Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Science

This double degree at Western Sydney University lets you study two things at once. You take the core of a Bachelor of Arts, humanities and social sciences subjects like history, sociology, cultural studies, politics and writing, alongside the core of a Bachelor of Social Science, which focuses on how societies work, how policy gets made and how communities change. Over four years you build a combined program of units from both awards, with credit points counted towards each. The result is two bachelor degrees, not one degree with a double major.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are normally three years full time; this one runs four because it carries the requirements of two awards. Study is semester-based. You choose units of study each semester, and each unit carries a credit point value. To graduate you need to complete the total credit points set out in the course rules for both degrees, including any majors, minors and specified core units. The course is delivered at Western Sydney University and is registered on CRICOS as course 089201M for international students. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check there and on the university's official course page for the current figure.

Expect to write a lot: essays, reports, policy briefs, research proposals and a final-year project or capstone unit that pulls your two disciplines together. Arts units sharpen your reading and argument; social science units push you into data, research methods and applied analysis of real social problems. Some units include community or industry projects, and the university's links across Greater Western Sydney give students access to placements and partner organisations in the region. Confirm the exact placement and capstone options with the university, because they vary by major.

What you actually learn

You finish able to research an issue, weigh evidence, write clearly for different audiences, work in a team and explain complex social problems to people who are not specialists. Those are the skills employers in government, community services, media, education and business keep asking for. The double degree also gives you two ways of thinking, the interpretive habits of the arts and the analytical habits of social science, which is useful when a job asks you to both understand a community and measure what is happening in it.

This course suits school leavers and mature-age students who want breadth rather than a single narrow specialisation, and who are comfortable choosing their own path through a large set of units. If you already know you want to be a social worker, psychologist or teacher, check the accreditation requirements of those professions first, this degree is not the accredited pathway for those registrations. If you want a flexible humanities and social science education with strong regional industry connections, it fits.

Studying in Australia as an international student

International applicants need to meet the university's English requirement. For undergraduate courses the common standard is IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, 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 programs are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so you may need to satisfy both.

While your Student visa is active you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods. After you graduate, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia. Check your eligibility with the Department of Home Affairs, since rules depend on your qualification and circumstances.

Graduates work across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Typical roles include:

• Policy officer or policy analyst in state and federal government departments
• Community development officer or community services coordinator
• Social researcher or research assistant in universities, think tanks and consultancies
• Case worker or support worker in community organisations (note: not a registered social work role)
• Communications officer, content writer or journalist
• Program officer in NGOs and international development organisations
• Local government officer in planning, community engagement or cultural services
• Human resources or recruitment officer
• Market and social research analyst
• Secondary school teacher (with a further teaching qualification)

Industries that hire these graduates in Australia include all levels of government, community and disability services, education, media and publishing, health administration, unions and advocacy groups, and professional services firms. Greater Western Sydney has a large concentration of government agencies, community organisations and health services, which gives local students a practical advantage when looking for placements and first jobs.