Bachelor of Theology/Bachelor of Philosophy

Explore the linguistic phenomena of our ancient past and apply this wisdom to contemporary contexts. Study an ancient languages minor as part of your theology degree and you’ll learn more than how to decipher and apply writings from antiquity. You'll get up close with ancient religious texts, and develop tools to decipher their many meanings. These tools can then be adapted to a wide range of vocations and careers long after you graduate.

The minor sequence in biblical languages will enable students to develop facilities in reading the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek. By studying the languages of the biblical authors as part of your theology degree you will learn more than how to decipher and apply your knowledge to the Bible. You will also get up close with ancient religious texts, and develop tools to decipher their many meanings. These tools can then be adapted to a wide range of vocations and careers long after you graduate.

The minor sequence in Christian practice explores the nature and meaning of prayer, liturgy, spirituality and community engagement in the Christian tradition. Studies in Christian practice serve to complement your broader studies in biblical studies and Christian thought by the development of a critical appreciation of how Christians live out their faith lives as an expression of their understanding of the Christian scriptures and Christian doctrine.

Our multicultural societies are home to a vibrant mix of religious beliefs and experiences. Undertaking a minor sequence in study of religions is an exploration of this diversity and its implications for contemporary society. You will study three of the major world religions —Christianity, Judaism and Islam — as well as having the opportunity to study religions practised in contemporary South and East Asia. We also look at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spiritualities, and their connectedness to Country, as well as exploring the spiritual and religious traditions of other Indigenous peoples from around the world. In all units of study, study of religions goes beyond merely understanding the practice of religion.

The minor sequence in drama provides you with a comprehensive overview of theatrical literature and history and a grounding in production work. Through performances, workshops and practical classes, ACU’s drama sequence develops your skills in many areas including theatre production, stage management, direction, and acting, as well as knowledge of theatre history and repertoire. You’ll gain transferrable skills in communication and public speaking, allowing you to seek employment in the performing arts industry or use the skills developed in other professional contexts. When combined with an appropriate tertiary teaching qualification, the drama major is a pathway to becoming a secondary-school drama teacher. You do not need any previous theatre experience and there are no prerequisites for studying this sequence at ACU.

The psychology minor sequence provides you with a comprehensive and systematic study of human behaviour. The emphasis is on the dynamic nature of our behaviours and the interaction of biological, social and cultural factors that influence these at all levels and at all stages of the life span.

(Please note this minor does not offer a career pathway to become a psychologist).

The archaeology minor sequence will focus on the societies of people in the past through engaging with their ancient landscapes, physical remains and material culture. You will focus on Ancient Israel in its Near Eastern context and Rome, especially its province of Judaea. The minor includes coursework and fieldwork opportunities.

The business studies minor sequence offers students the opportunity to gain an understanding in areas including human resource management, finance, marketing and accounting. If you’re studying a Bachelor of Arts you could choose to combine your business studies minor with a range of related areas such as economics, politics and international relations or digital media.

Students can choose to learn skills that underpin successful university study and also develop abilities that are immediately transferrable to any workplace and are highly sought after by employers. Depending on unit selection, the sequence develops hands-on skills in interpersonal, intercultural, and workplace communication, as well as providing training in oral and written communication skills. You will have the opportunity to select units that will let you work with different modes of writing including report writing, creative writing, writing for social media, feature writing and blogs, and you will be taught to speak in public, lead meetings, conduct interviews and negotiations and undertake mediation and conflict management. Students will leave the minor as confident and capable communicators. Employers value staff who possess the ‘soft skills’ that are developed within a Communications minor. Having a willingness to collaborate, being able to effectively problem solve, having critical thinking skills, possessing good interpersonal skills, and being able to adapt to change are in high demand in the workplace.

Digital Technologies drive innovation in every aspect of contemporary life and is an essential and component of many disciplines. The computing sequence develops knowledge and skills in information technology, explores data communications and database systems, and introduces students to problem solving and design in digital technologies and programming. The knowledge and skills gained in the minor expands opportunities for students seeking careers in the growing number of fields that require a strong foundation in computing.

The philosophy minor sequence introduces you to serious and detailed thinking about the really big questions concerning reality as a whole, human nature, ethics, language, religion, truth and knowledge, logic, beauty, and justice. The study of philosophy, in both its historical and contemporary dimensions, assists you to develop critical thinking skills and clarity of thought, through which you learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of complex arguments while also honing verbal and written communication skills. Employers across a very broad range of industries (including education, business, public administration, law, media and technology) report that they highly value the kinds of adaptable skills and attributes possessed by philosophy graduates.

Through the study of a broad range of literary texts and approaches to reading them, the English minor sequence familiarises you with literary traditions and contemporary literary cultures. This minor will reveal the varied ways in which people have lived, thought, felt and imagined, opening up new worlds of understanding. You will develop vital transferrable skills in effective reading, writing, analysis and interpretation that will equip you for rewarding careers in teaching, journalism, the media, and other professions that require articulate and culturally literate graduates.

The geography, environment and society minor sequence exposes you to the major environmental issues and challenges our world faces today. It provides a methodology for analysis and interpretation and allows you to critically evaluate management strategies. 

