Undergraduate Courses
  • Students are to follow the requirements of the Handbook for the year they commenced the course.

    However, the subject links below do not contain the subject information for the current year. You can view current subject information through the new Course Handbook.

Bachelor of Arts

Testamur Title:

Bachelor of Arts

Abbreviation:

BA

My University:

Asia Pacific, Australian Studies, Comparative Indigenous Studies; Culture and Identities, English Literatures, English Language & Linguistics, Ethics, Gender Studies, Global Media, History, Human Security, International Relations, Languages, Masculinities, Peace keeping, Philosophy, Politics, Postcolonial, Resource & Environmental, Sociology, Science & Technology, Transcultural Communication

Duration:

3 years full-time or part-time equivalent

Total Credit Points:

144

Delivery Mode:

On campus (Face-to-face)

Starting Session(s):

Autumn/Spring. (Students eligible for credit transfer may begin in Summer Session if appropriate subjects are available).

Location:

Wollongong
Bega, Batemans Bay, Moss Vale & Shoalhaven Campuses*

UOW Course Code:

702

UAC Code:

753101, 753106, 753107, 753108, 753102

CRICOS Code:

000612E

* The Bachelor of Arts offered at Bega, Batemans Bay, Moss Vale & Shoalhaven Campuses is listed in a different page - Bachelor of Arts

Overview

A Bachelor of Arts degree is one of the more traditional and popular university degrees, though it has changed in shape and content throughout the years and from country to country. The BA today is made up of subjects with origins in the humanities; history, literature, languages and philosophy and the disciplines developed during the nineteenth century that we now know as the social sciences; cultural studies, sociology, psychology and politics. While universities package courses in a variety of ways, these and related disciplines are generally included in an Arts degree, even if they are not always located in the Faculty.

Entry Requirements / Assumed Knowledge

NSW HSC entry through UAC

Students apply through UAC and satisfy the ATAR requirement for the year of application. Assumed knowledge: any two units of English.

Other Secondary Qualifications

Students with secondary qualifications outside NSW will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Tertiary Qualifications

Applications will be considered from students with the following tertiary qualifications:

    • a completed Diploma or Advanced Diploma from TAFE or other accredited institutions;

    • not less than one-sixth of a Bachelor degree from an approved university;

    • other tertiary courses approved by the University of Wollongong.

Overseas Qualifications

Students with tertiary qualifications obtained overseas will be considered, provided that they satisfy University's minimum admission requirements.

Alternative Entry (Domestic applicants)

Applicants who achieve an appropriate score in one of the following qualifications may be considered for admission:

    • Overseas Year 12, equivalent to Year 12 in Australia.

    • TAFE Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPC).

    • A Diploma or Foundation Studies Program from a recognised private institution

    • University Access Program (UOW College) - for people over 21 years of age, or are 21 during the course of the program. 

    • Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) for people over 20 years of age on 1 March in the year preceding enrolment.

    • Indigenous and Torres Strait islander alternative entry program

Course Requirements

To qualify for award of the degree of Bachelor of Arts course code 702 a student must complete a total of at least 144 credit points from subjects listed in the Course Structures of the Bachelor of Arts offered by the Faculty and other subjects as approved by the Faculty.

The 144 credit points shall include:

    • The subjects prescribed for one of the majors listed in the Course Structures for that degree and offered by member units of the Faculty;

    • 24 credit points of 300 level subjects within the major must be at a pass grade or better;

    • To complete the credit points required for the degree, students can take another major, a minor or elective subjects offered by the Faculty or other faculties.

    • Not more than 60 credit points in 100-level subjects.

    • ARTS100 Peer-2-Peer Mentoring.

Peer-2-Peer Mentoring

Peer-2-Peer Mentoring (subject code ARTS100) is a compulsory zero credit point subject that must be undertaken by each student during their first year. This subject consists of a one hour weekly tutorial during the student's first session of study. This subject is designed to enable incoming students to adapt rapidly to the tertiary environment and engage with the university community.

Choosing a Major in the Bachelor of Arts (Wollongong)

The Bachelor of Arts (702), is one of the more open degrees offered by the University. Rather than relying on a prescribed program of study, it offers students a range of choices. The degree offers majors in the disciplinary areas familiar from study at school, like English Literatures, History and Languages. Other disciplinary areas that might not be as familiar, include Cultural Studies, Philosophy, Sociology, Politics and Science and Technology Studies. The study of a discipline gives students a developing set of skills while they acquire a set of conceptual frameworks and a body of knowledge interpreted using those frameworks. For example, within the study of 'history', students learn how to research and write history, as well as how to read what historians have thought about the past.

