Bachelor of Arts

• Create an individual study program by choosing subjects in University breadth subjects or by undertaking breadth studies in areas such as bioscience, commerce, environments, music and science.
• Undertake specialised fieldwork, research options and integrated internship programs which provide opportunities for professional work experience and community engagement.
• Broaden their horizons and undertake international study exchange at any one of 120 universities worldwide, receiving credit towards your Melbourne Arts degree.
• Study a new language with most areas available from beginners to advanced level.
• Benefit from studying with high achieving local and international students with Melbourne Arts having the highest entry requirements for arts disciplines in Australia.
• Learn from internationally recognised scholars and industry professionals.
• Create pathways into further postgraduate study in Arts' vocationally focused coursework masters programs, and with the completion of an Honours year, entry into research higher degrees.
• Enjoy a rewarding professional career, with Melbourne Arts graduates enjoying employment rates well above the national Arts average.

The objectives of the Bachelor of Arts are to provide students with an outstanding education in the humanities, social sciences and languages as well as a broad
understanding of selected fields of study outside these areas. The degree is designed so that a Bachelor of Arts graduate should be able to:

• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of selected fields of study in core disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and languages.
• Reflect a general understanding of the concepts and principles of selected areas of study outside core disciplines of the humanities, social sciences and languages.
• Access and appreciate national and international debates in specialised areas of study.
• Demonstrate an independent approach to knowledge that uses rigorous methods of inquiry and appropriate theories and methodologies that are applied with intellectual honesty and a respect for ethical values.
• Apply critical and analytical skills and methods to the identification and resolution of problems within complex changing social contexts.
• Act as informed and critically discriminating participants within the community of scholars, as citizens and in the work force.
• Communicate effectively and, in the case of those students undertaking a language major, to read, write and speak another language with fluency and appreciate its cultural context.
• Qualify for employment in a wide range of occupations.
• Commit to continuous learning.
• Be proficient in the use of appropriate modern technologies, such as computer and other information technology systems, for the acquisition, processing and interpretation of data.

The Bachelor of Arts requires the successful completion of 300 points (24 x 12.5-credit point subjects) comprising of:

• at least six arts discipline subjects (75 points) at level 1, including two Interdisciplinary Foundation Subjects, with one taken in the first semester of enrolment;

• at least six arts discipline subjects (75 points) at level 2;

• at least six arts discipline subjects (75 points) at level 3

• at least 12.5 points at level 2 or 3 (minimum of 12. 50 points at level one and a maximum of up to 37.5 points).

Students usually complete 100 points of study at each of first, second and third year levels.

Major Requirements

Students must complete one major; a major consists of 100 points of study within a single discipline, taken as two subjects (25 points) at first-year level, including an Interdisciplinary Foundation subject; three subjects (37.5 points) at second-year level; three subjects (37.5 points) at third-year level, including a capstone subject (for non language majors).

Special Arrangements

Students who undertake a major in Psychology will complete 125 points with 100 points taken as Arts discipline subjects and 25 later year points taken as breadth.

Students who undertake a major in Economics will complete 112.5 points with 37.5 points taken as Arts discipline subjects, 50 points taken as breadth and 25 points taken as free subjects.

Students who undertake a major in Geography will complete 100 points, 25 points of Arts discipline subjects, 50 points as breadth and 25 points as free subjects.

Progression

Students must complete a minimum of 50 points of study at one year-level before proceeding to the next year-level.

For information on policies that govern this degree, see Academic Services Policy listed as part of the University Melbourne Policy Framework. Students also should also refer to information the Student Policy Directory

Majors & Minors

Students must complete one major; a major consists of 100 points of study within a single discipline.

A major comprises 100 points of study:

• 25 points at level one (including an Interdisciplinary Foundation subject);
• 37.5 points at level two;
• 37.5 points at level three (including a compulsory capstone subject in all non-language majors - see Capstone Subjects below)

A minor of 75 points is available in all programs that offer a major in the BA (below), as well as several additional programs.

The minor comprises 75 points of study:

• 25 points at level one;
• 25 points at level two;
• 25 points at level three.

or

• 12.5 points at level one;
• 25 points at level two;
• 37.5 points at level three.

Capstone subjects are not available in the minor.

Students may take a maximum of 125 points in any one discipline area.

