Education (Secondary) at Curtin through OUA. This is the worst educational experience I’ve ever had to endure. A lot of units are near identical but under a different name. Some assessments are vague and will not provide sufficient information on how it should be structured, and if you dare ask, the unit coordinator will direct you to the lecture, which is often an hour long which contains nothing of value. More often than not, you will not receive feedback on how to improve once you receive your marks either.
If you are based outside of WA, you are require to find your own placements, which they don’t state – you just have to find it out for yourself, and spend time scrambling to contact schools.
Moreover, if you are based in NSW, the University will not allow for your internship to be paid as it is a “conflict of interest”, even though NESA allows it & schools are more than happy to pay. You would think with the current circumstances, as the cost of living rises, Curtin will remove this rule. In addition to this, if you have a casual interim teaching number, do not expect any of those days to be counted towards your professional experience, even though NESA recognises this as experience.
Curtin is so incredibly backward. This course has offered me nothing but an opportunity to experience burnout before the course has ended and my career has even started. Go anywhere else for this course. It is a complete joke.
Shana du Plessis
Avoid. Processes
Curtin University is an absolute joke. My results should have been finalised yesterday but they tell me today that my supervisor form ( that is hidden from me) has not been submitted. Mind you I emailed to check all forms had been completed ( they did not reply after initial communication) and they in a later call and email confirmed that everything had been submitted. I am beyond livid. What a trash University and terrible excuse for an organisation. I am now still waiting for my paperwork due to incompetence.
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Cheryl
Go to any university EXCEPT Curtin. Avoid at all costs.
OUA and Curtin University seemingly cannot communicate. I’ve spent 4 years battling the inconsistencies and conflicting information and advice. The degree requirements repeatedly change too so my completion date kept getting pushed further and further away with my uni loan growing by the day.
Curtin itself, I will never, ever, recommend. Their B.Ed. (Secondary) has been an utter joke. The entire fourth year is unnecessary, the content could easily be taught to year 9s, and the repetition is beyond ridiculous. The professionalism from many of the staff is embarrassing for the institution, no student should have to listen to a lecturer yawning repeatedly, their phone ringing and text notifications non-stop, being told that there is a high failure rate and it’s absolutely the students’ fault – not the unit or lecturer. The students are not supported, are given partial information then expected to produce assessment pieces of the highest quality (which are then marked harshly and/or no feedback given for improvement). One assessment I was marked as barely passing despite a comment saying the rubric I created was one of the best they’d ever seen – I requested this be reviewed and my mark went up to a distinction. That’s cool, but where is the consistency?
As an out of state student having to organise placements has been very stressful, there is no support in this, if you don’t find a school to take you then too bad. Currently about to commence the Internship and it has been the worst unit yet. WA students are still awaiting their placement details, interstate students are waiting for paperwork or have been sent the wrong documents. For example, I was sent the placement paperwork for Master of Teaching, not the right course. Questions about the internship requirements and pre-visits (oh yeah, there is an additional week of on-site work they don’t tell you about until the last minute) have been totally ignored both on the discussion board and via email. Curtin also absolutely will not permit fourth year teaching students to undertake PTT in place of their Internship, so we’re expected to be in the school for 11 weeks without pay. In the current economic climate with the current shortage of teachers this is honestly unethical. Paying for my kids to attend before and after school care for 11 weeks is going to send me into debt (of course on top of the HECS). Whilst on the subject of the Internship, the SSAF is suddenly nearly triple the cost of other units and the cost for the unit itself is over $2000 – yet we don’t even have a UC at the moment.
OUA should ditch Curtin University. Curtin University should shake things up, stop prioritising profit and start actually giving a toss about their staff and students.
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Candy
Avoid Curtin at all costs
My recommendation for anyone considering Curtin University is “don’t do it”. If by chance you get sick don’t expect them to care. All they are interested in is building shiny new buildings funded by students. They ate overcrowded as it is and it takes months for them to assess applications. The lecturers are second rate, their materials are second rate and their curriculum is of high school quality. Please dont make the same mistake i made, I’m glad to be out. Students ate just a number at Curtin, or I suppose a cash cow is more appropriate. If you are unable to complete assessments because you were unable to (as in my case lost your vision), after cenusus you can kiss your money goodbye. Worst University ive had the misfortune of attending.
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Private
Care more about money than students.
The whole online system is haphazard and hard to navigate. Assessments are not clear and marking is inconsistent. They take 8 weeks to give you an answer on an application, obviously they have too many students to keep track of. If you fail a core unit because of unexpected circumstances you will be placed on conditional status and if you apply for a remission of fees with an obvious disruption to your studies, don’t expect a refund. They care more about money than their students. Unit content is basic and you certainly don’t get what you pay for. Poor institution, third rate, the ratings speak for themselves. Plenty of better institutions out there. Avoid Curtin.
