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A leader in Indigenous education
Each year CDU teaches over 4,000 Indigenous students in over 150 locations across the NT.
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Study the arts flexibly
Study online, on campus, part or full time. Choose what suits you.
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#2 in Australia for business management student support
According to the Good Universities Guide 2025
Our work
Message from the Pro Vice-Chancellor
The Faculty of Arts and Society leads positive global change and advances social justice through our teaching, research and collaboration with industry and the community.
The faculty brings people and places to life, and from that, our desire to think, examine, express and create grows. This drives us to act collectively for positive social change and advance inquisitive, harmonious and equitable society, particularly for those who are most vulnerable.
We strive to prepare students to be teachers, creative thinkers and innovators in a complex changing world. We bring together expertise in education, business, law, Indigenous knowledge practices, human geography, disaster preparedness and management, languages, humanities and the creative industries.
Our reputation is based on extensive partnerships with government, industry and community stakeholders to address social, cultural and economic issues in:
sparsely populated regional areas, including Northern Australia
developing regions, including South-East Asia - particularly China, Indonesia and Timor-Leste
Indigenous knowledge, social, cultural and economic futures.
The faculty’s research and teaching will draw on the strength of the Northern Institute, centres of excellence and multidisciplinary teams primarily engaged in teaching, research, networking and business development. Together, academics, research students and industry professionals examine and drive solutions for emerging social, cultural and economic issues in challenging contexts.

Northern Institute
CDU's Northern Institute is a leader in policy research which builds on the strength of its connections to remote, regional and urban contexts to produce quality analysis.
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Tertiary Enabling Program (TEP)
CDU's free Tertiary Enabling Program (TEP) is an alternative pathway into university. With TEP, you'll have the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to succeed at university.
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Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Apply for Recognition of Prior Learning to have your previous training, life and work experience counted towards a TAFE qualification at CDU, which means you won't have to re-learn what you already know. RPL assessments are free for eligible NT residents.
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Faculty events
Faculty news
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East meets Top End: Chinese scholar blends ancient ink art with Territory landscapes
Charles Darwin University (CDU) is home to a growing number of international researchers, including Xiao Xiao, a Chinese artist and academic whose PhD project is combining the traditions of Chinese ink painting with the distinctive native landscapes of Northern Australia.
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World-first study uses First Nations calendars for solar power forecasting
The in-depth observations of First Nations seasonal calendars could be key to improving solar power forecasting, according to a world-first study by Charles Darwin University.
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CDU rolls out the red carpet for first TEDx talk
Charles Darwin University (CDU) will host its first international TEDx talk this year with 10 academics set to discuss a range of topics including kindness in prisons, croc management, fear of missing out (FOMO), and more.
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