Bachelor of Arts

at University of Wollongong - Wollongong Campus Australia

The Bachelor of Arts will equip you for today’s rapidly changing world. You will develop skills and capacities necessary to understand how the world has come to be the way it is today. The disciplines housed in the Bachelor of Arts degree share a common interest in addressing the fundamental questions of human social life. What do we need to know to create a better future, and what are the best ways of finding out? You will see and appreciate the world afresh, developing the analytical and communicative abilities to enrich life and your community. Share in the rich and global dialogue on contemporary human cultures.

What you will study
You construct your Bachelor of Arts degree by selecting majors and minors. Many of the majors and minors reflect areas of study that will be familiar (such as English, History, Politics) and some that may be less familiar (such as International Relations, Sociology and Environmental Humanities). Completing a major (or two) as part of your Bachelor of Arts degree will give you a set of skills that relate to the discipline you are studying (gaining expertise in History, for example) and also versatile skills in critical thinking, analysis, cultural intelligence, and conceptual frameworks. Because you can do more than one major, it is a good idea to choose widely in your first year, before settling on a major or majors in your second year.

Students must select one major and a second major or a minor, from the Bachelor of Arts offerings.

Majors:

• Archaeology and Ancient History
• Community, Culture and Environment*
• Creative Writing
• English Literatures
• Environmental Humanities
• French
• History
• Indigenous Studies
• International Relations
• Japanese
• Legal Studies
• Mandarin for Non-Chinese Background Students
• Mandarin for Character Background Students
• Philosophy
• Photography
• Politics
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Writing & English Literatures

As long as you complete at least one major and one minor from the Bachelor of Arts, you can also take a major and/or minor from outside of the Bachelor of Arts degree. Popular majors from outside the Bachelor of Arts include: Criminology, Digital and Social Media, Economics, Global Screen Media, Global Sustainable Development, Human Geography, Journalism, Marketing, Communication and Advertising, Visual Communication Design, Global Sustainable Development, International Business, Economics, Human Resource Management, Management and Public Relations.

The Master of Applied Finance with a double specialisation in Investing and Financial Services is for students who are interested in focusing on investment, portfolio management and financial services. The degree will allow you to integrate technical, theoretical and industry knowledge on the operation and organisation of – and participation in – local and international finance. The Investing specialisation focuses on investment and portfolio management, while the Financial Services specialisation focuses on financial institutions, as well as bank management and lending.

Business Law provides a legal perspective to business practice. Understanding the context, application and the impact of law on the structures and transaction of business is crucial to business innovation.

This degree
You will undertake a foundation year that covers all core disciplines of business, giving you a solid understanding of issues facing organisations today. From your second year, you will begin your major in Business Law and then choose from a wide range of electives. The degree provides you with an understanding of the Australian legal system and how it influences business transactions. Careers include business advisor, contracts negotiator, client manager, HR consultant, WHS officer and commercial transaction consultant.

You will also undertake a final-year capstone subject that lets you apply everything you have learned in collaboration with students from other disciplines. Plus, you have the option of applying for an internship to gain valuable experience whilst receiving credit towards your degree.

What you will study
Business Law encompasses many overlapping fields, ranging from specific regulatory frameworks to corporate governance. Fields you can focus on include international business law, banking and taxation law, employment and anti-discrimination law, work health and safety law, and media law.

If you've enjoyed studying for your Bachelor of Arts degree, why not consider an Honours year? This normally involves one additional year of study following the successful completion of a three-year undergraduate degree. Your Bachelor of Arts studies would have introduced you to a wide range of topics and issues, and an Honours project lets you explore one of these in much greater depth. Honours research topics are various and negotiable: if you are really interested in a topic and want to find answers, you'll be encouraged and supported to do so.

From a potential employer's perspective, whatever your topic, being able to demonstrate your ability to achieve a complex goal, meet deadlines, investigate independently, use resources effectively and write coherently will be highly regarded.

The Honours year has two functions at UOW; as an in-depth project at the end of undergraduate study, and as a bridge between undergraduate study and advanced research. Studying Honours will:

• Teach you research skills, navigation skills and how to use information systems (archives, the library, databases and electronic research networks)
• Provide an opportunity to articulate complex ideas in both verbal and written format
• Provide the experience of working closely with a supervisor on a project and preparing a major project to meet a deadline
• Experience in devising, researching and delivering an individual topic of study in an extended thesis of approx. 15,000 to 18,000 words

The Master of Teaching (Secondary) is for university graduates from non-teaching courses who want to become secondary school teachers (Years 7 to 12). On completion of this degree, you will obtain a formal qualification making you eligible to teach specialized subject areas to students aged 13 to 18 in public, religious, and private schools.

This degree produces high-quality teachers with an understanding of diversity in the classroom and with strong connections to school communities.  

This program focuses on building teaching skills through a professional experience immersion program in your very first session, and regular professional experience periods throughout the degree. You will complete 60 days of professional experience (PEX), including the option to complete one PEX in a rural or remote area of NSW. There are also opportunities to undertake international immersion programs that, while not counted as a PEX, allow you to travel overseas, visit schools and develop your understanding of people and cultures.

