Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major

The Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major comprises an interdisciplinary course that will provide you with an opportunity to learn about the history, culture and philosophy of Aboriginal peoples in Australia. The units offered enable you to critically engage with the issues covered, across a number of disciplines, and connect to contemporary Australian social issues. Studying a major in Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage will give you a strong grounding in Aboriginal knowledge systems as well as Western disciplinary constructs around Indigenous knowledge and peoples. Graduates gain a broad understanding and knowledge of Aboriginal people, and their ability to work appropriately and effectively with Indigenous peoples is enhanced. They increase their ability to work in culturally competent ways and develop flexible, generic and portable skills essential to a changing global environment.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate a knowledge of the experience, history and culture of Aboriginal peoples with a particular focus on Western Australia; (2) demonstrate an understanding of Indigenous systems of knowledge and the relevance of these systems across a broad range of disciplines; (3) critically evaluate representations of Aboriginal peoples in historical and academic discourse; (4) demonstrate a knowledge of ethical paradigms in Aboriginal research and conduct independent research; (5) demonstrate an awareness of the major historical and cultural issues that inform present day Aboriginal disadvantage; and (6) clearly express ideas in discussion and writing.

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • three Level 2 units
  • three Level 3 units
  • one Level 3 complementary unit
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 INDG1150 Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard
Prerequisites:
Nil.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST1100 Aboriginal History
S1 INDG1160 Boodjar Moort Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge
Prerequisites:
Nil.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
Complementary units
Take the following complementary unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 PACM1101 Communication in Practice
Prerequisites:
Nil.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
ENGL2280 Professional Writing; COMM1901 Communication in Practice; SOCS1901 Communication in Practice

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 INDG2300 Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 unit from the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major
or
HIST1100 Aboriginal History
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ARTF2000 Curatorial Practices
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
VISA2051 Curatorial Practices
S2 HIST2016 When Empire Strikes: Imperial Expansion, Resistance, and Rights from Europe to Australasia
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 HIST
or
GEND unit;
or
INDG1150 Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard
or
INDG1160 Boodjar Moort Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge;
or
a Level 1 ASIA, JAPN, CHIN, KORE unit.
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
N/A INDG2500 Looking North: The Wild West
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 unit from the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major
or
HIST1100 Aboriginal History
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
N/A INDG2600 Indigenous Representation
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 unit from the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major
or
HIST1100 Aboriginal History
Co-requisites:
nil
Incompatibility:
VISA2051 Curatorial Practices; INDG3500 Image, Representation and Appropriation
S2 INDG2700 Knowing Country: The Dreaming and Darwin
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 unit
or
equivalent
Co-requisites:
nil
Incompatibility:
INDG1140 Knowing Country: The Dreaming and Darwin
N/A INDG2800 Indigenous Ways of Knowing 2 (Intermediate)
Prerequisites:
48 Points of successful prior study and approval by the School of Indigenous Studies.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 INDG3300 Indigenous Research
Prerequisites:
INDG2300 Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit
or
INDG2400 Looking South: Noongar Voices
or
INDG2500 Looking North: The Wild West
or
INDG2600 Indigenous Representation
or
INDG2700 Knowing Country: The Dreaming and Darwin
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A HIST3014 Intimate Strangers: Journeys in Indigenous Australian History
Prerequisites:
a Level 2 History unit
or
EURO2201 European Civilisation
or
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History
or
any Level 2 unit from the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major
Co-requisites:
nil
Incompatibility:
nil
S1 INDG3400 Indigenous People and Global Issues
Prerequisites:
INDG2300 Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit
or
INDG2400 Looking South: Noongar Voices
or
INDG2500 Looking North: The Wild West
or
INDG2600 Indigenous Representation
or
INDG2700 Knowing Country: The Dreaming and Darwin
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
N/A INDG3700 Sharing Space
Prerequisites:
INDG2300 Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit
or
INDG2500 Looking North: The Wild West
or
INDG2700 Knowing Country: The Dreaming and Darwin
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
N/A INDG3800 Indigenous Ways of Knowing 3 (Advanced)
Prerequisites:
96 points of prior study and approval by the School of Indigenous Studies.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.

Choosing your degree-specific major

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-INKHH

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-INKHH-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .