The brightest minds exploring the biggest questions.
Study a Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation), Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Master of Teaching (Secondary) or Master of Liberal Arts (Western Civilisation) with ACU – exciting courses exploring the intellectual tradition and culture of the West. Ramsay Scholarships are available.
These are liberal arts degrees that will give ambitious students a broad understanding of Western literature, philosophy, art, politics, religion, science and history, and a deep appreciation of the ways in which these traditions (in dialogue with other cultures) have helped to shape the modern world.
The Ramsay Centre is funding 30 generous scholarships valued at up to $160,000 to support students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation), Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Laws or the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Master of Teaching (Secondary) at the North Sydney Campus.
The scholarships are valued at $32,000 per year of the degree. So you will receive up to $96,000 for the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation), up to $160,000 for the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Laws, and up to $144,000 for the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Master of Teaching (Secondary). It includes funding for an optional international study experience and an early payment to help offset start-up costs such as relocation and accommodation.
Postgraduate
ACU is offering up to 10 Ramsay Scholarships to students undertaking this degree, funded by the Ramsay Centre, each valued at up to $48,000 ($32,000 per year of the degree). Students eligible for scholarships will be selected by a committee, comprising senior ACU and Ramsay Centre staff.
Scholarships are granted based on academic merit and alignment with Ramsay attributes (such as leadership qualities, commitment to the enrichment of society, and a critical habit of mind), and alignment with ACU’s mission and focus (such as commitment to the dignity of the human person and the common good).
What you will study
You will explore the past, present and future of Western intellectual life and culture through immersion in some of the key literary, philosophical, artistic, religious, political and scientific works that have shaped the Western intellectual tradition from antiquity to the present.
As you progress through the course, you will develop a deep understanding of the key ideas and principles that have defined – and continue to define – Western culture and which have significantly shaped the wider world.
You will develop skills greatly valued by contemporary employers across a range of professions: clear communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving – skills that will allow you to navigate the complexities of the modern world, and to make your own contributions to our common future. With the double degrees, you’ll also gain the skills to become a confident, ethical lawyer with the legal skills and knowledge to make a real contribution to the legal profession. Or to become secondary school teacher with two teaching areas.
At a time when the ideas of democracy, the rule of law, the scientific method, freedom of speech and religion, and the rights and dignity of the individual, are being called into question, a liberal arts education will immerse you in the serious study of how these hard-won ideas emerged over millennia.
The Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) features 13 core units focused on the Western intellectual and cultural traditions, with emphasis on the disciplines of literature, philosophy, history, politics, art and architecture. We are committed to a personal learning approach, and the core units will be delivered in small seminars of around 10 students, allowing in-depth, guided discussion.
You will also undertake a major, minor, or elective study, drawn from a selection of existing Bachelor of Arts sequences, including drama, English, history, philosophy, politics and international relations, psychology, sociology, theological studies, or visual arts. Finally, you will undertake a community engagement placement experience, and one general elective.
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.
This four-and-a-half-year course is a double degree for students who wish to pursue a multidisciplinary Bachelor of Arts centered in key texts of the Western intellectual tradition, followed by a Master of Teaching (Secondary) enabling them to become fully qualified secondary teachers in two teaching areas.
You will develop highly valued professional skills: clear communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem solving – all of which will empower you to become a confident, adaptable teacher who is able to meet the needs of all students in the classroom.
This five-year double degree combines practical and theoretical training in legal knowledge with the study of Western civilisation. You’ll graduate with a deep understanding of legal practice as well as Western literature, philosophy, art, politics, religion, science and history, and how these help us to comprehend our world and the dialogue between cultures.
You’ll gain all the unique benefits of the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisations) – fascinating units, personalised teaching and facilities and community engagement (pro bono) – while also graduating with the skills to enter the legal profession.
This one-and-a-half-year course will deepen and broaden your knowledge and expertise of Western culture within a structured and integrated humanities masters-level course. Centred on a ‘great books' or ‘canonical’ approach to the study of Western culture, studying this course will help you to develop a transnational, interdisciplinary and historically grounded perspective to the literature, music, philosophy and works of art that have achieved the status of ‘classics' within the Western world.
You will study major works of history, literature, philosophy, and art and be guided in small group seminar-style discussions by academic staff with wide-ranging, interdisciplinary expertise.
You can register your interest for the Master of Liberal Arts (Western Civilisation) and our AskACU team will get in touch with more information.
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Hear from course coordinator Associate Professor Johanna Harris about the Master of Liberal Arts (Western Civilisation) at ACU.
ACU’s Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) is an exciting new course opening up the intellectual tradition and culture of the West.
Ramsay Scholarships
The Ramsay Centre is funding 30 generous scholarships valued at up to $160,000 to support students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation), Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Laws or the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Master of Teaching (Secondary) at the North Sydney Campus.
The scholarships are valued at $32,000 per year of the degree. You will receive up to $96,000 for the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation), up to $160,000 for the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Laws, and up to $144,000 for the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Master of Teaching (Secondary). It includes funding for an optional international study experience, and an early payment to help offset start-up costs such as relocation and accommodation.
A further 10 scholarships valued at up to $48,000 are offered for students undertaking the Master of Liberal Arts (Western Civilisation).
Scholarships are granted based on academic merit, alignment with Ramsay attributes (such as leadership qualities, commitment to the enrichment of society, and a critical habit of mind), and alignment with ACU’s mission and focus (such as commitment to the dignity of the human person and the common good).
While this course is offered at our North Sydney Campus, we encourage applications from all across Australia. With the support of one of the Ramsay Centre’s generous scholarships, you may wish to consider staying at our student accommodation in Sydney, the Miguel Cordero Residence (MCR).
Miguel Cordero Residence (MCR)
MCR is located in Camperdown in Sydney’s inner west – the vibrant cultural hub of the city.
The Western Civilisation suite provides you with rigorous training in a range of skills that are immediately transferable to the contemporary workforce. Career outcomes are diverse and include research and policy work for government and NGOs, publishing and editing, work with arts and cultural organisations, and careers as university scholars.
By pairing the degree with a Bachelor of Laws you will also be able to pursue a career as a solicitor or barrister in private practice, as in-house counsel for corporations or with government, non-government and trade organisations.
If you have a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search the FAQs, text us, live chat or call one of our friendly AskACU staff - whatever works for you.
Professor Robert Carver’s main teaching and research interests lie in Renaissance literature, Renaissance humanism, the influence of classical texts and ideas on Western culture, and the origins and development of the novel – from ancient prose fiction to contemporary Australian writing.
Professor Carver graduated from the Australian National University with a University Medal in English and Latin. He won a Commonwealth Scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was awarded his doctorate (DPhil) in 1992. Following stints at Trinity College, Oxford, and the British Academy, he taught at Oriel College, Oxford, before moving to the University of Durham in 1997. At Durham, he served as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Associate Professor of Renaissance Literature in the Department of English Studies, taking on the role of Deputy Head of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities between 2007 and 2010.
His publications include an Oxford Classical Monograph, The Protean Ass: The Metamorphoses of Apuleius from Antiquity to the Renaissance (OUP, 2007), translations from the Latin writings of the twelfth-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen, and numerous scholarly articles on ancient, medieval, and Renaissance literature.
Student profile
Emily Nix
Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)
"I was inspired to study the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) because I wanted the ability to study multiple disciplines at once, including history, philosophy and political science. I also love the emphasis ACU has on small class sizes and how this allows students to develop closer relationships with academic staff."