Your learning will be supported by online teaching, forums, podcasts and video streamed lectures, on-campus tutorials, and in-school activities. You will benefit from the expertise of local teachers and a range of workshops to develop your skills in communication, technology-enhanced learning, working with parents, designing assessments, and conducting school-based research.

During your degree, you will explore the concepts of teaching and learning to build your professional skills in your selected teaching areas. Teaching areas include: English, Science, Visual Arts, Modern or Ancient History, Geography, Society and Culture or Aboriginal Studies, Legal Studies and Business Studies or Economics.  The methods offered are subject to demand, meaning that not all methods are guaranteed to be offered each year.

International Relations is a vibrant, growing and constantly evolving discipline designed for students interested in careers in international organisations, foreign affairs or any organisation that has a focus beyond Australia’s borders. Whether it is the latest peace deal in a conflict zone, aid package, humanitarian relief operation, trade deal or climate negotiation, studying International Relations at UOW helps you understand the motives behind the actions taken by states, international organisations and the many other actors in global politics. While studying a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) at UOW, you will learn how to apply critical thinking and analytical skills to real world issues to inform thinking and practice in business, government and not for profit sectors.

What you will study
You will undertake core subjects on how global politics works, how security is organised, how conflict is managed, and on the role of the state in the new millennium. You will partake in a model United Nations (UN), discussing ideas and brainstorming solutions to global challenges as model diplomats learning not just about the UN, but about negotiation skills and policy development. You can choose from a range of electives covering issues including war, peacekeeping, international law and global political economy.

The Bachelor of Computer Science (Dean's Scholar) offers a challenging and enriched educational experience for high-achieving students who want to perform above the level normally expected. As a Dean's Scholar student you will also be encouraged to continue your studies through the completion of Honours and research programs.

This degree
Computer scientists focus on computation and its applications, designing methods, tools and writing programs for computer applications. These applications can be in areas such as computer systems to control machinery, information management and big data, applications for mobile devices, stock market trend analysis, game design, visualisation of chemical reactions, neural network design, computational geometry for robot navigation, patient monitoring in hospitals, and much more.

You will be able to choose your major in your second year after studying a common core of subjects that links our computer science, IT and information systems degrees. Find your strengths and interests as you study the fundamentals of computer science and IT: programming, problem solving, network and communications, web technology, data management, system analysis, human–computer interaction, and project management. You’ll also complete a final-year capstone team project.

What you will study
You will complete the normal course requirements for the degree, and receive special privileges as you study, such as the opportunity to complete a research project and direct access to academic mentoring. Places are limited each year. Current students who have achieved a weighted average mark (WAM) of 80 at the end of one year of full-time study in a relevant degree may apply to transfer to the Dean's Scholar degree.

The Bachelor of Business Honours year provides a bridge between undergraduate study and advanced research. With an Honours degree you can move into academic and/or public sector positions requiring advanced research and analytical skills that will aid policy formulation and analysis.

This degree

The program provides:

• Training in research skills using a variety of information systems (archives, the Library, databases, electronic research networks).
• An opportunity to practice articulating complex ideas orally and in writing.
• Practice in working closely with a supervisor on a project and in preparing a major project within a deadline.
• Experience in devising, researching and writing up an individual topic of study in an extended argument/thesis.

Some examples of government institutions that employ students who complete an Honours degree are the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Australian Treasury, and the Australian Productivity Commission.

Honours students will also have the opportunity to pathway into a research degree.

The Master of Computer Science will provide you with the skills and ability to solve complex real world problems by integrating computer science methods with effective management strategies, and by developing and deploying computer applications. During this degree you will be able to put theory into practice with an individual capstone project.

What you will study

You will study subjects in IT project management, advanced programming, algorithms and data structures. You can choose to complete subjects from the below four areas:

• Computational intelligence, and reasoning and learning
• Machine learning algorithms and big data
• Advanced network security and computer security
• Software requirements and specifications, and service-oriented software engineering

Combining Journalism with Arts 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 innovative thinking skills, effective communication and creative writing skills, all of which are required for high achievement in a range of journalism careers.

Journalism and reporting is an evolving industry that encompasses a multitude of media including print, television, radio, web, and social media to inform, engage and entertain. Studying a Bachelor of Journalism degree alongside a Bachelor of Arts degree will teach you to gather, assess, create and present news and information to a wide range of audiences and also write, edit and publish a broad variety of written materials. The Bachelor of Journalism - Bachelor of Arts also allows you to gain foundational knowledge in many traditional areas of study including history, literature, languages and philosophy and the disciplines of social sciences, cultural studies, sociology and politics.

The Bachelor of Journalism has a prescribed set of core subjects, as well as the opportunity to use electives to complete a major or two minors from a multi-disciplinary list. 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, you will choose a minor or another major from the Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.