Bachelor of Arts
A contemporary, multidisciplinary and digitally driven course to meet student and industry needs.
Course essentials
ATAR
Lowest Adjusted ATAR 50.00
Entry requirements
Credit
Study mode
Online
Duration
Start dates
Locations
Online
Course overview
In this degree, you’ll study a wide range of subjects across the humanities, media and social sciences. At the same time, you’ll learn the skills of critical thinking, ethical thinking and communication that you need to succeed in the workplace. With a Bachelor of Arts you'll have a breadth of opportunity, whether it involves organising community events, reporting on natural disasters, working with policy in the public and private sector, or curating historical artefacts in a museum.
Students enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts course will have a unique opportunity to do a work placement with an employer. Workplace training is a core element of our cooperative education model, which provides students with a head start on a successful career. Federation University is partnering with employers to prime graduates for the workplace.
The Bachelor of Arts includes a substantial core study of critical and ethical thinking and cooperative learning, with a focus on developing transferable skills for life and work.
Students choose a major in one of:
- Digital Humanities
- English
- History and Heritage Studies
- Indigenous Studies
- Sociology
- Writing
You can also tailor your degree to your own interests by choosing from minors and majors that include:
- Criminal Justice
- Community Work
- Education
- Visual Arts (Arts Academy - Ballarat only)
- Business
- Information Technology
- Behavioural Studies
- Visual Culture (minor only)
Choosing from majors and minors allows you to explore areas of personal interest in more depth and achieve the disciplinary knowledge required for further study or development in professional areas such as information management, education, and communication.
You will graduate with skills that are highly adaptable to a changing society, where you're not limited to working in specialised areas. You could work across digital marketing and publishing, curating museum collections, in youth engagement programs or many other fields. You may go on to study education and teach your skills to others, or develop your research skills in a higher degree.
IT requirements
To do this course you’ll need a fast and reliable computer and access to high-speed internet. Expect to use about 5GB of data per month for every unit you’re doing. Find out more about the minimum IT requirements for studying with us.
Got questions?
Call us on 1800 333 864, start a live chat or submit an enquiry.
Student support
The support we offer is second to none. Need academic help? No problem. Extra access or financial assistance? Let’s see what we can do. View our student services.
The fine print
The commencement of all courses is subject to available funding and enrolment quotas.
Everything in this course overview is correct at the time of being published. However, the University reserves the right to alter any course, procedure or fee. Please check for changes before you apply or enrol.
Federation University uses Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding (for eligible students) to deliver training.
School department
Humanities and Social Sciences
Course co-ordinator
Lesley Speed
Career paths
After further study, you may become a teacher specialising in English, History, Humanities or SOSE (Studies of Society and Environment).
Fees and scholarships
Tuition fee information
Commonwealth Supported Places are subsidised by the Australian Government. The tuition fee is called the student contribution amount. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. For 0.5 EFTSL (60 credit point) courses the certificate fee is displayed. Your fee will depend on the units you chose, your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive.
How it's calculated
The government sets the fee each year. The amount depends on the discipline area and band of each unit. 2026 annual student contribution amounts for 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) range from $4,738 (Band 1) to $17,399 (Band 4). The sample course structure below link to the EFTSL, Band and fee for each unit or you can use our unit search to find these details.
Other fees
You will also need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Fee assistance
If you're eligible for a HECS-HELP loan, you can defer the payment of all or part of your student contribution fee. If you’re also eligible for a SA-HELP loan, you can defer your SSAF payment too. You won’t have to start paying either loan back until your income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold.
Scholarships
There’s a range of scholarships and grants available. Find out what you can apply for.
Course details
Start dates
Semester 1, 2027
1 March 2027
Locations
Mt Helen (on campus)
Online
Information
- Our Mt Helen, SMB, Camp St and Gillies St campuses are located in Ballarat. Testing.
- Online learning is only an option if you’re not studying on an international student visa. Testing
Contact hours
You’d be looking at about 25-30 hours per week (if you’re full time), but this includes on-campus classes and self-directed study (i.e. homework).
