At most Australian universities, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) is built around electives. Students choose a major (such as history, philosophy, or literature) and then fill the rest of their degree with electives from various disciplines. While this flexibility might seem appealing, it often results in a fragmented education, where students finish university with a collection of disconnected knowledge rather than a deep understanding of any intellectual tradition.

At Campion College, the Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts is different. Instead of picking and choosing subjects at random, students follow a structured, chronological, and interdisciplinary curriculum, studying history, literature, philosophy, and theology at the same time. This means that students aren’t just memorising isolated facts – they are seeing how ideas, cultures, and intellectual traditions evolve over time.

So what’s the real difference between these two approaches? Let’s compare.

1. Fragmented Knowledge vs. Intellectual Continuity

Mainstream Arts Degrees: A Patchwork of Electives

In a standard Australian BA, students are often encouraged to mix and match subjects from different disciplines with little structure. This can lead to:

• A disjointed education – a student might take a course on modern cinema, an introductory unit in psychology, and a history subject on medieval Europe, with no connection between them.
• No intellectual progression – one semester might focus on contemporary pop culture, while another explores ancient philosophy, without any sense of how ideas develop over time.
• Shallow understanding – instead of engaging deeply with a single intellectual tradition, students often get brief introductions to many topics without truly mastering any.

Campion College’s Liberal Arts Degree: A Cohesive, Chronological Approach

At Campion College, students study the great traditions of Western thought in a structured way, moving chronologically from the ancient world to modern times.

• In first year, students explore the history, literature, philosophy, and theology of Ancient Greece and Rome, tracing how Greek philosophy influenced Roman thought and how early Christianity emerged.
• In second year, the focus shifts to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the great medieval thinkers built upon classical ideas and how political philosophy evolved in response to historical change.
• In third year, students examine the Age of Revolutions and Modernity, studying the Enlightenment, political upheaval, and the intellectual shifts that define the modern world.

This approach ensures that students don’t just study ideas in isolation – they see how they develop over time, influence each other, and shape civilisation.

2. Passive Learning vs. Active Engagement

Mainstream Arts Degrees: Lecture-Based Learning

Most BA programs at large universities rely on mass lectures. Students sit in crowded halls, listen to a professor talk for an hour, and then prepare for exams based on lecture slides. With hundreds of students in a class, opportunities for direct discussion are rare.

Campion College’s Liberal Arts Degree: Discussion-Driven Learning

At Campion College, small class sizes and a discussion-based approach make learning interactive. Instead of passively absorbing information, students:

• Engage in lively debates about history, philosophy, and literature.
• Learn to question, analyse, and defend their ideas, rather than just memorising facts.
• Receive direct mentorship from professors, rather than being lost in a sea of students.

Instead of being told what to think, students learn how to think – a skill that lasts far beyond university.

3. Specialisation vs. Interdisciplinary Learning

Mainstream Arts Degrees: Narrow Focus, Little Integration

While mainstream BA students can take subjects from different disciplines, these subjects rarely connect in any meaningful way. A student might study modern political science, medieval history, and a creative writing unit – but these courses aren’t designed to build upon each other.

Campion College’s Liberal Arts Degree: Four Disciplines Studied Together

At Campion College, students don’t just study history, philosophy, literature, and theology as separate subjects – they study them together, exploring how these disciplines intersect and shape one another over time. A student examining Aristotle’s Ethics in philosophy will see its direct influence on medieval theology and Renaissance political thought, creating a continuum of ideas rather than isolated theories. Likewise, while reading Shakespeare or Milton, students will also engage with the historical events and philosophical debates that shaped their works, understanding literature not just as art but as a reflection of the intellectual movements of its time. Even theology is not studied in a vacuum – students discussing Christian doctrine will simultaneously explore its historical development, philosophical foundations, and literary expressions, revealing the rich interplay of faith, reason, and culture throughout history.

This interdisciplinary approach ensures that students don’t just memorise facts – they develop a deep, holistic understanding of ideas and their lasting impact on civilisation.

4. Career Training vs. Lifelong Intellectual Growth

Mainstream Arts Degrees: Job-Oriented Specialisation

Most Australian universities encourage students to choose a career-focused major early on – often in areas like communications, international relations, or digital media. While these degrees offer specific job skills, they may:

• Limit intellectual development, focusing more on training than deep thinking.
• Leave students unprepared for career changes, as industries shift and skills become outdated.

Campion College’s Liberal Arts Degree: Adaptability and Intellectual Versatility

Instead of focusing on narrow, job-specific skills, Campion College’s liberal arts education trains students to think critically, write persuasively, and engage with complex ideas – skills that are highly valued in law, education, policy, media, and beyond.

• Campion College graduates have gone on to postgraduate studies in law, philosophy, history, and theology, or pursued careers in teaching, research, journalism, and public service.
• Because they are trained to read deeply, think independently, and express ideas clearly, they are well-equipped for a wide range of professions – not just their first job, but every career that follows.

The Bottom Line: What Kind of Education Do You Want?

The difference between a traditional arts degree and Campion College’s Liberal Arts degree is clear:

If you’re looking for more than just a degree – if you want an education that will challenge, inspire, and shape you for life – then a structured liberal arts education is the path worth considering.

Discover how Campion College’s unique interdisciplinary approach can set you apart.