The School of Communication and Arts is a world-leading, research-intensive school within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The School’s expert academics and creative practitioners have outstanding scholarly reputations, and are active in fostering research and strategic links with government, industry and community partners nationally and internationally. Learn about our research achievements.
Research mission
At the School of Communication and Arts we are interested in what creative and other forms of communication tell us about humanity.
We explore the interlocking cultures of textual, visual, and performative communication and media through basic, strategic and applied research, as evidenced by our significant contribution to these areas in ERA 2015.
Our research disciplines bring together aesthetic, critical and professional dimensions: literature, creative writing, art history, drama, film and television, communication, journalism, media and cultural studies. We are interested in:
- - Exploring the filmic, literary, visually artistic, dramatic, televisual and online characteristics of texts, from art works to literature to journalism;
- - Mapping the organisational forms, production processes and logics of cultural production whether in scholarly textual editions, print culture studies, data collection, or production studies of television and journalism;
- - Understanding the audience, reader, viewer uptake, use and interpretation of these various forms.
- - Identifying the principles and practical applications of communication processes, techniques and media that are leveraged to bring about equitable change, social transformation and empowerment in society.
Research vision
At the School of Communication and Arts we aim to empower research leaders to create change and shape a better world. Our researchers are supported to pursue projects that investigate questions of cultural and social significance.
The School of Communication and Arts provides an environment where creativity, criticism, communication, and literary scholarship are uniquely combined. Our researchers regularly win competitive research grants. Scholarly excellence and research impact are mutually reinforcing strengths and our teaching curriculum is aligned with our research.
We have strong relationships with industry across our research and teaching disciplines. The University of Queensland Press, the Fryer Library and the UQ Art Museum also provide crucial research infrastructure and the School hosts three research centres: The Centre of Communication and Social Change; AustLit; and the Centre of Critical and Creative Writing.
We are committed to supporting early career researchers and research higher degree students through mentoring, workshops and regular research seminars. Aligned with UQ’s institution-wide employability strategy, the School strives to develop all of our students’ personal and professional skills alongside disciplinary knowledge to equip them with the capacity to be future leaders in their respective fields.
Our centres and partners
The School is home to: AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, a crucial research tool for all aspects of Australian literature, writing and storytelling; cutting-edge research centres, including the Centre for Communication and Social Change; and two peer-reviewed journals Hecate and Media International Australia; as well as various Reading and Research Discussion Groups.
The School also has links with the HASS Faculty Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and The HASS Faculty Strategic Fund Initiative, “Platform Media: Algorithms, Accountability and Media Design.