Work integrated learning
This course requires completion of 450 placement hours across 60 days
Co-operative paid placement
Sample course structure
Here’s what the course structure could look like. It’s just an example (so don’t use it for enrolment). Interested in the details? You can find current course structure or select a single unit name below to find out what it’s about and how much it costs.
- Understanding University Learning15 credit pointsATSGC1369
Major
Minor
Electives
- Critical and Digital Literacy15 credit pointsBAXDC1005
Major
Minor
Electives
- Professional Identity: Prep for work15 credit pointsCOOPC1021
Major
Minor
Electives
- Applied Ethics in Contemporary Societies15 credit pointsBAXDC2004
Major
Electives
- Cooperative Placement 1 (Arts)30 credit pointsCOOPA2001
Minor
Major
- Cooperative Placement 2 (Arts)30 credit pointsCOOPA2002
Major
Meet us at Open Day
Open Day is your chance to explore all that Federation has to offer. Meet current lecturers and students, ask course questions, learn about our support services and explore campus spaces.
We’ve got heaps of activities, tours and presentations planned. Basically, we want you to get a real feel for Federation. The atmosphere. The opportunities. The community.
Oh – and there’s no need to pack a sandwich. Lunch is on us.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements (year 12)
Admissions Criteria for current Year 12 students and recent secondary graduates (the past 2 years)
Prerequisites
- Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 20 in any English.
This course uses the ATAR as part of its selection considerations.
Guaranteed ATAR
This course has a guaranteed ATAR.
If you meet the course pre-requisites and any ‘Essential Requirements for Admission’, we will guarantee you a place in this course with this ATAR. We use the adjusted ATAR, factoring in subject adjustments and SEAS as detailed below.
Subject Adjustments
A study score of 35 in any Humanities, any History, Literature, Media or Philosophy equals 3 aggregate points per study. Overall maximum of 5 points.
SEAS (Special Entry Access Scheme)
Applicants who have experienced educational disadvantage are encouraged to apply for the Special Entry Access Schemes (SEAS). Depending on eligibility and your circumstances, a SEAS application may provide support for your course application.
Entry requirements (non year 12)
Admission criteria for applicants with a Higher Education Study
Compulsory: Previous higher education studies with results at a pass level, including any 'single subjects of study', or successful completion of a tertiary preparatory course such as the Federation Access Studies Program (FAST).
Admission criteria for applications with a Vocational Education and Training study
Compulsory: Successful completion of a relevant VET qualification at Certificate III level or higher.
Admission criteria for applications with work and life experience
Applicants who have not completed secondary education, or undertaken any TAFE or university studies will not be eligible for entry into this course. Applicants in this category should consider a pathway course such as Federation Access Studies (FAST) Program
English language requirements
Overall Academic IELTS band score of 6.0 with no band less than 6.0 or equivalent
How you apply will depend on your current situation – school leaver, tertiary background or life experience – and whether you’re also applying for courses at other institutions. Visit our how to apply page to find out more.
Ready to fill out your application? You might need these codes:
- VTAC application
- Yes
- VTAC code
- 3700510101 - Mt Helen (on campus)
3700810101 - Online - Direct application
- Yes
- Federation University code
- HM5
TAFE
Completed Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma qualifications will be considered for admission.
Preference will be given to students whose prior studies include courses in humanities, e.g. professional writing and editing, liberal arts, media and communications, justice studies, marketing and public relations.
Credit will be considered based on the TAFE qualification completed and its relevance to the degree.
University
Successful completion of at least one (1) Australian university-level (or equivalent) unit will be considered for admission.
Additional units will enhance a student's application. Students are encouraged to consider units that relate to the arts or social sciences.
Credit for any other previous studies will only be granted from those completed no more than 10 years prior to admission.
Entry via FAST
This course is eligible for entry via the Foundation Access Studies (FAST) program. FAST is designed to provide alternative entry to tertiary study at Federation University Australia. You may also be eligible for credit into this course, depending on your selected major/s. Please contact us for further information