The School of Humanities offers an undergraduate major and minor, and Honours in Aboriginal Studies and Research Higher Degrees. The major and Honours programme aim to develop a broad understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and societies as they have continued and adapted from ancient times until the present day. Emphasis is given to the issue of cultural continuity.
In addition to enriching their understanding of Australia's Indigenous cultural heritage, students of Aboriginal Studies acquire an array of theoretical concepts and analytic skills applicable to the wider study of social dynamics, culture contact and cross-cultural awareness. While valuable in its own right, Aboriginal Studies is also a useful enhancement to more vocationally-oriented degree programmes such as Social Work, Police Studies, Education, Nursing, Tourism and Journalism, thereby contributing to the capacity of graduates to operate as informed and sensitive professionals in multicultural Australia. In recent years Indigenous people have been participating more energetically in the private sector, and Indigenous arts and tourism, in particular, are major growth areas. At a more personal level, Aboriginal Studies provides for an enriched understanding of this continent's cultural heritage, expanding our perspectives beyond that of our recent colonial past and into a realm of rich social, aesthetic and linguistic diversity that all Australians can value.
While primarily taken by Bachelor of Arts students, Aboriginal Studies is available to students taking other degrees, e.g. Social Science, Police Studies, Tourism, Fine Arts, Education, and Health. Students should check the rules of their degree as restrictions may apply. In addition, several undergraduate units in Aboriginal Studies are cross-linked into other majors. Also all Aboriginal Studies units are available as electives and most can be studied by Distance.
Click here for the list of units available in Spring.