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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.

Learning Outcomes

1.
Articulate disciplinary theories and practices, and integrate them with cross-disciplinary concerns and connections.
  • Scholars
2.
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
3.
Undertake rigorous and engaged scholarly enquiry and analysis
  • Professionals
  • Scholars
4.
Collaborate effectively with others.
  • Leaders
  • Professionals
5.
Communicate and debate complex ideas in a range of different contexts using a variety of suitable media
  • Professionals
  • Leaders
  • Scholars
6.
Exhibit initiative and self-direction
  • Leaders
  • Professionals
7.
Critically and creatively employ disciplinary bodies of knowledge and appraise disciplinary perspectives in professional practice and/or scholarship.
  • Scholars
  • Professionals
8.
Justify a position in relation to foundational aspects of society, culture and/or the arts
  • Global citizens
  • Professionals
  • Scholars
9.
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

Program Structure

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

Disciplinary component:

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

Students in the standalone program must also complete:

  1. Free Electives (36 UOC)
  2. 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:
Free Electives36 Units of Credit:
General Education12 Units of Credit:

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 - BA
3452 - Music / Arts
Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3455 - Media (Communication and Journalism) / Arts
Bachelor of Music (Honours) - BMus (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3474 - Music (Honours) / Arts
Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3479 - Media (Screen and Sound Production) / Arts
Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3487 - Media (Public Relations and Advertising) / Arts
Bachelor of Commerce - BCom
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3573 - Commerce / Arts
Bachelor of Economics - BEc
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3574 - Economics / Arts
Bachelor of Science - BSc
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3783 - Computer Science / Arts
Bachelor of Medical Studies - BMed
Doctor of Medicine - MD
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3856 - Medicine / Arts
Bachelor of Science - BSc
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3947 - Science / Arts
Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) - BAdvSci(Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3948 - Advanced Science (Honours) / Arts
Bachelor of Science (Advanced Mathematics) (Honours) - BSc(AdvMath)(Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3949 - Advanced Mathematics (Honours) / Arts
Bachelor of Environmental Management - BEnvMgmt
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3955 - Environmental Management / Arts
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - BE (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA
3961 - Engineering (Honours) / Arts
Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) - BSW (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - BA
4045 - Social Work (Honours) / Arts
Bachelor of Arts - BA
Bachelor of Education (Secondary) - BEd (Secondary)
4053 - Arts / Education (Secondary)
Bachelor of Arts - BA
Bachelor of Education (Secondary) - BEd (Secondary)
4053 - Arts / Education (Secondary)
Bachelor of Arts - BA
Bachelor of Laws - LLB
4782 - Arts / Law
Bachelor of Art Theory - BAT
Bachelor of Arts - BA
4817 - Art Theory / Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA
Bachelor of Arts - BA
4823 - 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

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)