Bachelor of Arts - Australian National University

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A Bachelor of Arts degree must include courses with a value totalling no fewer than 144 units and normally not more than 150 units and must also include:

• no more than 48 units from first year courses offered at 1000 level;
• no fewer than 96 units from later year courses offered at 2000/3000 level;
• no fewer than 96 units offered by the Faculty of Arts (see Bachelor of Arts course listing);
• the completion of at least two majors, consisting of either:
  • two Arts majors - the two Arts majors cannot have the same name; or
  • one Arts major and one major from another Faculty (except the Law Faculty). The out-of-Faculty major must be identified as a major by the other Faculty and completed according to their rules.

Note: While it is possible to undertake 3 majors within the Bachelor of Arts program structure it could preclude a student completing the requirements for admission to Honours. Students wishing to undertake 3 majors should seek advice from the Sub-dean.

Arts Majors
An Arts major consists of a minimum of 42 units generally comprising:

• a maximum of 12 units from first year courses offered at 1000 level (generally 2 courses); and
• a minimum of 30 units from later year courses offered at 2000/3000 level (generally 5 courses).

The number and sequence of courses prescribed for a major are identified in each major entry. The Faculty of Arts currently has 40 majors available. These are identified below under the Majors or Specialisations heading.

Please note that many Bachelor of Arts courses are listed as counting in more than one major.  In these cases, the course may be counted towards one major only.  In the case where a course is a compulsory course in more than one major, the course may still only be counted in one of the majors, however, a student is entitled to an exemption from the course in the other major/s.

Degree Structure

Below is an example of a typical pattern calculated on 6 unit courses.

Majors outside the Faculty
For students to include a major from another Faculty it must be a clearly defined major (as specified in the Undergraduate Handbook) and the student must follow the rules and requirements for that major as specified by the relevant Faculty.

Below is an example of a typical pattern calculated on 6 unit courses for an Arts major and an Asian Studies major within a Bachelor of Arts.

Combined Programs
The combined programs offered by the Arts faculty enable students to expand their career options, as they have access to the directly related specialist employment available to each degree. Employers keenly appreciate the combination of expertise or professional training with a broad educational base.

The structure of the combined program is such that students are not permitted to take courses from outside the two Faculties in which they are enrolled. The only exception to this ruling is that the Arts Faculty will recognise as Arts cognate courses up to two courses (12 units) to be undertaken in a third Faculty where those courses are required to complete an Arts major. This will only apply to the History, Lingusitics, Applied Linguistics, Developmental Studies, Population Studies, Social Research Methods and Religious Studies majors.

Please note that any courses taken within a combined program may only be counted once (ie towards one degree, not both).  In the case where a course is a compulsory course in both degrees (or a major within each degree), the course may still only be counted in one program, however, a student is entitled to an exemption from the course in the other program.

If you wish to check if a course is classified as an Bachelor of Arts course, then refer to the list at the end of this chapter. Note that students in a combined program can also undertake a maximum of 24 units from the Science Cognate List.

The Pass Degree

The pass degree is designed to give students a sound general education in one or all of the humanities, social sciences and languages.

Full-time students can complete the program in three years. Part-time students need at least six years to complete the program, assuming that they take four semester-length courses each year. All students, whether studying part-time or full-time, are required to finish their programs within ten years.

Even though students enrolled in the BA program must complete 96 units offered within the Faculty of Arts, they have a wide choice of courses as they may choose courses up to the value of 48 units offered by the Faculties of Asian Studies, Economics and Commerce, and Science (but not Law).

In exceptional circumstances, a student may include more than 48 units at 1000-level. Students must seek permission from the Sub-dean.

Within the 96 units required to be undertaken within the Faculty of Arts, up to 24 units may be taken from the list of approved Science Cognate Courses (see end of Arts Chapter).

Typical full-time study plan for a Pass degree based on two Arts Majors:

• Both Arts majors A and B are based on 42 units ie. 7 courses x 6 units each
• A maximum 8 x 1st year courses is allowed

Majors and Specialisations
American Studies Major
Ancient Greek Major
Ancient History Major
Anthropology Major
Applied Linguistics Major
Arabic Major
Archaeology Major
Art History Major
Art History and Curatorship Major
Art Theory Major
Australian Studies Major
Biological Anthropology Major
Classics Major
Contemporary Europe Major
Development Studies Major
Drama Major
English Major
Environmental Studies Major
Film Studies Major
Forensic Anthropology Major
French Major
Gender, Sexuality and Culture Major
Geography Major
German Major
Health, Medicine and Body Major
History Major
Human Ecology Major
Human Sciences Major
Indigenous Australian Studies Major
International Communication Major
International Relations Major
Italian Major
Latin Major
Linguistics Major
Musicology Major
Persian Major
Philosophy Major
Political Science Major
Population Studies Major
Religious Studies Major
Russian Major
Social Research Methods Major
Sociology Major
Spanish Major
Turkish Major

Career Possibilities

Many degree programs are structured to train students for one job. Most of today’s graduates, however, will change career paths four or five times during their working life. Your Arts degree will give you the necessary flexibility to adapt your knowledge and keep ahead of the changes that all of us face in our careers. It also gives you skills for life – critical analysis, research, written and oral communication – skills that are being increasingly recognised by employers as providing them with their greatest assets – employees who can adapt to and help shape change, who can think laterally, apply knowledge and express themselves clearly. The career opportunities for Arts graduates are exceptionally varied; from journalism to museum curatorship, publishing to politics, information technology to international development, advertising to art conservation – and much more.