Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours)

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) is an advanced and specialised course of study requiring a higher standard of performance than a pass degree. It offers a broad range of Arts programs in humanities, social sciences and languages and enhances students’ ability to acquire advanced research and analytical skills and develop original ideas. It augments students’ ability to apply innovative solutions to complex problems. Students may specialise in one area of study (pure honours) or two (combined honours) depending on specialisation.

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) is available to students who have completed a Bachelor of Arts degree.

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) involves one additional year of study at fourth-year level. Students must also have satisfied the requirements of the BA (or equivalent) within the last five years, for articulation into the program.

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) is an advanced level of study designed to allow students to specialise in one area of study (pure honours) or two (combined honours).

The opportunity to specialise provides a strong foundation for the future direction of graduates, whether as a means of progressing into research higher degree at the Masters or PhD level, or improving the scope of employment options and professional advancement.

Students with Honours from Melbourne Arts record exceptionally high rates of satisfaction with the professional and academic directions they pursue beyond graduation.

The degree is designed so that BA (Hons) graduates will 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 an 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 their 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, 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 technologies for the acquisition, processing and interpretation of data.

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree requires the completion of 100 points of study at fourth-year level.

• Pure honours usually consists a 50 point thesis (15,000 words), a research methods subject (12.50 points) and three coursework subjects (37.50) in one area of study.
• Combined honours usually consists of a 50 points thesis (15,000 words) and a research methods subject (12.50 points) in one area of study, and three coursework subjects in the combined area of study (37.50 points).

Please note: this structure may vary depending on specialisation.

Honours students are required to achieve an honours grade (ie. H1, H2A, H2B, H3) for each subject and thesis component of their course in order to complete to the degree.

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 on the Student Policy Directory

Specialisations

Please note that some specialisations are not available in pure honours and must be taken in combination with another area - consult each area for more details.

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

• within the last 5 years a Bachelor of Arts with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent, with a major relevant to the discipline stream within the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) that they seek to enter.

Applicants are also required to meet any specific subject prerequisites and prior academic performance requirements associated with the discipline stream that they seek to enter (please see individual specialisations).

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• prior academic performance, and

• the availability of supervision and resources in suitable project areas.

Quotas may be applied to the degree as a whole or to individual discipline streams and preference may be given to applicants with evidence of appropriate preparation or potential to undertake research.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Admission and Selection into Courses Policy.

4. For applicants who have not completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the undergraduate English language requirements must be met.

The inherent academic requirements for study in the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) 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.

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 and adhere to the expectations outlined in the Student Charter.

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 the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours).

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) 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. Students who feel their disability will prevent them from participating in tasks involving these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact Disability Liaison. Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability; however, students should participate in the course in an independent manner.

Coursework Masters

If you wish to continue your professional studies at postgraduate level, the studies you undertake in your major can provide a direct pathway to coursework masters degrees in a wide range of areas. Entry is based on academic merit and in most cases requires completion of a Bachelor degree or equivalent. For more information on entry into a coursework masters degree see the University graduate programs webpages.

Research Higher Degrees

If you wish to undertake advanced research and explore particular study areas in more depth, there will be opportunities to proceed to a range of Research Higher Degrees at masters and doctoral level, usually upon completion of an Honours degree. For more information about research higher degree study in Arts and the entry requirements, see the Arts Graduate Research Programs webpages and the Melbourne School of Graduate Research.

The University of Melbourne educational experience prepares well-rounded graduates who are academically outstanding, practically grounded and socially responsible. Melbourne's graduates are distinguished by their broad outlook and openness to different perspectives.

Melbourne's degrees develop research and reasoning skills that equip graduates to be influential citizens with high leadership potential. The University's graduates engage with national and global issues and are attuned to social and cultural diversity. They have high levels of self-awareness and value their personal integrity and well-being.

Academic distinctionA Melbourne degree provides graduates with in-depth knowledge of their specialist disciplines and skills in examining issues with multiple disciplinary perspectives. Melbourn graduates are critical, creative thinkers with strong reasoning skills. They can apply knowledge, information and research skills to complex problems in a range of contexts and are effective oral and written communicators.

The Melbourne educational experience prepares graduates to be entrepreneurial and innovative thought-leaders. Melbourne graduates bring research and inquiry skills to challenges in their workplaces and communities. They are adept lifelong learners who generate bold and novel ideas by critically evaluating alternative possibilities and viewpoints.

Active citizenship

Melbourne graduates have engaged with contemporary local, national and global issues and developed an appreciation of the Asian region. They have a high regard for human rights, social inclusion, ethics and the environment. Melbourne graduates are aware of the social and cultural diversity in communities and can work collaboratively with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In particular, they have an understanding of and deep respect for Indigenous knowledge, culture and values.

The Melbourne experience supports a commitment to civic service in graduates' lives and careers, equipping them to be active, well-informed citizens who make substantial contributions to society. Graduates have the potential to be leaders in their professions and communities, with the capacity to work effectively across disciplines and cultures. Through advocacy and innovation they are able to lead change for a sustainable future.

Integrity and self-awareness

Melbourne graduates are motivated, self-directed and well-organised, with the ability to set goals and manage time and priorities. They are able to work effectively both independently and in groups. They are also highly self-aware and reflective, with skills in self-assessment, and place great importance on their personal and professional integrity.

The opportunities offered by the Melbourne experience help prepare graduates who are enthusiastic, self-assured and confident of their knowledge, yet flexible, adaptable and aware of their limitations. Melbourne's graduates are willing to explore, experiment and learn from mistakes. They have empathy and concern for the welfare of others and can manage their own well-being.