The Bachelor of Arts is the most diverse, most flexible, and most popular degree at The Australian National University. Each of its some forty majors, in fields throughout the arts, humanities and social sciences, is taught by truly outstanding scholars to ensure that each student receives the very best education, is engaged with cutting-edge research, and learns to think like a researcher. These majors can be coupled with more than seventy minors and specialisations to broaden or deepen your study. Regardless of your choices, your Arts degree will provide you with core skills in critical analysis and in written and oral communication, while developing your adaptability and ability to help shape change and prepare you for a multifaceted career or further study.

Digital + Material

Innovation + Engagement

Combine cutting-edge digital practices with internationally-renowned art and craft studio disciplines in the Bachelor of Design.

Design students will benefit from deep immersion in digital, manual and theoretical studies and a wide overview of creative practices. From coding, to making, to manufacture, students apply hands-on design to digital and physical materials. Students delve into web design, data visualisation, and interaction design, and experiment in studios to develop expertise in the latest digital form and fabrication processes.

This degree prepares students with transferable knowledge and skills required to make their mark on a rapidly changing world.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts may find work in publishing, policy, education, international development, politics, media, information technology, communications, journalism, aid, advertising, art conservation, government and many other fields.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts may find work in publishing, policy, education, international development, politics, media, information technology, communications, journalism, aid, advertising, art conservation, government and many other fields.

Learning Outcomes

1. critically apply theoretical frameworks and research techniques to understanding national and international issues and problems;
2. identify, including through interrogation of databases, relevant sources of information from across a variety of media (print and digital, written and audio-visual) and judge the importance and reliability of those sources;
3. evaluate ideas and develop creative solutions to problems, including through independent pursuit of knowledge and making connections between different disciplinary approaches and methods;
4. communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a variety of media; and
5. understand the ethical implications of ideas, communications, and actions.

1. demonstrate skills and knowledge of the practices, languages, forms, materials and technologies in their relevant discipline;
2. research, develop and evaluate design concepts and processes by thinking creatively, critically and reflectively;
3. apply skills and knowledge to the creation, visualisation and production of design projects;
4. work independently and collaboratively on design projects and respond to project demands;
5. interpret, communicate and present ideas, problems and arguments in modes suited to a range of audiences; and
6. recognise and reflect on social, cultural technological, environmental and ethical issues of creative practice and design considering local and international perspectives.

Further Information

APAC accreditation and pathway to Honours in Psychology

The Bachelor of Arts is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) when students complete the accredited sequence of psychology courses.

• Students admitted to an ANU BSc, BARTS or PhB prior to 2023 who wish to be eligible for Honours in Psychology must complete the courses from the Psychology major and specialisation in order to satisfy the APAC accredited sequence of courses and achieve the minimum required learning in Psychology. The minimum required learning is achieved by successful completion of PSYC1003 , PSYC1004 , PSYC2001 , PSYC2002 , PSYC2007 , PSYC2008 , PSYC2009 , PSYC3018 , PSYC3025 , PSYC3026 and an additional 2 x 3000 level PSYC courses (or, for PhB students, 3000 level SCNC courses with a psychology supervisor). It is strongly recommended students also complete PSYC2012 and PSYC3020 (PSYC3020 will contribute towards the additional 2 x 3000 level PSYC course requirement).
• Students admitted to an ANU BSc, BARTS or PhB from 2023 onwards who wish to be eligible for Honours in Psychology must complete the courses from the Psychology major and specialisation in order to satisfy the APAC accredited sequence of courses and achieve the minimum required learning in Psychology. The minimum required learning is achieved by successful completion of PSYC1003 , PSYC1004 , PSYC2001 , PSYC2007 , PSYC2008 , PSYC2009 , PSYC2012 , PSYC3018 , PSYC3020 , PSYC3025 , PSYC3026 and PSYC3202.

APAC accreditation and pathway to Honours in Psychology

The Bachelor of Arts is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) when students complete the accredited sequence of psychology courses.

