Cultural studies is an academic interdisciplinary field that investigates the ways in which cultural phenomena create and transform individual experiences, everyday life, social relations and power. Grounded in critical theory, the discipline crosses time, place and cultures to consider issues such as class, ethics and gender. 

Through this major, you’ll build a strong suite of research and evaluation skills to enable you to consider ethical, logistical, social and environmental issues, including cultural practices, visual and textual analysis and construction, nationhood, identity, embodied practice and gender relations. This major encourages the development of effective communication, ethical and analytical skills, and the ongoing examination of the world around us. 

Key Features

• You’ll examine and evaluate cultural representations in a wide variety of media. 
• You’ll develop analytical skills as you demonstrate and evaluate knowledge of social, cultural, political and ethical issues, and how contemporary power relationships constitute communities, identities and everyday practices. 
• You’ll learn transferable skills in effective communication and presentation, as you seek to challenge and transform communities, identities and everyday practices. 
• You’ll learn how to promote socially just outcomes through ethically informed advocacy strategies. 
• Macquarie’s creative arts, communication and culture research is highly regarded internationally. In the most recent Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation, our research in the discipline of language, communication and culture received a rating of ‘performance above world standard’ as did our research in the subdiscipline of communication and media studies. 
• Macquarie is ranked number one in Sydney for overall student experience and for teaching quality and learning resources in humanities, culture and social sciences (QILT, 2017).

• Advocacy and welfare officer 
• Arts administrator 
• Community education officer 
• Community or public sector worker 
• Cross-cultural worker 
• Cultural affairs officer 
• Cultural events consultant 
• Development officer 
• Diversity officer 
• Lobbyist and activist 
• Local or state government worker 
• Multicultural liaison officer 
• Policy analyst 
• Researcher 
• Support worker
• Broadcast and community media 
• Creative agencies 
• Government departments and agencies  
• Higher education 
• Local government 
• Media agencies 
• Multimedia or digital agencies  
• Production studios 
• Research agencies 
• Self-employment