Australian Studies

This course examines Australian history from the convict period to the present, examining frontier violence, the making of a nation state, and the manifold transformations of the twentieth century. Taking advantage of the university's location, the course uses Sydney-area museums and site visits to bring Australia's past to life.

This course look at a historical understanding of Australian society including gender, class, politics, foreign relations, or Indigenous and settler experiences of colonialism and environment. 

This course examines Sydney’s fascinating people and places, from the city’s Indigenous people and cultures, to its iconic natural landscapes and buildings, its diverse and dynamic neighborhoods, its hidden surprises, and its contested futures. As well as attending seminars, students will participate in field trips to different locations in Sydney conducted by leading experts from a range of disciplines and communities. 

This course introduces students to the foundational role land plays in urban development in Australia, including studying land management and city development over time. It examines the evolution of the built environment professions in Australia in relation to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal land knowledge, law, and practice. 

This course examines Australian politics with an emphasis on what makes Australia unique and how its democratic institutions have developed over time. It concentrates on formal political institutions, including the constitution, parliament, the executive, the bureaucracy, federalism and the High Court. It also examines the role of political parties, the Australian electoral system, voters and voting behavior, lobby groups, social movements and the media. It considers the benefits and limitations of the Australian political system in the face of major policy challenges such as climate change, asylum seekers, gun control, marriage equality and economic crisis.

This course examines Australian archaeology. It covers topics such as community-based archaeology, decolonization and how the past informs contemporary issues, providing requisite knowledge for working in the archaeological sector in Australia. Following the stratigraphic sequence of an archaeological excavation, this course moves from the present through British invasion and into the deep past to reveal the layers of extraordinary capacity, diversity and complexity of Australia's First Peoples.