Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) (BH-ARTS)

You’re currently viewing the 2018 version of this course

Overview

Award title	Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours)
Year & campus	2018 — Parkville
CRICOS code	009645A
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Undergraduate Coursework
AQF level	8
Credit points	100 credit points
Duration	12 months full-time or 24 months part-time

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) is an advanced and specialised course of study requiring a higher standard of performance than a pass degree. It offers a broad range of Arts programs in humanities, social sciences and languages and enhances students’ ability to acquire advanced research and analytical skills and develop original ideas. It augments students’ ability to apply innovative solutions to complex problems. Students may specialise in one area of study (pure honours) or two (combined honours) depending on specialisation.

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) is available to students who have completed a Bachelor of Arts degree within the last five years.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

within the last 5 years a Bachelor of Arts with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent, with a major relevant to the discipline stream within the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) that they seek to enter.

Applicants are also required to meet any specific subject prerequisites and prior academic performance requirements associated with the discipline stream that they seek to enter (please see individual specialisations).

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

prior academic performance, and

the availability of supervision and resources in suitable project areas.

Quotas may be applied to the degree as a whole or to individual discipline streams and preference may be given to applicants with evidence of appropriate preparation or potential to undertake research.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. For applicants who have not completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the undergraduate English language requirements must be met.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The inherent academic requirements for study in the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) are:

the ability to attend classes and actively engage in both independent and group learning;
the ability to comprehend complex disciplinary and interdisciplinary information related to the courses taught in the faculty;
the ability to explain and evaluate complex concepts, theories and issues at work in a variety of texts;
the ability to clearly communicate a knowledge and application of humanities, social sciences and language principles and practices during assessment tasks.

Students must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. They must take full responsibility for their own participation and learning and adhere to the expectations outlined in the Student Charter.

Students also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative environments and must therefore demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills which consider the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students. Integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that are deemed necessary for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours).

The Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and Faculty policy to take all reasonable steps to enable the participation of students with disabilities. Students who feel their disability will prevent them from participating in tasks involving these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact Disability Liaison. Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability; however, students should participate in the course in an independent manner.

Intended learning outcomes

BA (Hons) graduates:

Demonstrate an advanced knowledge and understanding of one or more selected fields of study in core disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and languages;
Demonstrate high level research skills appropriate to one or more core disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and languages;
Access and comprehend national and international debates in their specialised area(s) of study;
Demonstrate an independent approach to knowledge that uses rigorous methods of inquiry and appropriate theories and methodologies that are applied with intellectual honesty and a respect for ethical values;
Apply critical and analytical skills and methods to the identification and resolution of problems within complex changing social contexts;
Act as informed and critically discriminating participants within the community of scholars, as citizens and in the work force;
Communicate effectively and, in the case of those students specialising in a language discipline, read, write and speak another language with fluency and appreciate its cultural context.

Generic skills

Graduate attributes

The University of Melbourne educational experience prepares well-rounded graduates who are academically outstanding, practically grounded and socially responsible. Melbourne's graduates are distinguished by their broad outlook and openness to different perspectives.

Melbourne's degrees develop research and reasoning skills that equip graduates to be influential citizens with high leadership potential. The University's graduates engage with national and global issues and are attuned to social and cultural diversity. They have high levels of self-awareness and value their personal integrity and well-being.

Academic distinction

A Melbourne degree provides graduates with in-depth knowledge of their specialist disciplines and skills in examining issues with multiple disciplinary perspectives. Melbourne graduates are critical, creative thinkers with strong reasoning skills. They can apply knowledge, information and research skills to complex problems in a range of contexts and are effective oral and written communicators.

The Melbourne educational experience prepares graduates to be entrepreneurial and innovative thought-leaders. Melbourne graduates bring research and inquiry skills to challenges in their workplaces and communities. They are adept lifelong learners who generate bold and novel ideas by critically evaluating alternative possibilities and viewpoints.

Active citizenship

Melbourne graduates have engaged with contemporary local, national and global issues and developed an appreciation of the Asian region. They have a high regard for human rights, social inclusion, ethics and the environment. Melbourne graduates are aware of the social and cultural diversity in communities and can work collaboratively with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In particular, they have an understanding of and deep respect for Indigenous knowledge, culture and values.

The Melbourne experience supports a commitment to civic service in graduates' lives and careers, equipping them to be active, well-informed citizens who make substantial contributions to society. Graduates have the potential to be leaders in their professions and communities, with the capacity to work effectively across disciplines and cultures. Through advocacy and innovation they are able to lead change for a sustainable future.

Integrity and self-awareness

Melbourne graduates are motivated, self-directed and well-organised, with the ability to set goals and manage time and priorities. They are able to work effectively both independently and in groups. They are also highly self-aware and reflective, with skills in self-assessment, and place great importance on their personal and professional integrity.

The opportunities offered by the Melbourne experience help prepare graduates who are enthusiastic, self-assured and confident of their knowledge, yet flexible, adaptable and aware of their limitations. Melbourne's graduates are willing to explore, experiment and learn from mistakes. They have empathy and concern for the welfare of others and can manage their own well-being.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree requires the completion of 100 points of study at fourth-year level.

Pure honours usually consists a 50 point thesis (15,000 words), a research methods subject (12.50 points) and three coursework subjects (37.50) in one area of study.
Combined honours usually consists of a 50 points thesis (15,000 words) and a research methods subject (12.50 points) in one area of study, and three coursework subjects in the combined area of study (37.50 points).

Please note: this structure may vary depending on specialisation.

Honours students are required to achieve an honours grade (ie. H1, H2A, H2B, H3) for each subject and thesis component of their course in order to complete to the degree.

For information on policies that govern this degree students should refer to the information on the Melbourne Policy Library.

Majors, minors & specialisations

Specialisations

Please note that some specialisations are not available in pure honours and must be taken in combination with another area - consult each area for more details.

Name	Credit Points

Ancient World Studies	100
Anthropology	100
Arabic Studies	100
Art History	100
Asian Studies	100
Australian Indigenous Studies	100
Chinese Studies

Name	Credit Points

Screen and Cultural Studies	100
Classics	100
Creative Writing	100
Criminology	100
Economics	100
English and Theatre	100
French Studies	100

Name	Credit Points
Gender Studies	100
Geography	100
German Studies	100

Name	Credit Points
History	100
History and Philosophy of Science	100
Indonesian Studies	100

Name	Credit Points
Islamic Studies	100
Italian Studies	100

Name	Credit Points
Japanese Studies	100

Name	Credit Points

Media and Communications	100
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics	100
Philosophy	100
Politics and International Studies	100
Psychology	100
Russian Studies

Name	Credit Points
Sociology	100
Spanish and Latin American Studies	100

Further study

Coursework Masters

If you wish to continue your professional studies at postgraduate level, the studies you undertake in your major can provide a direct pathway to coursework masters degrees in a wide range of areas. Entry is based on academic merit and in most cases requires completion of a Bachelor degree or equivalent. For more information on entry into a coursework masters degree see the University graduate programs webpages.

Research Higher Degrees

If you wish to undertake advanced research and explore particular study areas in more depth, there will be opportunities to proceed to a range of Research Higher Degrees at masters and doctoral level, usually upon completion of an Honours degree. For more information about research higher degree study in Arts and the entry requirements, see the Arts Graduate Research Programs webpages and the Graduate Research Hub.

Last updated: 1 April 2025