Course

Bachelor of Arts (Dean's Scholars)

Approved Abbreviation: BA(DeansSchol)

Western Sydney University Course Code: 1655.1

CRICOS Code: 040992A

Students should follow the course structure for the course version relevant to the year they commenced. This version applies to students whose commencement year for this course is 2008 or 2009.

Students can select Humanities, Islamic Studies, Languages or Psychology as a Key Program. In addition to the Key Program, students completing the course in Standard Mode are able to use their 40 credit points of elective study to undertake additional areas of study in the form of a sub-major. The Humanities Key Program has majors and sub-majors in Art History and Cinema Studies, Asian Studies and International Relations, Cultural and Social Analysis, English, Text and Writing and History, Politics and Philosophy. Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts Key Program may also choose to package their elective units into a Social Ecology elective sub-major, or an Islamic Studies elective sub-major. The Languages Key Program has majors and sub-majors in specific named language sequences, and in TESOL; Interpreting and Translation; and English Linguistics.

Bachelor of Arts Dean’s Scholars graduates are prepared for a very wide range of employment opportunities and are equipped with the communication and people skills, creativity and capacity for independent thought, flexibility and adaptability in new situations increasingly demanded by employers. Bachelor of Arts graduates find employment in an enormous diversity of areas including: communication and media industries; education; entertainment and arts administration; government, cultural, and heritage organisations; psychology and counselling; social and policy research and analysis; tourism and leisure industries; writing and publishing.

Careers in Teaching and Education:

Students wishing to be primary school teachers or secondary school teachers of English, History, Languages or Human Society and its Environment (which includes both history and social science units), may enrol in the Bachelor of Arts Dean's Scholars and, after completing their degree, are guaranteed enrolment in the accelerated one-year specialist Master of Teaching (Secondary) or Master of Teaching (Primary) degree.

For further information concerning key learning area requirements in schools, and suggested patterns of undergraduate study, students are advised to contact the relevant educational employment authorities or the UWS School of Education.

The Bachelor of Arts Dean’s Scholars is a three-year degree (or two and a half years in accelerated mode) offering students an opportunity to develop a depth of disciplinary expertise together with the breadth of vision afforded by cross-disciplinary approaches to the humanities. The Bachelor of Arts is also designed to provide knowledge, tools for thinking, and enhanced self-understanding, so as to form a basis for lifelong learning.

Director of Academic Program - Dr Dianne Dickenson

Study Mode
Standard Mode: Three years full-time or six years part-time. Accelerated Mode: Two and a half years full-time or five years part-time. Classes are generally offered during the day. For progression requirements consult UWS policy on the web at: www.uws.edu.au

Admission

Assumed knowledge: two units of HSC English at Band 4.

Recommended studies: HSC English Standard, or equivalent.

UAI of at least 90

Course Structure

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 240 credit points.

Standard Mode

All students must enrol in and complete:

20 credit points of two Bachelor of Arts Core Units
40 credit points of two Bachelor of Arts Core Units (Advanced)
120 credit point Key Program in Psychology or Islamic Studies or Languages or Humanities
20 credit points of Research Methods and Theories units
40 credit points of elective units

Electives may be used toward obtaining an additional approved sub-major.

Accelerated Mode

All students must enrol in and complete:

20 credit points of two Bachelor of Arts Core Units
40 credit points of two Bachelor of Arts Core Units (Advanced)
120 credit point Key Program in Humanities
20 credit points of Research Methods and Theories units
20 credit point Research Placement
20 credit points of elective units

Core Components

The basic structure of the Bachelor of Arts (Dean’ Scholars) is the Level 1 core (60 credit points), the Key Program (120 credit points), and two compulsory Research Methods and Theories units. In accelerated mode, the BA (Dean’s Scholars) also includes a 20 credit points Summer Research Placement.

The 60 credit points Level 1 core is made up of two 10 credit point units taken in Autumn semester and two 20 credit point units (advanced) taken in Spring semeter. Each core unit has a standard and advanced version but only two of the four units may be taken in advanced mode (those offered in the Spring semester at the home campus).

Core units

101515

Australia and the World (Advanced)

101517

Media and Visual Cultures (Advanced)

101516

Contemporary Society (Advanced)

101518

Text and Traditions (Advanced)

Key Program

All students must complete a Key Program.

In Standard Mode, Key Programs available are:

Humanities

Islamic Studies

Languages

Psychology

In Accelerated Mode, the only Key Program available is:

KP1000

Humanities

Progression Rules

•No more than 110 credit points of Level 1 units may be counted towards the degree with the exception of students in the Humanities Key Program, Asian Studies and International Relations Major. Students in that major may include two Level 1 Languages units if the Langages sub-major option is taken and have up to 120 credit points of Level 1 units included in their degree.

