ECU's School of Contemporary Arts has introduced three new majors in the Bachelor of Design course to meet emerging needs of industry.

Contemporary Fashion: Students explore a range of areas concerned with wearable items such as pattern making and garment construction, fashion retail, industry styling, reconstructed garment design and creative wearable art practice.

Graphic Design: Students are introduced to the skills, technologies and creative methodologies, which underpin the discipline of graphic design. Includes both print-based and screen-based outcomes as well as filmic, motion graphic outcomes.

Game Design and Culture: Especially designed to give graduates the cutting-edge skills required for the burgeoning interactive multimedia sector. Creative gaming technologies are explored through a critical and cultural perspective focusing on the creative visual design of digital media experiences for end users.

For other new courses starting in 2006, click here.

Are you a permanent resident or New Zealand citizen interested in undertaking studies at ECU in 2006? If so, read on to find out the facts on fee payments and assistance relevant to you.

Commonwealth supported students are entitled to subsidised university fees where the Federal government contributes to the cost of their education. However, not all Commonwealth supported students are eligible for payment assistance.

HECS-HELP, a deferred payment scheme through taxation, is only available to:

•	Australian citizens;
•	Permanent humanitarian visa holders residing in Australia for the duration of their unit;
•	Pre-2005 HECS students who are New Zealand citizens or holders of permanent visas (other than a permanent humanitarian visa) who meet the citizenship eligibility requirements that were in place under HECS.

Students with any other permanent residency visa commencing their course as a Commonwealth supported student in 2005 are not eligible for HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP assistance and are required to pay their student contribution amount upfront.

If you become an Australian citizen prior to the census date of the semester, you are eligible for HECS-HELP provided that you have received your citizenship certificate, normally given at a citizenship ceremony. Citizenship ceremonies are held a few times a year depending on your location. If you need to attend a citizenship ceremony by a particular date e.g., the census date of the semester, please advise your local council office in writing.

New Zealand citizens who are not pre-2005 HECS students, even if they have lived in Australia their whole life, are not entitled to defer their fees through HECS-HELP. New Zealand citizens and permanent residents planning to undertake postgraduate studies are not able to access financial assistance through FEE-HELP.

For further information, please visit hesa.ecu.edu.au or www.goingtouni.gov.au.

Australian cricketer Brad Hogg is planning his post-sporting career early by studying off-campus at Edith Cowan University.

Brad juggles international and Western Warrior cricketing commitments with part-time study of his Bachelor of Business degree and the responsibility of raising two kids.

Brad says he is studying at university now because he wants to be able to make a decent career change when his professional cricketing days are eventually over. His studies are also gaining him a lot of practical skills which he can put into practice now.

"My studies at ECU have helped me personally. I've improved my networking and public speaking skills immensely with the help of units such as Professional Communications," says Brad.

"My lecturers have been really good to me," he says. "They understand my situation and that of others studying externally - they know how tough it can be for those not able to be on campus."

While he was on tour in England recently playing for Australia, Brad continued to study in his spare time and sat his ECU exam in a haunted historic castle.

There's little doubt that post-cricket, Hogg's international sporting experience and his ECU Bachelor of Business qualification will prove to be an unbeatable combination.