Postgraduate Coursework

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

The Graduate Certificate of Indigenous Studies consists of the following four subjects:

• IA5013 Indigenous Australians
• IA5022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as Colonial Subjects
• IA5029 Comparative Indigenous Studies
• IA5030 Navigating the Cultural Interface

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.

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. You will also be ready to shape industry and government responses to current and future issues by drawing on long traditions of Indigenous thinking.

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 is structured into a series of modules, which you will work through to successfully complete the subject. These modules include different learning materials, like videos, text-based learning, practice activities, readings, and resources to support you with your assessment. Optional real-time online workshop sessions provide the opportunity to discuss the content with peers, ask questions, and get to know the teaching staff.

There is no need to purchase textbooks. All learning resource materials are provided as a digital resource. We take pride in our high-quality and up-to-date resources.

Find out current postgraduate subject fees here.

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.