Handbook 1995 : Faculty of Arts Faculties : Economics and Commerce (Next) | Architecture and Planning (Previous) | Search | Help
In those days the range of Arts subjects was narrow. Today, Arts studies cover a much wider range of topics: languages and the literature and culture of other peoples; the humanities, such as English, fine arts, history and philosophy; and the social sciences, such as politics, anthropology, geography and criminology.
Within these disciplines the Faculty offers a general education in methods of research, analysis and synthesis.
The range of subjects is rich and varied. Students have an opportunity to explore areas and disciplines beyond and apart from those encountered at VCE level.
The Faculty has fifteen departments: Applied Linguistics and Language Studies, Classics and Archaeology, Criminology, English, Fine Arts (Art History and Cinema Studies), French and Italian Studies, Geography and Environmental Studies, Germanic Studies and Russian, History, History and Philosophy of Science, Japanese and Chinese, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science and Social Work; and six centres: the Australian Centre, the Ashworth Centre for Social Theory, the Horwood Language Centre, the Language Testing and Research Centre, the Centre for Philosophy and Public Issues, and the Centre for Russian and Euro-Asian Studies. In addition, the School of Languages coordinates and promotes the activities of the language departments, with responsibility for language teaching across the University.
You have much to contribute to, and to gain from, your experience in Arts. You will gain the ability to read critically, to think laterally, to analyse and conceptualise issues, and to argue and communicate effectively. The first challenge you will face is to decide what path to follow in your studies. Arts itself embraces over 1000 discrete subjects from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary branches of knowledge. In addition, you may elect subjects from other faculties and several foreign languages taught by other universities. Take your time, make your decisions with care. Talk with present and former students, academic staff and the Faculty Office advisers, and then make up your own mind. I especially encourage you to undertake some studies in areas and disciplines which would be new to you.
We want you to gain the maximum benefit from your experience in Arts. Do not be afraid to seek advice or help from your lecturers, tutors and administrative staff. You should also read carefully the Guide for New Students, available from the Faculty Office, which sets out clearly and simply the structure of the degree and provides practical advice and information about policies and procedures.
I wish you well in your studies and challenge you to continue to achieve the standard of excellence which has enabled you to join us as members of the Faculty of Arts.
The BSW degree course (often taken as a second degree) trains students to provide community leadership in social services and social policy. From 1995 a combined course in Arts and Social Work will be available.
Diploma courses offered by the Faculty of Arts provide opportunities for graduates to undertake further study in a specific discipline. Graduate diplomas provide students with expertise equivalent to an undergraduate major or sequence in a specialist area. A postgraduate diploma is a more advanced study, with more specific entry requirements, and is often a qualifying program for a Master of Arts.
The Master of Arts aims to provide students with the opportunity to carry out independent and sustained research in a branch of the humanities, social sciences or languages, under appropriate supervision; and to develop advanced research and scholarly techniques, and present their findings in documented scholarly form.
For further information about graduate and postgraduate courses in the Faculty of Arts, please refer to the entry in Volume 2 of the Handbook.
There are no compulsory subjects, and students tailor their course to meet personal, academic and intellectual interests, as well as professional aspirations. Students may choose to specialise in one or two areas by completing a major sequence in a certain discipline (or area of study), or they may wish to study a range of subjects across disciplines. Students are encouraged to think carefully about the subjects they undertake. In planning your course, you should think about maintaining as many options as possible, and consider future career plans, or any intention to undertake honours or postgraduate courses, which may require the completion of a major study in a specific area. Students are encouraged to select subjects which will provide them with as broad and diversified a first-year training as possible - including taking up studies in areas other than those which they have completed at secondary school level.
In addition to the information available in this Handbook, there are other sources students should consult to help make decisions about subject choices. Departmental handbooks offer more detailed descriptions of subjects, and further information about course planning is available in the Faculty's Guide for New Students.
Students must satisfactorily complete not less than 100 points at each of first-year, second-year and third- year levels, towards a course total of at least 300 points. First-year level single semester subjects are normally worth 12.5 points, while first-year single semester language subjects are normally worth 18.75 points (the extra points allocated are a reflection of the workload). Second and third-year level single semester subjects are generally worth 16.7 points.
To complete the BA degree, therefore, students would normally complete:
8 semester subjects at 1st year level by 12.5 points = 100 points 6 semester subjects at 2nd year level by 16.7 points = 100 points 6 semester subjects at 3rd year level by 16.7 points = 100 points Total = 300 pointsChoice of subjects within the degree is very flexible, but must be consistent with the following guidelines:
To complete a major, students must complete a minimum of five semester subjects at second and/or third-year level (i.e. 83.3 points) in an area of study including any compulsory subjects prescribed by the department. Students can choose to complete up to two majors in their degree. It is also possible to do a double major (i.e. 10 subjects in one area of study); however, students are not permitted to do more than 10 subjects at second or third-year level in the one area of study.
When planning your course and deciding whether or not to undertake a major, you should carefully consider future career plans and the requirements for honours or postgraduate studies. Students considering undertaking a fourth year level honours year must complete a major in the intended area of study, include any honours prerequisite subjects in that major, and achieve the required academic standard (see page 16 for more information). Students are advised to consult departments for more specific information about planning and undertaking majors.
The following programs building on the first year of the Arts course are available at second or third-year level:
Some subjects are also offered to Arts students in first year only. Subjects available include:
Entry to the International Student Exchange program is competitive and students must have maintained a good academic standard. The Faculty and the departments concerned must approve a student's proposed course of study in writing as a requirement of participation in the program. Students who were on leave of absence from the BA degree will not normally be granted credit for subjects taken at another institution unless prior approval has been received in writing from the Faculty. For further information, please contact the International Office or the Faculty's International Students Officer.
First Year Points
Beginners' Swedish A 18.75
Beginners' Swedish B 18.75
Politics:
Change and Conflict in Australian Society 12.5
Australian Society 12.5
Geography:
Land, People and Society 12.5
Global Ecology and Biogeography 12.5
Philosophy:
Knowledge, Power and Rhetoric 12.5
Total 100.0
Second Year Points
Beginners' Russian A 16.7
Beginners' Russian B 16.7
Geography:
Environmental Politics and Management 16.7
Geomorphology 16.7
Philosophy:
Does God Exist ? 16.7
Philosophy of Buddhism 16.7
Total 100.0
Third Year Points
Intermediate Russian A 16.7
Intermediate Russian B 16.7
Geography:
Plants, People and Environment 16.7
Development and Environment 16.7
Philosophy:
Introduction to Formal Logic 16.7
Topics in Formal Logic 16.7
Total 100.0
First Year Points
Beginners' German A 18.75
Beginners' German B 18.75
English:
Writing and Culture in Australia A 12.5
Writing and Culture in Australia B 12.5
European Studies:
Introduction to Contemporary Europe A 12.5
Introduction to Contemporary Europe B 12.5
Linguistics:
English: Its Structure and History 12.5
Total 100.0
Second Year Points
Intermediate German A 16.7
Intermediate German B 16.7
Politics:
International Relations 33.3
Linguistics:
Grammar of English 16.7
English:
Creative Writing A 16.7
Total 100.0
Third Year Points
Linguistics:
Language in Society 16.7
Applied Linguistics and Language Studies
Second Language Learning and Teaching 16.7
English Language Literacy 16.7
English:
