School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences
Unlock your potential and shape the future of culture, society, and the arts.
Advancing human understanding
We offer a wide range of subjects that help us understand people, cultures, and societies, and imagine the future.
We bring together a dynamic mix of subject, taught by a team of talented artists, musicians, designers, and creative professionals. Our facilities support learning, creativity, and hands-on experience and offer modern spaces for music production, performing arts, and design.
Visual Communication Design student piece at graduation showcase - Ally Ferris
Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts student performing in Chromatic Festival – Jack Chambers
Shooting student documentary film ‘Beyond the Break’
Bachelor of Communication and Media students hosting the Screen and Media graduate showcase event
National Higher Education Category winning animation ‘When Chickens Fly’ at 3Thirty Film Competition – UoN VisCom Club students.
Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts student performance at Tertiary Student Concert.
Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts student performance at Tertiary Student Concert.
Student work displayed at Chromatic Festival 2023
Student shooting content at Chromatic Festival – Jack Khoo
Student receiving award at annual film screening event “The Newbies”.
Grand opening of Visual Communication Design Exhibition.
Students working behind the scenes and producing “Chromatic Live TV” event
Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts students participate in live studio performance as part of “Chromatic Live TV”
Bachelor of Media and Communication student interviewing performers at opening of Chromatic Festival
Bachelor of Media and Communication students filming content at Chromatic Festival
Study with us
Our students develop in-demand skills that are transferrable across industries, while also having access to state-of-the-art facilities and the latest technologies. Our academic experts teach courses in the following discipline areas.
Research
Our research is grounded in the humanities, social sciences, and creative fields, and strengthened through collaboration with researchers across other Schools and Colleges.
Where will you study?
Find out more on Newcastle City campuses
Finding home: life outside institutions
Exhibiting the stories of those who attended and left mental hospitals between 1900 to 1960 to better understand mental health care in the community before new ideas about 'community psychiatry'.
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Echoes of the Globe
An afternoon of music from across the globe brought to you by The University of Newcastle Arts Orchetsra.
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2026 HDR Student Festival
Higher Degree by Research students are making breakthrough discoveries and solving the world’s most formidable problems. The HDR Student Festival will feature a range of conference-style activities, as well as University-wide events to showcase the excellence and innovation of our HDR cohort.
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2026 Newcastle Music Festival: Rhapsody
Join us for the opening event of the 2026 Newcastle Music Festival featuring Mitchell Berick and Erin Sweetman.
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2026 Newcastle Music Festival: Weddings and Parties Over Coffee
Miriam returns home for this very special program featuring Bach’s poignant and heartwarming Wedding Cantata together with his Coffee Cantata, a miniature comic opera about a disgruntled father and his coffee-obsessed daughter.
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2026 Newcastle Music Festival: Four Hands, One Piano
Combining virtuosity, expressive depth, and refined ensemble playing, Duo Mimesi captivates audiences with performances marked by brilliance, precision, and strong artistic intensity.
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Gift or loan? The legal grey area of the ‘bank of mum and dad’
A growing reliance on familial financial support is presenting unprecedented legal risks for Australian families, leaving both parents and adult children vulnerable to costly disputes and fractured relationships.
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Community Support for the Arts
A landmark gift is helping strengthen the cultural legacy that has shaped the University of Newcastle’s long-standing commitment to Australian artists. Aaron and Samantha Sampson have generously donated 80 artworks to the University of Newcastle Art Collection.
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Feminisms from/of the Souths
To celebrate International Women's Day, Purai Global Indigenous History Centre hosted a dialogue across and between feminisms and feminists from/of the South.
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Globally recognised academic named 2026 Lake Mac Ambassador
Professor Tamara Blakemore honoured with Lake Macquarie’s top annual civic award for her tireless work as a global leader in community violence prevention.
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Exceptional educators celebrated in national teaching awards
Two academics from the University of Newcastle have been recognised for their innovative and creative teaching styles at the Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT).
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Post‑mining research comes to life in community art exhibition
A new art exhibition has emerged from a four‑year study led by University of Newcastle researcher Associate Professor Hedda Askland, exploring how the Hunter Valley can navigate its post‑mining future.
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The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.