School of Culture and Communication
Faculty of Arts
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the School of Culture and Communication on behalf of all staff in the School.
Head, School of Culture and Communication
Our School is a thriving research centre for critical thinking in the humanities. This agenda is led by world-leading scholars whose fields of research include literary and cultural studies, art history, cinema and performance, media and communication and Australian Indigenous studies. The School is also host to a range of funded research concentrations, such as the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, the Centre for Advancing Journalism and the Research Unit in Public Cultures. More broadly, our academics publish, speak and blog on topics as diverse as romanticism, poetry, Asian popular culture, digital media, climate change, network societies, gender and sexuality, racism, cosmopolitanism, and contemporary arts.
One of the largest Schools in the Faculty of Arts, we contribute exciting majors and subjects to the Bachelor of Arts, as well as offering unique Masters level courses that lead towards professional vocations in publishing, writing, museums and galleries, other arts and media institutions. Our extensive doctoral program includes coursework, as well as many opportunities to participate in reading groups, seminars, conferences and other events that augment the intellectual values of the School.
Our School considers the public life of the humanities an enduring tradition that enriches contemporary society, and we have many community and industry partnerships through which we engage with a wider audience. Explore the School website to discover more about our courses, research programs, graduate seminars, and cultural events.
Associate Professor Paul Rae
Head, School Of Culture and Communication
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Art History and Art Curatorship
The Art History and Art Curatorship program researches and develops knowledge in the history art. Evidence-based critical thinking and visual and aesthetic literacy prepares students for a richer engagement with the world.
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Arts and Cultural Management
The Arts and Cultural Management program explores the tension between culture as an economic activity and culture as symbolic expression through four key themes – organisations, governance, identity and labour.
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Creative Writing
Creative Writing is a medium used to communicate, resist, provoke and seek or find understanding. Our research investigates the artistic, historical, cultural and societal impacts of the written word.
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English and Theatre Studies
English and Theatre Studies is a combined program that focuses on the form, meanings and effects of imaginative writing and dramatic performance, and explains how these practices engage with the everyday world.
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Gender Studies
Our program explores the significance of gender and sexuality on a range of discourses embedded within culture, identity and global history.
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Indigenous Studies
Indigenous Studies is an interdisciplinary program that offers teaching and learning, and research activities that critically engage with the history, knowledge and cultures of Indigenous peoples both in Australia and globally.
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Journalism
Our program is focused on preparing graduates for careers in rapidly changing media landscapes. We offer practice-based courses enabling our students to learn many journalistic skills by doing journalism, at a high standard, for real audiences.
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Media and Communications
Our program conducts cutting-edge research to understand how the flow of data, ideas, personal stories, and formats have shaped our culture and society.
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Publishing and Communications
The Publishing and Communications program researches current issues in the publishing industry and educates the publishers and editors of tomorrow.
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Screen and Cultural Studies
Our program examines the history and practice of contemporary culture and screen media. Our research looks at the production, aesthetics, circulation, consumption and uses of screen media and cultures.
Our School carries out creative, fundamental and applied research projects into the past, present and future of the humanities and social sciences. Through our unique breadth and transdisciplinary focus, our research makes real and lasting impacts that enrich contemporary society through the enduring tradition of the humanities on public life.
Research projects
Our world class researchers are renowned for their interpretation, analysis and debate on historical and contemporary culture and communication. Explore our broad range of current and completed research projects.
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The Invention of Melbourne: A Baroque Archbishop and Gothic Architect
Understanding the cultural vision of the first Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, James Goold (1812-1886), whose architectural patronage has left a permanent imprint on the built environment of Melbourne
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New tastemakers and Australia's post-digital literary culture
This project examines how engagements with digital media and platforms have changed the ways in which Australian literature is produced, distributed and consumed.
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The Future Cemetery
The research investigates the potential of new and innovative technologies to be incorporated into Australian cemeteries and memorial spaces.
