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Arts student walks near library

Faculty of Arts and Society

Our courses equip students to navigate complex environments and make an impact locally and globally. 

  • A leader in Indigenous education

    Each year CDU teaches over 4,000 Indigenous students in over 150 locations across the NT.

  • Study the arts flexibly

    Study online, on campus, part or full time. Choose what suits you.

  • #2 in Australia for business management student support

    According to the Good Universities Guide 2025

Our work

Research

Engagement

Innovation

Key people

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.

Portrait of Professor Ruth Wallace
Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Ruth Wallace leads the Faculty of Arts and Society
Kakadu Nawurlandja Lookout landscape

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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Student studying online in a cafe

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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Barista training

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.

Learn more

Faculty events

Faculty news

  • Ella Adami Silver Medalist for Beauty Therapy

    CDU trainer helping make the beauty industry more attractive

    A Charles Darwin University (CDU) lecturer has been recruited to help conduct a national review on the beauty industry's qualifications.

    Read more
  • Male tradesperson standing in front of power lines

    From uncertainty to confidence: how one Sparky's journey ignited

    One of this year’s finalist for the Northern Territory Training Awards dropped out early in his first attempt at vocational education, but he soon found the spark that ignited his educational journey.

    Read more
  • The livestream allows viewers to glimpse the incredible wildlife at a pool on the Watarrka escarpment.

    New livestream brings remote Australian arid zone waterhole to the world

    A new livestream from a remote waterhole in the Northern Territory is giving people around the world the opportunity to observe wildlife in real time. 

    Read more
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