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Bachelor of Arts

Details for Australian residents

View details for International students.

You are considered an Australian resident (domestic student) if you:
  • Are an Australian or New Zealand citizen; or
  • Are an Australian permanent resident; or
  • Hold a permanent Australian humanitarian visa
You are considered an international student if you:
  • are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident; and
  • do not hold a permanent Australian humanitarian visa; and
  • are not a New Zealand citizen; and
  • hold a temporary visa.

Visit the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) website for more information about studying in Australia on a student visa.

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Course essentials

Follow your passions and drive your career forward gaining broad skills and knowledge with Bachelor of Arts (BA) at Victoria University.

An arts degree is the ideal preparation for today's fast-changing world. You'll develop the skills that modern employers look for, including:

  • communication
  • problem-solving
  • teamwork
  • critical thinking and analysis
  • research.

You'll also develop a sound knowledge of society, culture and creativity. This course offers maximum flexibility if you are undecided about career choice, with the choice of majors to optimise your career focus.

Our Bachelor of Arts is distinctive for its focus on academic disciplines that are engaged with the workplace and community. You'll benefit from our strong network of community and industry partners. This course offers many opportunities for practical and workplace learning, which will further prepare you for your future career.

Practical learning opportunities

In your third year of the Bachelor of Arts, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in real-world projects with our industry and community partners. You can make valuable industry connections before you even graduate.

You’ll develop skills in organisation, teamwork and project management. Past examples include:

  • Big West Festival
  • Doutta Gala Aged Care Services mural
  • Melbourne Fringe Festival
  • Parliamentary internship
  • Footscray Centenary
  • Offset creative arts journal.

Majors

Bachelor of Arts graduates will complete one or two majors, which will be listed on your qualification.

Choose from a range of subject areas and open up a world of career options:

Enquire now

How to apply

You must apply via VTAC if you are:

  • currently enrolled in Year 12 (or equivalent)
or
  • applying for more than one course

VTAC applications due 3 November 2017.

Apply via VTAC

You can apply directly to VU if you:

  • are not currently enrolled in Year 12 (or equivalent), and
  • are only applying for one course at VU, and
  • have not already applied through VTAC
or
  • are a current VU student

Direct applications due 12 February 2018.

Apply direct to VU

Already a VU student?

To transfer into this course from another apply online at our Admissions centre.

Remember it’s best to be accepted into your new course before withdrawing from your current one.

[Supp. Desc. Info] Bachelor of Arts

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Bachelor of Arts students gain journalism and communication skills.

 

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Careers

Our BA provides a strong foundation for a range of exciting careers in the humanities, creative arts and social sciences. Your skills in communication, research, critical analysis and teamwork will be highly sought after, and are transferable to almost any workplace. You may choose to do further study, as many professional careers are best served by graduates with a generalist first degree.

You'll be prepared for a wide range of roles in government or the public service, community and non-government organisations, business, education and media.

VU Bachelor of Arts graduates often go on to work in the following areas:

  • journalism, writing or strategic communications
  • teaching (a popular choice following completion of a Masters of Teaching)
  • creative arts administration
  • public servant and policy work
  • community sector professional roles
  • creative arts
  • software development
  • corporate management.

Salaries

The average salary for an Arts graduate is A$42,962 – A$86,349 (PayScale).

Career options with this qualification are varied. For example, these are the average annual salaries in Australia for:

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[Supp. Career Info] Bachelor of Arts

Core skills

An Arts degree is ideal preparation for today's changing world. It develops the highly sought-after skills of communication, problem-solving, teamwork and analytical thinking. Being successful in a modern society requires a broader understanding of humanity and people. That’s the benefit of studying the arts, humanities, and social sciences

Industry partnerships

We offer on-the-job learning for students through a wide range of industry partners that include Malthouse Theatre, Penguin Books, Beat Media, ABC, Channel 10, SBS, St Vincent de Paul, local councils and the Parliament of Victoria.