Introduction to Old English 16.7
Microcomputer Applications for Arts Students 16.7
Politics:
International Studies: Maps and Narratives 16.7
Total 100.0
First Year Points
Biology for Arts Students 25.0
Spanish 1B (Beginners) 37.5
Criminology:
Perspective on Crime 12.5
Institutions of Criminal Justice 12.5
Philosophy:
Theory and Practice of Ethics 12.5
Total 100.0
Second Year Points
Beginners' Latin A 16.7
Beginners' Latin B 16.7
Classics:
Classical Mythology 16.7*
Pagans and Christians in the Roman World 16.7*
Philosophy:
Philosophy of Literature 16.7
Philosophy of Feminism 16.7
Contemporary Feminist Thought 16.7
Total 100.0
Third Year Points
Beginners' Ancient Greek A 16.7*
Beginners' Ancient Greek B 16.7*
Classics:
Greek Philosophy:
In Search of the Good Life 16.7*
Philosophy:
Greek Philosophy: Metaphysics 16.7
French Feminisms 16.7
Philosophy of Cultural Practice 16.7
Total 100.0
First Year Points
Economics:
Introductory Macroeconomics 12.5
Introductory Microeconomics 12.5
Cultural Studies:
Contemporary Culture and Media, An Introduction A 12.5
Contemporary Culture and Media, An Introduction B 12.5
Beginners' Japanese 37.5
Japanese Civilisation Past and Present 12.5
Total 100.0
Second Year Points
Economics:
Intermediate Macroeconomics 16.7
Intermediate Microeconomics 16.7
Intermediate Japanese 33.3*
Cultural Studies:
Contemporary Cultural Studies 16.7
Television and Australian Import Culture 16.7
Total 100.0
Third Year Points
International Economics 16.7
Microeconomics 16.7
Macroeconomics 16.7
Advanced Japanese Level 1 33.3*
Research on Japan 16.7*
Total 100.0
First Year Points
Women's Histories A 12.5
Women's Histories B 12.5
Classical Greece: Myth and Reality 12.5
Classical Rome: Republic to Empire 12.5
English:
Reading Writing A 12.5
Reading Writing B 12.5
History and Philosophy of Science:
Science, Technology and Society 12.5
History of Astronomy 12.5
Total 100.0
Second Year Points
History:
Representations of Early Irish Kingship 16.7*
'Renaissance' Florence 16.7*
Gender and Society 16.7
Politics:
Sexual Politics 16.7
English:
Medieval Women's Narrative 16.7
Poetry and Gender 16.7
Total 100.0
Third Year Points
History:
Historical Theory and Research 16.7*
King Arthur: History and Legend 16.7*
Medieval Sexuality 16.7*
Representations of Gender 16.7
English:
Desire and Discourse 16.7
Elizabethan Texts 16.7
Total 100.0
First Year Points
Fine Arts:
Introduction to Art History A 12.5
Introduction to Art History B 12.5
Cinema Studies:
Introduction to Cinema Studies A 12.5
Introduction to Cinema Studies B 12.5
Intermediate Indonesian A 18.75
Intermediate Indonesian B 18.75
Philosophy:
The Study of Human Nature 12.5
Total 100.0
Second Year Points
Fine Arts:
Italian Art From Donatello to Michelangelo 16.7*
Baroque and Rococo Painting and Sculpture 16.7*
Nationalism and Modernism in 20th C Aust Art 16.7*
Patrons of the Visual Arts: The European Tradition 16.7*
Advanced Indonesian 1A 16.7
Advanced Indonesian 1B 16.7
Total 100.0
Third Year Points
Fine Arts:
From Celtic to Gothic:
Medieval Art in Northern Europe 16.7*
Late Antique and Byzantine Art 16.7*
Art and Mass Culture in the 1960s 16.7*
Aboriginal Art and Culture 16.7*
Myths and Legends in Australian Art 16.7*
Special Studies Research Essay 16.7*
Total 100.0
First Year Points
Beginners' Chinese 37.5
Australian Politics:
Institutions, Parties and Issues 12.5
Contemporary Issues in Australian Politics:
Citizen and the Nature of the Polity 12.5
Anthropology:
Anthropology 1A: Social Order and Social Change 12.5
Anthropology 1B: Varieties of Human Experience 12.5
History:
Age of Revolutions A 12.5
Total 100.0
Second Year Points
Intermediate Chinese 33.3
Politics:
American Politics and the Civil Rights Agenda 16.7*
Sexual Politics 16.7*
Anthropology:
Ethnic Nationalism and the Modern World 16.7
Structure of Myth and Ritual Processes: Divinity and 16.7
Society
Total 100.0
Third Year Points
Exchange Student -- University of California at Berkeley 50*#
Culture, Structure and Person 16.7
Time, Theory and Anthropology 16.7
Anthropology of Gender 16.7
Total 100.0
# Approved program of study equivalent to three 16.7 points
second/third-year subjects of Politics.