Interdisciplinary Foundation Subjects:

Majors and minors are available in the following areas of study:

The following areas of study are available as minors only:

Additional notes about the stucture of the Bachelor of Arts

- Subjects cannot be credited to more than one major or minor. Students planning to complete two BA majors must complete two separate majors with no overlap in subjects. Similarly, students completing a major and a minor must complete a separate major and minor with no overlap in subjects.

- It is not possible to complete a major and a minor in the same area of study.

- Language study requires the completion of two subjects at level one. It is, therefore, not structurally possible to complete more than two languages within the BA. The concurrent Diploma in Languages provides an alternative way of completing additional language study alongside the BA degree.

- The beginners stream Chinese major in the BA comprises 125 points. Students who wish to complete a major in this stream of Chinese will not be able to complete a second major due to the structural constraints of the degree. However, with careful planning from first year a minor sequence may be completed as well as the 125-point beginners stream Chinese major.

- Please note: Bachelor of Arts subjects have a minimum hurdle requirement of 75% tutorial attendance, regular participation in tutorials is required. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass BA subjects.

- For students who commenced the Bachelor of Arts in 2008, additional information on majors in cultural studies, English literary studies, international studies, political science, screen studies, theatre studies, and the minor in socio-legal studies can be found in the 2008 Handbook.

Capstone Subjects

All non-language majors in the BA include a compulsory level three capstone subject. Capstone subjects are usually only available in semester two and are therefore completed in the final semester of enrolment. Students who commence the BA mid-year may need to plan their final two semesters of study carefully to ensure that they complete the capstone in the year prior to that of their final semester of study.

Capstone subjects are not available in the minor. Capstone subjects are not available as breadth.

Available Breadth Tracks

For the most up-to-date admission requirements visit:

www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au

CRICOS Code: 002167E

The Faculty of Arts welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and Faculty policy to take all reasonable steps to enable the participation of students with disabilities, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the Faculty’s programs.

The inherent academic requirements for study in the Faculty of Arts are:

• the ability to attend classes and actively engage in both independent and group learning;
• the ability to comprehend complex disciplinary and interdisciplinary information related to the courses taught in the faculty;
• the ability to explain and evaluate complex concepts, theories and issues at work in a variety of texts;
• the ability to clearly communicate a knowledge and application of humanities, social sciences and language principles and practices during assessment tasks.

All students of the Arts Faculty’s courses are required to possess intellectual, ethical, and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the minimum levels of competence required by the Faculty. Candidates for the BA degree must have abilities in comprehension, theorization, and communication.

Communication: Students must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written form. They should also be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, and the wider public. They must have the capacity to clearly and independently communicate knowledge and application of Arts disciplines.

Intellectual and Organisational Abilities: Students must have the ability to establish study plans and prioritise learning objectives. They are also expected to have the ability to develop problem-solving skills and to comprehend complex disciplinary and cross-disciplinary information related to the BA degree.

Behavioural and Social Attributes: Students must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. They must take full responsibility for their own participation and learning. Students also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative environments and must therefore demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills which consider the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students. Integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that are deemed necessary for students enrolled in Arts courses.

Students who feel their disability will prevent them from participating in tasks involving these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability; however, students should participate in the course in an independent manner.

Arts students are encouraged to pursue their academic interests and professional aspirations by taking a variety of subjects in a range of different areas of study. All arts subjects provide students with transferable generic skills that prepare them for further study and the workplace.

As a result of attendance at scheduled classes, participation in planned activities and discussion groups, and timely completion of essays and assignments, Arts graduates should acquire transferable generic skills in the following areas:

• research

  through competent use of the library, electronic databases, and other information sources, and the definition of areas of inquiry and methods of research;

• critical thinking and analysis

  through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument;

• thinking in theoretical terms

  through lectures, tutorial discussion, essay writing and engagement in the methodologies of the humanities and social sciences;

• thinking creatively

  through essay writing, creative writing, tutorial discussions and presentations, conceptualising theoretical problems, forming judgements and arguments from conflicting evidence and by critical analysis;

• understanding of social, ethical and cultural context

  through the contextualisation of judgements, developing a critical self-awareness, being open to new ideas and possibilities and by constructing an argument;

• communicating knowledge intelligibly and economically

  through essay writing and tutorial and seminar discussion;

• written communication

  through essay preparation and assignment writing;

• public speaking

  through tutorial and seminar discussion and class presentations;

• attention to detail

  through essay preparation and writing, and examination revision;

• time management and planning

  through managing and organising workloads for recommended reading, essay and assignment completion and examination revision;

• teamwork

  through joint projects and group discussions.