Course objectives

Graduates of this course will be able to:

  1. Critically review theory, research and practice in the humanities, social sciences and creative arts;

  2. Critically reflect on the patterns of social, cultural, historical and political experience of society;

  3. Plan, execute and communicate research and critical inquiry into the lives of communities of diverse places, experiences, discourses and time;

  4. Exhibit a high degree of proficiency in active reading of complex texts, including collection and analysis of resource materials including the composition of oral and written material;

  5. Demonstrate independence, self- reflection and creativity to meet goals and challenges in professional and academic pursuits

  6. Employ advanced interpersonal and collaborative skills, consistent with professional and ethical practice, when working with people of diverse cultural backgrounds.

These learning outcomes are integrated into the curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment for all students. The Bachelor of Arts common first year is likewise mapped in relation to these outcomes and shows an investment in each major with learning outcome coverage across its sequence of disciplinary and capstone units. The first year and the majors are mapped in conjunction with the CLOs, and the Graduate Capabilities in that section of this proposal.

Course structure

To attain the Bachelor of Arts students will be required to complete 288 credit points consisting of:

·  96 credit points of Core studies
·  96 credit points of Major 1 
AND
·  96 credit points of Major 2 
OR
·  2 x 48 credit points Minor studies 
  

Note: Students intending to select 'Psychology' as their Major undertake APP1012 Psychology 1A, APP1013 Psychology 1B, in their first year of study instead of ABA1004 Text and Representation and ABA1005 The Era of Controversy.

Show course structure

First Year Core units

First Year Core units for students undertaking Psychology Major:

Majors

Minors

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What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take, and optional \'elective\' units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

Fees and scholarships

The amount you pay for your course depends on whether you’re a Commonwealth supported student or full-fee paying.

If you enrol in a:

To calculate the total cost of your course:

  1. Select which units you’d like to study.
  2. Look up the individual unit costs in the higher education unit of study fees list.
  3. Add up the relevant amounts.

Scholarships & assistance

Apply for a scholarship to help with your study costs.

We can help with fee assistance and advice.

Admission and pathways

Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee you entry into this course.

Some courses receive more applications than the number of places available. In this situation we will also assess your education, work and other relevant experience.

If you do not meet the minimum requirements you may be eligible for one of our special admission programs. We also encourage you to explore our study pathways to help you reach your goal.

  • TAFE: VET applicants will be considered and pathways are available from a range of VET courses.
  • Year 12: Units 3 and 4 - a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English.
  • Mature: Applicants with relevant work, education and/or community experience may be considered on the basis of equivalence.

Pathways into this course

There are many ways you can start your education journey at VU. Pathways offer an easy transition between courses at different levels, so that you can start with a certificate and progress right through to postgraduate study.

If you have completed any of the following course(s) at VU, you will be guaranteed a place in this degree. In some cases you may receive credit for your previous study, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

22091VIC - Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing

You will be credited for 4 units (half a year) of study.

CUA51115 - Diploma of Visual Arts

You will be credited for 4 units (half a year) of study.

22317VIC - Certificate IV in Liberal Arts

You will be credited for 2 units of study.

Find out more about pathways and credits.

Credit for skills and past study

If you have completed study with another university or institution and believe you are eligible to receive credit for skills and past study, you can apply for advanced standing.

Applications for advanced standing can be made after a discussion with your course coordinator or academic adviser.

How to apply for this course

Before applying:

Consider whether you also wish to apply for:

When you're ready:

You must apply via VTAC if you are:

  • currently enrolled in Year 12 (or equivalent)
or
  • applying for more than one course

VTAC applications due 3 November 2017.

Apply via VTAC

You can apply directly to VU if you:

  • are not currently enrolled in Year 12 (or equivalent), and
  • are only applying for one course at VU, and
  • have not already applied through VTAC
or
  • are a current VU student

Apply direct to VU

You will need to create an account (or use your existing VU one).

Direct applications due 12 February 2018.

After you apply:

  • It’s important to check for emails from us (remember to check your Spam folder).
  • Complete any requests for information by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered

Use our Admissions centre to

  • Save incomplete applications to finish later
  • Submit applications for one or more courses
  • Track the progress of your applications
  • Upload any additional information we request

Enquire now

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Contact us

At Victoria University, we aim to display accurate and complete course information online. However, we are unable to guarantee that every course change is currently displayed. You may contact the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100 to confirm the most up-to-date course fees, pathways and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations and services available to our students.