• The general pre-requisite for Level 2 and Level 3 units is the successful completion of at least 60 credit points of Level 1 units.*

• Minimum 60 credit points of Level 3 units.

*There are particular exceptions in the case of the Key Programs in Languages, Islamic Studies and Psychology.

Students undertaking the Standard Mode and completing a Key Program in one area of study have the option of structuring their elective units into an additional sub-major taken from outside that Key Program. Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts Key Program may also choose to package some or all of their elective units into a Social Ecology or Islamic Studies elective sub-major.

SM1014

Social Ecology

SM1000

Islamic Studies

The exception to this rule is Psychology, which must be studied in its entirety for reasons of external accreditation, and is not available as an additional major.

Students completing the BA Dean’s Scholars in Accelerated Mode do not have sufficent elective units to enable the completion of an additional sub-major.

Bachelor of Arts Key Programs

Humanities

The key program in Humanities consists of an 80 credit point major and 40 credit point sub-major.

KP1000

Humanities

The 80 credit point major must come from one of the following areas:

M1005

Art History and Cinema Studies

M1006

Asian Studies and International Relations

M1007

Cultural and Social Analysis

M1008

English, Text and Writing

M1009

History, Politics and Philosophy

The major is made up of no less than one and no more than two Level 1 units and must include the designated Level 1 unit/s for the major. The remaining 60 or 70 credit points is made up of Level 2 or 3 units.

The 40 credit point sub-major comes from a Humanities major other than the area chosen for the Key Program, with the exception of students who have chosen the Humanities major area Asian Studies and International Relations, or students who have chosen the major area in English, Text and Writing.

A Humanities sub-major must be made up of no more than one Level 1 unit with the remaining 30 credit points made up of Level 2 or 3 units, or 40 credit points at Level 2 or 3. For those students majoring in Asian Studies and International Relations a sub-major in Asian languages must have no more than 20 credit points made up of Level 1 units.

SM1001

Art History and Cinema Studies

SM1002

Asian Studies and International Relations

SM1003

Cultural and Social Analysis

SM1004

English, Text and Writing

SM1005

History, Politics and Philosophy

• For students majoring in Asian Studies and International Relations, the Humanities sub-major area may be replaced with a sub-major in an Asian Language (Arabic, Japanese or Chinese).

SM1006

Chinese

SM1007

Japanese

SM1008

Arabic

• For students majoring in English, Text and Writing, the Humanities sub-major may be replaced by a sub-major in English Linguistics (as listed in the rules for the Languages Key Program).

SM1009

English Linguistics

Recommended sequence humanities standard mode

Year 1

Autumn session

BA Core unit

Key Program unit

Elective unit

Spring session

BA Core unit (Advanced)

Key Program unit

Elective unit

Year 2

Autumn session

Key Program unit

Elective unit

Spring session

Key Program unit

Research Methods (1) unit

Year 3

Autumn session

Key Program unit

Research Methods (2) unit

Spring session

Key Program unit

Elective unit

Recommended sequence humanities accelerated mode

Year 1

Autumn session

BA Core unit

Key Program unit

Elective unit

Spring session

BA Core unit (Advanced)

Key Program unit

Elective unit

Year 2

Autumn session

Key Program unit

Spring session

Key Program unit

Research Methods (1) unit

Year 3

Summer session

Research Placement unit

Autumn session

Key Program unit

Research Methods (2) unit

Islamic Studies

The Key Program in Islamic Studies consists of an 80 credit point major and a 40 credit point sub-major in Arabic Language.

KP1001

Islamic Studies

Students should consult with the Arabic Languages staff regarding the progression sequence for the Arabic sub-major that best fits their level of skill. During the first two weeks of class, the lecturer will monitor the performance of students and advise students who need to transfer to a higher or lower class. Students may consult with the Languages Advisor, if they are unsure of their entry level.

Languages

A Key Program in a language comprises of 120 credit points in three areas of languages and linguistics study comprising: (i) a minimum of 40 credit points of studies in a language other than English, (ii) 40 credit points of studies in the Linguistics area of studies and (iii) the balance of 40 credit points may be used to complete a major in the same language, or a sub-major in another language or from further studies in a ‘language in professional contexts’ area with a choice from a pool of units in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Second Language ( L2) Tteaching, or Interpreting and Translation, or English Linguistics.

KP1002

Languages

A major in a language comprises a sequence of 80 credit points in the language with 60 credit points at Levels 2 and 3 (with no less than 20 credit points of these at Level 3).

Available Languages are:

Arabic

Chinese

Japanese

Italian

Spanish

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Dean’s Scholars) program may achieve a sub-major in any of the Languages offered by completing 40 credit points in one of the recommended language sequences for intermediate or advanced levels. The Level 1 units in a given language sequence do not, therefore, count within a sub-major.

