Bachelor of Arts Scholars Program
Student recipients of the Scholars Program receive cash, an ipad and are assigned a mentor. Learn more about the Scholars Program.
This degree is part of the Year 12 Subject Spotlight Early Offer Program
Admission to our undergraduate degree programs usually requires successful completion of a senior secondary school qualification similar to the Higher School Certificate (HSC), the highest educational award in New South Wales schools.
Enrich your mind, diversify your skills and safeguard your future with our new work-ready arts degree at the University of Newcastle.
Forge your own path by choosing from 12 majors, 21 minors14 majors, 21 minors our 8 majors that are offered entirely online and 100s of courses in the arts and humanities. If you're hungry for knowledge, an arts degree will allow you to turn your interests into a meaningful career.
Study a range of courses to better understand and appreciate the world around you, and what it means to be human. Explore ideas, theories and records of the human experience while learning about society, culture, history, language, media, politics and more.
Alex's story: Translating the benefits of international exchange
Find out about our scholarships for domestic and international students
Learn more about studying this degree
Your core arts courses include practice-based projects and optional internships that further develop skills across digital literacy, problem-solving, innovative thinking and work-readiness.
Learning streams
In addition to choosing majors, minors and structured program pathways, you can focus your studies through optional learning pathways:
As a Bachelor of Arts student, you will enjoy flexible pathways, develop in-demand skills1 and gain broad career outcomes.
Employment options for BA graduates are many and varied, with employability strengthened further by your chosen areas of specialisation. Primary career outcomes include:
Over 85% of recent Humanities graduates in Australia work full-time, casual or part-time. Specific Arts study areas also enjoyed similar employment outcomes: Languages and Psychology (84%), and Social Sciences (81%)2. Additionally, there are also a range of opportunities for graduates to complete further study or research.
The following list provides some examples of job titles that might be suitable for graduates with an Ancient History minor. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, while some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a minor in Ancient History.
The following list provides some example jobs for the Chinese minor. Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a minor in Chinese.
The following list provides some example jobs available to those minoring in Education. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, and some may require further study.
The following list provides some example jobs available to graduates majoring in English and Writing. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, while some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for graduates with a major in English and Writing.
The following list provides some example jobs available to those majoring in Film, Media and Cultural Studies. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, and some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for graduates with the skills gained majoring in Film, Media and Cultural Studies.
Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
The following list provides some example jobs available to graduates of the French major. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, and some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a major in French.
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The following list provides example jobs for the German major. Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require more than an Arts degree.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a major in German.
The following list provides some example job titles that may be available to graduates with a major in Aboriginal Studies. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, while some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a major in Aboriginal Studies.
The following list provides some example jobs available to graduates majoring in History. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, while some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a major in History.
The following list provides some example jobs available to graduates majoring in Human Geography and the Environment. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, while some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained during the Human Geography and the Environment major.
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The following list provides some example jobs available to graduates majoring in Japanese Studies. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, while some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a major in Japanese.
The following list provides some example jobs available to graduates majoring in Linguistics. Some of these jobs will depend on the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, the combination of other majors and electives studied, while some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for someone with the skills gained from a major in Linguistics.
The following list provides some example jobs relevant to graduates majoring in Politics and International Relations. Some of these jobs may require further study, experience or a combination of both.
Not all graduates will use their degree in the same way. The transferable skills gained through university study allow graduates to pursue a broader range of career pathways. The list below demonstrates some of the broader possibilities for Politics and International Relations graduates. Again, some of these jobs may require further study or experience.
Graduates majoring in Psychology Studies can find employment in a variety of roles in many different types of organisations. The list below provides typical job titles for graduates from this major.
Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for graduates with the skills gained majoring in Psychology Studies.
Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
Graduates majoring in Sociology and Anthropology can find employment in a variety of roles in many different types of organisations. The list below provides typical job titles for graduates from this major.
Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for graduates with the skills gained with a major in Sociology and Anthropology.
Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
Graduates minoring in Studies of Religion can find employment in a variety of roles in many different types of organisations. The list below provides typical job titles for graduates with a minor in Studies of Religion.
Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
Not everyone uses their degree in the same way and the transferable skills gained through university study may allow graduates to pursue a range of careers that might not be directly linked to their study. Below is a sample list of job titles that might be suitable for graduates with the skills gained minoring in Studies of Religion.
Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied, for example some may require further study.
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1Employability Skills for the Future (2002) - a report produced by Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) on behalf of the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA)
2Grad Stats Report (December 2015) - developed by Graduate Careers Australia, the leading authority on graduate employment issues in Australia Higher Education research data collection.
Gain a stronger competitive advantage through practical experience and work-ready skills. The Bachelor of Arts program allows you to undertake practical placements in your second and third years of study.
These opportunities will be designed to further develop the identified key employability skills that are useful to a range of careers. Opportunities exist to undertake Work Integrated Learning (WIL) courses, internship and placements to enhance your career goals.
Our Bachelor of Arts graduates develop specialist expertise and valuable job skills that are adaptable across various careers and industries in Australia and around the world
Student recipients of the Scholars Program receive cash, an ipad and are assigned a mentor. Learn more about the Scholars Program.
Sociology and Anthropology student Aaron recalls his journey to UON and shares how he ‘stumbled’ into his calling.
Listen to our students talk about their degree and life at the University of Newcastle.
Pick your situation from the list below for more information.
If you are an international student, read the information below before completing an application.
Recently completed secondary education, either at high school, TAFE or with another VET provider? If so, you will generally be considered for entry based on your Selection Rank (SR). Some degrees may also have extra requirements such as auditions or interviews. Additional requirements can be found on the relevant degree page.
Choose what you are most interested in and then research some back up options with lower Selection Ranks (SR) to put as your later choices. A good tip is to look at degrees that may have similar first year subjects. This will help you reduce your overall study time if you want to apply to transfer to your degree of choice after the first year.
We also recommend choosing one of our free pathway programs as a backup option as your fifth preference on your UAC application. Selection Ranks (SR) requirements for our degrees do change from year to year so only use the Selection Rank (SR) as a guide.
You should start planning your way into uni from Year 10 onwards. Think about:
Secondary results don’t have a use-by date. Even if you completed high school 20 years ago, these results may be used to apply to the University of Newcastle. You can use your ATAR or equivalent (UAI, TER etc) to apply irrespective of when you completed Year 12.
It can be complicated to calculate your Selection Rank (SR) based on high school results before the introduction of the ATAR in 2009. Contact us at 1300 275 866 and let us do the calculating for you.
If you don’t think you will meet the Selection Rank (SR) for admission there are other options to get in depending on your situation:
Complete this program full-time (in a single semester) or part-time (up to 2 years) to get guaranteed entry to over 40+ degrees or to receive a new University Selection Rank.
Complete this program full-time (in two semesters) or part-time (up to 2 years) to gain entry into an undergraduate degree at the University of Newcastle.
Complete a diploma either full-time or part-time to get entry into one of our related Bachelor degrees.
Get entry help by identifying you are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
Get adjustment points and support by applying as an elite athlete.
Complete this test for a mark for entry into some of our degrees.
For advice on these other options please contact us by calling 1300 275 866.
When reviewing admission eligibility, we take into account vocational education and training. Many educational providers offer Certificate III, IV and Diploma Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) awards. Some also offer Advanced Diploma and Associate Degrees.
We can convert assessable qualifications into selection ranks. This helps to ensure fairness and transparency. Selection ranks from different individual qualifications are not combined or added together to form a rank.
The highest of the two numbers will be the one used to assess your eligibility for admission.
The tables below provides information on how to assess your selection rank based on your AQF qualification.
Many of our students come to us after completing TAFE studies.
Completed an accredited Certificate IV, Diploma, or Advanced Diploma ? You can gain entry into many of our undergraduate programs.
