Bachelor of Arts

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:

• Australian Studies

• Communication Studies

• Cultural Studies

• English

• History

• Indigenous Studies

• International Studies

• Politics

• Society and Culture

• Human Geography.

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:

• Media Studies

• Creative Arts

• Music

• Visual Arts

• Writing.

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:

• Environmental Studies

• English

• Physical Geography

• History

• Indigenous Studies

• Mathematics

• Society and Culture

• Visual Arts

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:

• Environmental Studies

• Physical Geography

• Human Geography

• Mathematics.

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:

• Law and Justice Studies

• Tourism

• Psychology

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.

Facts, figures, rankings and awards

Southern Cross University is a progressive, young and connected regional research university, with vibrant campuses in northern New South Wales and the southern Gold Coast. We offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and many are available in a dynamic online form. Whether studying on-campus, online, or both, we deliver exciting, contemporary and high-quality learning experiences.

Why SCU?

Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 20Bold, progressive and just 23 years of age – Southern Cross University is one of the Asia-Pacific’s Top 100 Universities and one of the world’s Top 50 Generation Y Universities .

Our contemporary campuses, with purpose-built state-of-the-art facilities, are located on the east coast of Australia, at the Gold Coast in Queensland, and in Lismore and Coffs Harbour in New South Wales. All are unique regions renowned for their natural beauty and ecological diversity, providing living laboratories for learning and creative hubs for artistic endeavour.

Branch campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are operated in collaboration with EduCo on behalf of Southern Cross University. The University also operates The Hotel School Sydney and Melbourne in partnership with Mulpha Australia. We also deliver degrees with collaborators in China, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

We have a large and diverse range of courses available online, offering interactive and immersive learning experiences wherever our students are.

Whether studying on-campus, online, or both, we deliver exciting, contemporary and high-quality learning experiences.

We aim to produce graduates who are career ready, world ready and digitally literate, and who experience an academic environment distinctive for its personal approach.

The University has a strong focus on industry and community collaboration to produce engaged teaching and research outcomes.

This connectivity is seeing Southern Cross University lead the $13.8m national Farming Together Pilot Program, partnering with the Northern Rivers Co-operatives Alliance and the Australian Government. The University has also introduced an important new Centre for Organics Research with the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

In the latest Excellence in Research for Australia report, Southern Cross achieved outstanding ratings of 'at world standard' or above in 24 research fields. In nine research fields, the University was evaluated at the highest possible classification of 'well above world standard'. This was achieved in the fields of Geochemistry, Oceanography, Environmental Science and Management, Zoology, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Crop and Pasture Production, Forestry Sciences, Nursing, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Campuses

Southern Cross University is a vibrant, contemporary Australian university with beautiful campuses on the Gold Coast, Lismore and Coffs Harbour.

Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branch campuses (International students)

Southern Cross University's branch campuses at Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth are conveniently located in the central business districts.

Studying at SCU Sydney, Melbourne or Perth gives international students the opportunity to complete undergraduate or postgraduate degrees in three of the world's most liveable cities. Southern Cross University collaborates with EduCo Sydney Branch Pty Ltd for the operation of the SCU Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branch campuses.