School of Humanities

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Being human is an amazing journey

The study of humanities equips you to ask and answer the big questions, challenging you to explore where we came from, who we are and where we’re going.

Human experience is made meaningful through culture, language, literature, history and philosophy. Enrich your whole life by gaining a deep understanding of these threads that tie us all together.

Exploring the humanities provides you with the skills to power lifelong career success in any field, with enduring skills in critical thinking, communicating and influencing.

Our disciplines

Classics and Ancient History

This covers the study of Latin and Ancient Greek, as well as the literature, history, art and archaeology of these ancient civilisations, and their contributions to the modern world.

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English and Literary Studies

Studying English and Literary Studies enriches our understanding of major literary, cinematic and theatrical traditions across the globe.

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European Languages and Cultures

We study languages and cultures of Europe: French, German, Italian and Spanish, and look at social and cultural aspects of contemporary Europe.

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Environmental Humanities

Understanding the human dimensions of environmental crisis.

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History

History is the study of the past and its legacies in the present.

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Philosophy

Philosophy involves thinking about some of the big questions we ask in our lifetime.

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Translation Studies

Translation Studies explores a multitude of areas including cognitive translation studies, machine translation and cultural translation studies.

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Gender Studies

Gender is an everyday and embodied experience that shapes our public and private lives.

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Become a bilingual citizen of the world at the largest language hub in WA

With four European, four Asian and two Classical languages on offer, UWA is the leading institution in WA for language learning.
Immerse yourself in another language. Learn to see the world in a new way. Move between cultures with ease.

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Welcome from the Head of School Alexandra Ludewig

Professor Alexandra Ludewig smiling outside the Arts Building

The study of humanities allows us to ask and answer the big questions, challenging us to explore who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Being human is an extraordinary journey, made meaningful through culture, language, literature, history, and philosophy. Through arts and humanities we can harness and strengthen our uniquely human skills, to power lifelong career success in every field. By honing the ability to think critically and creatively, as well as to communicate and collaborate, we prepare our students to be thought leaders with integrity, vision and compassion. In the flexible workforce of the 21st century, these enduring skills are vital, and will never be truly automated. In this time of global challenges, arts and humanities play a pivotal role in articulating our greatest hopes and deepest values. Through the humanities we can turn our production of knowledge into the possession of wisdom. Gain a deep understanding of the past and the present, and shape your future through study in the humanities.

Scholarships 2021

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the UWA School of Humanities has the following scholarships available for Semester 1 2021.

Undergraduate: Centenary Trust for Women Elizabeth Sarfaty Scholarships in Arts

To encourage and assist female students from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake a Bachelor of Arts degree course, or a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) degree course with a Bachelor of Arts degree specific major, at the University.

$28,000

Applications close: Sunday 28 February 2021

Apply now

Award-winning teaching

Our staff are consistently acknowledged as the best teachers at UWA. Our award-winning lecturers have been recognised, both nationally and at UWA in the Student Guild’s Student Choice Awards, for their innovative approaches to teaching and supervision. This is backed by membership of some of the world’s most learned academies and a host of international honours.

Professor Hélène Jaccomard

Professor Hélène Jaccomard is a multilingual researcher in the School of Humanities at UWA.

Dr Catherine Noske

Dr Catherine Noske is editor of Westerly magazine and a lecturer in English and creative writing within the School of Humanities at UWA.

Associate Professor Andrea Gaynor

Associate Professor Andrea Gaynor is the Discipline Chair for History within the School of Humanities, and the Director of the Centre for Western Australian History.

Professor Susan Broomhall

Susan Broomhall is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and Professor of History, researching the medieval and early modern world.

Associate Professor Tanya Dalziell

Associate Professor Tanya Dalziell is a researcher and teacher at UWA’s School of Humanities.

Dr Remco Heesen

Dr Remco Heesen is a Philosopher of Science in the School of Humanities, studying the social structure of science, social epistemology and formal epistemology.

Dr Christopher Mallan

Dr Chris Mallan is a senior lecturer at The University of Western Australia. He is an internationally regarded educator, historian and researcher, with a particular focus on Ancient Rome.

Andrew Endrey

Andrew Endrey is a professional Chinese translator and Associate Lecturer in the School of Humanities.

Professor Tony Hughes-d'Aeth

Professor Tony Hughes-d'Aeth is Chair in Australian Literature, Discipline Chair for English and Literary Studies at UWA, and is the Director of the Westerly Centre.

Daniel Juckes

Dr Daniel Juckes is a writer, editor, teacher and researcher in the disciplines of Creative Writing and English and Literary Studies at the UWA School of Humanities.

Dr Bonnie Thomas

Dr Bonnie Thomas is a senior lecturer of French language and literature. Dr Thomas conducts research on francophone Caribbean literature and is nationally awarded for her teaching abilities.

Dr Dale Adams

Dr Dale Adams is a lecturer in German language, literature and culture, and Deputy Head of Education (Enterprise) for the School of Humanities.

Dr Raquel Bra Núñez

Dr Raquel Bra Núñez is an international Spanish teacher with a passion for linguistics, communication and literature.

Professor Rob Wilson

Professor Rob Wilson is a philosopher and lecturer of philosophy at UWA in the School of Humanities.

Professor John Kinder

Professor John Kinder is a respected linguist, Italian language and culture specialist, author, language researcher and educator at The University of Western Australia.

Dr Ethan Blue

Ethan Blue is a multi-award-winning teacher, researcher and senior lecturer in History at UWA. His first book Doing Time in the Depression (2012) traces the origins of mass incarceration in the United States.

Our courses

Research excellence

The School of Humanities has a breadth of research expertise and hosts several internationally acclaimed journals and national centres, ensuring a vibrant research and postgraduate culture.

Medieval and Early Modern Studies

Medieval and early modern studies research at UWA aims to uncover the pre-modern world and the effect the past has in modern times.

Literary Studies

Literary studies research at UWA explores social and cultural concerns from the past and present through creative, written and visual literature.

Translation and Transcultural Research

Understanding the social and cultural issues of translation and multilingualism, migration, transcultural identity construction and communication.

Environmental Humanities

Bringing together data and stories relating to contemporary environmental issues and transforming them into high-impact visual and narrative resources.

Centres

Journals

News

NEWS

Music brings people together for Mental Health Week

UWA, with the support of John Curtin College of the Arts and the Spirit of the Streets Choir, is once again proud to be part of Mental Health Week, which runs from October 9 to 16.

NEWS

Curious kids explore big ideas at Eurekamp Oz

Could magic be real? Is coral a rock, plant, or animal? Do we even need sharks? Is a Pokémon a pet? How can planting trees help cool the earth?

NEWS

National research funding awarded to pioneering UWA projects

An investigation into the future of human mind-uploading that could extend life indefinitely and a project that will map Australian preventive justice have been awarded Federal Government funding.

More School of Humanities news

Facilities

New Fortune Theatre

The New Fortune Theatre is an exact reconstruction of London’s Fortune Playhouse originally built in 1600 as a rival to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

The Shakespeare Garden

UWA’s Shakespeare Garden is a walled garden next to the New Fortune Theatre and among the first of its kind in Australia. It includes almost 30 different plants Shakespeare mentioned in his plays.

Contact

Phone

Get in touch

+61 8 6488 1173

Email

Send an enquiry

ask.uwa.edu.au

Location

Arts Building, Hackett Entrance No 1 UWA, Perth campus

Map

Access

Weekdays 8.30am to 4.30pm

School of Humanities

Being human is an amazing journey