Handbook

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Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (UNSW BA) is designed to provide you with all the benefits of an education in the Humanities, Social Sciences and the Creative and Performing Arts. The degree is flexible so that you can structure it around your skills, interests and career aspirations. The program has both … For more content click the Read More button below. You can use your elective and General Education courses to upgrade your minor to another full major specialisation in the single degree and graduate with a double major.

The Bachelor of Arts (UNSW BA) is designed to provide you with all the benefits of an education in the Humanities, Social Sciences and the Creative and Performing Arts. The degree is flexible so that you can structure it around your skills, interests and career aspirations. The program has both breadth, allowing you to try out and explore different areas of interest, and depth, allowing you to focus in detail on two areas of specialisation. The UNSW BA can be completed full time in Single mode (normally 3 years), in Dual Mode (the equivalent of two years full time) or part time. Dual Mode can only be taken in conjunction with enrolment in another degree.

You can use your elective and General Education courses to upgrade your minor to another full major specialisation in the single degree and graduate with a double major.

Learning Outcomes

Articulate disciplinary theories and practices, and integrate them with cross-disciplinary concerns and connections.

Scholars

Articulate a broad and coherent body of knowledge about foundational aspects of society, culture and/or the arts from local, national and international perspectives.

Scholars
Global citizens

Undertake rigorous and engaged scholarly enquiry and analysis

Professionals
Scholars

Collaborate effectively with others.

Leaders
Professionals

Communicate and debate complex ideas in a range of different contexts using a variety of suitable media

Professionals
Leaders
Scholars

Exhibit initiative and self-direction

Leaders
Professionals

Critically and creatively employ disciplinary bodies of knowledge and appraise disciplinary perspectives in professional practice and/or scholarship.

Scholars
Professionals

Justify a position in relation to foundational aspects of society, culture and/or the arts

Global citizens
Professionals
Scholars

Engage proactively with complex problems in professional practice and/or scholarship.

Professionals
Scholars

10.

Continuously acquire knowledge and skills and reflect on existing knowledge and skills for personal and career fulfilment.

Leaders
Scholars
Professionals

11.

Act ethically, respectfully and responsibly

Professionals
Global citizens
Scholars

Graduate Capabilities

For more information on Graduate Capabilities please click on this link

Program Structure

Students must complete 144 UOC when taken as a standalone program.

Disciplinary component:

A Home Major specialisation (60 UOC)
A Minor specialisation (24 UOC)*
Arts & Social Sciences Prescribed Electives (12 UOC)

Students in the standalone program must also complete:

Free Electives (36 UOC)
General Education (12 UOC)

* Most minors are 24 UOC, however some external minors are 30-36 UOC. In this case you will use 6-12 UOC of Free Electives to complete the additional courses for the minor.

If you are enrolled in the standalone program, you can substitute a minor specialisation for a second home major or an approved external major offered by another Faculty. This will adjust the Arts and Social Sciences Prescribed Electives, General Education and/or Free Electives, you are required to take as follows:

If taking a second home major : use your Arts & Social Sciences Prescribed Electives and Free Elective UOC to complete the additional courses for the major
If taking an external major: use your Free Electives and General Education UOC to complete the additional courses for the major

If you complete an external minor or major you are deemed to have met the general education requirement for the program. In this case you need to ensure you complete the Arts and Social Sciences Prescribed Elective requirements and take Free Electives to total 144 UOC.

See the Arts, Design & Architecture website for sample programs and more information.

Disciplinary Component96 Units of Credit:

Students must complete 96 UOC of the following to satisfy the core requirements of this degree

Home Majors and Minors

You are required to complete one Home Major and one Minor in order to graduate.

Note: If you choose to complete a major or minor in a language and your language skills are assessed as Level A in Introductory, Intermediate, Advanced or Professional, you can only commence study of the language in Term 1.

Optional External Specialisations

You may complete one of the following external specialisations.

MATHB2 is only available in 3961 Engineering (Honours)/Arts.

If you are enrolled in a double degree program and wish to complete an external minor that is greater than 24 UOC you will need to take extra UOC above 96 UOC.

Arts and Social Sciences Prescribed Electives

Academic Writing & Language Enhancement

Free Electives36 Units of Credit:

General Education12 Units of Credit:

You must complete 12 UOC of General Education courses from the below list. General Education courses for this program are any that do not contain the subject area:
ARTS, EDST, FADA, HUMS, MDIA, MUSC, PPEC, SOCW, SOSS, SRAP.

