Immerse yourself in studying issues and concepts that you really care about and earn a qualification that you can define – rather than a degree that defines you.
The Bachelor of Arts provides the opportunity to choose the elements of your degree from a huge range of subjects, from Communication to Tourism and Politics to Physical Geography. You can choose to focus narrowly on a single area that interests you, or choose a broad education, selecting a diverse range of subjects to broaden your knowledge base and experience.
Arts students can also choose to combine traditional arts subjects with majors in science, such as geography or mathematics; or alternatively with vocationally-oriented majors such as tourism or psychology.
Regardless of the subjects you choose, the Bachelor of Arts offers students the opportunities to develop key skills valued by employers – including communication, analysis, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Graduates also develop cultural awareness and a deeper understanding of how to build their creative capacities.
Students can also choose to complete a professional placement as part of their degree, in order to build contacts and apply aspects of their degree to the workplace.
Career Opportunities
In communication industries, community relations, journalism, cultural policy, management and administration, publishing, public service, multimedia design, creative and cultural industries, politics, social justice and human rights, and secondary school teaching (with further study).
Professional Placement
Professional placement provides students with the opportunity to gain experience in the workplace and to establish key contacts. In the Bachelor of Arts, students can undertake learning opportunities in the community through a number of units as well as through assessment opportunities.
Major Areas of Study
The majors available in humanities and social sciences provide an overview of the humanities (or study of the human condition) and the study of human society and social relationships which contribute to the advancement of human understanding. These majors include:
Note: Humanities and social sciences majors are all available online and on campus at Lismore. Cultural Studies is also available at the Gold Coast campus.
Majors in creative arts provide opportunities for students to develop practical or theoretical understandings of creativity in:
Note: Creative arts majors are all available at Lismore campus. Writing and Media Studies are also available online.
Majors are in the secondary school teaching areas for students interested in pursuing further studies to become teachers. Students can combine the following majors with a major in Education:
Note: These majors are all available at the Lismore campus. Environmental Studies, History, Indigenous Studies, Society, and Culture are also available online.
Students who choose a major in the secondary school teaching areas and hope to progress to Southern Cross University's Master of Teaching (which they would need to complete to become teachers) need to choose very specific majors to qualify for entry into the Master's degree and should contact the University for further advice. Students who specifically want to become teachers should apply for one of Southern Cross University's combined education degrees. See related degrees on this page for more information on these courses.
The opportunity to combine traditional arts subjects with majors in sciences allows people to pursue their passions across disciplines in:
Note: These majors are all available on campus at Lismore.
Other vocationally-oriented majors could be combined with studies in the arts. These majors include:
Note: These majors are all available online. Law and Justice Studies are also available on campus at Lismore. Tourism is also available on campus at Lismore and the Gold Coast.
Minors
Four units from any of the majors can be taken as a minor. Additional minors in a range of subject areas are also available to provide further opportunity for specialization in Curatorial Studies, Event Studies, Food Studies, Healthy Childhood Studies, Sound Production, Welfare State Studies and Human Geography.
Please note, not all units in the minors are available at each location.
Assessment methods
The assessment methods used in this course vary from unit to unit and connect with the types of learning outcomes for each unit and the course as a whole. Assessment tasks may include essays, reports, presentations, role plays, group work, reflective logbooks, creative production and experiential learning on campus or in the community.
Teaching methods
On-campus students experience a variety of teaching approaches including lectures, tutorials, online activities and video-linked or podcast virtual classes. The method of teaching may vary from unit to unit.
Our online education study option is highly interactive and strives to promote collaboration and a sense of community. Students may receive a combination of a podcast or video-linked lectures, electronic study materials, workshops, online discussion forums and virtual classes. The method of teaching may vary from unit to unit.
Classes provide opportunities for engaging students in learning and discussion. The course includes a number of field trips and on-campus events which are open to students studying either on campus or online.