BA degree

Undergraduate study centres on a core curriculum covering a breadth of subjects, including language, literature, history, philosophy, theology and science. Its aim is not the accumulation of knowledge but the cultivation of wisdom - not the filling of a pail, in W.B.Yeats' words, but the lighting of a fire. The Liberal Arts not only impart certain fundamental skills - such as the powers of analysis and synthesis; proficiency in reading, writing and speaking; and intellectual balance and the arts of communication through exposure to varied cultures and languages. They also provide an invaluable preparation for life as well as for the workplace.

Australian universities do not offer an integrated education in the Liberal Arts, characterised by a core curriculum - embracing both the arts and sciences - which all students undertake. Yet such an education is of powerful and enduring value, as shown by the effectiveness of graduates in the marketplace. More than half of the Fortune 500 CEOs, for example, have a degree in the Liberal Arts. In addition, such graduates are recognised for their ability to gain admission to the most prestigious universities for postgraduate degrees

The Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts has a core curriculum of five disciplines consisting of Theology, Philosophy, History, Literature and Science. Latin is also offered as an optional discipline. All subjects are integrated and are taught by leading academics - view credentials.

Full-time students, studying four disciplines per semester, will finish the BA degree in three years. Time frames for part-time and miscellaneous students will vary.

For the first two years, full-time students will study four of the five core disciplines, Theology, Philosophy, History and Literature.

In third year, students are required to complete two Science subjects, and may elect to complete a major (total of eight subjects) in an area of study.

Notes:

1. Subjects are specified as 100, 200 or 300 level, indicated by the first numeral in the subject code (e.g. LIT201 is a 200 level subject).
2. Students are required to successfully complete a minimum of 144 credit points to meet the minimum requirements for the degree, with at least 48 credit points at each of 100, 200 and 300 level.
3. Students may study more than 144cp in total and/or more than 24cp in any one semester with the permission of the Dean of Studies. Normally students would not be permitted to study more than a standard load in the first semester unless they had a UAI (or equivalent) of "80; or in subsequent semesters an average mark of "60.
4. Elective subjects are to be taken concurrently with the full time load and are in addition to the recommended sequence above. Some subjects may be offered in Summer School as intensive mode, providing the possibility for catch-up of failures or addition of elective subjects beyond the degree requirements.
5. The following subjects will be offered subject to enrolment numbers: LIT303, LIT304, PHI303, PHI304, THE303, and THE304
6. Latin: Students who have completed LAN101 and LAN102 are eligible to study LAN301 and LAN302.
7. Students may be awarded a Major by completing eight subjects in one discipline.