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Disability and the Performing Arts in Australia: The Last Avant Garde
The Last Avant Garde is an ARC Linkage project exploring artistic innovation and the work of disability artists in Australia.
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Towards an Australian Ecological Theatre
This project explores how the Australian performing arts is responding to the climate emergency and how human interactions with the natural world have been represented historically on Australian stages since the 1950s.
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First Nation’s Media Australia research
The Centre for Advancing Journalism (CAJ) is working with First Nations Media Australia (FNMA) on research to measure the reach and impact of Indigenous broadcasting channels and services across remote, regional and suburban Australia.
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New Beats: Mass redundancies, career changes and the future of Australian journalism
This ongoing project is investigating what happens to around 3,000 journalists who became redundant in Australia during or since 2012.
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Indigenous Storytelling and the Living Archive of Aboriginal Knowledge
An ARC Discovery Indigenous Fellowship project that aims to develop a non-linear, interactive archiving system in collaboration with Aboriginal people.
Research collaborations
Our research collaborations bring together experts who are internationally recognised leaders in their fields.
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Asian Cultural Research Network
A collaboration researching the cultural effects of youth travel, migration and media between Asia and Australia.
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Communicative Cities
A platform for strategic research projects and tactical interventions into the issues transforming public culture.
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Critique, Creativity, Innovation
A collaboration exploring the diverse histories and possible futures of creativity and critique.
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Critical Fashion Studies
A collective uniting scholars, practitioners and industry to advance research on fashion sustainability and ethics.
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Human Rights and Animal Ethics Research Network
An interdisciplinary network researching into transformations in response to Human-Animal Studies (HAS).
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Postnational Art Histories
A network of scholars developing major projects that rethink the paradigms of national art history.
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CODED AESTHETICS
CODED AESTHETICS explores sense-making through human-machine entanglement.
Research units and centres
Through critical thinking in the humanities, our research units and centres undertake research that has a tangible impact in the world.
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ARC Centre for Excellence for the History of Emotions
A multidisciplinary centre researching the history of emotional behaviours from medieval Europe to the present.
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Australian Institute of Art History
Our vision is to advance research in the creation, use, and cultural meaning of art in all its forms from ancient rock art to the digital age.
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Centre of Visual Art
A centre facilitating innovative, cross-disciplinary research that focuses on the significant cultural issues of today.
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Enlightenment Romanticism Contemporary Culture
A unit re-envisioning the transition from Enlightenment to Romanticism and its legacies in the present.
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Research Unit in Public Cultures
A unit researching transformations in public culture produced by new intersections of knowledge, media, space and mobility.
Partner with us
Our researchers welcome collaboration.
Please contact us to learn more about partnering with SCC.
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Undergraduate
Information for current undergraduate students. Including essay writing guides and citation styles, attendance and extensions
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Honours
Information for current honours students. Including essay writing guides and citation styles, minor thesis due dates, and attendance.
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Graduate coursework
Information for current graduate coursework students, including essay writing guides and citation styles, cover sheets, minor thesis due dates, attendance and internships
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Graduate research
Information for prospective students regarding the Doctor of Philosophy (Arts) or Masters by Research program.
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Graduate researcher career profiles
Our graduate researchers pursue academic careers and also use their skills to shape careers in other fields.
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Scholarships and prizes
The School of Culture and Communication offers a range of awards to provide scholars with opportunities for development and research.
The health, safety and wellbeing of our community is our number one priority. Our events program is now online. Find out more about the University’s COVID-19 response.
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Videos
Videos by staff and guests of the School of Culture and Communication.
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Visual Cultures Resource Centre
The Visual Cultures Resource Centre (VCRC) image collection now comprises over 250,000 slides and photographs, 85,000 digitised records and a film collection of over 1,000 titles.
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Recordings
Audio and visual recordings of events in the School of Culture and Communication
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Reading groups and support
Study spaces, seminars and reading groups, student associations and skills development