Students who wish to apply for a quota subject will need to fill out a quota application form (available at enrolment) for such subjects. As it is not normally possible to enrol directly into quota-restricted subjects, it is wise to be ready to choose an alternative subject which you would be happy to study should your quota application be unsuccessful.
There is only one enrolment period at the beginning of the year. Students must therefore enrol in both first and second semester subjects at the beginning of the year. The Faculty requires that students take at least one subject in each semester. First-year students who do not wish to commence their studies in the first semester may only defer their studies for a year before they commence their course.
Students with good reasons may withdraw from subjects after the first two weeks of the first or second semester (as appropriate) until three weeks before the end of semester, but a `WD' notation will be recorded against these subjects. Students who cancel subjects after these deadlines will have a fail result recorded:
Provided that you have had your course plan authorised by the Faculty and you have passed all your subjects, you should receive an authorised re-enrolment in December. If you receive an automatically authorised re-enrolment, you will not be required to attend the University during the re-enrolment period to complete your enrolment. Your re-enrolment is completed by following all the procedures (including paying your fees and submitting any other information required) set out in the information package that is sent to you. Students who do not receive re-enrolment information in December should contact the Faculty Office for further information. If you do not re-enrol by the required date, you will incur a late fee.
Faculty Course Advisers can provide advice, assistance and referral on virtually any matter. For example:
Students who have substantial failure in their enrolment in a year will not be authorised to re-enrol and must either see a Faculty Adviser or appear before the Faculty Progress Committee. Students will be notified by the Faculty of when they must attend the Committee, and may not re-enrol until the deliberations of that Committee are complete. The Progress Committee can limit a student's enrolment or, in some cases, recommend that a student be suspended from their course. The Faculty Office can provide details of the Faculty's Unsatisfactory Progress Rules.
Students who fail a subject should note that it is normally only possible to repeat a subject once. Subjects restricted by quota may normally not be repeated.
The last day for application to transfer from other faculties within the University of Melbourne into the BA course is 9 December 1994. Students seeking such a transfer should be aware that the competition is intense with a very high academic standard required to gain entry.
The last day for application by previously enrolled students to resume BA studies is 9 December 1994.
All applicants for the Bachelor of Arts degree will be awarded such credit as the Faculty considers appropriate at the time of their first enrolment in the degree. No student is obliged to accept the credit that is awarded, but must notify the Faculty in writing of their intention to decline such credit within the first year (full or part time) of their enrolment.
Credit will not normally be granted for any complete or incomplete tertiary studies undertaken 10 or more years prior to admission to the degree.
Students who have undertaken accelerated University programs concurrently with their VCE may be granted up to a maximum of 50 points of first-year credit.
A student may appeal against an initial credit decision to the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies) who will review and decide accordingly in consultation with the Dean if necessary.
A student may specialise in one area of study (pure honours) or two (combined honours). Entry to the honours degree must be approved by the department(s) concerned and the Faculty.
Honours students and intending honours students should be aware that there are special conditions pertaining to the BA(Hons):
In order to be eligible for admission to fourth-year pure honours in a particular area of study you must have:
Students who do not meet the minimum threshold requirement for admission to honours will require the approval of the relevant honours coordinator or head of department and the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies) before being admitted to honours.
