Monash University Handbook 2011 Undergraduate - Course

The Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences offers a focused but flexible course of study where students choose to explore two or more areas of interest. Students can study traditional arts and social sciences disciplines such as history, sociology and English alongside more applied and vocational areas, to construct a degree that suits their individual goals and interests. Graduates will be able to demonstrate skills of analysis, critical thinking, high level communication and the potential for lifelong learning. The course has no compulsory units.

Graduates will be required to demonstrate skills in intellectual enquiry, the capacity for analysis, critique and creative thinking in various humanities and social science disciplines, the skills of written and oral presentation, argument and analysis, and information literacy, as developed through and informed by the disciplines they have studied, the ability to engage with new technologies and communicate effectively in online environments, breadth and depth of knowledge in the past and present frameworks, debates and issues in the disciplines they have studied, as well as an understanding of their relevance to contemporary life, the capacity to apply these studies in the changing circumstances of the work environments they are likely to inhabit, the capacity to enact an ethically reflexive and intellectually informed position in relation to the social and cultural context in which they live, cross-cultural literacies and an understanding of the consequences and implications of globalisation, and the skills, literacies and self-motivation required to undertake life-long learning.

Students choose from a range of studies and complete at least one major, one minor and a first-year sequence. Elective units, or a second major, may be chosen from arts or an approved area taught by another faculty.

Students complete the following:

(a.) an arts/social sciences major in an available discipline (48 points)

(b.) an arts/social sciences minor in an available discipline (24 points)

(c.) a first-year arts/social sciences sequence (12 points)

(d.) another 12 points in arts/social sciences at first, second or third year level

(e.) additional units to make up a total of 144 points.

No more than 10 units (60 points) are to be completed at a first-year level.

Students must complete a minimum of 36 points at third-year level (across the duration of the degree).

At least one unit must be completed by off-campus or mixed mode at level three.

Of the total 144 points required, 96 points must be in the structure outlined in steps (a.) to (d.), and the remaining 48 points may be taken from disciplines in the Faculty of Arts or from disciplines outside the faculty. This means students can study a second major from the Arts faculty or a major (equivalent) from another faculty. A major from a faculty other than Arts usually requires the permission of that faculty.

Areas of Study

Available disciplines

• Australian Indigenous studies
• Australian studies
• communications
• community studies
• community welfare and counselling
• criminal justice
• English
• history-politics
• journalism
• philosophy
• psychology (ARTS)
• psychological studies
• public relations
• sociology
• writing

Note: A minor only is available for Australian studies, community welfare and counselling, criminal justice, English, journalism and public relations. Philosophy and psychology are only available via off-campus learning.

For information on other arts units refer to the 'Areas of study' section in this Handbook at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2011handbooks/aos/index-ug-byfaculty-arts.html.

Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences