Welcome to Inspirational Territory
We’d like to welcome you, to be inspired by our unique country, our diverse peoples, and the rich culture of our home, the Northern Territory.
We believe we're made bolder and richer by your unique experiences, perspectives and opinions. And we'd like you to be part of our creative community where we not only teach but learn from you. We'll work together to create a path to turn your creative passion into a profession and unlock a new world of opportunities for you with our connections to local industries, government, and communities.
Benefit from our deep knowledge and understanding of First Nations arts and cultural practices and draw inspiration from the world’s oldest living culture and heritage listed Kakadu National Park on your doorstep.
So join us, in Inspirational Territory
Choose CDU for creative and performing arts courses
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#2 in Australia for creative arts starting salary
According to the Good Universities Guide 2025
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100% flexible study that suits you
Choose to study online or on campus, part-time or full-time
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Study a capstone unit to graduate industry ready
Study a capstone unit to gain hands-on experience before entering the workforce or starting postgraduate study.
Featured majors in creative and performing arts
To enhance your learning experience, our courses provide you with invaluable opportunities to engage with a vibrant arts community. You will nurture techniques through workshops, studio and practice-based learning environments, guest speakers, events and seminars, open forums, performances, student and professional exhibitions, and practical and in-country placements.
Bachelor of Arts (Creative and Digital Arts)
Complete a range of creative studio projects using new and emerging design technologies. Learn about creative theory and business practices.
See course structure
The Bachelor of Arts is a highly flexible, new-age degree featuring a choice of nine majors, each offering a unique perspective on the world around you and your role in it.
See course structureExplore creative and performing arts courses and degrees
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The Pedagogy of Indigenous Knowledge Sharing Through Creative and Cultural Practices (MIC501 - 2025)
Understand Indigenous artmaking as knowledge sharing to reflect on your professional practice and engage learners in innovative ways.
Find moreWhy study a creative or performing arts degree?
Building and refining your creative portfolio is important, but a creative arts degree offers so much more than that. Find like-minded creatives and surround yourself with people that inspire you, as well as gaining expert guidance and industry-relevant advice from your teachers. Learn the fundamentals of creative theory to give your talent a strong foundation of knowledge, alongside using new and cutting-edge technologies to progress your creative practice.
Students in our creative arts courses enjoy small class sizes, allowing creative studio units to be more tailored to the individual. Hone your craft in our facilities for sculpture, painting, digital design and more, or visit the Territory’s only Risograph in our on-campus Riso Studio.
Studying a creative arts degree at CDU means dedicating time to your creative practice, learning how to think in different ways to generate new ideas, engaging in opportunities to showcase your work, and being inspired by our unique location and creative community in the Top End.
Studying creative and performing arts online
Study creative arts at CDU and enjoy our expertise in delivering online education. Your creative arts degree gives you the flexibility to:
- Study your creative arts course 100% online via our world-class online learning platform
- Create at your own pace, with full-time and part-time study options available
- Enjoy the same 1:1 guidance and creative input from teachers as your on-campus peers
- Take part in unique opportunities to showcase your work to the wider public
At the end of your online creative arts degree, you’ll have a nationally-accredited qualification that gives your talent a sound theoretical foundation, offers a wider spectrum of career options, broadens your industry and technical knowledge, and solidifies your passion for your craft.
Your career in creative and performing arts
Painters, sculptors, digital designers—they all make up the fabric of Australia’s creative arts scene. As the top university in the country for creative arts starting salaries (Good Universities Guide 2023), a creative arts degree from CDU can give you the confidence to launch your creative career.
A creative arts degree at CDU offers unique opportunities to showcase your work, from art galleries and festivals to local government initiatives. Take advantage of our wide network of industry partners in the Territory and engage with artists who are specialists in their field through workshops and immersion programs, all while gaining insight into business practices and industry terminology to hit the ground running once you graduate.
Students in our creative arts courses find careers as diverse as their talents. Our graduates become professional illustrators, digital designers, animators, ceramicists and everything in between, or venture into the arts through roles in state cultural institutions, media companies and creative teams within organisations.
Meet our students
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Where art and environmental activism intersect: Ally's story
When asked to describe herself, creative student Ally Pecket digs deep: “I’m a passionate interdisciplinary eco-feminist artist who connects aesthetic creativity and narratives about social and environmental themes.”
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Student artworks on show in Darwin lightboxes
Creative and Digital Arts students at Charles Darwin University (CDU) are showcasing their innovative artworks through the City of Darwin’s CityLife Lightbox Platform.
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Taylor's got her career down to a fine art
Born and raised in the Territory, Taylor has always been torn between two worlds: art and the environment. Thanks to the flexibility of her degree at CDU, she’s got the work-life-study balance down to an art.
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