Welcome to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, which has long had a national and international reputation for the quality of its programs in Communication, Information and Social Inquiry.

The courses offered by the Faculty provide professional education relevant to the media, communication and information industries in a critical context, which enables graduates to understand the social, cultural and economic frameworks in which these industries and professions operate. The Faculty's programs place a high value on creativity, problem solving, developing research skills, and on social advocacy, community service and contribution to public debates about the social and political issues of the time.

The Faculty introduces cross-cultural perspectives into its curriculum by ensuring that diverse perspectives are reflected in the curriculum. The Faculty also has an international focus and welcomes international students into its programs. It encourages international staff and student exchanges and is an active supporter of and collaborator with the Institute for International Studies.

The Faculty has a strong Honours program which prepares students who have completed an undergraduate degree for postgraduate research.

The postgraduate coursework program is designed for graduates of general degrees who want a postgraduate professional qualification, and for those already working in the relevant professions who want to upgrade their skills.

There is a lively research culture in the Faculty with most of the academic staff actively involved in research and creative production, and more than 150 students undertaking postgraduate research degrees. Many of our staff have national and international reputations for their work in cultural studies, public history, journalism, creative writing and textual studies, sound and image studies, communication and information studies, social theory and social policy research. The Faculty's Trans/forming Cultures research program, which examines the composition of narratives, their circulation and frequent contestation within public culture, has been designated as a Key University Research Centre. There are three centres associated with the Faculty that focus on research programs and community service: the Australian Centre for Public History, the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism and the Australian Centre for Public Communication.

Students have access to a variety of initiatives developed by the Faculty and the University. These include: UTS Shopfront, which is a community research and advocacy centre; and the UTS Writers' Anthology, an annual compilation of students' written works. The Faculty hosts a biennial film screening event called the Golden Eye Awards, inviting industry guests to view film, sound and new media projects produced by our Media Arts and Production students. A significant number of the Faculty's students have received literary, film, new media, information and journalism awards. Students of the Faculty are also encouraged to become involved with 2SER-FM – the University radio station, TROUTS – the Theatre Repertory of UTS, and Vertigo – the UTS student newspaper.

On behalf of all of the staff of the Faculty, I wish you well with your studies and hope that your time with us prepares you well for your future.

Professor Joyce Kirk
Dean