This requirement is met if you complete an external major or minor.

Indigenous Studies courses (ATSIxxxx) can be studied as General Education only if you are not completing a major or minor in Indigenous Studies.

Program Constraints

Information Rule

Maturity Rule

Enrolment Disclaimer

Please note that this Handbook is a comprehensive catalogue of our offerings and includes courses that can be taken to satisfy program requirements irrespective as to their availability for a particular year. Availability of courses is best checked using filters on this site or on the class timetable site.

You are responsible for ensuring that you enrol in courses according to your program requirements and by following the advice of your Program Authority. myUNSW enrolment checks that you have met enrolment requirements such as pre-requisites for individual courses but not that you are enrolling in courses that will count towards your program requirements.

Sample Programs

To access sample program(s), please visit:

Program Requirements

Progression Requirements

Progression rules are in accordance to university policy.

For more information on university policy on progression requirements please visit Academic Progression

Associated Programs

Related Double Degree

Bachelor of Music - BMus
Bachelor of Arts - BA3452 - Music / Arts

Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Arts - BA3455 - Media (Communication and Journalism) / Arts

Bachelor of Music (Honours) - BMus (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA3474 - Music (Honours) / Arts

Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Arts - BA3479 - Media (Screen and Sound Production) / Arts

Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Arts - BA3487 - Media (Public Relations and Advertising) / Arts

Bachelor of Commerce - BCom
Bachelor of Arts - BA3573 - Commerce / Arts

Bachelor of Economics - BEc
Bachelor of Arts - BA3574 - Economics / Arts

Bachelor of Science - BSc
Bachelor of Arts - BA3783 - Computer Science / Arts

Bachelor of Medical Studies - BMed
Doctor of Medicine - MD
Bachelor of Arts - BA3856 - Medicine / Arts

Bachelor of Science - BSc
Bachelor of Arts - BA3947 - Science / Arts

Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) - BAdvSci(Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA3948 - Advanced Science (Honours) / Arts

Bachelor of Science (Advanced Mathematics) (Honours) - BSc(AdvMath)(Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA3949 - Advanced Mathematics (Honours) / Arts

Bachelor of Environmental Management - BEnvMgmt
Bachelor of Arts - BA3955 - Environmental Management / Arts

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - BE (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA3961 - Engineering (Honours) / Arts

Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) - BSW (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA4045 - Social Work (Honours) / Arts

Bachelor of Arts - BA
Bachelor of Education (Secondary) - BEd (Secondary)4053 - Arts / Education (Secondary)

Bachelor of Arts - BA
Bachelor of Laws - LLB4782 - Arts / Law

Bachelor of Art Theory - BAT
Bachelor of Arts - BA4817 - Art Theory / Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA
Bachelor of Arts - BA4823 - Fine Arts / Arts

Honours Pathway

Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Honours) - BASS (Hons)4504 - Arts & Social Sciences (Hons)

Professional Outcomes

Career Opportunities

Advocacy, business, diplomacy, education, government policy, international affairs, interpreting and translation, journalism, media, museum and gallery curation, publishing, politics, research and academia, social media, theatre and performing arts, university and public administration.

Recognition of Achievement

University Medal

Award of Pass with Distinction

The Award of Pass with Distinction is awarded when a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 75% has been achieved and at least 50% of the requirements of the award completed at UNSW. All eligible programs will award Pass with Distinction except in special circumstances where approval of Academic Board has been given for a program to opt out.

For more information, please visit the link above.

Additional Information

Further Information

Contact the Nucleus Student Hub for advice.

Program Fees

At UNSW fees are generally charged at course level and therefore dependent upon individual enrolment and other factors such as student's residency status. For generic information on fees and additional expenses of UNSW programs, click on one of the following:

Pre-2019 Handbook Editions

Access past handbook editions (2018 and prior)

Faculty
Faculty: The primary academic unit in which related disciplines of teaching and research are conducted.

Campus

Sydney

Study Level
Study Level refers to the academic level of a program, specialisation or course.

Undergraduate

Typical duration:

3 Year(s)

Delivery Mode

Face-to-face (includes blended)

Intake Period

Term 1, Term 2, Term 3

Academic Calendar

Minimum Units of Credit

144

AQF Level

Level 7

Award Type

Bachelor

Award(s)
Award(s): Qualification upon completion (all awards offered by UNSW are accredited by UNSW and align with the Australian Qualifications Framework).

Bachelor of Arts - BA

UAC Code

422000

CRICOS Code

001916C

Arts

3409

144 Units of Credit