• Students admitted to an ANU BSc, BARTS or PhB prior to 2023 who wish to be eligible for Honours in Psychology must complete the courses from the Psychology major and specialisation in order to satisfy the APAC accredited sequence of courses and achieve the minimum required learning in Psychology. The minimum required learning is achieved by successful completion of PSYC1003 , PSYC1004 , PSYC2001 , PSYC2002 , PSYC2007 , PSYC2008 , PSYC2009 , PSYC3018 , PSYC3025 , PSYC3026 and an additional 2 x 3000 level PSYC courses (or, for PhB students, 3000 level SCNC courses with a psychology supervisor). It is strongly recommended students also complete PSYC2012 and PSYC3020 (PSYC3020 will contribute towards the additional 2 x 3000 level PSYC course requirement).
• Students admitted to an ANU BSc, BARTS or PhB from 2023 onwards who wish to be eligible for Honours in Psychology must complete the courses from the Psychology major and specialisation in order to satisfy the APAC accredited sequence of courses and achieve the minimum required learning in Psychology. The minimum required learning is achieved by successful completion of PSYC1003 , PSYC1004 , PSYC2001 , PSYC2007 , PSYC2008 , PSYC2009 , PSYC2012 , PSYC3018 , PSYC3020 , PSYC3025 , PSYC3026 and PSYC3202.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites

Adjustment Factors

Adjustment factors are additional points added to an applicant's Selection Rank (for example an applicant's ATAR). ANU offers adjustment factors based on performance and equity principles, such as for high achievement in nationally strategic senior secondary subjects and for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies. 

Selection Rank adjustments are granted in accordance with the approved schedules, and no more than 15 (maximum 5 subject/performance-based adjustment factors and maximum 10 equity-based adjustment factors) can be awarded. 

You may be considered for adjustment factors if you have:

• applied for an eligible ANU Bachelor degree program
• undertaken Australian Year 12 or the International Baccalaureate
• achieved an ATAR or equivalent at or above 70
• not previously attempted tertiary study.

Please visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:

A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 96 units must consist of:

48 units from the completion of one of the following majors

MAJORS

Disciplines and Fields

Anthropology

Archaeology

Art History and Curatorial Studies

Australian Indigenous Studies

Biological Anthropology

Classical Studies

Composition

Composition for Film and Video Games

Criminology

Demography

Development Studies

Digital Humanities

Economic Studies

English

Environmental Studies

Gender, Sexuality and Culture

Geography

Global Security

History

Human Evolutionary Biology

Human Rights

International Communication

International Relations

Linguistics

Mathematics

Music

Music Technology

Musicology

Peace and Conflict Studies

Performance

Philosophy

Political Science

Popular Music

Psychology

Screen Studies

Sociology

War Studies

Languages

Ancient Greek

Arabic

Chinese Language

French Language and Culture

German Language and Culture

Hindi Language

Indonesian Language

Italian Language and Culture

Japanese Language

Japanese Linguistics

Korean Language

Latin

Persian

Sanskrit Language

Spanish

Thai Language

Vietnamese Language

Geographically Defined Area Studies

Asian Studies

Asian History

Asian and Pacific Culture, Media and Gender

Chinese Studies

Indian and South Asian Studies

Indonesian Studies

Japanese Studies

Korean Studies

Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies

Middle East Politics and Security

Northeast Asian Studies

Pacific Studies

Southeast Asian Studies

EITHER:

48 units from completion of a second major from the list above

OR

24 units from completion of one of the following minors, which must have a different name to the major

MINORS

Disciplines and Fields

Advanced Studies

Anthropology

Applied Linguistics

Archaeology

Australian Indigenous Studies

Biological Anthropology

Classical Studies

Climate Science and Policy

Criminology

Demography

Design

Development Studies

Digital Humanities

Economic Studies

English

Environmental Policy

Environmental Studies

Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Linguistics

Gender and Sexuality

Geography

Global Security

Health, Medicine and the Body

Heritage and Museum Studies

History

Human Ecology

Human Evolutionary Biology

Human Rights

Indian and South Asian Studies

International Communication

International Relations

Linguistics

Mathematics

Music

Peace and Conflict Studies

Philosophy and Science

Philosophy

Political Science

Screen Studies

Social Psychology

Social Research Methods

Sociology

Sustainable Development

Visual Arts Practice

War Studies

The Bachelor of Design flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:

A maximum of 42 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

The 96 units must include:

36 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

DESN1002 Visual Communication: Design and Production

DESN1003 Contemporary Design in Context

DESN1004 The Past as Prototype: History, Ethics and Concepts for Design in the Twenty-First Century

DESN2008 Design Thinking: Human-Centred Design Methodologies

DESN3010 Design Studio: Independent Practice

DESN3011 Design Studio: Engagement and Collaboration

A minimum of 6 units from the completion of foundation courses from the following recommended list

ARTV1020 Figure and Life

ARTV1033 Hold Everything: Studio Foundation

ARTV1034 Foundations of Contemporary Arts Practices

DESN1005 Precise Drawing and Model Making

Or any other 1000 level ARTV course.

