Course

Bachelor of Arts

Approved Abbreviation: BA

Western Sydney University Course Code: 1604.1

AQF Level: 7

CRICOS Code: 040992A

Students should follow the course structure for the course version relevant to the year they commenced. This version applies to students whose commencement year for this course is 2005.

Students can select Humanities, Applied Humanities, Social Psychology and Social Research, Languages or Psychology as a key program. In addition to the key program, students are able to undertake additional areas of study in the form of a major or sub-major. The Humanities key program has majors in Art History and Cinema Studies, Asian Studies, Cultural and Social Analysis, English, Text and Writing and History, Politics and Philosophy.

Bachelor of Arts graduates are prepared for a very wide range of employment opportunities and are equipped with the communication and people skills, creativity and capacity for independent thought, flexibility and adaptability in new situations increasingly demanded by employers. Bachelor of Arts graduates find employment in an enormous diversity of areas including: communication and media industries; education; entertainment and arts administration; government, cultural, and heritage organisations; psychology and counselling; social and policy research and analysis; tourism and leisure industries; writing and publishing.

Careers in Teaching and Education:

Students wishing to be primary or secondary school teachers of English, History, Languages or Human Society and its Environment (which includes both history and social science units) should enrol in courses 1651 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Primary Teaching) or 1652 Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Secondary Teaching). For further information concerning the requirements for teaching, students are advised to consult the Subject Content Requirements for Primary and Secondary Teaching NSW (Abridged) from the NSW Institute of Teachers

http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/become-a-teacher/

or the School of Education.

The Bachelor of Arts is a three-year degree offering students an opportunity to develop a depth of disciplinary expertise together with the breadth of vision afforded by cross-disciplinary approaches to the humanities. The Bachelor of Arts is also designed to provide knowledge, tools for thinking, and enhanced self-understanding, so as to form a basis for lifelong learning.

Director of Academic Program - Dr Dianne Dickenson

Study Mode
Three years full-time or six years part-time. Classes are generally offered during the day. For progression requirements consult UWS policy on the web at www.uws.edu.au.

Accreditation
The Key Program in Psychology offered within the Bachelor of Arts is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) as an undergraduate three year sequence in Psychology.

Admission

Assumed knowledge: any two units of HSC English.

Recommended studies: HSC English Standard, or equivalent.

For admission to the Applied Humanities key program applicants must have completed a TAFE diploma (AQF Level 5, 2 years full-time or equivalent) or equivalent in a relevant area at credit level or above, and must nominate the Applied Humanities program on enrolment. TAFE program areas considered most compatible with the Bachelor of Arts studies are:

business and public administration

community services

health

tourism

hospitality

information technology

arts and media

Course Structure

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 240 credit points.

All students must enrol in and complete:

40 credit point Bachelor of Arts Core
120 credit point key program (consisting of an 80 credit point major and a 40 credit point submajor)
80 credit points of elective units

Electives may be used towards obtaining an additional approved major or sub-major.

Core Components

The basic structure of the Bachelor of Arts is the Level 1 core (40 credit points) and the key program (120 credit points).

The 40 credit points Level 1 core is made up of:

100958

Australia and the World

100960

Contemporary Society

100965

Media and Visual Cultures

*Students please note from 2010 unit 100965.1 - Media and Visual Cultures is replaced by unit 100846 - Analytical Reading and Writing.

100968

Texts and Traditions

Key Program

All student must complete a key program. Explanations of these key programs can be found under the program listings below.

Key programs available are:

KP1604APHU

Applied Humanities

* The key program in Applied Humanities has special entry requirements.

Humanities

Languages

Psychology

Social Psychology and Social Research

Progression Rules

No more than 100 credit points of Level 1 units may be counted towards the degree.
The general pre-requisite for Level 2 and Level 3 units is the successful completion of at least 60 credit points of Level 1 units.*
Minimum 60 credit points of Level 3 units.

* There are particular exceptions in the case of the key programs in Languages and Psychology.

Majors

Students completing a key program in one area of study have the option of structuring their elective units into an additional major or sub-major taken from outside that key program. Students who wish to undertake an additional major drawn from another key program are not required to undertake the core units for that key program before studying a major sequence.

The exception to this rule is Psychology, which must be studied in its entirety for reasons of external accreditation, and is not available as an additional major.

Bachelor of Arts Key Programs

Applied Humanities

The Applied Humanities key program is made up of two components combining TAFE and university study. The TAFE component is a Diploma (AQF Level 5 or higher). The university component is 120 credit points of study, comprising of an 80 credit point major and 40 credit point sub-major. Students must apply for academic credit for the Diploma component of this award.

KP1604APHU

Applied Humanities

The 80 credit point major must come from one of the following Applied Humanities key program majors and must include the 100961.2 Humanities Internship unit worth 10 credit points.

