Bachelor of Economics and Finance/Bachelor of Laws (Dual degree)

at University of Wollongong - Wollongong Campus Australia

Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms and their environment, and conservation biology applies an understanding of these interactions for managing and protecting species and ecosystems. Ecologists and conservation biologists are broadly-trained, using the latest scientific knowledge, tools and techniques in both laboratory and outdoor settings to develop solutions across the areas of biodiversity, conservation, ecology, evolution, genetics, marine biology, medical research, and molecular biology. Evolution underpins biological science and can be used to predict phenomena, such as understanding the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms, and the ways in which different species might respond to global warming. Ecologists and conservation biologists work across all scales of biology, from molecules within organisms to populations of organisms and the ecosystems they form.

The Bachelor of Science is a flexible three year degree which allows you to choose from a variety of majors. In addition to these majors, opportunities exist for you to select additional minors to explore other areas of study.

What you will study
The Bachelor of Science major in Ecology and Conservation Biology incorporates field and laboratory studies at all levels, providing extensive opportunities for hands-on learning both within UOW’s modern laboratories, and in the superb marine, freshwater, terrestrial and urban environments of the South Coast and inland regions. The specialist conservation biology training, combined with a broad background in biology, ecology and evolution will give you the knowledge and skills sought in a wide range of government and industry organisations that conduct or facilitate research or use research as a basis for advising on policy, both in Australia and internationally.

The Bachelor of Journalism - Bachelor of Science double degree allows you to present science in an effective and persuasive way to a range of audiences. Media organisations are frequently looking for journalists who can offer specialist skills and industry knowledge. As a result of this double degree, you will be able to analyse and interpret theories and findings while engaging your viewer, listener or reader.

The Bachelor of Journalism provides in-depth hands-on training in journalism, converging media (radio, TV, web, phone, tablet), digital communication and multimedia storytelling. It has a strong professional focus, with an emphasis on practical learning with studio-based studies in multimedia content production. You will learn to research, produce and present entertaining and timely stories through video, audio, print and digital technologies including podcasting and webcasting, working both independently and collaboratively.

The Bachelor of Science will give you a broad understanding of your chosen specialisation, helping you apply an evidence-based approach to the natural and social world.

If you are doing, or have done particularly well in your Bachelor of Communication and Media degree, you should consider an Honours year. Your Bachelor of Communication and Media degree will have introduced you to a wide range of topics and problems, and an Honours project will enable you to explore these ideas 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.

From a potential employer's perspective, your ability to achieve a complex goal, meet deadlines, investigate independently, use resources effectively and write coherently are highly valued attributes.

The Honours year has a number of functions at UOW; as an in-depth project at the end of undergraduate study, and as a bridge between undergraduate study and advanced research.  It may also afford you the opportunity to explore future career options. Studying Honours teaches you: training in research skills and in information systems (archives, the Library, databases and electronic research networks);  opportunity to practise articulating complex ideas orally and in writing; experience in working closely with a supervisor on a project and in preparing a major project to meet a deadline; and experience in devising, researching and writing up an individual topic of study in an extended argument or thesis.

Environmental science is a practical and multi-disciplinary science that spans the biophysical, geochemical and social sciences and focuses on the interaction between the living and non-living elements of the world, including the role of human impacts. Environmental scientists assess, research and manage a wide range of environmental issues and provide solutions to emerging environmental problems that face current and future societies. These include climate change, biodiversity, water quality, resource management, waste and pollution and environmental protection and conservation.

The Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) integrates material from a wide variety of disciplines relevant to the environment and its management. These include science, engineering, management, law, technology and social science. You will be equipped with the knowledge of ethical, social, economic and political aspects of environmental issues. These skills will help you work with other professionals in the environmental field, such as engineers and policymakers.

The superb local marine life, coastal landscapes, nearby rainforest escarpment, and fresh-water and terrestrial ecosystems means that Wollongong is ideally located for environmental science studies. Students are exposed first-hand to a wide range of urban, rural and ecological issues during practical fieldwork components of the degree. You will graduate with real-world experience and will be ready for a career in government, educational and research organisations, private industry, and consultancies.

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).

The Bachelor of Communication and Media degree offers students a strong foundation in 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.