The Bachelor of Arts also offers interdisciplinary studies. These are built around either a place (for example Australian Studies or European Studies) or a theme (for example Indigenous Studies). These areas reach across disciplines to illustrate different ways an issue can be explored. Employment Relations, for example, draws from Economics, Management and Sociology. Australian Studies relies on History and Indigenous Studies. Interdisciplinary study areas ask the students to step outside the comfort zone offered by disciplinary majors and offer challenging alternatives to traditional areas of study.

Most majors offered in the Bachelor of Arts require either 52 or 54 credit points although some require more (for example, those taking a Language as a beginner). Some majors are quite open in their requirements allowing students to navigate their way through the program by meeting credit point requirements at each level (for example, English Literatures and Philosophy). Others have core subject requirements to complete the major (for example Sociology and Employment Relations). All majors require at least a pass in 24 credit points (or three subjects) at 300 level from the subjects offered for the major. The requirements for each major are set out later in this Handbook.

Choosing a Major in the Bachelor of Arts (Bega, Batemans Bay, Moss Vale & Shoalhaven)

For information on Bachelor of Arts majors offered at Bega, Batemans Bay, Moss Bale and Shoalhaven campuses please see the separate entry on - Bachelor of Arts

Majors and Minors

Students can undertake a double major in their degree. As long as the first major is taken from those offered by the Faculty, the second major can be taken from Arts, or from any other faculty, provided students meet the requirements for that major. The most common second majors taken outside the Faculty include Economics, Geography, Management, Marketing and Psychology. If the two majors have common subjects, students can count one subject twice towards the majors but cannot count the credit points twice towards those required for the degree.

Minor studies consist of a minimum of 28 credit points of which no more than 12 credit points at 100 level can be counted. Students may not cross count subjects from a nominated minor into any other minor or major. Minors do not appear on the testamur but do appear on the transcript (i.e. academic record).

Where a minor is taken from outside of the Faculty degree, refer to the requirements prescribed for that minor.

Major Study Areas

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts within the Faculty must take one of these majors:

Minor Studies

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts 702 may choose from the following minors.

Internship and International Subjects

The Faculty internship program provides students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their degree in a workplace setting. The internship subject ARTS301 is offered in autumn and spring sessions, all Arts students can enrol into ARTS301 providing they meet the pre-requisites. Another popular internship facilitated by the Faculty is the Politics Internships. The Politics internship subject POL 301 presents interested students with the opportunity to be an intern at Washington, New York or Canberra.

One of the Faculty's aims is to encourage students to study in an overseas university. Students can study abroad for a full session taking three to four subjects, or can study abroad for a shorter period of time by taking a study tour. The Faculty's study tour subjects currently focus on War History and incorporate visits to Gallipoli and the Western Front. Both subjects are listed below:

HIST265

Gallipoli Study Tour

N/O 2013

HIST270

Western Front Study Tour

Winter

Honours

See separate entry for the Bachelor of Arts Honours

Transfer option into the BA Dean's Scholars Degree or Double Degree

In January of each year, the Faculty invites applications from high achieving students to apply to transfer into the Bachelor of Arts Dean's Scholars Degree or Double Degree.

Selection Criteria

To be eligible to apply for a place in the Bachelor of Arts Dean's Scholars Degree or Double Degree, applicants would normally meet the following criteria:

    • Currently enrolled in the BA 702 or any other degree;

    • Full-time student;

    • Have successfully completed two full sessions of study or 8 subjects;

    • Have a WAM (weighted average mark) of at least 80.

For more information including the full list and to how to apply online visit Dean's Scholars Degrees.

Credit Arrangements

Please see General Course Rules for more information.

Assessment

Assessment in this course varies between subjects and typically includes a combination of essays, tutorial/seminar presentations, WebCT exercises and, in some subjects, in-class tests and/or exams. Some subjects may have an additional practical component. The assessment requirements of each subject are set out in the individual subject outlines, which students receive in the first week of session.

Other Information

Further information is available at http://coursefinder.uow.edu.au/