ATS2267 True happiness: The art, practice and science of human flourishing
Faculty of Arts
ATS2267 True happiness: The art, practice and science of human flourishing is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 6 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS2267
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ATS2267
No unit lists ATS2267 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Pre-requisite: Must have passed 12 credit points from any Faculty at level 1
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
This elective will explore the art, practice and science of contemplative practices and how they can contribute to authentic and sustainable happiness and human flourishing, even in the face of adversity. Important questions will be introduced, explored and returned to as the unit proceeds. These questions include, what is consciousness and how do we use it wisely, what is knowledge and how do we know anything, what is mind, what is real and sustainable happiness and how can it be fostered, what is suffering and can it be transcended, how can we develop resilience and grow through times of adversity, what are social and emotional intelligence, how do we develop more meaningful connections with others, what are the positive and negative aspects of modern technology and social networks and how can they be used wisely, and what is human flourishing?
This unit aims to not merely be theoretical but to be deeply experiential, reflective and personally transformative. Although it is expected that you will learn core knowledge, from an experiential perspective you will determine for yourselves what you apply and how you wish to apply it in your lives.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Reflective WritingWritten40%
- Interactive Oral AssessmentDemonstration40%
- Forum PostExercise20%
- JournalWritten30%
- Interactive Oral Assessment (IOA)Demonstration50%
- ReflectionWritten20%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Evaluate and compare contemporary scholarship about living a meaningful, happy life with established ‘wisdom traditions’;
- 2
Critically assess relationships between “inner” (contemplative / empirical / experiential), “outer” (contemporary) science and insights from wisdom traditions;
- 3
Practice a variety of contemplative practices and apply the skills in valued ways to daily life;
- 4
Reflect on your understanding of self and your relationship with others and the world in which you live.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachSimulation or virtual practice
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit allows you to engage in guided, immersive experiences to develop relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes through simulation or virtual practice.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
This unit includes case-based teaching, where you apply your knowledge and engage in analytical and reflective thinking to solve complex contextual scenarios. Activities are often designed so that there is not one clear answer, but students need to work together to examine, analyse and make decisions to resolve the situation.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
This unit engages you in enquiry-based learning, where you will be encouraged to use your own knowledge to develop and engage in a process of enquiry, study and research to identify areas to be investigated and an approach to doing so.
Learning resources
Technology resources
This unit requires access to a laptop that meets minimum specifications (https://www.monash.edu/esolutions/students/bring-your-own-device-byod). Free specialist software is available via MoVE (https://www.monash.edu/learning-teaching/innovation/learning-technologies/move).
Where it fits
ATS2267 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Craig Hassed
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Sherelle Connaughton
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2267?
ATS2267 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2267 offered?
In 2026, ATS2267 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS2267?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2267 have an exam?
No. ATS2267 has 6 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2267?
ATS2267 is part of Health humanities.