A minimum of 12 units from the completion of interdisciplinary concepts and theories courses from the following list:

ANTH1002 Culture and Human Diversity: Introducing Anthropology 

ANTH1003 Global Citizen: Culture, Development and Inequality 

ANTH2005 Traditional Australian Indigenous Cultures, Societies and Environment 

ANTH2009 Culture and Development 

ANTH2017 Culture, Social Justice and Aboriginal Society Today 

ANTH2025 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 

ANTH2026 Medicine, Healing and the Body 

ANTH2132 Food for Thought: Anthropological Theories of Food and Eating 

ANTH2134 States and Citizens: Anthropological Perspectives 

ARTH1006 Art History and Curatorial Studies 1: Cultures and Meaning

ARTH1007 Art History and Curatorial Studies 2: Vision and Materiality

ARTH2001 Art History and Curatorial Studies In-Country 

ARTH2050 Photography and Art 

ARTH2052 Art of the Multiple 

ARTH2180 Fashion Histories

ARTH2098 Australian First Nations Art and Culture 

ARTH2167 Issues in Contemporary Craft and Design  

ARTH2169 Introducing Asian Modernisms

ARTH2170 Contemporary Asian Art 

ARTH2174 Art and the Body: Gender and Sexuality

ARTH2176 Cross Currents in Australian First Nations and Non-Indigenous Art and Culture 

ARTH3005 Art, Racial Politics, and the Public Sphere 

ARTH3057 Art and Politics of Collecting 

ENVS1001 Environment and Society: Geography of Sustainability 

ENVS1003 Introduction to Environmental and Social Research 

ENVS1004 Australia’s Environment 

ENVS1008 Sustainable Development 

GEND1001 Sex, Gender and Identity: An Introduction to Gender Studies 

GEND1002 Reading Popular Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Studies 

GEND2023 Gender, Sex and Sexuality: An Introduction to Feminist Theory 

GEND2034 Going Public: Sex, Sexuality and Feminism 

GEND2036 Excessive Appetites: Sociocultural Perspectives on Addiction and Drug Use 

GEND2057 Relationships, Marriage and Family 

HUMN1001 Digital Culture: Being Human in the Information Age 

HUMN2001 Introduction to Digital Humanities and Public Culture - Tools, Theories and Methods 

INDG1001 Country, Kinship and Continuities: An Introduction to Australian Indigenous Studies 

INDG1002 Resilience, Rights and Resurgence

INDG2001 Indigenous Cultural and Natural Resource Management 

MEDN2222 Exquisite Corpse - Insight into the Human Body 

PHIL1004 Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction 

PHIL1005 Logic and Critical Thinking 

PHIL1008 Introduction to Ethics 

PSYC1003 Psychology 1: Understanding Mind, Brain and Behaviour 

PSYC1004 Psychology 2: Understanding People in Context 

PSYC1005 The Wellbeing Formula: The Science and Practice of Making a Good Life 

SOCY1002 Self and Society 

SOCY1004 Economy and Society: Work, Care and Identity

SOCY1006 Society and Technological Change 

A minimum of 24 units from completion of design courses from the following list: 

DESN2001 Digital Form and Fabrication 

DESN2002 Foundations of Creative Code 

DESN2003 Creative Data Visualisation: Representing Data in Visual and Material Form 

DESN2004 Autonomous Agents

DESN2006 Front-End Web: Crafting Online Experience 

DESN2007 Design Fiction: Speculative and Critical Design 

DESN2009 Typography in Context: Digital Typographic Design 

DESN2010 Making Creative and Critical Technologies: Physical Computing for Art and Design 

DESN2012 The Ethics of Making: Design for Reuse and Repair 

DESN2015 Supporting Bodies: Now that we're here, where do we sit?

A maximum of 18 units from completion of studio courses listed in the:

Visual Arts Practice Minor

Majors

Bachelor of Arts Majors

Minors

Bachelor of Arts Minors

Bachelor of Design Minors

Study Options