Pacific Culture Studies
Discover one of the most culturally, linguistically and environmentally diverse regions of the world with the Advanced Diploma in Pacific Culture Studies. This interdisciplinary programme explores the peoples, places and cultures of Oceania, from the great islands of Aotearoa New Zealand and New Guinea to the archipelagos and remote islands of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.
Students will investigate the remarkable human settlement of the Pacific, traditional navigation and voyaging, Indigenous cultures and worldviews, languages, archaeology and the distinctive environments of island and ocean societies. Regional study provides an opportunity to explore the diversity of Pacific peoples in greater depth, while optional modules allow students to develop their own interests in areas including Māori and Samoan language, Rapa Nui, Pacific literature, material culture, mythology, wildlife, marine ecosystems and human–animal relationships.
At advanced level, students engage with contemporary Pacific societies and develop the research skills needed to undertake their own independent dissertation. Throughout the programme, the Pacific is approached not simply as a collection of islands, but as an interconnected and dynamic region shaped by movement, exchange, relationships with land and sea, and rich traditions of Indigenous knowledge.
Designed for learners with a curiosity about cultures, languages, human societies and the natural world, the Advanced Diploma offers a broad and intellectually engaging introduction to Pacific Culture Studies while providing substantial freedom to pursue individual areas of interest.
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Why Pacific Culture Sudies
Pacific Culture Studies is important because the Pacific is home to extraordinary cultural, linguistic and environmental diversity, shaped by thousands of years of migration, adaptation, exchange and relationships with the ocean. Studying the region provides valuable insight into Indigenous knowledge and identities, human societies, colonial encounters, environmental change and the ways Pacific peoples continue to shape their own futures.
Mode of Delivery
Asynchronous lectures, reading materials and extensive resources are shared on our Moodle platform to which you will be granted access. The course is delivered entirely online, under the guidance of our expert lecturers and academic staff. The academic year begins in September but you can also enter the programme in January.
What do you study
Broadly similar to a three year undergraduate degree, there are three levels (levels 4 to 6). In level 4 (year 1) you will study four core modules to give you the foundations of Pacific Culture Studies. In year 2 you study at level 5, with further core modules to advance your knowledge, and begin to make choices from our optional modules. In year 3 you will specialise by choosing from a variety of optional modules, and complete your dissertation on a topic chosen in collaboration with the academic staff and your supervisor. The modules are detailed below.
Cost
Each 15 credit module is £200, with a 30 credit module costing £400. This includes everything for the module, with no hidden cost. The entire programme therefore costs £4800, but you can study a module at a time and exit the programme when you wish. You will receive a certificate for each module, and a certificate of completion should you exit early which summarises the extent of your study.
Founding Cohort Discount
As these programmes are new, we are offering a limited number of places with a scholarship discount of 80%. T&Cs apply. This is an excellent opportunity to learn something new, and be involved with the development of a new course, at a really low cost. Email us today to find out more (info@wessexacademia.co.uk).