Combined degrees normally require five years of full-time study, with students completing a minimum of 500 points (six years and 600 points for the MBBS/BA), within which a minimum of 216 Arts points (except for the BA/LLB course) must be gained as follows:
4 semester subjects at 1st year level by 12.5 points 50 points 4 semester subjects at 2nd year level by 16.7 points 66.6 points 6 semester subjects at 3rd year level by 16.7 points 100 points Total 216.6 points
To complete a combined BA/LLB degree, students must complete a minimum of 500 points of study; a minimum of 300 points towards the Law component, and 200 points towards the Arts component, structured as follows:
4 semester subjects at 1st year level by 12.5 points 50 points 4 semester subjects at 2nd year level by 16.7 points 66.6 points 5 semester subjects at 3rd year level by 16.7 points 83.3 points Total 200 points
In all combinations, the 50 points at first-year level, 66 points at second-year level, and 50 of the 100 points at third-year level must be taken from subjects offered by the departments of the Faculty of Arts.
Students who wish to enrol in a combined course must be selected in both the Faculty of Arts and the other faculty, and must have their choice of subjects approved by both faculties each year. Only the BA/BCom, BA/LLB, BA/BSc, BA/BMus, BA/BE, BA/BGeom and BA/BTheol have been approved under the Austudy scheme. Students intending to apply for other combined courses should consult the Student Finance and Employment Service for advice on eligibility requirements for Austudy.
Before students can be admitted to fourth year they must have completed the BA component of their combined degree and sufficient points from their other degree such that if they were to discontinue, they would have sufficient credit points to complete the requirements for the standard BA pass degree (300 points). Combined course students who intend to enter fourth year should consult a Faculty Course Adviser and the relevant department(s). Further information about honours is also available in the Faculty's Honours Guide.
From 1995 the Bachelor of Letters degree will be a fee-paying course with a limited quota of non-fee-paying places. Graduates with a BA and graduates of approved degrees other than Arts will be eligible to apply, although the options and guidelines for courses of study are different to those for BA graduates.
The aims of the degree are to enable graduates:
Bachelor of Letters students may be permitted to undertake up to 33.3 points of second or third-year level language study overseas for credit towards their degree, provided it is based on former language studies in the Faculty. Please refer to the Faculty's guidelines for BA students for the terms and conditions of such study.
The BLitt is a two-year, full-time course; however, the majority of students choose to undertake the course on a part-time basis and are permitted to take up to six years to complete the degree. The course may be structured in two ways.
For approved graduates
Students who have no previous studies in Arts subjects will normally be required to follow a similar study structure to the second structure outlined above: taking a minimum of 50 points at first-year level, 66.6 points at second-year level and 100 points at third-year level.
When planning a BLitt course students may undertake a range of different subjects and therefore complete a BLitt `general' degree or choose to complete up to two majors in areas of study offered by the Faculty of Arts. A major in a Bachelor of Letters is defined in the same way as for the Bachelor of Arts: five semester subjects (83.3 points) at second and third-year level in a particular area of study.
Students may undertake a major based on prerequisite studies undertaken less than 10 years prior to their enrolment in the BLitt. It is recommended that students seek advice from departments on whether such a course of action would be appropriate. Exemptions of up to 33.3 points may be granted for majors based on previous study.
The BLitt(Hons) degree is a more advanced and specialised course of study requiring a higher standard of performance than for the pass degree. It involves study at fourth-year level consisting of subjects totalling 100 points. The honours year in the BLitt(Hons) course is equivalent to fourth-year level studies in the BA(Hons) course in either pure or combined honours.
BLitt pass students may proceed to a BLitt(Hons) degree provided that they have:
In order to be eligible for the BLitt(Hons) degree, students must have completed subjects totalling 200 points, including 100 points at second or third-year level and 100 points at fourth-year level.
For approved graduates
Students who are not Arts graduates undertaking the BLitt would, in most circumstances and providing they meet departmental requirements, be able to proceed to an honours year after completing the 216 points specified above.