Complete Graded AQF Diploma or AQF Advanced Diploma
Grade Point Average | Rank - AQF Diploma | Rank - AQF Advanced Diploma |
---|---|---|
6.5+ | 95 | 96.95 |
6.25-6.49 | 93 | 95.25 |
6.00-6.24 | 90 | 93 |
5.75-5.99 | 88 | 91 |
5.50-5.74 | 86 | 89 |
5.25-5.49 | 83 | 86 |
5.00-5.24 | 81 | 83 |
4.75-4.99 | 78 | 80 |
4.00-4.74 | 75 | 76 |
Complete and Incomplete Ungraded AQF Diploma or AQF Advanced Diploma
Rank - AQF Advanced Diploma | Rank - AQF Diploma |
---|---|
76 | 75 |
Complete Graded AQF Certificate III or AQF Certificate IV
Please note: Certificate III qualifications and below are not accepted for the Bachelor of Nursing program.
Grade Point Average | Rank - AQF Certificate III | Rank - AQF Certificate IV |
---|---|---|
6.5+ | 78 | 90 |
6.25-6.49 | 78 | 88 |
6.00-6.24 | 77 | 86 |
5.75-5.99 | 76 | 84 |
5.50-5.74 | 75 | 82 |
5.25-5.49 | 73 | 80 |
5.00-5.24 | 71 | 78 |
4.75-4.99 | 69 | 75 |
4.00-4.74 | 67 | 73 |
Complete Ungraded AQF Certificate III and AQF Certificate IV
Rank - AQF Certificate III | Rank - AQF Certificate IV |
---|---|
67 | 73 |
Note: Incomplete VET studies must be AQF Diploma level or above and more than 0.2 of a full time student (FTE) to be considered for admission.
Contact our Enquiry Centre on 1300 275 866 to discuss your qualifications and grades. Our team are happy to advise you on your options.
Your previous qualifications may also make you eligible for credit to your degree. This will cut down on your study time. You can apply for credit before you start. See our credit page for more information.
If you don’t think you will meet the requirements for admission there are other options to get in depending on your situation:
Completed higher education or partial higher education studies? Your grade point average (GPA) can be converted to a selection rank to be used for admission purposes.
For fairness and transparency, all assessable qualifications are converted to a selection rank. The selection rank from this qualification is not added to your ATAR. The highest of the two numbers will be the one used to assess your eligibility for admission.
If you have completed a degree and want to move onto postgraduate study please see our Postgraduate website.
Bachelor degree studies
Min GPA (>0.5FTE*) | Selection Rank |
---|---|
6.5+ | 97.30 |
6 | 93.40 |
5 | 86.30 |
4 | 77.65 |
3 | 67.25 |
*Your GPA can only be calculated if you have completed at least 20 units of study. A full-time study (FTE) load is usually 80 units per year.
Completed pathway (also known as enabling or tertiary preparation) programs
Overall Grade Average | Selection Rank |
---|---|
>97 | 99.55 |
80 | 84 |
70 | 77 |
60 | 70 |
50 | 65 |
Want to transfer across to another degree? Visit our Internal Transfers page for current students for more information.
If you have completed or are soon to complete an Enabling Pathways program (Open Foundation or Yapug) you can apply for most degrees. Please visit the Your Next Move website for more information.
If you want to transfer or complete a tertiary preparation program at another university you will need to apply through UAC. Please contact our Enquiry Centre 1300 275 866 for information and advice.
If you think you may be eligible for credit please visit our credit section.
If you have secondary qualifications from overseas, there are some that are assessed as the equivalent to an Australian Year 12 qualification. Note that equivalence of qualifications alone does not guarantee entry into programs. For fairness and transparency, overseas qualifications will be converted to a selection rank.
For advice on your options please contact us by calling 1300 275 866 or visit AskUON.
If you haven’t completed any formal secondary, VET or higher education studies we offer a range of options to get you on the pathway to your dream degree.
Our recommended pathways are:
The University of Newcastle is the largest provider of pathway programs in Australia. If you haven’t studied for a while, or your high school results weren’t what you expected, you can start at university with one of our pathway programs.
Our pathway programs offer guaranteed entry to over 40+ University of Newcastle degrees. When you complete this program your Grade Point Average can be converted to a selection rank.
