Arts and humanities courses
Arts and humanities courses. We don’t just teach, we inspire.
Exploring the depths of culture, philosophy and history has never been so accessible. Learn from experts in the field and create an everlasting bond with some of the world’s most impactful reading material. Our comprehensive arts and humanities courses offered at the University of Sydney provide students with unending knowledge that touches our roots while building towards the future.
Don’t be intimidated by our knowledgeable faculty – they know their stuff but they also understand that everyone starts somewhere, which is why we welcome inquiring minds without prejudice. Step up to unleash your inner scholar and get energised by mind-stimulating discourse amongst like-minded peers. Meet friends, form opinions and come out of it with a cultural experience you won’t soon forget!
Sign up now for your very own inspiring experience. We offer groundbreaking opportunities to unlock your intellectual potential, turning everyday people into more thoughtful citizens able to appreciate their pasts and consider their futures more deeply. So say farewell to mundane education and open your world through art and humanities today! Learn arts and humanities in Sydney with arts and humanities courses from the University of Sydney – your premier provider of short courses in Sydney and online.
Featured courses
Meet your facilitators
Brian Brennan
Brian Brennan hold a Master’s degree with honours in Classical Studies and a Ph.D in Ancient History. He has specialised in the religious and cultural history of the Later Roman World,...
Robert Gay
After gaining a BA, Dip. Ed. from the University of Sydney, Robert trained as a lyric baritone in London and Munich before turning to the field of music education. He has taught music history...
Mark Tredinnick
Mark Tredinnick, winner of the Montreal Poetry Prize (2011) and the Cardiff Poetry Prize (2012), is the author of The Blue Plateau, Fire Diary, and nine other acclaimed works of poetry and prose....
John Wells
Armed with a Diploma in Fine Art from Brighton College of Art and a Masters degree, John left Reading University to endeavour to realise another ambition and that was to be an actor. He acquired a...
Featured Articles
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History. See the future. It’s in the past. The class commencing November 20, 2023 is generously extended to the community by CCE as a complimentary offering. This archaeology course will explore the history of human activity on the island of Cyprus, from the Neolithic to the modern world. The Mediterranean island of Cyprus lies at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa and is the third largest Mediterranean island. During the ten millennia of human occupation, it has developed a... View Archaeology Course: Ancient Cyprus.
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Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. In this course we look at the life and philosophy of Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), one of the most important philosophers of her time. She critiqued the ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity as being flawed in their proclaimed universality and highlighted the gaping inconsistencies in the liberal ideas of John Locke and others. In doing so, Wollstonecraft set the agenda for liberation movements to... View Philosophy Course: Mary Wollstonecraft.
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Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. What is the ‘nature and substance of love’ (Shakespeare)? Is erotic love only polite sexual instinct and romantic poetry sublimated lust, or are they very different emotions? How much of an impact do cultural practices make on, not only attitudes, but the experience of romantic attachments? Both the historical and the contemporary literature on love encompass a broad diversity of philosophical theories,... View Philosophy of Love Course.
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Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. Plato’s (429–347 B.C.E.) contributions to Western philosophy covers areas in ethics, politics, metaphysics, epistemology, art, music and ancient science. This course employs recent scholarship on this influential thinker to understand his essential ideas and their relevance to today’s issues and problems. Plato's profound questions, and his richly suggestive and provocative strategies for tackling them,... View Philosophy Course: Introduction to Plato.
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Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. The philosophical essay, in its modern form, originates from the late-sixteenth-century France with Michel de Montaigne, who “retired from political life, shut himself in his library, and tried something new”. In 1580, he published the first version of the Essays. In this course we will look at the ideas of some of the most significant philosophers and public thinkers through their essays. The essay form... View Great Philosophical Essays Course.
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Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. Join us for a beginner’s course in Existentialism – consider and discuss human existence in a social and supportive environment. Existentialism is concerned with the drama of human existence. In this course we explore: the quest for a meaningful life, realisation of human potential, ‘authentic’ life, existential ‘angst’, human freedom, and the absurdity of existence. This course introduces all of these... View Philosophy Course: An Introduction to Existentialism.
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Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. This Introduction to Ethics course considers questions which are of practical concern to all humans who want to live well with themselves and others. These questions include: What constitutes a good life? What responsibilities do I have to others in my own community and the global village? We will take both a practical and theoretic approach and discuss issues of both a personal and philosophical nature.... View Philosophy Course: Introduction to Ethics.
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Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. This course examines the connection between money, debt and trust as the three foundations upon which human society is constructed. Join us as we explore the history of economic systems – as influenced by and also influencing – anthropology, human nature and religious social structures. For us to understand humanity, we must also understand how we secure and value things that we need and want. We will... View Philosophy Course: Philosophy of Money, Debt and Trust.
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History. See the future. It’s in the past. Join us for this history course as we explore the career of Sir Arthur Evans and his contributions to historical understandings of Crete in the Bronze Age. We will particularly investigate the perspectives of modern archaeologists and revisions of Evan’s legacy. British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans is widely credited with the discovery of the Minoans of Bronze Age Crete, but some scholars would argue that Evans did not ‘discover’ the... View History Course: Sir Arthur Evans and His Quest for The Minoans.
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History. See the future. It’s in the past. Join us for this history course and learn how armies, tomb robbers, terrorist organisations and some of the world’s most distinguished museums have all contributed to the illicit trade in antiquities. The problem is complex and the solution is not easy, but in recent years there have been some spectacular successes in the repatriation of cultural property. We begin by considering the notions of possession and ownership of antiquities and... View History Course: Looting, Theft and the Illicit Trade in Antiquities.