International Studies is the analysis, appreciation and study of the diversity of the global community. It examines the relationships of politics, society, culture, language, and history in a range of countries and globally. International Studies teaches you how to analyse national and global issues. You will learn about the forces shaping the modern world and the theories that underpin our understanding of the most important global issues. You will also gain language skills and we strongly encourage students to undertake study abroad to further expand their skills.

The two degrees are complementary with their focus on internationalisation and globalisation from different perspectives. It suits those seeking future careers in media, or related fields, in an international context and will prepare you for the world of digital communications and social media.

What you will study

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.

You can also choose one major from the Bachelor of International Studies - International Relations, or Global Sustainable Development.  As part of the degree, you will also study a language minor, choosing from Mandarin, French, Italian, Japanese or Spanish.

Criminologists take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding why people commit crime, how societies conceptualise harm, and why some harms are classed as crimes while others are not. Criminologists also investigate how societies respond to crime and whether our responses are effective and fair for offenders, victims and the general community. Social Science draws on a range of disciplines to critically examine current debates and how various contested theories and values translate into policies and practices

This degree
The UOW Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology) involves a common foundation of compulsory social science subjects combined with a major in Criminology. You will complement your degree with a minor study area or elective subjects from any field in the University offering cross-faculty enrolment. You may choose to complete your electives abroad, or stay local and undertake activities to build your cross-cultural communication skills. This degree provides a strong foundation for postgraduate studies in research, Social Work, Public Health, Work Health and Safety and Teaching.

What you will study
Foundational subjects in social science include social determinants of health, human geography, sociology, interdisciplinary competencies and career ready learning. You will also begin your major in first year.

During your second and third years you'll focus on criminology subjects relating to crime and justice with options to extend and explore issues around youth crime, environmental crime, innovative justice, power and resistance, research methods and more.

International Business is about understanding business in other cultures and regions, and learning how to think globally about the business world. International business focuses on the impact of differing cultures and languages, the issues posed by differing markets, and the differing government regulations within this rapidly growing environment. It is also concerned with foreign exchange markets and the effects of exchange rate policies.

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 International Business. With a major in International Business, you will understand international marketing strategies that consider the socio-economic, legal, political, financial and cultural factors affecting regional markets. This includes strategic options for entry and expansion, and contemporary issues in multinational business contexts.

Careers in International Business include importer, exporter, international business analyst, international banker, foreign exchange trader and trade specialist. 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
You will learn how to manage across cultural boundaries in an international business context, having gained knowledge on international human resource management and trade environments. You will improve your understanding of leadership, strategy, cultural diversity, communications and decision making as they relate to contemporary international business issues. Major topics include financial management, employment relations, industry and trade in South East Asia, international marketing and management, and business in Europe.

Conservation Biology is the study of the Earth's biodiversity and is concerned with managing and protecting species and ecosystems. Conservation Biologists work with government and non-government agencies to explore the interaction of scientific research with policy and management to develop strategies to minimise the impact of humans on their environment.

The Bachelor of Conservation Biology (Honours) is a practical degree that will give you the knowledge and skills needed to become a conservation biologist and undertake postgraduate research.

Your first year studies in biology, chemistry, and earth and environmental sciences lead to second year studies in how organisms function, plant and animal ecology, and landscape science. In third year your studies will focus on research training and experience in conservation biology and ecology, preparing you for Honours in fourth year where you will expand your knowledge even further through targeted research.

The Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation combined with the Bachelor of Creative Arts is an exciting and unique double degree combination. It will take you on a unique philosophical adventure through which you will engage with a carefully curated selection of some of the greatest intellectual and artistic masterpieces ever produced. It will also allow you to express and develop your own creativity in one of the disciplines of creative writing, music, visual arts or visual arts and design.

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. By studying the double degree your studies will be enhanced while learning the theory and history behind contemporary creative arts.

You will develop informed and reasoned views about significant contemporary concerns, such as the nature of aesthetics, 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.

Critical examination of topics in ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy will underpin your studies while you spend time in the studio refining your technique and carving out your own creative niche.

In addition to studying the core subjects in the Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation (96 credit points) and the Bachelor of Creative Arts (24 credit points), students studying this combination will also complete a major within each degree.