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Karen fulton
PowerPoint PowerPoint PowerPoint
Open university Curtin
Fine arts
I really don’t understand why there is no consistency with referencing. Every unit wants references to be done in a slightly different manner than another unit. There is a ridiculous focus on power point which overshadows the whole course. I’m sure some very good artists have become disheartened with this focus. I don’t want to be an expert in PowerPoint . There must be an easier way
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Sarah
Highly recommended for education
This uni was my son’s first experience of Tertiary education. He was only 14 when he started studying some education units through Open University. The lectures are done live, and they can be a mixed bag. But overall, I felt the marking was fair, the tasks clearly defined and the lecturers were very clear to describe what was required to pass a subject. The lecturers were quick to respond to emails, and the course content was interesting. I would recommend Curtin to anyone wishing to look at an online degree.
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JB. E
Education may be a noble profession, but it's not always happening in a noble institution
awful…. completed my third p. grad qualification here and can honestly say that the university is a cartoonish imitation of a higher learning institution. I have no complaints about the teaching staff- quality varies, but that is to be expected and overall i am satisfied with the degree of professionalism and expertise demonstrated.
However the institution leadership and it’s bureaucratic apparatus are utterly awful, and, dare i say it, amoral. The institution functions to suck money out of students who are ALREADY PAYING for their qualification through frequent and on going fees. The Curtin connect staff mean well, but have never been able to tell me anything i could not work out online, so i usually end up being referred to a dept. that either drops me from the line while in queue or can’t help me “because of university guidelines”. When seeking to escalate issues or queries, the relevant people are ALWAYS completely insulated, so you will NEVER speak to somebody with the authority and/or knowledge to help you. SO you will need to lodge a form. and then you will wait. and wait. and wait. and then they will often either say “no” because of “university guidelines” (again) or tell you to lodge another form or get in touch with so-and-so. and you will wait. and wait. and wait.
Universities are about knowledge, first and foremost. But a good university realises the importance of a good administration, and by that logic you and your thousands of dollars in tuition money should stay away.
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Christie
Curtin UG Psychology - excellent teaching staff, online resources, course content - I am learning SO MUCH
I’m studying UG Cert in Psychology online via OUA. Can’t complain at all – our course co-ordinator is extremely attentive, authoritative, respectful, obviously an expert in her field, responsive and an excellent communicator. Course content is great, I have learned SO MUCH and I’m only halfway through the second unit. I am a natural academic however, so perhaps this makes a huge difference. Also, I expect that my learning needs to be mostly independent – my lecturers/uni are just there to give me the base knowledge and resources. I study really hard, I put in at least 15 hours per week and I think this pays off. I have read lots of reviews across several universities and the gist I get from them is that people want their hands held. This is tertiary education, designed to prepare you for independent professional practice. If you need your hand held, university isn’t for you and that’s not the fault of the university. In regard to the teaching staff – all can speak English well, lectures are presented logically and engagingly with adequate elaboration on the slides. The online course content is in-depth and IT wise all works really well. Excellent resources/workshops and student support. I do feel the assessment’s could be released a week or two earlier, especially for the introductory units where people are still learning research processes and academic writing skills. It’s quite laborious at first and my estimation is probably takes at least 1/3 longer than it would if experienced and only having 3 or 4 weeks to do an assessment (with work/family etc that most online students have) it’s quite stressful.
Zak
Curtin Parking - a money earning source for them a pain for the students
Curtin university has come up with a new way to earn some income!! By digging into really old parking fine records and trying to get people pay the extra inflated fines with the threat of cancelling their driver’s licence!!
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Chris
Unhelpful student support team
I studied 1 unit online through OUA. Student services are really unhelpful and difficult to deal with. They don’t reply to emails quickly and often when they do it isn’t helpful. I’m switching universities. The course itself was alright.
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YT
Disappointing Experience
Very disappointed!! Completed my first degree with Unsw and was very positive.
I started a masters of teaching with Curtin through Open universities and very negative experience.
Marking is harsh and can barely pass! Outdated and many errors . Unhelpful teachers with no empathy or support. Was expecting more from Curtin.
Will be moving to a new university that’s marks at Quality level with fairness.
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David Bradley
Unbelievably Unprofessional
I’ve had exactly the same experience with 2 of the three units of an M.Teach. at Curtin. Overall the standard of lectures has been absolutely appalling – faculty members spend most of the time showing off their own works and praising each other. There is no interaction whatsoever with academic literature or varying theories of pedagogy, and in many years of tertiary study (I hold multiple post-grad qualifications in other fields) I’ve NEVER experienced anything so amateur and disrespectful of students’ time, money & hopes.
