Anu Australian Indigenous Studies

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Why Australian Indigenous Studies?

Indigenous peoples have a vital role in Australia’s past, present and future. It is important for all Australians to develop an understanding of Indigenous peoples’ cultures, societies, languages and history as we work to build a common future.

Whether your career is in law, business, the sciences, the arts, development, policy, public administration or other areas, you will meet and work with Indigenous Australians. An undergraduate Major or Minor in Australian Indigenous Studies will prepare you to appreciate the breadth and depth of Indigenous cultures, and to undertake effective engagements and collaborations.

Australian Indigenous Studies is concerned with the place of Indigenous people in Australia socially, culturally, economically, politically and historically. ANU offers the opportunity to undertake Indigenous studies as an undergraduate major or minor. The subject is interdisciplinary, and it is possible to undertake courses from anthropology, archaeology, art, gender studies, history, linguistics, music, public policy and sociology.

Australian Indigenous Studies students at ANU will engage with distinguished scholars working with Indigenous people and Indigenous thinkers from across Australia to develop and deepen their understandings.

The ANU holds a strong commitment to teaching and research in Australian Indigenous Studies. It is home to the Australian Centre for Indigenous History, the National Centre for Indigenous Studies, the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, and the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre. Indigenous researchers and visiting fellows engage in topical research across many disciplines. ANU is ranked number one in Australia and number thirteen in the world for humanities and the arts (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2012–2013).

Topics available for study in the Australian Indigenous Studies Major and Minor include:

Anthropology of traditional and contemporary Indigenous societies
Archaeology and cultural heritage management
Art and visual culture
Australian languages
Development studies
Gender studies
Indigenous Australian history
Language policy and politics
Music and media
Peoples, populations and communities
Public policy development and implementation
Trauma and memory studies

Graduates with a Major or Minor in Australian Indigenous Studies may expect to find employment with Indigenous and community organisations, NGOs, arts organisations, memory institutions, private enterprise, and Commonwealth, state and local government departments. Those wishing to pursue higher degree studies by coursework or research can take advantage of the many postgraduate programs offered by ANU in related fields across a wide number of disciplines.