This course introduces students to the Pacific region and to the wealth of Pacific knowledge, resources, and institutions at ANU and in Canberra more broadly. Students will have the opportunity to learn through hands-on engagement with key historical, archival and museum collections and other institutions in Canberra. Pacific Worlds will be explored in seminar format and in dialogue with selected scholars and policymakers, and through visits to institutions such as the National Library, National Archives, and National Gallery of Australia. It will provide students with an exciting opportunity to experience the ways in which the Pacific has been crucial to the development and contemporary cultural, scholarly, and political priorities of former colonial powers, including Australia. The course will highlight the ways in which Pacific Islanders themselves have responded critically to these uneven relationships and how documentation and collection practices in Australian institutions reflect these political dynamics.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Describe the Pacific in terms of its environmental, cultural and political features at the local, national, and regional levels;
- Explain the critical representations and issues that have shaped the contemporary Pacific;
- Explain and engage with a variety of perspectives on Pacific collections, scholarship or art;
- Analyse and suggest creative responses to current challenges facing Pacific peoples.
- Demonstrate core reflective and analytical reseach skills to deepen their learning of the Pacific, including critical reading of scholarly texts, university-level writing and academic presentation.
Indicative Assessment
- Participation: Engagement in weekly tutorials plus one student-led tutorial/online discussion. (10) [LO 1,5]
- Reflective online responses to online weekly question (Word limit: ten weekly responses each with a word limit of 100 words. Total word limit 1000 words). (20) [LO 1,2,4]
- Reflective essay (Word limit: 1000 words). (20) [LO 2,5]
- Major essay (Word limit: 2000 words). (30) [LO 2,4,5]
- Student-led group workshop. (20) [LO 3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The course comprises the standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including in class time and independent study. This includes contact hours of 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorials per week, and independent study per week on class readings, tutorial preparation, group research and assignments.
Prescribed Texts
Prescribed texts vary depending on who is convening the course, and are always made available through Wattle.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7876 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | In Person | N/A |