A2017 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Health Sciences

Double degree courses include the features of the component degree courses, except that electives may be reduced.

Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts is a comprehensive course, structured in three equal parts. In this double degree you complete:

Part A. Arts listed major 

This will provide you with a focused program of study that will develop your practical and theoretical skills and knowledge in one Faculty of Arts listed major area of study. You will learn to critically analyse, apply and communicate an advanced level of understanding of the concepts and theoretical frameworks that constitute the knowledge base of the area of study.

Part B. Arts specified study 

This will expose you to several arts disciplines contributing breadth to your knowledge of the arts, humanities and social sciences. You will have the flexibility of  learning about several areas of study before finalising your choice of major.  You will also build skills and abilities that employers value and seek by completing units from the Professional Futures domains. 

Bachelor of Health Sciences

The course develops through three themes: Personal and professional development, Population, communities, health and illness, and Scientific basis of health care practice. These themes are interwoven in units throughout the course. Most units address more than one theme and almost all address the Personal and professional development theme. The Bachelor of Health Sciences is structured in three parts: Part A. Foundation studies, Part B. Health science study and Part C. Elective study. 

Theme 1. Personal and professional development

These studies will develop your understanding of the roles, responsibilities and expectations of health professionals and the personal and professional attributes you will need in the workplace. These include communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, critical thinking, ethical and legal issues, and reflective practice. You will also learn about research methodologies and the application of research to the field of health.

Theme 2. Population, communities, health and illness

The focus of these studies is the social, environmental and behavioural contexts of ill health, disease and injury and broad societal issues such as health promotion, the application of epidemiology and statistics in the assessment of health risk in populations, public health, community diversity, population and global health. You will also develop a sound understanding of evidence-based practice.

Theme 3. Scientific basis of health care practice

These studies provide the foundation scientific knowledge of human systems and technology that you will require to become an expert in your area of health science.

Course progression map

The course progression map provides guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

Bachelor of Arts

You must complete units as specified in Parts A and B (96 points).

In choosing units, you must complete no more than six level one Arts units (36 points) and at least 36 points at level three of which at least 24 points must be Arts units. Included in your selection of Arts units, you must complete 24 points of units from the Professional Futures domains.

If you are planning to take the Economics major, please note that background knowledge and application of maths is required at the equivalent of VCE Year 12 Higher level.  You may have satisfied this by completing relevant prerequisite unit/s, or by studying relevant topics in your final years of secondary or by successfully completing either ECC1550 Introduction to quantitative skills for social sciences or MTH1010 Functions and their applications, as a first-year elective.

It is recommended that you keep your options open in your first year by taking a sequence of units in at least two different areas of study that offer majors within Arts.

Units are 6 points unless otherwise specified.

Part A. Arts listed major (48 points)

You must complete one Arts listed major. A major requires eight units with no more than two units at level one (12 points) and at least three units (18 points) at level three.

It is recommended that you complete level two units in more than one area of Arts to give you options for finalising your choice of major at level three.

If you are intending to undertake an honours year you should ensure you complete the specific units required as a pre-requisite for honours in the chosen major area of study.

Part B. Arts specified study (48 points)

You must complete 24 points of Arts elective units which can be combined into a minor in an area of study different to the chosen arts major from Part A. and 24 points of units from the Professional Futures domains.

Professional Futures 

Global Immersion

• ATS2992 Global immersion guarantee program (12 points)
• ATS2170 Social Entrepreneurship Challenge in the Indo-Pacific
• ATS3170 Social Entrepreneurship Challenge in the Indo-Pacific 
• Plus any of our study tours or semester length programs

 Intercultural Expertise

• ATS2000 From Freud to Friends: Ethnic Identity in Popular Culture
• ATS2184 Intercultural skills for an internationalised workplace
• ATS2199 Communication, cultures and the corporate World
• ATS2243 Intercultural competence and media: Cultures, customs and values
• ATS2757 Towards decolonisation: The United Nations, rights and Indigenous peoples
• ATS3174 Melbourne migrant cultures in contact

Professional Experience

• ATS2910 Professional and academic presentation skills
• ATS3129 Arts internship (12 points)
• ATS3130 Arts international internship (12 points)
• ATS3836 Victorian parliamentary internship (12 points)
• ATS3919 Journalism professional placement
• ATS3935 Professional practice

Innovation Capability

• ATS2211 Understanding workplace innovation 
• ATS3173 Workplace innovation project 

Bachelor of Health Sciences

The course is structured in three parts: Part A. Foundation studies (12 points), Part B. Health science study (72 points) and Part C. Health Science elective study (12 points).

You must complete all units specified in Part A and Part B. In addition, you must choose 2 units from the Elective study in Part C. 

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Foundation studies (12 points)

You must complete:

• BMA1011 Foundation of anatomy and physiology for health practice 1
• BMA1012 Foundations of anatomy and physiology for health practice 2

Part B. Health science study (72 points)

You must complete:

• HSC1100 Research and evidence in health
• HSC1200 Public health and prevention
• HSC1300 Human health and disease
• HSC1400 Healthcare systems
• HSC2100 Current health challenges
• HSC2200 Health across the lifespan
• HSC2300 Health promotion and disease prevention
• PBH2001 Foundations of epidemiology
• PBH3005 Social and behavioural sciences
• PBH3002 Communicable disease prevention and control
• PBH3009 Chronic disease prevention and control
• PBH3012 Translating research into practice

Note: From 2025, students must complete HSC3100 instead of PBH3005, and HSC3200 instead of PBH3012

Part C. Elective study (12 points)

You must complete two units (12 points) from the following:

• PBH3008 Global and public health
• PBH3010 Health data in practice
• PBH3011 Biostatistics for Health
• FOR3001 Principles of forensic medicine