Objectives
The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) provides students with the opportunity to study their chosen discipline area at an advanced level. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) graduates are eligible to apply for entry to masters and doctoral research programs. The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) program will provide intellectual stimulation, academic achievement and personal enrichment. You will be given the opportunity to undertake a substantial and original research project whilst being under the supervision of an academic with a proven research record. The skills acquired will enhance your future career prospects in a broad range of occupations in both private and public sectors, giving you an edge, compared with a straight undergraduate pass degree. You will undertake study at a higher level than your previously completed undergraduate degree, both in your honours coursework units and when you carry out research for your thesis. The thesis allows you to focus on an area of particular interest to you, and provides the opportunity to make a contribution to knowledge and wider debates in your discipline. Areas of study available in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) are Dance, Drama, Film and Digital Media, Literary Studies, Media and Communication Studies, Visual Arts, Professional and Creative Writing, Anthropology, Criminology, History, Sociology, International Relations, Politics and Philosophical Studies.
Course description
Fees and charges
Equivalent Full Time Student Load (EFTSL)
EFTSL is the standard annual full time load. Eight credit points is the standard full time load for one year of study.
Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
A Commonwealth supported place is one for which the university receives some government funding. As such, students enrolled in these places are required to contribute only part of the cost of their course. To be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place you must be an Australian citizen, or a New Zealand citizen or holder of a permanent visa who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your unit/s of study. All Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and holders of a permanent visa will receive a Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). The SLE entitles a student to the equivalent of 7 years of full time study in a Commonwealth supported place.
* The "indicative annual course fee" cited has been provided as a guide only. It has been calculated on the basis of a typical enrolment of a student undertaking the course in 2009, and reflects the cost involved in undertaking a full-time quota of units within the specified discipline.
The actual fees charged by Deakin University will depend upon the discipline from which each individual unit is chosen, and may vary from the indicative course fee cited, particularly if units are chosen from a number of disciplines.
Please note that the fees per unit/credit point may increase annually due to rises in the cost of course delivery and service.
Deakin assumes no responsibility for persons relying on "indicative course fees" to calculate the total future cost of their course.
Career opportunities
As a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) graduate you will be well placed to enter the workforce in areas associated with your chosen specialisation. You will also acquire a combination of a broad range of specialised and general skills, often demanded by today's employers.
Course rules
The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) course requires the completion of 8 credit points of study at level 4. Half of that requirement is met through coursework, which may include directed reading and/or enrolment in course work units, and half is satisfied through a research project (thesis or dissertation) of 14 000/16 000 words. Where creative works form a significant part of the assessment, they must be accompanied by an exegesis of at least 6 000 words, depending on the discipline area. Lists of units and options available as honours coursework in any year are set down in the Honours Booklets produced by each study area. There are no attendance requirements for off-campus students, although regular consultation with an appointed thesis supervisor is required.
There are a number of publications that honours students should consult, these can be found at: http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/courses/honours/honours-docs.php
Discipline sequences
The school of Communication and Creative Arts offers the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in the following disciplines:
Dance (B)
Drama (B)
Media Arts (B)
Visual Arts (B)
Literary Studies (B, G, X)
Professional and Creative Writing (B)
The School of History Heritage and Society offers the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in the following disciplines:
Anthropology (G, X)
Criminology (G, X)
History (B, G, X)
Sociology (B, G, X)
The school of International and Political Studies offers the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in the following disciplines:
International Relations (B, G, X)
Politics (B, G, X)
Philosophy (B, G, X)
Admission requirements - general
Deakin University offers admission to undergraduate courses through a number of Admission categories.
In all categories of admission, selection is based primarily on academic merit as indicated by an applicant's previous academic record.
For more information on the Deakin Admissions Policy visit The Guide.
Admission requirements - specific
Applications for admission to the course are invited from students who have satisfied the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree at any university in the Australian Unified National System (or overseas equivalent) or students currently in the third year of a Bachelor of Arts who will fulfill the award requirements prior to commencing Honours.
In both cases, the students must have completed a major in the discipline or interdisciplinary area in which they wish to specialise in the honours course. Admission is based on a number of factors, including an average grade of Distinction or High Distinction in the Bachelor of Arts particularly in the discipline in which they want to do Honours and the availability of supervision in the proposed area of research.