Having had enough of the Curtin clown car I’ve transferred to a real university – the difference is overwhelming.
Honestly- the Language & Literacy course was ok (not great, but acceptably professional) but Mathematics & Art were beyond belief – on one instance the maths lecturer spent half an hour talking about the amateur musical he starred in, while on another occasion spent 40mins trying to describe an equation incorrectly – finally a student was able to interrupt and explain his (very basic) error.
Watching people with no prior study experience get torn apart by these incompetents has been heartbreaking – anyone contemplating study at Curtin should pay serious attention to the many bad reviews here & run – don’t walk – to somewhere more professional.
private
Terrible experience
I agree with all of this!
I’ve had a terrible experience with Curtin Uni. I am on my final unit to complete an Undergrad and fortunately, I will be finished soon but will never recommend this uni to anyone. I didn’t pass one unit, which was a combination of a lack of understanding on my part but extremely poor facilitator, who could not communicate clearly. Having completed another degree with another uni, I have found this uni terrible on so many levels.
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SR
Disappointing M.Teach
I agree. I completed my bachelor at UQ at it was a positive experience.
I have been very disappointed since commencing with Curtin University.
The marking is brutal and downright unfair. Yes, it is a master’s but it is an initial teaching degree; however, they expect us to know far more than what we actually do. There is very little guidance, the assignments are convoluted, they have yet to explain what modifying a curriculum entails, what teaching strategies there are and how/where to apply them etc. We are left floundering.
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Private
Online sucks
I’m studying through OUA and I have to say that the current structure and content and absolute junk. In terms of information curtin are very slow to bring info out. For instance the unit outline didn’t have the due dates of assignments for the 13 weeks course. How they expect people who work ft and uni ft to cope I really don’t know.
In addition to this online students frequently have group assignments. I’m sick of the lack of support for group assignments online. I get chicked with a bunch of morons who can’t take any constructive feedback. They have no life experience etc. Why on earth doesn’t the uni spend 20 minutes going through the four stages of group forming and discuss and provide evidence of good behaviours and poor behaviours. Collaborative behaviours and non collaborative behaviours.
Its beyond a freaking joke what Curtin are putting me through. Spend some money on reviewing your online content. Spend more time getting people truly ready for work. The behaviours i see in group work are not corporate workplace ready AT ALL!!!
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Patricia Paris
I am currently with this uni and I have to agree, I will be changing uni over the next few weeks.
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AJC
Beware the AIP!
I am undertaking a subject online at Curtin University, through the Open University. The subject is well-taught and our Professor is really engaged. She responds promptly to emails and telephone calls. My learning expectations are being met. The major obstacle at Curtin has been completing their online Academic Integrity Program (AIP), which is a mandatory requirement and if not completed, your results and teacher feedback on assessments are witheld. I have found the AIP to be a very badly designed program which lacks adequate explanatory notes, prompts, and progress indicators, and for this reason, am encountering difficulties with completing it. The ‘support’ staff from the AIP are trivialising my issue, and throwing the problem back at me. I have studied at the University of Melbourne and RMIT University and never previously encountered a program and staff with these issues.
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Samantha
I found the AIP (and other compulsory courses) really impacted my ability to keep up with my studies, partly due to lack of organisation on Curtin’s part. I wasn’t provided any log on details until less than a week before my study period started, and Curtin took more than 3 weeks to review the teaching minor they had given me – by the time i had any response, there was half a week left until the study period began. The AIP and the course assessing our reading abilities (which I didn’t even know about until a couple of weeks into the SP) took away a lot of time I could have spent on my studies and seriously impacted my ability to do well in my first study period. I’m into my second now but I am seriously contemplating moving universities.
Tuan
Good Uni
Good Uni I studied early childhood education online at Curtin. Their setup is terrible. You’d probably save time just studying on campus because they keep sending you on a wild goose chase every time you have to complete a task. Then when you ask a question they make you trawl through the forums for the answer which can take hours. Recently my wife started a diploma course online through a pretty small institution which was much easier and way more user friendly.
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Sophie Pasinski
not happy , seems like it is almost impossible to please the teachers, really hard to pass , really unhelpful teachers and I haven’t enjoyed any of the content required- really close to pulling out
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HellaBell
Good online university
I am a mature age student and am halfway through my Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Accounting). I am studying 100% online and can honestly say I am mostly happy with my experience. Their online setup is pretty easy to navigate.
Having studied at TAFE twice, I have found that as a university student, you are a more independent learner (ie, no hand holding). Which I understand, as it is a higher education I am receiving. I rarely contacted staff for assistance, but when I did, I found them to be very helpful and things were resolved quickly.
All the units I have done so far, the content has been relevant and up to date. The way they are presented and taught can differ, as each lecturer has a different style.
