Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) (Honours)
Course information for - 2025 entry
Domestic
- Domestic
- Domestic
Offered at 1 locations
- North Sydney
- North Sydney
- Duration
- 1 year full-time or equivalent part-time
- ATAR
- New
- Fees (first year)*
- Start dates
-
Semester 1 intake: Beginning February 2025Applications open August 2024Midyear (Semester 2) intake: Beginning July 2025Applications open April 2025
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)(Honours) is an honours year program of study in the liberal arts, focused on a ‘great books’ approach to the history of ideas in Western culture. The program builds upon the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) course and consolidates student learning in the liberal arts, directing students through advanced seminars on hermeneutics and the critical interpretation of foundational texts in the Western canon, as well as a capstone research thesis that encounters key texts from an interdisciplinary perspective and a research methods unit.
Students admitted to the honours course would be covered by the existing Philanthropic Agreement (2020). As noted above, this agreement provides a generous scholarship (worth $32,000 p.a. from January 2023) for a course (or eligible combination of courses) lasting up to 5 years.
Discover ACU's Western Civilisation Program.
Course details
Course structure
To qualify for this award, a student must complete 80 cp comprising of:
- 20 cp from Advanced Coursework units
- 10 cp from Research Theory and Methods units
- 40 cp from Thesis units
- 10 cp from Elective units
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
Overseas study available
Students have to option to elect to study a unit overseas.
Entry requirements
Applicants must comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
International applicants need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites:
1. the ACU Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)
OR
2. Equivalent of an Australian bachelor’s degree in a *related discipline
Students must have attained a minimum GPA of 5.50 in the relevant undergraduate degree, as stipulated in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
*Related disciplines
Ancient History, Archaeology, Classics, Creative Arts, Drama, English, Fine Arts, Geography, Modern History, Modern European Languages and Literatures, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, Study of Religions, Theological Studies, and Visual Arts.
Applicants are also assessed on each of the following to determine suitability for this course:
- Personal statement or essay
- Performance at interview
- Demonstrated suitability on the basis of additional requirements for academic excellence
Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2025 Admission.
Applicants with higher education study
You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements and subject prerequisites for your chosen course.
If you have completed at least two units of AQF-recognised study at bachelor level or above, we’ll assign you with a new selection rank that reflects your study level, duration, and grade point average.
If your prior study or relevant work experience has provided you with knowledge, skills or experience aligned with the learning outcomes of units in your new course, you may be eligible to gain credit for study or have your prior learning recognised. This means you may be able to complete your ACU course in a shorter timeframe.
You can use our credit search tool to see what you might be eligible for. For more information about credit and recognition of prior learning at ACU, follow the link below.
Adjustment factors
If you’re currently completing Year 12 you may be eligible for adjustment factors that can boost your rank and help you get into your desired course.
Adjustment factors may be applied to your TAC application if you study particular subjects, attend schools geographically close to our campuses or in certain regional areas, apply as an elite athlete or performer or meet certain other criteria.
Inherent requirement
There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.
Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you
Pathways
Further study
Graduates of this course may be eligible for entry into further postgraduate coursework degree programs.
Fees
Course costs
*This is an indicative first-year fee based on the tuition fee rates for a full-time student, using unit enrolment data from domestic students who studied the course in the previous year.
A student’s annual fee will vary depending on factors including:
- Number of units studied per year
- Choice of major or specialisation
- Elective units
The University reviews fees annually.
You can view current course costs and domestic tuition fee rates by unit.
Payment options
You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.
Scholarships
You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.
Staff Profile
Associate Professor Johanna Harris
Postgraduate Course Coordinator, Western Civilisation Program
Johanna Harris is Associate Professor in the Western Civilisation Program (North Sydney) and Postgraduate Course Coordinator. Her teaching and research focus is on the literature, religion, and politics of the early modern period, with particular interest in non-fictional prose, especially letters, manuscript culture, and puritanism. Raised in the Blue Mountains, she graduated from the University of Sydney with BA (Hons), and then went to the University of Oxford as a Clarendon Scholar, from where she graduated with MSt and DPhil in English. Harris’ publications have focused on well-known writers such as Andrew Marvell, Richard Baxter, and Thomas Traherne, and lesser-known writers such as Brilliana Harley and Lucy Robartes. She is also interested in the ethical value of literature, particularly human dignity, bibliotherapy and the medical humanities, and the role of literature in enhancing intergenerational cohesion.