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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.

  • Top 10 for business and management employment outcomes

    According to the Good Universities Guide 2021

Our work

Research

Engagement

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
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Academy of the Arts

CDU’s Academy of the Arts focuses on contemporary Australian arts across creative, visual, performing and screen arts disciplines. This arts academy has a uniquely creative and educational offering inspired by the amazing country and rich culture of the Northern Territory of Australia and informed by and celebrating First Nations artists and their creative practices.

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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've 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

  • CDU speech pathology graduate Teegan Wattam.

    First Nations health graduate leads the way in mastering CDU double degree

    Teegan Wattam is carving history with every step she takes across the graduation stage this week. It will be the first time a First Nations graduate has received Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech and Language Therapy at Charles Darwin University (CDU).

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  • Larrakia elder and CDU design graduate Yvonne Odegaard.

    First Nations lore and art combine as Larrakia elder graduates in design

    A Larrakia elder who has spent decades expressing her cultural connections through art has received a Certificate IV in Visual Arts at Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) graduation ceremony at the Casuarina campus this week.

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  • CDU PhD candidate Mr Stephen Lee

    New study shows how quickly surface water moves to groundwater reservoirs across Australia

    A new study from Charles Darwin University (CDU), Monash University and The University of Newcastle has presented almost 100,000 estimates of groundwater recharge rates across Australia, by far the largest known database of its kind.

    Read more
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