The BLitt(Hons) degree enables graduates to study for a formal qualification which may lead to an MA degree rather than having to undertake an MA (Preliminary) program which offers no officially recognised qualification. The Faculty also offers a number of one-year postgraduate diplomas which may qualify students for entry into the MA degree. For more information, please see the entry in Volume 2 of the Handbook.
BLitt students should refer to the section on the BA for information regarding re-enrolment, workload, booklists and timetables, change of enrolment, leave of absence, study progress and termination of course.
Theory -- Students will develop an understanding of:
Throughout the course, students study the theory and practice of social work, its methods and the fields in which it is practised. In the final year of the course it is possible for students to concentrate on particular fields of service such as health, mental health services, ethnic services, services for Aborigines, the legal context of social work, women and welfare, public welfare and local government, social work with children, young people and families.
The course includes at least 140 full-time days of field practice, with a minimum of 70 days in each of Field Education 2 and 3. Social welfare organisations contribute to the fieldwork education by accepting students as student workers in their agencies under the supervision of qualified fieldwork teachers. There is no provision for external studies.
First year (part-time study)
Social Work and Social Change 1 & 2
Human Development 1 & 2
Second year (full-time study)
Social Work Theory and Practice 1 & 2
Field Education 1 & 2
Law and Social Work Practice
Third year (full-time study)
Social Work Theory and Practice 3 & 4
Fields of Social Work Practice
Social Work and Social Enquiry
Field Education 3.
Subjects generally require written assignments such as essays, case studies and analyses of written and video case material. In the final year a major research project is included.Performance in fieldwork practicum is assessed on reports prepared by the fieldwork educator (supervisor) in consultation with the student and the field practicum supervisor (staff member) who visits several times throughout the practicum.
Prospective students need to be aware that the course is very demanding and there is little time available to undertake employment or other study commitments while they are enrolled as full-time students in the Bachelor of Social Work.
The combined degree course shares the objectives of both the BA and the BSW. Students should refer to the section on the BA for information regarding the Arts component of the combined course.
For entry to the combined course, current University of Melbourne students must have successfully completed at least one full-time year of their BA course including:
Arts courses produce flexible, literate and well-informed graduates with analytical and interpersonal skills who are socially aware and potential managers and leaders in many areas.
You receive valuable training in research methods, creative thinking, critical evaluation of sources, the development of written and verbal communication skills and the ability to analyse and organise complex material effectively.
These are all `marketable' skills and accomplishments which employers in a wide range of organisations recognise as desirable. Combined with personal interests and talents, these skills have the potential to lead to a satisfying career.
The University's Graduate Destination Survey shows that graduates often gain employment in professional areas which are closely related to the subjects they have studied. Examples include a graduate with an English and Language Studies major obtaining a position as a trainee editor with a publishing company, and a graduate with a Criminology major working as a youth worker.
Arts research skills are applicable in the workplace in many different contexts from research for politicians or trade unions to market research. Many Arts graduates also enter the business, corporate and government sectors in graduate trainee schemes. Graduates are also well placed to upgrade and increase their skills by pursuing further study to gain a professional qualification, such as the Bachelor of Social Work, the Bachelor of Teaching (offered by the Institute of Education);or through further research work leading to a higher degree. Arts graduates are able to transfer the skills they acquire across many sectors, and may become administrators in government, the diplomatic service, the arts, commerce and industry, archivists and historians, criminologists, psychologists, social workers, publishers, journalists, media and advertising professionals, curators in art galleries and museums, art conservationists, theatre directors, writers, poets, film directors and producers.
Further information:
Faculties : Economics and Commerce (Next) | Architecture and Planning (Previous) | Search | Help Handbook 1995 : Faculty of Arts
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1995. Status: Official Date created: Dec 7 1994 (Generated by rtftohtml 2.7.5) Last modified: Jan 5 1995 (fixed tables) Authorised by: Academic Registrar Maintainer: Arts@handbook.unimelb.edu.au