Area and Cultural Studies is a discipline that studies, analyses and seeks to better understand the culture, social life and customs of communities belonging to a specific geographic region.

Area and Cultural Studies is ideal for those interested in how class, race, gender and ethnicity produce culture and influence the social shaping of society. It provides students with the tools to investigate cultural expressions, identities and conventions and a degree in this field will allow students to examine everyday practices related to systems of power. Most importantly, cultural studies provide many of the tools necessary to analyse how meaning is diffused, exchanged and generated in cultural contexts. The course teaches students how to persuasively communicate their ideas, question social norms and think systematically.

Area and Cultural Studies is a combination of both Social Sciences and Humanities which means that it draws from sociology, anthropology, politics, history, economics, philosophy, literature, communications, and more. Pursuing a course in Area and Cultural studies will help students become engaged and informed critical thinkers in context to cultural issues and day to day experiences.

Study levels:

Across different universities, Area and Cultural Studies programs are available to study at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. A bachelor’s degree can take three or four years to complete, depending on the institution, while a master’s program usually takes one or two years and for students who want to earn a doctoral degree in in cultural studies, the period is over three to five years. These include:

• Bachelor of Arts in Culture, Politics, and Society
• Bachelor Degree in Heritage, Museums, and Conservation
• Bachelor of Arts in Culture and Heritage
• Bachelor of Arts in American and Ethnic Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in History and Civilisations
• Bachelor of Science in Anthropology
• Master Degree in China Studies
• Master of Arts in Russian Studies
• Master of Arts in Nationalism Studies
• Master of Arts in Language, Globalisation and Intercultural Communication
• Master Degree in North-American Culture Studies
• Postgraduate Certificate in Tourism, Environmental and Cultural Heritage
• Postgraduate Certificate in Heritage Materials Conservation
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Area Studies
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Cultural Studies
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Eurasian Studies
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in East Asian Studies

Specialisations:

The Area and Cultural Studies curriculum is different from one sub-discipline to another, but students generally approach subjects like development challenges, globalisation, economic growth, local culture, politics, language, literature and contemporary society in the following specialisations:

• Nationalism Studies
• Societies in Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America
• Texts and Cultures
• Cultural, Literary, and Postcolonial Studies
• Origins and Development of Cultures
• Race and Gender
• Literature of South East Asia
• Politics of Culture
• Nationhood
• Competing Identities
• International Political Communication
• Studies in Global Media
• Transnational Communities and Diaspora
• Religion and Global Politics
• Race, Segregation, and Apartheid
• White Supremacy in Colonies

Employability:

With a degree in Area and Cultural Studies, students will expand their knowledge of other cultures and discover similarities and differences between nations in different geographical regions.

Students will be more inclined to pursue careers in which they can make a positive contribution and apart from being a fascinating field of study, students may come out of their programs ahead of the curve in an ever-changing diverse working environment and jobs abound for graduates who have been equipped with the knowledge and skills to work in international affairs, foreign trade, immigration, banking, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and diplomacy, among many other sectors.

Area and Cultural Studies graduates have high chances of becoming analysts of the society, sociologists or marketing specialists in the public or private environment. And as employers are always looking for talented employees with a variety of knowledge and skills to strengthen their teams, the different job roles that one can look into include:

• Teacher/Lecturer
• Journalist
• Foreign Diplomat
• Foreign Affairs Minister
• International Lawyer
• NGO Volunteer
• Military Personnel
• Area Specialist
• Border Patrol Agent
• Bank Officer
• Cultural Affairs Officer
• Intelligence Analyst
• Intelligence Officer
• Public Affairs Officer
• Translator
• Publisher