Bachelor of Arts

CSU's flexible Bachelor of Arts course combines generalist skills and specialist vocational training in a combination chosen by the individual student. The Bachelor of Arts offers a diverse range of majors and minors to provide a good grounding for a career in many fields.

Why study this course?

As a Bachelor of Arts graduate, you will be valued by employers for your ability to gather information, think critically, assess and interpret evidence, and communicate clearly. The course is organised on the basis of a combination of majors and minors and a number of free electives, giving you the opportunity to study subjects you are passionate about across a range of disciplines.

Majors

Students can tailor their study experience by selecting from seven majors that they will study in-depth including Art History, English, History, Indigenous Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, and Sociology. They must complete either two majors and one minor or one major and three minors.

For more information on majors, visit the About the majors tab.

Minors

Minor studies allow students to expand on their skills and knowledge in areas that are of interest to them. Minors include: Art History, Children's Literature, Computing, Economics, English, Environmental Studies, Global Studies, History, Human Bioscience, Indigenous Studies, Justice Studies, Law, Mathematics, Philosophy, Policy Studies, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Theology, Visual Culture, and Writing.

Subject levels

• no more than 10 Level 1 subjects (80 points) may be counted towards the Bachelor of Arts degree
• at least five subjects (40 points) must be taken at Level 3,
• and some subjects require successful completion of other prerequisite subjects. These prerequisites may be determined from the subject descriptions in the Handbook.

Discipline restrictions

No more than 12 subjects from a single discipline may be counted towards the Bachelor of Arts degree.

A 'discipline' is defined as follows:

• Art History: all subjects with ART or VIS codes

• English: all subjects with LIT or WRT codes, plus COM327

• History: all subjects with HST codes, plus COM225 and COM226

• Philosophy: all subjects with PHL codes plus POL205

• Psychology: all subjects with PSY codes

• Sociology: all subjects with SOC codes, plus ANT160 SPE101 and COM219.

Academic expectations

For each 8 point subject at CSU, students should normally expect to spend between 140-160 hours engaged in the specified learning and assessment activities (such as attending lectures or residential schools, assigned readings, tutorial assistance, individual or group research/study, forum activity, workplace learning, assignments or examinations). The student workload for some subjects may vary from these norms as a result of approved course design.

Students will be assessed on the basis of completed assignments, examinations, workplace learning, or other methods as outlined in specific subject outlines.

Where applicable, students are responsible for travel and accommodation costs involved in workplace learning experiences, or attending residential schools (distance education students).

Expectations relating to academic, workplace learning, time and cost requirements for specific subjects are provided in the subject abstracts and in course materials.