Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Social Science in English (Dual Degree)

at Western Sydney University - Penrith Campus (Kingswood) Australia

In this degree, you will explore the worlds of criminology and crime, and gain fascinating insights into our criminal justice institutions and practices. You will graduate with a strong understanding of crime prevention strategies and debates, victimisation, juvenile justice, prisons and different forms of punishment. This degree equips students with the specialist skills and knowledge to enter the professional workforce.

Western’s Bachelor of Criminology allows you to study crime and criminal justice in a conceptual and applied way, and gain an understanding of how these things affect society. It gives you the skills and knowledge you need to take on a career in the police force, corrective services, and the criminal and community justice systems.

You will learn about law enforcement and surveillance, violence, gender and crime, restorative and international criminal justice, cultural depictions of crime, and contemporary debates in criminology. Examples of minors include Child and Community Studies, Psychological Studies or Sociology.Ultimately, you will emerge with the specialist skills and knowledge to make a difference in the world and be a force for good.

Our Computer Science (Advanced) program is an elite degree aimed at transforming today’s brightest minds into tomorrow’s computing leaders.

 Networked Systems

This major is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Computer Science and Bachelor of Computer Science Advanced.

This major aims to develop graduates with sound skills in the discipline of networked computer systems.

Recent advances in computer and telecommunications networked systems, particularly those based on TCP/IP, have increased the importance of network technologies in the discipline of computer science.

This major covers a wide range of topics including computer communication network concepts and protocols, multimedia systems, Internet standards and technologies, network security, wireless and mobile computing, and distributed systems.

The candidates are also introduced to some of the relevant current key research issues of the field.
Students must maintain a grade point average of 5 or above to remain in the program. Those who do not maintain this average will be transferred to the Bachelor of Computer Science.

The degree will develop the mindset, risk tolerance, creativity, passion, big thinking, team formation and leadership capabilities – the key distinct characteristics of high-impact entrepreneurs.

In an entrepreneurial ecosystem, you will learn the knowledge and techniques for opportunity discovery, impact analysis, customer analysis, strategic team-building and leadership, the psychology and ethics of the start-up, funding modelling and financial analysis, growth and exit strategies.

The Games Design and Simulation specialisation will convert your passion for playing games into deep knowledge of the science and art of problem solving through development and application of games and simulations.

This area of study includes gamification, games design, game-based learning, and psychology of gaming, serious games, games entrepreneurship, as well as broader modelling and simulation. It features two majors that are not available in any other Western University degree - Game Programming and Game Design.

Upon completion you will have developed an entrepreneurial mindset and will know how to apply this mindset to address a diverse range of problems through game and simulation-based solutions.

The program incorporates practical experience in every semester of study, placing students in entrepreneurial environments (incubators, technology parks, innovation centres) and enabling them through all the stages from creative ideation through the sustainable development of the idea into a lean start-up.

Game Programming

In this major you will gain skills in programming, data structures, video game development, artificial intelligence and more. 

This program is ideal for anyone interested in a practical and professional degree within the building industry.

This program is a shortened version of the full Bachelor of Construction Management four-year program. It allows students to obtain a Bachelor degree in three years and enter the industry quicker.

This program offers theoretical, practical, and hands-on experience, with four concentrated areas on construction technology; construction economics; construction law; and construction project management. You are able to obtain a Minor in construction economics, if desired.

Although there is no compulsory work experience requirement for this program, you are still encouraged to gain work experience through cadetships in the building industry in areas including project home building, building surveying and residential development.

With a Bachelor of Social Science from Western, you will have the ability to help shape the world we live in. This degree expands your knowledge through theory, research and practical application and offers you a deep understanding of our complex, culturally diverse and dynamic world. You will gain access to industry-based projects and placements, local and international work experience and build the practical skills that will get you ready to apply your knowledge to the workforce.

Sociology

The major in Sociology provides students with a thorough training in the methods, theories and select leading areas of contemporary sociology. As well as units in which methods and theories are taught, through the social science core, students enrolled in the Sociology major will have opportunities to study a number of particular themes from a sociological perspective, including inequalities, deviance, identities, gender, religion, medicine and health care, ethnicity and migration, and the family, among other possibilities.

A Bachelor of Social Science (BSS) with a major in Sociology will prepare students for both employment and a research higher degree.

This degree gives you the skills you need to become an in-demand computing professional. You will gain skills in a practice-based learning environment, be introduced to real-world project experience, and acquire a solid knowledge of ICT theory.

Western’s Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology will give you a strong understanding of several industry domains including networking, databases, systems analysis and design and programming. You will also gain relevant skills in web and mobile technologies, project management, professional communications, operating systems and human computer interaction. As well as the necessary mathematical and statistical skills to succeed as an ICT practitioner, you can choose from a broad range of specialisations including entertainment computing and social media analytics. You will also gain access to industry-leading facilities where you can bring your ideas to life and shape an unlimited future.

Health Informatice

Increasingly, healthcare information is being captured electronically and newer technology modes are being applied in many innovative ways to support efficient and effective clinical care. This major aims to promote understanding of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) concepts in healthcare including electronic healthcare records; healthcare data analysis; fundamentals of medicine concepts and disease classification; healthcare system interoperability and design. This specialisation will prepare students for the ICT challenges ahead in the healthcare domain, and equip students with the knowledge and skills for taking up employment opportunities with major public and private healthcare providers and technology suppliers.

This double degree program is designed for students whose interests span the Arts and Social Sciences.

It will give you the skills and versatility to work across a range of academic and professional disciplines, including the opportunity to develop global perspectives and communication skills.

You need to include a Social Science Major, so you can design your own academic program within the Bachelor of Social Science program structure.

Arabic

Language majors will enable you to develop an appropriate level of proficiency in a second language, which may be used for professional purposes such as teaching, interpreting and translation, business or international relations.

If you are undertaking a language major in Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian or Japanese you will be able to use the language in question according to its grammatical and pragmatic principles, communicate with native speakers appropriately in the spoken as well as the written mode, and demonstrate an understanding of the cultures and societies associated with the language.

If you’re creative, passionate and a problem solver, our enhanced Arts degree could be for you.

Global Business

The global economy is becoming increasingly important for organisations seeking out new opportunities to expand their customer base and develop partnerships.

Western offers a specialist Computer Science degrees to equip you with the skills you need to be career-ready by specialising in different applications of computer science and computer systems.

Systems Programming

This major aims to develop graduates with sound skills in the discipline of programming. The focus is on programming at the level of system calls to the underlying operating system and many of the units use the industry standard language for systems programming, namely C/C++, as the vehicle of instruction.

There is a strong emphasis on the development of highly efficient and reliable code that can provide support services for higher level application oriented programs, as well as the development of programs suitable for systems administration and management. Practical work utilises the Unix environment. This major is appropriate where a career in systems programming or systems administration is planned, or where the student wishes to develop advanced systems programming skills.

The Bachelor of Music at Western takes an eclectic, modern and inclusive approach to music repertoire, performance, sound design, songwriting, composition and musicology.

The Bachelor of Music offers you the chance to significantly focus and develop your practical skills and theoretical knowledge beyond the scope of the Bachelor of Music degree.The program offers high-level training in music, music performance, composition, sound technologies, music theory, musicology, arranging music and music analysis.

The program is offered in well-equipped studios, and in a lecture/workshop/ tutorial environment. Skills in music performance, composition and sound technologies are augmented by intellectual, theoretical and contextual studies. Hands-on involvement from music academics will support you as you build toward the production of a major project.