All programs at Canberra faculty of arts and design are designed to ensure that you graduate ready to launch your career, and are able to show potential employers both your professional knowledge and your skills in critical and creative thinking, communication, collegiality, and ethical practice.

All students in Arts programs select from a range of foundation units in first year, to complement their studies in their chosen degree; build their knowledge in second year through a focus on practical, professional and conceptual studies; and refine their knowledge in third year through internships, other work-integrated learning opportunities and, in most cases, through completing capstone studies where they produce a major piece of work on a topic of their choice. For those interested in further studies, Canberra offers postgraduate courses at honours, postgraduate coursework, and postgraduate research levels right across our disciplines.

Arts

The Bachelor of Arts degree is a highly flexible degree that allows students to study across their areas of interest and strength. Students can study a mix of majors in the humanities and liberal arts, design, cultural heritage, modern languages, and professional areas. It provides the broad perspective required for informed citizenship, as well as preparation for many kinds of employment in both the public and private sectors. Employers value the generic skills in communication, research, team-work and problem-solving that students develop in a BA degree.

The BA degree can also be combined with a wide range of professionally-oriented degrees. These combined courses give an ideal combination of a professionally-focused program with flexible study in areas of personal interest. Graduates from these double degree programs will complement their professional skills with a broad range of generic communication and research skills, and more in-depth knowledge of the social context of their profession, all of which can give a distinct employment advantage.

BA Honours

The BA (Honours) is a one-year (full-time), stand-alone degree, which is taken following the completion of an undergraduate degree. Students do advanced course-work in relevant theory and research methods. They also, with individual mentoring from an academic staff member, design and complete an original research project, which is reported in a substantial thesis or dissertation. An Honours degree is the standard path to higher research degrees (Masters or Doctoral study). In addition, many employers (such as the Australian Public Service) regard an Honours degree as evidence of academic and professional excellence.

BA/B Laws

This course is for those who seek a professional qualification in Law, but who also value the flexibility of a general education in the liberal arts. The Law degree prepares students for employment in the legal profession as either solicitors or barristers. It has a strong practical and skills orientation, and equips students with competencies in the basic areas of legal practice. It also has a strong commercial orientation which meets the educational requirements of graduates, thus making it attractive to other professions especially those from accounting, finance or administration. The single degree of Bachelor of Arts may be taken out when the requirements of that degree have been met at the end of three years full-time study or equivalent part-time.

BA/B Commerce

This combines an Arts degree with a flexible program of studies in commerce. In the Commerce degree, students study in areas such as accountancy, banking and financial services, economics, entrepreneurship, financial planning, human resource management, information systems, international business, and marketing. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Information Technology

This course combines the study of the liberal arts with specialist training in information technology. The Bachelor of Information Technology focuses on the systems development aspects of employment in the information technology profession. Students gain extensive experience in developing information technology to address the needs of modern organisations. Teamwork, project management and communication skills are developed in addition to exploration of the technical and human aspects of information technology and its use. The information technology related units covered in the course include hardware concepts, local and worldwide networks, data structures and algorithms, object-oriented software design, operating systems, programming theory and practice, distributed systems theory, and software quality management. Information Systems units include database management, human-computer interaction, information systems analysis and design, document and workflow and management support. Graduates gain employment in a wide range of businesses and organisations that develop or use IT-based systems. Some graduates work with equipment and software suppliers. Others work with specialist consulting groups. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Communication and Media Studies

This combined course provides students with an in-depth understanding of the field of Communication and Media Studies while also allowing them to pursue a wider liberal-arts education. The Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies provides an advanced study of the history, theory and methods of Communication and Media Studies with a special focus on political communication. It explores the way in which societies have evolved in conjunction with advances in communication technology and addresses the way communications media have profoundly transformed the way we live. Special attention is paid to the development of high level oral and written communication skills as well as to an appreciation of the power of visual communication forms. The course offers opportunities for work-place learning through internships and provides an excellent introduction to communication and media research methods. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Management

This course combines the study of the liberal arts with an in-depth understanding of Management. The Bachelor of Management is designed for those who are making, or who plan to make, their careers in management in the business, public and non-governmental sectors. It is suitable both for those who have recently completed secondary studies and for those with some work experience. The course combines conceptual understanding and a practical orientation in Management, with majors in Government and Politics, and Management, Governance and Policy. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Journalism

This program is for those who seek a professional qualification in Journalism but who also value the flexibility of a general education in the liberal arts. The program is designed to provide students with experience of journalism industry practice, while at the same time providing opportunity for a wider liberal-arts education. The program combines communication and media studies with thorough instruction in journalistic skills, and specialisation in an area of non-journalism-specific knowledge designed to enhance graduates’ employment prospects. Graduates find employment with metropolitan or provincial newspapers, radio or television, or general or specialist magazines, or in the publishing arms of large corporations, or in new media. Large organisations, public or private, also employ graduates in information and press office positions or as media liaison officers. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Public Relations

This course is for students who want to obtain a professional qualification in public relations and also pursue a wider liberal-arts education. Public relations is the management function that enables organisations to communicate with internal and external audiences to achieve mutual understanding. It is a growing profession that is practised internationally. This course will provide students with the theoretical understanding and practical skills required to work as a public relations professional for a private enterprise, or a government or not-for-profit organisation. The Public Relations course is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) and graduates are eligible to become professional members of the PRIA. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Advertising and Marketing Communication

This program is for those who seek a professional qualification in Advertising/Marketing Communication but who also value the flexibility of a general education in the liberal arts. It combines communication and media studies with thorough education in the theories, issues and skills pertaining to the Advertising/Marketing Communication industry. The addition of a liberal arts specialisation extends the intellectual knowledge base and critical thinking skills and thus improves graduates' employment prospects. Graduates find employment in advertising agencies, in either the creative or the account management side, the media, and in advertising or marketing communication departments in public or private organisations. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Science in Psychology

This course combines the study of the liberal arts with an in-depth study of Psychology. The degree in Psychology provides the basic undergraduate training required for those wishing to pursue qualification as a professional psychologist (which also requires a postgraduate qualification). A solid grounding is provided in all areas of psychology, including social and developmental psychology, learning, psychopathology, perception, biological bases of behaviour, personality and individual differences, cognition, and research methods and statistics. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

BA/B Media Arts

The Bachelor of Arts degree provides a flexible preparation for many areas of vocational and professional employment, as well as the broad perspective required for informed citizenship. The degree in Media/Multimedia Production is a balanced program of advanced practical production work and integrated analytical study. It provides students with sophisticated knowledge, skills and abilities to produce advanced creative works, which will equip them to find work in the constantly changing creative film, television and multimedia industries. The program focuses on the latest techniques and theoretical knowledge in television, video and multimedia production, spanning drama, documentary, commercials and music videos, as well as interactive media forms such as web, CD-ROM and DVD. A single degree may be taken out when at least 72 credit points have been attained and the requirements of that degree are met.

For more information, please contact one of our offices

Last Updated: 29 September 2012

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