Indigenous Education and Research Centre Study with IERC at JCU Undergraduate Indigenous Studies

Undergraduate Indigenous Studies

People of Place, People of Knowledge and People of Science

In an increasingly interconnected world, JCU’s Indigenous Studies prepares graduates to work with Indigenous communities in achieving their own goals and futures.

Indigenous Studies is a powerful toolkit that complements any discipline, helping graduates stand out in their fields. These students are future-focused, drawing on the continuities of ancient knowledges to address everchanging contemporary issues.

Professionals can confidently navigate complex issues affecting various groups and communities across Australia and the world.

What You'll Gain

  • Develop a critical understanding of our world’s complexities contributing to personal, professional and environmental sustainability.
  • Gain confidence and resourcefulness—even without prior knowledge—to thrive in uncertain conditions.
  • Enhance your degree with a distinctive advantage in working with Indigenous peoples and concepts.
  • Learn how to engage respectfully with Traditional Owners and contribute to innovative projects that support their aspirations.

How to Enrol

You can study Indigenous Studies in a way that fits your career goals and degree plan:

Option 1: Major

Complete all eight Indigenous Studies subjects as part of the Bachelor of Arts. This gives you a strong foundation in Indigenous knowledges, histories, and contemporary issues—ideal if you want to specialise in this area.

Option 2: Minor
Choose four Indigenous Studies subjects to complement your main study area within the Bachelor of Arts.

Option 3: Electives
Take individual Indigenous Studies subjects as electives in any degree at JCU. This adds valuable cultural and contextual understanding to your professional skillset, whether you’re studying education, health, law, business, science, or another field.

Steps to Get Started:

  1. Contact the IERC team – We can walk you through every step of the process and help you choose the best option for your degree.
  2. Check your course handbook – We’ll help you review your enrolment plan to confirm elective space or major/minor options.
  3. Select your Indigenous Studies subjects – Together, we’ll work out the subjects that best align with your interests and career goals.
  4. Enrol via JCU’s Student Portal – If you need help, the IERC team can guide you through this process.

Why Study Indigenous Studies at JCU?

Indigenous Studies combines Indigenous knowledges and concepts with practical application for any career setting.

Explore the strength and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures—particularly in North Queensland. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of colonisation and how Indigenous peoples continue to shape their identities and communities today.

As you progress, you’ll learn how Indigenous and Western knowledge systems interact and influence real-world change. These subjects build your critical thinking and communication skills, preparing you to work confidently across cultures in a wide range of professional settings.

Subjects in the Indigenous Studies Suite

This subject focuses on the continuity of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, knowledge and traditions across time and place and explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' traditional understanding of their place in the world.

Find out more: IA1011 subject information

This subject focuses on the continuity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' presence in North Queensland and introduces students to the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our region, their traditional relationships to country and to each other.

Find out more: IA1012 subject information

This subject examines how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were re-constituted as colonial subjects and introduces the thinking that underpinned colonial rationales. It will 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: IA2022 subject information

This subject explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's history of adaptation to change and resistance to oppressive colonial forces. Significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander defensive actions, letters, petitions, protests, labour strikes, Aboriginal societies, legal challenges, other principled actions, and political activism provide a context for investigating Indigenous agency and political standpoints from early contact to the contemporary era.

Find out more: IA2023 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: IA2030 subject information

This subject engages in deeper analysis of the complexity of the contemporary Indigenous position through examination of the goals and conceptual basis of some major narratives of the post-1967 era. The selected narratives represent Indigenous contestation with the continuing terms and conditions of the Australian nation-state and efforts to redress the ongoing legacy of colonial injustice.

Find out more: IA3024 subject information

This subject examines the complex entanglements of Indigenous and Western systems of thought, knowledge, and standpoints engaged in scholarly efforts to understand Indigenous people's contemporary position and policy and practical efforts to bring about change in Indigenous Australians lives.

Find out more: IA3025 subject information

As the Capstone Subject for the Indigenous Studies major, this subject is designed to consolidate and bring together students' learning from previous subjects. The Capstone 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: IA3030 subject information

IERC field trip to Cape Pallarenda and Turtle Rock

Our students participate in field trips and learning experiences that connect academic knowledge with Country, community, and the living world, providing real-world context to your studies.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Indigenous Studies opens doors to deeper understanding and stronger connections across cultures, preparing you for a future where respect, knowledge, and collaboration matter. Whether you choose a major, minor, or individual subjects, these studies will give you the tools to make a real difference in your profession and your community.

We’re here to help and can guide you through your options!

Contact the IERC team today