Graphic design is an innovative and essential component of contemporary visual culture and the built environment. Understanding the principles of effective visual communication adds competitive value to projects from all disciplines and allows you to develop a broad range of skills transferable to any workplace. The graphic design minor sequence will prepare you with authentic assessment projects designed to build experience and understanding of design processes methodology and equip you to confidently create and assess effective visual communication and develop your own design solution strategies. Graphic design units focus on the following areas: design for publication, information design, interactive and web design, typography, illustration, social media, visual storytelling and the digital image. Regardless of your technical background, you will acquire broad skills in current design software programs in a workshop-based computer lab class.

The history minor sequence brings the past to life by introducing you to a diverse range of societies and cultures that have shaped the modern world. History at ACU has an exciting and innovative global focus. You will have the opportunity to study European, American, Australian, Indigenous, Asian and Ancient history, and to engage with key themes such as war and peace, race and class, gender and sexuality, violence and terrorism, and film and popular culture. In exploring the people, ideas and events that have defined the past and given meaning to the present, you will develop critical skills that will equip you for a rich and rewarding professional career. 

The healthy development minor sequence gives you the opportunity to study contemporary topics in health and human development. This minor sequence explores issues related to nutrition and exercise; the human life cycle from birth to death, families, sex, adolescence and international perspectives on health issues. If you wish to do a Master of Teaching you can take this sequence in the Bachelor of Arts as a pathway to teaching health and human development in schools. Alternately, the minor can be taken alongside sequences such as sociology and youth work to provide a broader perspective on health and development.

The international development studies minor sequence focuses on contemporary understandings of the causes and consequences of poverty, conflict, refugees and migration, and develops work-ready skills in project management, research and policy development. You’ll be prepared for a career, either domestically or abroad, in a diverse range of government and non-government organisations tasked with supporting the alleviation of poverty in the developing world.

The minor sequence in mathematics is designed to provide a broad introduction to the study of traditional and contemporary mathematics. Highlights include introductions to cryptography, project management, networks, mathematical modelling, and finance. The minor also covers the traditional areas required by those intending to become primary or secondary teachers, as teaching of mathematics from K-12 is a high demand field and the demand will grow in the future.

The Music sequence develops skills in composition, music technology, musicology, music criticism and analysis. Students engage with the fundamentals of music language as it operates in a diverse range of styles and genres, and are taught to observe, understand and apply complex music processes drawn from the music of the past and the present. Students also engage with the cultural, social, aesthetic, historical and ethical functions of music through studies in musicology. Career outcomes that can arise from this sequence include teaching (when the major is combined with year 12 music performance or AMEB grade five and a tertiary teaching qualification), freelance composition (for film, television, video games, and commercials), music journalism and blogging, publishing, music administration, music retail, music research and work as 'embedded' creative practitioners using the skills developed through the sequence in the corporate and public sector.

Politics is the study of power, violence and justice in our world. The questions of who gets what, why and how much, are persistent concerns plaguing all societies. In a world increasingly short of resources, individuals and nations now frequently do battle with each other to secure their own prosperity and peace. By looking at how these battles are won and lost, the discipline of politics gives you insight into the workings of diplomacy, warfare, elections, the global economy, the nature of political parties, and the rise and fall of great powers. From everyday politics at the local level to the politics among nations, the politics and international relations minor sequence at ACU will offer you the conceptual tools to think critically and act decisively in a world that is ever changing.

Sociology is one of the most relevant disciplines for understanding complex social, cultural, and political phenomena today. Often cited as the "Queen of Disciplines" due to it producing a number of key ideas used by many subjects that study society and culture, sociology offers students a range of exciting theoretical, methodological, and conceptual tools for an understanding of human action, social and systemic change, institutions, and the deeper meanings of life. With subject matter such as globalisation, religion, health, work and economy, social movements, gender, and culture, sociologists are often crucially involved in a number of key debates around the ideas and events that impact on real people and their communities. All of these areas are a part of the sociology sequence at the ACU. Operating in both government and private industry, sociologists are employed in a variety of roles that centre on people and their environments including community project officers, policy planners and researchers, marketers and social media publicists. Sociology at the ACU helps students acquire high-order transferrable skills in reasoning, theorising, communicating, and research to do with a broader and deeper perspective of events, all of which are highly sought after by employers.

Cultivate an adult faith and deeper spirituality. A major sequence in theological studies gives you new enthusiasm, fresh insight and deeper understanding to the gift of faith, and greater depth to spiritual experience. Key themes in theological studies include: the person and work of Jesus Christ; the Word of God in the Scriptures; the sacraments and the Church’s liturgy; and the values, practices, responsibilities and traditions of a Christian way of life. It relates faith, spirituality and scholarship to a concern for human flourishing, the common good, the dignity of the human person, and stewardship of the environment and all creation. Various theological approaches will be considered in the light of contemporary worldviews and interfaith dialogue. You can examine the theme of social justice and its importance in the mission and teaching of Jesus, a study which assists you in thinking critically about the world around you.

The visual arts minor offers a mix of art and design history and theory and studio-based fine art. You will be trained by staff who are active practitioners in their field and benefit from small class sizes in an intimate studio environment.

Youth work is an exciting and challenging minor sequence that introduces you to the theoretical insights and practical competencies required for dealing with the needs, problems and aspirations of young people. The youth work sequence acknowledges the social and cultural environments within which young people live and helps foster young people's emotional and social development. Subjects in the sequence include youth sociology, adolescent development, youth work practice and building relationships and supporting young people and youth work in community and family settings.