2018 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 | 2018

Testamur Title of Degree:

Bachelor of Arts

Abbreviation:

BA

UOW Course Code:

702

CRICOS Code:

000612E

Total Credit Points:

144

Duration:

3 years full-time or part-time equivalent

Home Faculty:

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts

Intake Session(s):

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

Delivery Mode:

On-campus (Face-to-face)

Delivery Campus / UAC Code:

Wollongong / 753101
Bega / 753106*
Batemans Bay / 753107*
Southern Highlands / 753108*
Shoalhaven Campuses / 753102*
South Western Sydney/753109*

* The Bachelor of Arts offered at Bega, Batemans Bay, Southern Highlands, Shoalhaven Campuses and South Western Sydney are listed on different pages - Bachelor of Arts (Regional Campuses) and Bachelor of Arts - South Western Sydney

Overview

A Bachelor of Arts degree is one of the most popular degrees at University. Students who are passionate and curious about humanity and society enjoy the breadth and flexibility of the Bachelor of Arts degree. It allows students to specialise in up to 2 majors or do a combination of majors and minors in disciplines such as Politics, History, English Literature, Philosophy, Languages, Sociology, Indigenous studies, and newer areas of study such as the Environmental Humanities (see below under ‘Majors’ for the full list). The degree will allow you to hone your skills of interpretation (nothing is ever just black and white), and you will gain experience in analysing and synthesising complex ideas; skills that are essential to real world problem solving and highly valuable to a wide range of employers. Every ‘real world’ problem today has a cultural and social dimension that can be understood using the skills you will gain doing a Bachelor of Arts degree, whichever major you choose.

Entry Requirements & Credit Arrangements

Information on academic and English language requirements, as well as eligibility for credit for prior learning, is available from the Course Finder.

Course Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes are statements of learning achievement that are expressed in terms of what the learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do upon completion of a course. Students graduating from this course will be able to demonstrate:

CLO Description
1 Evaluate complex issues and ideas about society and culture
2 Apply disciplinary knowledge and skills in a variety of real-world professional contexts
3 Communicate concepts effectively to a range of audiences
4 Use digital and other technologies essential for careers and lifelong learning

All BA students will be able to demonstrate these outcomes which are common to each BA major. Each major also has major learning outcomes that are unique to that major and outlined on each major page. 

Course Structure

To qualify for award of this degree, a candidate must satisfactorily complete a total of at least 144 credit points, comprised of the following:

  1. At least one major study available in the Bachelor of Arts, outlined below (minimum 48 credit points and maximum 60 credit points);
  2. LHA 101 - Introduction to Arts and the Humanities (6 credit points). This subject is undertaken in the first session and is designed to provide students with the academic skills necessary to succeed at University. LHA 101 assists students to understand the structure of their degree, plan their study pathway, and plan for post-university careers. It introduces students to key concepts including critical thinking, digital literacy, academic integrity, effective communication and degree and career planning;
  3. A second major study (minimum 48 credit points and maximum 60 credit points) from within the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts (LHA), OR, a minor study (minimum of 24 credit points) from within LHA;
  4. Elective subjects offered in LHA, or other Faculties, to bring the total credit points to at least 144.

Note:

  • At least 24 credit points of subjects completed at the 300-level within the major must be at a pass mark or better;
  • Not more than 60 credit points can be taken in 100-level subjects.

Majors

Choosing a Major (Wollongong)

Students construct their Bachelor of Arts degree by selecting majors and minors. The degree offers majors in the disciplinary areas familiar from study at school, like History, English Literatures, and Languages. Other disciplinary areas that might not be as familiar include Philosophy, Sociology, International Relations and Politics. The study of a discipline gives students skills 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 a theme (for example Indigenous Studies and Environmental Humanities). These areas reach across disciplines to illustrate different ways an issue can be explored.

Most majors offered in the Bachelor of Arts require at least 48 credit points although some require more (for example, those taking a Language as a Beginner). All majors require at least a pass in 24 credit points at 300 level from the subjects offered for the major.

Students taking two majors are only permitted to cross count one subject in both majors.

Students enrolled in this degree, must take at least one of the majors listed under the ‘BA Majors’ section of this handbook.

Choosing a Major (Bega, Batemans Bay, Southern Highlands & Shoalhaven)

For information on Bachelor of Arts majors offered at Bega, Batemans Bay, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven campuses please see the separate entry on - Bachelor of Arts (Regional Campuses).

BA Majors

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

Second Major

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts must also take either a second major or, alternatively a minor within LHA.

Students who wish to take a second major may choose from the list of BA majors above.

Alternatively, students may like to consider a major from another degree from the following list:

Minors

Most minors offered in the Bachelor of Arts consist of 24 credit points and require at least 12 credit points at 200 level or higher.

Minors appear on the transcript (i.e. academic record) but do not appear on the testamur. To have a minor study recorded, students need to submit an Application to Declare or Change Intended Major/Minor.

Students enrolled in this degree at Wollongong may choose from the following minors, with the full details of each available on a the LHA 2018 General Schedule of Minors page:

  • Ancient History
  • Animal Studies
  • Art History
  • Asia Pacific Studies
  • Australian Studies
  • Chinese (Mandarin) for Character Background Students
  • Chinese (Mandarin) for Non-Chinese Background Students
  • Creative Arts
  • Creative Production
  • Creative Writing
  • Cultural Studies
  • Design History
  • Digital and Social Media
  • English Language & Linguistics
  • English Literatures
  • Environmental Humanities
  • Ethics
  • European Studies
  • French
  • Game Production
  • Gender Studies
  • Global Screen Media
  • Graphic Design
  • Indigenous Studies
  • Indonesian*
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Journalism 
  • Marketing Communication and Advertising
  • Media Arts
  • Modern History
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Psychology
  • Photography
  • Politics
  • Science and Technology Studies
  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Technical Theatre
  • Theatre
  • Visual Arts

* Available by cross institutional study only

Information regarding minors, including which subjects to take to complete a minor, are available on the 2018 General Schedule of Minors page.

Work Integrated Learning

Undertaking a work integrated learning (WIL) experience during your university education is now a significant contributor to being competitive in securing employment in your field of choice when you graduate from UOW.

The Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts internship program provides students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their degree in a workplace setting.

Some Majors will have a specific internship subject available for students. Otherwise, students can consider CRLP200 (6cp). CRLP200 includes a quality assured workplace internship or industry project to give you that competitive edge by developing your professional skills through authentic learning in a real world context. You will focus on your career goals and receive career direction guidance, strengthen your resume and gain skills to navigate the rapidly changing world of work, develop your communication skills and begin to build a professional network.

Honours

See separate entry for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours).

The Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts Honours Handbook can be accessed as a PDF document from the Faculty Honours Students page.

Dean's Scholar 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 Scholar Degree or Dean's Scholar Double Degrees.

Selection Criteria

To be eligible to apply for a place in the Bachelor of Arts Dean's Scholar Degree or Dean's Scholar Double Degrees, 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 82.

For more information including the full list of Dean's Scholar Degrees and to how to apply online visit the LHA Dean's Scholar website.

Other Information

For further information email: lha-enquiries@uow.edu.au

Last reviewed: 8 July, 2020