Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Business

This four-year double degree pairs the critical thinking and communication skills of an arts degree with the practical, numbers-driven side of business. You graduate with two qualifications: a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Business. That means you can major in something like psychology, sociology or history while also studying accounting, marketing, management or economics. The combination is deliberate. Arts teaches you how to read people, argue a case, and write clearly. Business teaches you how organisations actually run, budgets, strategy, HR, markets. Employers in Australia tend to hire people who can do both.

How the degree is structured

Western Sydney University runs most undergraduate degrees on a semester basis, with two main teaching periods a year and an optional summer session. You'll complete units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to accumulate the total credit points required for both awards. The arts half usually includes a major plus electives; the business half covers core units in accounting, economics, management and marketing, then a business major. Because it's a double degree, you're not doubling the time, four years instead of the six you'd spend doing them separately. Some students add an honours year afterwards, which is a further year of research and a thesis.

What you actually study

Expect to write essays, analyse data, give presentations, and work in teams. Arts units might have you examining social policy, cultural studies or psychological theory. Business units get into financial statements, consumer behaviour, organisational structure and business law. Many students take a capstone unit in their final year, a project that pulls together what they've learned, often working with a real organisation or on a real problem. Work-integrated learning is common in business degrees: internships, industry projects, or placements with community organisations. Western Sydney University has strong links across Greater Western Sydney, from Parramatta to Penrith and Bankstown, so placements often happen close to where students live.

Who this suits

This degree suits someone who doesn't want to choose between ideas and commerce. If you're interested in how societies work but also want a job at the end, this is a sensible path. It's also good for students who aren't sure yet whether they want to be a manager, a researcher, a policy analyst or something else, you keep options open. The English requirement for international applicants is IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for most undergraduate courses, though teaching, nursing, medicine, law and social work ask for 7.0–7.5. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so check both. While studying, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets you stay and work in Australia, subject to the conditions at the time. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 089210K. Confirm all details, majors, credit points, placement options and fees, on the official Western Sydney University page before you apply.

• Business analyst or management consultant in professional services firms
• Marketing coordinator or brand assistant in retail, tech or media
• Human resources officer or recruitment consultant
• Policy officer in state or federal government departments
• Community development worker or program coordinator in the not-for-profit sector
• Account manager or client services roles in banking and finance
• Research assistant or data analyst in social research organisations
• Small business owner or operations coordinator
• Graduate roles in local government, health administration or education support