7. Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BASc)

The Bachelor of Arts and Sciences is a single degree course which allows students to study subjects from both the faculties of Arts and Science.

BASc students will be able to complete majors in both faculties, and have the option to complete an honours year in either arts or science. The degree will appeal to applicants who wish to study more broadly than is currently possible in either the BA or the BSc, but who do not wish to complete the five years of study required for the combined BA/BSc course.

7.1. Course objectives

The Bachelor of Arts and Sciences course has as its objectives that graduates:

can demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of selected fields of study in the sciences, humanities, languages and social and behavioural sciences, and a higher understanding in one or more of these disciplines;
can access and appreciate national and international debates in their areas of study;
can apply critical and analytical skills and methods to the identification and resolution of problems within a changing social context;
when solving scientific problems:
- are capable of applying appropriate knowledge,
- are able to access relevant information,
- understand the principles of project and experimental design,
- have a capacity to apply practical skills and technology;
have the knowledge, skill and attitude to enable adaptation to scientific, technological and social change, and have an appreciation of the historical background and evolution of scientific concepts;
can demonstrate an independent approach to knowledge that uses rigorous methods of inquiry and appropriate theories and methodologies that are applied with intellectual honesty and respect for ethical values;
can communicate effectively and, in the case of those students undertaking a language major, are able to read, write and speak with fluency and with an appreciation of the cultural context of the language;
can act as informed and critically discriminating participants within the community of scholars, as citizens and in the workplace;
have a sense of intellectual curiosity and a desire for lifelong learning, and a capacity to be creative and inventive; and
are proficient in the use of appropriate modern technologies, such as computer and audio-visual systems, for the acquisition, processing and interpretation of data.

7.2. Attributes of the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences graduate

In the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences at the University of Melbourne we expect to educate our students with the fundamental skills of transforming information into knowledge and communicating this knowledge clearly. These outcomes are fully consistent with the University's general ambition for our graduates, and emphasise the transferability of the skills practised in the arts and in science.

Throughout their course students will find that many of the abilities that they develop are shared by, and so are valued by and are applicable to, activities in all walks of life. In particular, these are the skills that are essential to providing leadership to the science-technology base of the Australian economy and culture.

The Bachelor of Arts and Sciences aims to educate and train students in both science and humanities areas of study. The course enables students to access a major (specialisation) stream in both the arts and science components of the degree, which may be chosen as complementary or independent to each other.

Through their scientific training, these graduates have a broad knowledge of science across a range of disciplines, with a higher level of understanding in one or more of these disciplines. They also have an appreciation of the historical background and evolution of scientific concepts. They have the knowledge, skills and attitude to enable them to adapt to scientific, technological and social change and have a sense of intellectual curiosity and a desire for lifelong learning.

From their exposure to a range of quantitative and qualitative disciplines, Bachelor of Arts and Sciences graduates have strong cognitive, social and communication skills. In particular they are able to:

synthesise and evaluate information from a range of sources and add new ideas to their existing knowledge;
observe, record and evaluate data or evidence appropriately;
make effective use of information to identify and solve problems;
synthesise and integrate disparate elements into a meaningful whole;
express ideas, opinions and judgements and present them effectively in written or oral format that is appropriate to the audience;
question, reflect and clarify;
explain and defend their position on an issue; and
work effectively in group discussions.

Graduates in arts and sciences are independent and creative thinkers, and are able to approach scientific or social issues creatively. They are used to formulating hypotheses which can be tested for validity. They can extrapolate from the known to the unknown and are comfortable working with analogues rather than needing to deal with literal situations.

Studies in the humanities and social sciences strengthen students' understanding of the need to question and clarify issues surrounding a particular situation before developing a response. By suspending judgement and listening to other points of view, they are able to build on the ideas of others enabling their strong critical analysis skills. These studies also provide graduates with excellent written and oral communication skills.

The science disciplines also value clear reporting. Consequently, the arts and sciences graduate has developed skills of efficient and effective communication of ideas and results, whether in the accepted modes of scientific report writing or through more informal oral presentations. Graduates recognise the need to present information and ideas in an effective written form that is appropriate to the purpose and the reader.

Having undertaken laboratory and tutorial classes, arts and sciences graduates are adept at activity planning as well as the application of theory to practice. Some students will have found collaborative learning an efficient tool, while others will find their practical work enhanced by effective teamwork.

The need to manage the multiplicity of tasks (lectures, laboratory and assignment work), means that arts and sciences graduates are aware of the need to structure and manage time effectively and efficiently, to retain balance and to prioritise their activities. They are able to juggle several tasks simultaneously, take responsibility for their own work, independently or within a group, and to plan their schedule appropriately.

The breadth of the Science @ Melbourne program means that arts and sciences graduates will have been exposed, directly or indirectly, to thoughts and ideas from a number of bodies of knowledge. These graduates are aware of the breadth and depth of knowledge in areas beyond their specific areas of specialisation.

7.3. Duration

The course involves four years of full-time study, and may be studied part time.

7.4. Course requirements

The BASc degree requires the completion of a minimum (and maximum) of 400 points of study, comprising 200 points of subjects from approved departments of each faculty. The study must be completed according to the requirements stated below.

Subjects offered by the School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies, the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and the Department of Philosophy cannot count toward the science requirement of the BASc course.

Students undertaking psychology subjects can receive credit toward either the science or arts requirement of the BASc course. Credit for psychology cannot be split between the two faculties. Students should advise the Faculty of Science Office if they would like psychology to count toward the science requirement of their BASc course.

7.4.1. Arts requirement

A minimum (and maximum) of 200 arts points is required, of which:

50 points must be at 100-level;
75 points must be at 200-level;
75 points must be at 300-level.

This study must be in arts-approved subjects. Refer to list of arts-approved subject areas ( see Which subjects are arts-approved?). All language subjects are also arts-approved.

7.4.2. Science requirement

A minimum (and maximum) of 200 science points is required, which must include:

50 points, but no more than 75 points, at the 100-level;
completion of 50 points of a prescribed science major at the 300-level.

Students who first enrolled in the BASc course before 1999 must complete the requirements set out above with the exception that they do not need to complete a prescribed science major, but rather 50 science points at the 300-level of subjects of their choice.

Students should refer to the course planning information on Course planning information for the BSc, BASc and BSc combined courses for details relating to their science studies, including information about majors and science and non-science points.

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