Note: Art History and Cinema Studies (available at Penrith only)

The major is made up of the designated Level 1 unit for the major plus 70 credit points of Level 2 or 3 units including the 100961.2 Humanities Internship unit.

Applied Humanities Majors

AH1604AHCS

Applied Humanities Art History and Cinema Studies

AH1604ASNS

Applied Humanities Asian Studies

AH1604CSA

Applied Humanities Cultural and Social Analysis

AH1604ETW

Applied Humanities English Text and Writing

AH1604HPP

Applied Humanities History Politics and Philosophy

Applied Humanities Sub-majors

The 40 credit point sub-major must be selected from one other of the Humanities majors listed above.

The sub-major must be made up of no more than one Level 1 unit with the remaining 30 credit points made up of Level 2 or 3 units, or 40 credit points at Level 2 or 3.

AS1604AHCS

Applied Humanities Art History and Cinema Studies

AS1604ASNS

Applied Humanities Asian Studies

AS1604CSA

Applied Humanities Cultural and Social Analysis

AS1604ETW

Applied Humanities English Text and Writing

AS1604HPP

Applied Humanities History, Politics and Philosophy

Applied Humanities - Majors and Sub-majors in Languages

Students completing the Applied Humanities key program can complete a major of 80 credit points in Languages (consisting of 70 credit points in a recommended language sequence plus 10 credit point 100961.2 Humanities Internship)

AH1604LANG

Applied Humanities Languages

OR a 40 credit point sub-major (comprising 40 credit points in one of the recommended language sequences).

AS1604LANG

Applied Humanities Languages

In general, units counted toward the requirements of one key program cannot be double-counted for credit towards another key program, major or sub-major.

Students should consult with academic course advisors in program areas for advice about the structure of majors and sub-majors.

Humanities Key Program

The key program in Humanities consists of an 80 credit point major and 40 credit point sub-major.

KP1604HUMA

Humanities

The 80 credit point major must come from one of the following areas:

* Note: Art History and Cinema Studies (available at Penrith only)

Humanities Majors

M1604AHCS

Art History and Cinema Studies

M1604ASNS

Asian Studies

M1604CSA

Cultural and Social Analysis

M1604ETW

English, Text and Writing

M1604HPP

History, Politics and Philosophy

Humanities Sub-majors

The 40 credit point sub-major come from a Humanities major other than the area chosen for the key program.

SM1604AHCS

Art History and Cinema Studies

SM1604ASNS

Asian Studies

SM1604CSA

Cultural and Social Analysis

SM1604ETW

English, Text and Writing

SM1604HPP

History, Politics and Philosophy

Languages Key Program

This key program gives students professional skills in languages, preparing them for work in a range of professions and interests.

KP1604LANG

Languages

A key program in a language comprises 160 credit points, made up of the 40 credit point Bachelor of Arts core units plus 20 credit points of mandatory core units and 20 credit points of core units to be chosen from a specific pool, plus a major comprising 80 credit points of units in a specific language other than English.

Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program may achieve a sub-major in any of eight Languages by completing 60 credit points in one of the recommended language sequences for beginners, intermediate or advanced levels. Available languages are: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Vietnamese. Information on recommended sequences for the sub-major are provided in the details for the key program in Languages.

Students may complete an additional major or sub-major in Linguistics, another language or any other approved program using some or all of their 80 credit points of elective units.

M11074

Linguistics

Available Languages majors are:

Arabic

Chinese

French

German

Italian

Japanese

Spanish

Vietnamese

Psychology Key Program

The Key Program in Psychology requires the successful completion of the 40 credit point Bachelor of Arts core plus 120 credit points including the units listed below.

KP1604PSYC

Psychology

The psychology key program offered within the Bachelor of Arts is accredited by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the NSW Psychologists Registration Board as an undergraduate major in psychology.

Social Psychology and Social Research Key Program

The Key Program in Social Psychology and Social Research requires the successful completion of the 40 credit point Bachelor of Arts core plus 120 credit points including the units listed in the recommended sequence.

KP1604SPSR

Social Psychology and Social Research

This key program is offered on the Penrith campus

Social Psychology and Social Research Major

M11029

Social Psychology and Social Research

Major and Sub-major elective spaces

Elective units may be used toward obtaining an additional approved major (80 credit points) or sub-major (40 credit points).

Search for majors and sub-majors

Western Sydney University offers majors and sub-majors in a range of areas including Sustainability and Indigenous Studies.

Indigenous Australian Studies Major

Indigenous Australian Studies Sub-major

Indigenous Australian Creative Expressions Sub-major

Indigenous Economics Sub-major

Business Sustainability Sub-major

Students can apply for an elective major or sub-major via MySR.

MyStudentRecords (MySR)