Arabic

Chinese

Japanese

Italian

Spanish

Language in Professional Contexts sub-major

SM1012

TESOL and L2 Teaching

SM1013

Interpreting and Translation

SM1009

English Linguistics

Recommended sequence languages standard mode

Beginners level

Full-time

Year 1

Autumn session

BA core unit

BA Core unit

Language unit (101)

And one elective

Spring session

BA core unit (Advanced)

BA Core unit (Advanced)

Language unit (102)

And one elective

Year 2

Autumn session

100928

Linguistics

Language unit (201)

101267

Languages Skills 203: Listening and Speaking

And one elective

Spring session

One unit from the Linguistics pool

Language unit (202)

101268

Languages Skills 204: Reading and Writing

Research Methods (1) unit

Year 3

Autumn session

Language unit (301) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

One unit from the Linguistics pool

Research Methods (2) unit

Spring session

Language unit (302) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

One unit from the Linguistics pool

And one elective

Intermediate (post-HSC) level

Year 1

Autumn session

BA core unit

BA Core unit

Language unit (201)

101267

Languages Skills 203: Listening and Speaking

Spring session

BA core unit (Advanced)

BA Core unit (Advanced)

Language unit (202)

101268

Languages Skills 204: Reading and Writing

Year 2

Autumn session

100928

Linguistics

Language unit (301) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

And two elective units

Spring session

One unit from the Linguistics pool

Language unit (302) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

Research Methods (1) unit

Year 3

Autumn session

One unit from the Linguistics pool

Language unit (one from 303-308) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

Research Methods (2) unit

And one elective

Spring session

One unit from the Linguistics pool

Language unit (one from 303-308) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

And one elective

Post-intermediate level

Year 1

Autumn session

BA core unit

BA Core unit

101267

Languages Skills 203: Listening and Speaking

And one elective

Spring session

BA Core unit (Advanced)

101268

Languages Skills 204: Reading and Writing

And one elective

Year 2

Autumn session

100928

Linguistics

Language unit (301)

Language unit (one from 303-308) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

And one elective

Spring session

One unit from the Linguistics pool

Language unit (302)

Language unit (one from 303-308) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

Research Methods (1) unit

Year 3

Autumn session

Language unit (one from 303-308) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

One unit from the Linguistics pool

Research Methods (2) unit

And one elective

Spring session

Language unit (one from 303-308) or one unit from the Language in Professional Contexts pool

One unit from the Linguistics pool

And one elective

Two Intermediate (Post-HSC) language units and two Advanced language units act as ‘umbrella’ units covering all languages on offer. They are:

101454

Intercultural Pragmatics

101267

Languages Skills 203: Listening and Speaking

101268

Languages Skills 204: Reading and Writing

101269

Languages 303: Grammatical Concepts across Languages

Other Language Options:

*Students entering at Post-Intermediate level may replace one or more of their Level 3 units with the following unit:

100201

Special Study in Languages and Linguistics

Psychology

The Key Program in Psychology in the BA (Dean’s Scholars) requires the successful completion of the 60 credit point Bachelor of Arts core plus 120 credit points including the units listed in the recommended sequence.

KP1003

Psychology

The Psychology Key Program offered within the Bachelor of Arts is accredited by the Australian Psychologists Accreditation Council (APAC) and the NSW Psychologist Registration Board as undergraduate three year sequence in Psychology. The Psychology Key Program prepares graduates for an accredited fourth year in Psychology such as Psychology Honours or the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology.

Social Ecology Elective Sub-major (Penrith)

The sub-major in Social Ecology is available as an elective package to students across all degrees. Students may also choose any Social Ecology unit as a single elective.

SM1014

Social Ecology

Students in the Standard Mode of the Bachelor of Arts (Dean’s Scholars) who choose to package their electives to obtain the named sub-major in Social Ecology must be enrolled in a Key Program in Humanities, Languages, Islamic Studies or Psychology. As an elective sequence, the Social Ecology sub-major is not a required component for graduation from the BA.

Education Studies Elective Sub-major

S11121

Education Studies

Students in the Standard Mode of the course who wish to go on to complete a Masters of Teaching may use their 40 credit points of electives to achieve a sub-major in Education Studies. This is optional for students intending to go on to Secondary Teaching but strongly recommended for students intending to become Primary Teachers.

Sub-major elective spaces

Elective units may be used toward obtaining an additional approved sub-major (40 credit points).

Search for sub-majors

Western Sydney University offers sub-majors in a range of areas including Sustainability and Indigenous Studies.

Indigenous Australian Studies Sub-major

Indigenous Australian Creative Expressions Sub-major

Indigenous Economics Sub-major

Business Sustainability Sub-major

Students can apply for an elective major or sub-major via MySR.

MyStudentRecords (MySR)