Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (Dual degree)

at University of Wollongong - Wollongong Campus Australia

A Bachelor of Communication and Media - Bachelor of Laws from UOW equips you with a comprehensive legal education: a world-class degree that provides a thorough grounding in the law, as well as a real-world focus on the essential practical skills and the social and ethical context in which the law operates.

Combining Law with a Bachelor of Communication and Media will prepare you to engage with a global media culture within a legal context. It has an international focus and places strong emphasis on research skills, while introducing students to ways in which new media shapes our everyday lives. We look at the ethical and legal considerations of emerging media within the workplace as well as our local, national and international communities.

We believe that practical experience is a vital part of your legal training. We are the only law school in New South Wales that requires you to complete a legal internship, providing highly valued industry experience.

We are committed to social justice and providing a legal education that engages with the complexities of law's intersection with society.

This double degree delivers a practical and contextual legal education that prepares graduates not only for traditional careers in the legal profession but also for a wide range of careers in government, business and community organisations – as leaders, innovators and problem solvers.

What you will study

The Bachelor of Communication and Media - Bachelor of Laws covers the prescribed areas of knowledge for future admission to the profession as well as including a choice of electives. Additionally, an integrated skills program equips graduates with experience in areas such as legal research, interviewing, legal drafting, advocacy and negotiation. Opportunities also exist to undertake subjects through an international exchange program.

You will also study a major from the following areas:

• Digital and Social Media
• Journalism
• Marketing, Communication and Advertising
• Visual Communication Design
• Screen Media Production

The Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation will expose you to ideas that have been inspiring people since their inception — in Ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the Modern Era. You will have the unique opportunity to directly engage with a carefully curated selection of some of the most influential works in the Western tradition of thought and art.

This degree also offers thirty generous scholarship opportunities valued at up to $30,000 per annum across the full course of study, as well as an opportunity to engage in a bespoke scholarly experience.

What you will study
You will philosophically reflect on questions about art, literature, science and religion while also investigating such topics as the nature of selfhood, truth, reason and wisdom. You will discover how great ideas and art can shape us - our understanding of ourselves and the world - and how ideas can make a difference for good or ill.

You will develop informed and reasoned views about significant contemporary concerns, such as the value of democracy, benefiting from your acquired knowledge of the history of ideas. You will become acquainted with diverging perspectives from within various Western traditions of thought and art as well as under-represented voices and perspectives from outside of those traditions.

You will choose one major from the following: Archaeology and Ancient History; Creative Writing; History; Indigenous Studies; Languages; Sociology; English Literatures; Philosophy; Politics; International Relations; Global Sustainable Development.

Social workers make an important contribution to the wellbeing and improvement of society. With a strong commitment to social justice and human rights, social workers can be found working with people who are disadvantaged and marginalised by society because of poverty or personal circumstances. As a UOW Social Work graduate you will enter the labour market with extensive skills and knowledge, and supervised professional practice experience. You will be ready to promote social change and development, and improve the lives of individuals, families and communities.

This degree
UOW Social Work offers fresh and innovative content, taught by experts in the Social Work field. The intensive professional experience in this degree will allow you to practise your skills with real people, in real- world situations giving you first-hand Social Work experience. This experience ensures you are job-ready when graduating, making you highly attractive to employers.

What you will study
The UOW Bachelor of Social Work provides a balance of skills, concepts and theory, as well as hands-on experience in professional practice. You will cover the following five areas:

• Study of the individual and society: with subjects such as Psychology, Introduction to Social Work and electives from a range of humanities, which will provide an introduction to people and social context.
• Skills for practice: you will develop skills to work effectively with people, and use critical insights to understand people and social problems.
• Enactment of social justice: enacting social justice is a core requirement when working with individuals, families or communities, and for social researchers and policy developers
• Engaging with community: engaging with communities on joint projects is an important part of Social Work, and is central in the program.
• Supervised professional practice: in the final years of the degree, you will gain supervised professional practice experience in human service agencies. This is where you will develop the skills and knowledge necessary for a career as a social worker.

The Master of Philosophy (Creative Arts) is a flexible course that provides a bridge towards doctoral level study and the opportunity to immerse yourself in a significant research project.

The course is suited to experienced creative arts practitioners who wish to extend their practice within a scholarly context. It is also appropriate for applicants with an excellent undergraduate creative arts background who wish to extend their scholarly and/or creative skills. You may pursue purely scholarly research or a combination of creative and scholarly research. Research strengths in creative practice include Music, Theatre, Performance, Creative Writing, Visual Arts, Digital Media and Design. Applications from all these disciplines are encouraged, as well as any projects working in interdisciplinary forms.

The degree comprises 24 credit points of coursework and a 72-credit point thesis. Advanced standing for the coursework component of the degree may be awarded, which will determine the appropriate entry point.

