Postgraduate courses build on your learning from your Bachelor degree to explore applied topics. You can undertake a Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies and study four subjects part-time over a year. JCU students enrolled in other postgraduate courses can enrol in Indigenous Studies subjects as electives. Students can also apply to undertake a research thesis through the Master of Philosophy (Indigenous) .
Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies
If you’ve finished your undergraduate Bachelor studies and want to learn more about Indigenous societies in Northern Australia and globally, the Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies offers you a unique opportunity to enhance your career choices. The Graduate Certificate is an exciting new program being launched in 2022.
This Graduate Certificate is designed for working professionals and interested community members. You will learn about the contemporary Indigenous position in a structured and engaging manner. For students wanting to undertake an Indigenous Research Degree, the Graduate Certificate provides a chance to refresh your academic skills and extend your knowledge about the issues affecting Indigenous people today.
In the Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies, you will study four subjects in the mode that suits you (online, face-to-face, or mixed). These subjects will take you through Indigenous people as a place, knowledge, and science. You will:
- Learn about traditional knowledges and practices
- Study the ruptures caused by colonisation
- Analyse case studies of Indigenous people throughout the world
- Work with a local Indigenous community to develop a project at the interface of Indigenous and Western ideas.
Learn More:
The Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies consists of the following four subjects:
The Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies is only available part-time. You can take one or two subjects each semester.
Students who have undertaken postgraduate subjects in relevant fields can apply for a credit transfer in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure.
As a university in the Tropics, we are here to serve our communities. The Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies will prepare you to work more effectively with Indigenous families and communities throughout Australia and the world, with an emphasis on Northern Australia.
The course will prepare you to better understand the possibilities and limits of Indigenous and Western ideas; and to offer innovative solutions to complex problems. The four subjects will give you a deep understanding of the intersection of Indigenous and Western knowledge ideas.
The Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies can be used to further your professional career in a variety of fields by developing expertise in Indigenous issues. If you are looking to return to the workforce after a break, studying this course part-time is a flexible way to establish routines and upskill.
The Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies is also a pathway to apply for the Master of Philosophy (Indigenous) for students wanting to undertake a higher degree by research. This degree will help you to develop the confidence and competence you need to take on a research thesis.
Each subject has different learning materials to guide you through the course. For example, weekly recorded lectures, independent learning activities, readings, and resources to support you with your assessment. There will be no need to purchase textbooks, and all learning resource materials are provided as a digital resource. We take pride in our high-quality and up-to-date resources.
Students in IA5013 Indigenous Australians can take an optional field trip on-Country led by traditional owners. External students can undertake a self-directed field trip in their local area to explore Indigenous continuities in their own setting.
IA5029 Comparative Indigenous Studies includes an optional field trip to Malaysia to learn about and visit Indigenous community members (international travel permitting).
The 2022 cost per subject is $1,828 for Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students, or $2,745 for full-fee paying students.
Domestic and international full-fee paying students can find the costs for postgraduate subjects here. Students who are eligible for a FEE-HELP loan can defer their payment.
Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies students can apply for a Commonwealth Supported Place to study. Students who are eligible for a HECS-HELP loan can defer their payment. Students who pay CSP fees up-front are eligible for a discount. Fees paid for a Commonwealth Supported Place are not tax deductible.
JCU Alumni can receive a 25% discount on tuition fees for eligible, full-fee postgraduate courses.
Students who are eligible to defer their fees to HECS-HELP can get a discount of the subject fee if a payment of more than $500 is made before the census date of each study period.
JCU Staff can apply for financial support via the Staff Study Assistance Procedure.
For more information and to discuss enrolment, please contact ierc@jcu.edu.au. Students can commence in Study Period 1 or 2.
Indigenous Studies subjects
At JCU students enrolled in postgraduate courses can enrol in Indigenous Studies as an elective. Students can also apply to undertake a research thesis through the Master of Philosophy (Indigenous).
This subject focuses on the continuity of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, knowledge and traditions across time and place. It explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' traditional understanding of their place in the world.
Find out more: IA5013 subject information
This subject focuses on the similarities and differences in Indigenous peoples' experiences of colonisation in selected countries and the resultant impact. It introduces the different historical and contemporary circumstances of Indigenous people in other colonial contexts and various instruments and terms of political inclusion for Indigenous peoples' agendas for change and pursuit of restorative justice.
Find out more: IA5029 subject information.
This subject is designed as an opportunity for postgraduate students from different disciplines to work together to explore the contemporary Indigenous position and relationships with their current and future professional practice. The subject aims to build on students' appreciation of the implications of Indigenous knowledge continuities, ruptures and convergences in relation to their disciplines and future professional practice.
Find out more: IA5030 subject information
This subject examines how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were re-constituted as colonial subjects. Students will be introduced to the thinking that underpinned colonial rationales and will engage and critically review a range of discourses, contexts, historical events, and government policies that have shaped the experiences and reconstituted the identities of Indigenous Australians over time and across the continent.
Find out more: IA5022 subject information