So my experience with Curtin itself has been a good one:
– campus (visited for exams and group assignments): clean, easy to navigate and has plenty of life
– online: easy, convenient and flexible, the *main* reason I chose Curtin, as I work full time.
If I had any issues, it would be because of a lecturer and that they used vague language/poor word choices (especially on an assignment/exam question). I like communication that is concise, where you don’t feel like you are making assumptions.
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Simon
This is a poor university. The staff never respond to emails.
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Carly Sanford
Excellent University
Curtin is one of the best universities in Australia. Great facilities, staff that actually care about you and your success. I am very proud to be a Curtin graduate.
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YaaBoah
Curtin Health Sciences faculty and staff are not supportive
The Master of Speech Pathology Course was a horrifying experience. The staff are not supportive. You are basically left alone to educate yourself. They are also very vindictive if you complain. They will spite you. I had a terrible experience studying here. Unfortunately i never read any reviews nor did I know anything before going there. International students are especially not supported. If you can avoid studying here please do.
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mash
you get what you pay for- cheap course, no support
online study at Curtin is VERY disappointing and incredibly frustrating. I’m doing a post graduate course and have completed studies at various other universities with a much more positive experience. the course delivery is incredible rigid and outdated. Curtin are not student focused at all. When i have tried to discuss really simple, logical easy changes they could make to improve course content for all students they have made me feel like a complete pain in the arse who has no business wasting their time.
thomas
terrible service, starting back in a week and my classes still haven’t been made available to add to my timetable. Have been on the phone to curtin 5 times in the last week waiting 20 minutes each time only to be given blunt answers and directed to another number thats unavailable, emails haven’t been responded to either. Can’t tell work what my timetable will even be, not impressed with the lack of effort and organisation of this university.
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J
Avoid Curtin univiersity online studies
The online Curtin university studies are a complete joke. I have completed other studies through different universities and by far Curtin are the worst i have dealt with.
Lack of support.
Lack of willingness to help when asked.
Inconsistencies with subject matter.
Old fashioned and out dated content.
Lecturers who put their business first opposed to answering emails.
Curtin university = old fashioned, out of date, run like a circus and avoid at all costs.
Anthony Porrins
Academic mismatch?
I am a current student at Curtin. I am not impressed. I found , with half my units this semester the delivery of half the units I have taken barely resembles the unit outline. Definitely check fully what a unit is about at Curtin before taking it.
anon
Online education not worth it with Curtin
I began a bachelor of primary education online through Curtin. The course extremely disappointing. Assignments were poorly explained and teachers were entirely unapproachable when attempting to get more information. References were heavily graded, which is fine, however, every teacher seemed to have a different idea of what APA was, which meant you’d get good marks in one subject regarding referencing, then the next you’d barely pass for doing the same thing.
Feedback was entirely unhelpful, and when requesting for a remark, I was met with my unit co-ordinator outright refusing to have someone else regrade it, even though I was within my rights to request it.
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RhiRhi
Fantastic University
I’m a current student of Curtin and love it. Great staff really helpful. Fantastic online anon campus! 10/10
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Sammy
Fantastic Uni Recommend
I’ve been going to Curtin to do my Masters and love it. Staff and teachers are good and, as Kitkat said, the study guides are super helpful. Recommend this uni highly
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Kitkat
Fantastic Online
I’ve been studying Bachelor of Fine Arts with Open University Australia with Curtin Uni, and have loved every minute of it. I previously studied one year of the degree at University of Tasmania, and hated it. The online forum for UTAS was horrid and old fashioned, Curtin is amazing compared. You communicate with tutors and fellow students via Blackboard and various collaborate sessions, and present work via PowerPoint presentations, notes and so on. I enjoyed it so much, for each unit there is a Study Guide – I printed this out and got it bound the study guides were well written and had a step by step guide for art techniques. I have learnt so much 1000000 times more that I did at UTAs. Obviously you get a few not so good teachers, but all in all most of my teachers were friendly and really helpful. I recommend the online course for anyone it’s brilliant.
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Smith William
Gym lovers are highly recommended should not join Bentley, Western Anytime Fitness Australia membership as my best friends was kicked by them with just response to their text message “Hello, Hi Merry Christmas” to the fitness consultant.
Greeting to them are treated as “insulation” In many way, we have found that they kicked out members as usual after they raise up the weekly membership fee. If someone already join in, please do not reply any message to them and they will find any excuses to terminate your membership They are all having conservative thinking and hate to see foreign people pop in the gym
Jon
I studied early childhood education online at Curtin. Their setup is terrible. You’d probably save time just studying on campus because they keep sending you on a wild goose chase every time you have to complete a task. Then when you ask a question they make you trawl through the forums for the answer which can take hours. Recently my wife started a diploma course online through a pretty small institution which was much easier and way more user friendly.