As a guide, submission by thesis only will be in the range of 35,000 to 45,000 words. The submission of creative work will normally be by exhibition, performance or presentation in the chosen area of practice, supported by one of the following:

•     an exegesis (approximately 15,000 words) focusing on aspects such as origins of the work, structures and techniques used, and artistic theories underpinning the work; or
•     a dissertation (approximately 15,000 words) that makes a scholarly argument linked to, but not dependent on, the body of creative work.

If you are doing, or have done particularly well in your Bachelor of International Studies degree, you should 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 International Studies degree would have introduced you to a wide range of topics and problems, and an Honours project enables you to explore one 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 by our expert staff.

From a potential employer's perspective, whatever your topic, being able to demonstrate the ability to achieve a complex goal, meet deadlines, investigate independently, use resources effectively and write coherently, are all highly desirable qualities.

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 is about:

• Learning research skills, navigation skills and information systems (archives, the Library, databases, electronic research networks);
• The opportunity to practise articulating complex ideas orally and in writing. It provides the experience of working closely with a supervisor on a project and in preparing a major project to meet a deadline;
• Experiences in devising, researching and writing up an individual topic of study in an extended argument/thesis of 15,000 words.

What you will study
The Bachelor of International Studies (Honours) consists of 50% coursework and 50% research work.  The research component of this degree takes the form of a research thesis under the supervision of an academic employed in the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

The Master of Applied Finance (Investing) is for students interested in acquiring an advanced understanding of investment and portfolio management.

You will study the theory and practice of financial management and gain an understanding of the global financial system. Additionally, competing approaches to corporate governance and business ethics will be developed, and you will learn how to provide protection against portfolio, financial and corporate risks.

Students are provided with realistic stock market simulations and are introduced to modern portfolio theory and practice with a focus on optimal investment decision-making. You will experience the pressure of live markets and learn how to manage portfolios through a portfolio simulation that allows you to trade shares, options, bonds, managed funds, international stocks with realistic stock market simulations.

The degree is targeted at students who have a bachelor degree in Business, Engineering, Maths or IT, if you do not have an academic background in these areas you should consider studying the Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance.

Students interested in a two-year Master of Applied Finance option should consider the Master of Applied Finance (Investing and Financial Services).

Combine an accredited psychology degree with a degree in Criminology, to broaden your knowledge and develop your competitive edge. You can qualify for entry to the fourth year of Psychology, required for provisional accreditation as a psychologist.

This degree
You will undertake comprehensive study in processes basic to human psychological functioning, combined with specialised studies that enable you to understand the causes, control, consequences, and prevention of criminal behaviour at the individual and social levels.

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, and how they influence behaviour. Psychologists use research findings to help us understand who we are and how we think, feel, act and change. By understanding these aspects of human behaviour, psychologists are able to promote wellbeing and understand psychological problems affecting people.

Criminology critically examines debates about crime, and how various contested theories and values translate into criminal justice policies and practices. This knowledge and skill set will allow you to contribute to addressing the complex and changing needs of individuals, families and communities in the face of technological, economic, environmental and social change.

The skills and knowledge you will acquire from these combined degrees will give you a distinct advantage in your professional objectives after graduation.

What you will study
In the first year of your degree you will study the foundations of psychology, learn about research methods and statistics, and complete a common set of core subjects from a number of social science disciplines.

In subsequent years, you will undertake study in personality, biological psychology and learning, cognition and perception, and developmental and social psychology.

The Criminology major will focus on criminology subjects relating to offenders, victims and agents of control, multidisciplinary understandings of crime, crime prevention, safe communities, security, probation and parole, human rights, and community justice.

Additional electives and minors from the Social Science, Arts and Science disciplines are also available to complement your studies.

Double degrees aim to broaden a student's knowledge and skill base and to improve career options in competitive, increasingly interactive fields. These programs are designed to enhance a student's educational, academic and professional qualifications whilst minimising the costs of their studies.

Studying Science in addition to Computer Science will increase employment opportunities in areas such as scientific programming or scientific management.

What you will study

You will also choose one major from the Bachelor of Science degree: Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Environment, Geology or Physical Geography

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

Medical and health science provides insight into the structure and function of the human body at all levels of organisation. This knowledge can be used directly to work alongside other health professionals within the medical research and clinical health fields in both private industry and hospital settings. It can also be used as an underpinning set of knowledge for postgraduate medicine, dentistry, and most other allied health professional areas. It is the Medical and Health professionals in their various roles that are involved in the development of therapies, application of diagnostic methods and treatments associated with health and disease.

This degree is a flexible yet rigorous program designed specifically for students who wish to study the scientific basis of human structure, function, and health.

The first year covers the core sciences including Human and General Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physiology, and Anatomy. After studying the core science subjects there is the opportunity to customise individual programs of study with a wide selection of elective subjects that include: Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Histology, Exercise and Cardio-Respiratory Physiology, more advanced Physiology and Anatomy subjects, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Bioethics, Philosophy, Indigenous Studies, Public Health, Work Health and Safety and all specialised areas within chemistry, with potential to also create minors in many of these and other areas.