University of Wollongong Wollongong Campus

Combining a Bachelor of Communication and Media with a Bachelor of Arts degree places a strong emphasis on applied learning and offers a broad introduction to ways in which new media practices shape our everyday lives, both in the workplace and in our communities. It will equip you with critical and creative thinking skills and effective communication and problem solving skills, all of which are required for high achievement in a range of media or related careers. 

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. This degree will allow you to hone your skills of analysis and interpretation, and your ability to synthesise complex ideas; skills that are essential to practical 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.

The Bachelor of Communication and Media degree offers students a strong foundation in the global communication and media industries. This degree has a focus on preparing students for global careers in digital and social media, visual communication design, journalism, screen media production, marketing, communication and advertising. Students will encounter key ideas in the study and practice of media and communications, and gain flexible and transferable skills that will prepare them for informed engagement with the changing world of global media culture.

What you will study
You will choose one major in the Bachelor of Arts degree; Archaeology and Ancient History, English Literatures, Environmental Humanities, French, History, Indigenous Studies, Japanese, Legal Studies, Mandarin (Non-Chinese Background Students), Mandarin (Character Background Students), Philosophy, Photography, Politics, International Relations, Sociology, Spanish, Creative Writing, or Writing and English Literatures. In addition to the arts major you will also choose a minor or a second major from the Bachelor of Arts offerings.

The Bachelor of Communication and Media offers five majors - Digital and Social Media, Visual Communication Design, Journalism, Screen Media Production and Marketing, Communication and Advertising. You will need to select one major to specialise in throughout the duration of your degree

A major in Environmental Humanities will equip you with the tools to analyse, critique and engage with contemporary debates about the environment. You will acquire a deep and critical understanding of the social contexts through which we experience environmental issues and problems such as climate change, species loss, adaptation, exploitation and natural disasters. You will gain a clear understanding of the role of cultural forces (histories, narratives, cultural values and ethics) that influence and shape relationships to the environment.

What you will study
You will investigate the works of key humanities thinkers in environmental debates, and how these manifest in policies, solutions and conflicts. It will explore ideas for alternative futures, Indigenous conceptions of country, and also how relationships with nature and other animals have been historically and culturally produced. The Environmental Humanities major brings together subjects from International studies, Philosophy, History, Indigenous Studies, Cultural Studies, Sociology, English, Contemporary Arts and Geography. All of the strengths of Humanities research and teaching (critical and creative thinking, questions of social justice, ethics and cultural engagement) will be brought into the domain of the environment. The development of Environmental Humanities is in response to 21st Century environmental crises of climate change; depletion of natural resources, species extinctions, mass migration, natural disasters, global inequalities and climate refugee crises.

Engage, explore and appreciate diverse pasts when you study History at UOW, and learn from the past to inform your future. History enriches your understanding of the world by offering knowledge and skills to comprehend the broad scope of human experiences - from our everyday lives, to global processes. You will learn to research information, critically evaluate debates, and express your arguments and beliefs clearly and effectively.

UOW's History degree focuses on themes that link Australian and international history, ancient and modern. You will discover what it is to be a Historian, through subjects that help you develop a sophisticated and critical appreciation of contemporary approaches to historical theories, methods, interpretation, arguments, and uses of evidence.

What you will study
Our core subjects will teach you broad histories of specific Australian, Asian and European societies. In second and third year you will be able to specialise and study topics in greater depth, including histories of empires, the political and social impacts of wars, and the development of the State.

In addition to the History major you will choose a minor or a second major from the Bachelor of Arts offerings.

Indigenous Studies explores the controversies, complexities and contradictions that shape what it means to be Indigenous in Australia and the world today. Contemporary Indigenous Australia is a fascinating crossroad of history, culture, power and politics. It includes the study of practical issues, political issues as well as understanding where these issues overlap.

Indigenous Studies at UOW is designed to equip you to think incisively about issues that impact on Indigenous individuals and communities on a local, national and global scale. This includes a focus on cultural, political, economic and social factors that have shaped, and continue to shape, the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is developed through the study of international Indigenous experiences and engagement with a range of Indigenous perspectives and organisations on a global scale.

What you will study
The Indigenous Studies major consists of four core subjects that will introduce you to indigenous Australia, the critical themes, global perspectives and research methodologies.

The study of Philosophy at UOW teaches you how to think, not what to think. As lovers of wisdom, philosophers are deeply, personally invested in their quest for truth and enlightenment. There are no questions that philosophers will not consider.  How should we live and treat others? Do our lives have meaning? Does science have all the answers?  In studying philosophy at UOW you will explore the most fundamental topics, ask the deepest questions and –rigorously and systematically– scrutinize the answers given by the best minds down the ages.

Studying for a UOW degree in Philosophy will train you in logic and argumentation. It will enlarge and enrich your conception of what is possible. You will acquire the intellectual discipline needed to challenge the assumptions that frame the way we think about the world and how we should behave in it. You will learn to bring philosophical considerations to bear on practical problems in order to make informed decisions about important issues such as:  social justice; free speech; global poverty; climate change, animal welfare; humane psychotherapy; education and expertise.

A philosophical education is valuable in just about any line of work. It develops your persuasive powers; critical thinking, problem solving abilities; and communication skills. A 2016 report by the Foundation for Young Australians reveals that these skills are in great demand today in professions that require people who can stand back and think with an open mind. Past UOW Philosophy graduates have found work in such diverse careers as: administration; art and design; business development; community and social services; consulting; education; entrepreneurship; healthcare; human resources; IT; legal; management; media; program and project research.

What you will study

Core subjects will teach you about: ethics, politics, mind, self, knowledge, science, and the relevance of philosophy to the wider world and the workplace. Elective areas of study include media; art and society; logic; the meaning of life; philosophy in film and literature; global and environmental ethics; bioethics; political philosophy; narrative psychology and selfhood; imagination and emotion; health and happiness; and Eastern philosophy.