The programs on offer are:
The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) is an aptitude test, organised through the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). It assesses a range of competencies considered important for successful tertiary study. If you are over 18 and not a current Year 12 student, results from the test can be used for entry into some (but not all) University of Newcastle degrees. Make sure you look into which degrees accept STAT for entry.
If your qualification is not listed and you are unsure whether you can use it to gain entry please contact us on 1300 275 866 or AskUON.
If your qualification is not listed and you are unsure whether you can use it to gain entry please contact us on 1300 275 866 or AskUON.
If you want to do one or two subjects at the University of Newcastle but not a full degree you can apply for non-award admission. You may want to do this for preliminary work for a higher degree, professional requirements or because of an interest in the area.
Find out more and apply by visiting Non-Award Admission.
Currently at another university and want to do one or more subjects at the University of Newcastle for credit? You can apply for Cross-Institutional Study.
Find out more and apply by visiting Cross-Institutional Study.
If you have more than one of the qualifications listed above they may all count towards your application.
We are always happy to provide advice and discuss your circumstances so please contact us by calling 1300 275 866.
Admission to our undergraduate degree programs usually requires successful completion of a senior secondary school qualification similar to the Higher School Certificate (HSC), the highest educational award in New South Wales schools. To check if your qualification is recognised for direct entry into the University of Newcastle, please refer to the entry requirements below.
Applicants who do not speak English as a first language must demonstrate that they meet the University's English proficiency requirement. Further information regarding English language proficiency requirements can be found at the English Language Proficiency for Admission Policy.
The Australian Government operates a student visa program that enables people who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents to undertake study in Australia. A person who wants to undertake a course of study under the student visa programme must obtain a student visa before they can commence a course of study in Australia. A successful applicant must be both a genuine temporary entrant and a genuine student.
An applicant who is a genuine temporary entrant will have circumstances that support a genuine intention to temporarily enter and remain in Australia, notwithstanding the potential for this intention to change over time to an intention to utilise lawful means to remain in Australia for an extended period of time or permanently. All Australian education providers must have strategies and arrangements in place to ensure that all students and prospective students meet the requirements with Direction 69 as a condition of admission to the institution.
When your application for admission is received, the University of Newcastle will assess this against university entrance requirements including: minimum age, English and academic entry requirements. To comply with Australian law your application will also be assessed to check that you are genuinely seeking temporary entry to Australia to study. You may be asked to provide the University of Newcastle with evidence addressing Ministerial Direction 69 as part of finalising your admission. If the University forms the opinion that you are not a Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) it may refuse to assess your application, withdraw an offer of a place, or cancel your confirmation of enrolment.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection in Australia will also assess each application for a student visa (subclass 500) against the applicant’s intention to stay temporarily in Australia as a genuine student. The criteria for this assessment are outlined in Ministerial Direction 69. Applicants that don’t satisfy the criteria under Direction 69 will not be granted a student visa.
For more information, please refer to the following areas of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website:
Make sure you double check the special entry requirements, assumed knowledge or recommended studies for the degree:
Admission to this program is available to Australian students, residents and international students.
Admission information for Australian students and residents is available here.
Admission information for international students is available here.
During the admission process adjustment factors may be applied to your Selection Rank. Please visit our website to see if you are eligible.
All Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the University’s English proficiency requirement. Further information regarding English language proficiency requirements can be found at the English Language Proficiency for Admission Policy here.
Applicants for this program must satisfy a minimum English Language Proficiency Standard equivalent to an IELTS overall minimum of 6.0 with no subtest result below 6.0.
Mathematics for those anticipating studying Psychology Studies major. English Advanced or equivalent for all other major/s and/or minors.
You can look at NUPrep for options to brush up on knowledge before you start.
You should also think about degree add-ons like combined options or a Diploma in Languages. If you would like to learn an additional language alongside your main bachelor degree, then this program is for you. Languages offered include: Australian Sign Language (Auslan), Chinese, French, German and Japanese.
Apply to study this degree through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).
You can select up to five preferences in your UAC application, so have a look around and select some back-up options. Put the degree you are most interested in first.
Both students and education agents can submit applications online. This is our preferred way of application. You can save your application after you have started, and come back to it later.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.