Faculty of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts (Extended) runs over four years. The course facilitates a supported transition to University through the provision of an additional study year specifically designed to develop appropriate academic skills for success at university. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will access specialised academic support through bridging subjects provided in key areas such as academic literacy, communication and performance, literature, philosophy and environmental studies. These subjects will be taught by Trinity College Foundation Studies program in co-operation with staff from the Faculty of Arts, the University's Centre for Indigenous Education and the Academic Skills Unit. In addition, students will be supported through the Centre for Indigenous Education as well as residing at one of the colleges affiliated with the University of Melbourne. The course is a unique experience and provides a great opportunity for students to immerse themselves in university life.

The Bachelor of Arts is a three-year degree program which in its extended form runs over four years to include bridging subjects. Students who are admitted into the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) and successfully complete the first two bridging years will progress into the regular Bachelor of Arts course structure in their third year. The Bachelor of Arts degree offers unique flexibility with the opportunity to focus on one or two majors or minors (specialisations) chosen from a broad range of Arts study options in the humanities, social sciences and languages. It also offers a 'breadth' component that permits a quarter of the degree (75 study points) to be undertaken outside of the Faculty of Arts or in University Breadth Subjects. This complementary study experience in disciplines and study areas such as environments, science, biomedicine, commerce and music permits further choice for a tailored and individual study program.

The University of Melbourne Bachelor of Arts provides the academic rigour and intellectual foundation for a range of career and further study pathways.

Upon completing the Bachelor of Arts, students will have a number of options:

• begin a career and enter the workforce, using the skills developed in the Bachelor degree;
• undertake an honours program, with further research into a major study area;
• embark on one of our professional coursework masters.

Applicants for the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent and have completed a Victorian Certificate of Education or interstate equivalent qualification. Non-school leavers, mature age students and alternative pathway applications will be considered. Successful students will be selected on their likelihood to succeed in the Bachelor of Arts. Qualifications will be assessed on application.

If you are interested in applying for the Bachelor of Arts (Extended), please complete the direct application form (700kb pdf) and send to:

Miss Michelle Earthy, Project Officer

Centre for Indigenous Education
T: (03) 8344 5330
Email: mearthy@unimelb.edu.au.

If you have applied for the University of Melbourne's Bachelor of Arts course through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) and have identified as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you will automatically be considered for the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) as well as for the Bachelor of Arts.

If you have not applied for a University of Melbourne course through Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre, then you should submit a direct application form as above. There is no need to make a late application through Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre.

For Further Information

For further information on the Bachelor of Arts (Extended), dowload the course flyer (1.7Mb pdf), or contact:

Miss Michelle Earthy, Project Officer

Centre for Indigenous Education
T: (03) 8344 5330
Email: mearthy@unimelb.edu.au

The Bachelor of Arts (Extended) requires the successful completion of 400 points of study across four years. This includes 100 points of study at the bridging level (over two years) and 100 points of study at each of the three year levels in the Bachelor of Arts degree.

First Year

In the first year of the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) students will be required to complete six bridging subjects, provided by the Trinity College Foundation Studies program, the University's Centre for Indigenous Education and the Academic Skills Unit. These subjects comprise:

• Academic Literacy;
• Communication and Performance I and II;
• Environment and Story;
• Ideas and Society;
• Introduction to Literature.

These bridging subjects will enable students to develop the necessary skills for academic success at University. Students will also study two specially selected first-year University of Melbourne Interdisciplinary Foundation subjects. These are 100-185 Democracy which offers a sustained analysis of the past, present and future of democracy, and 100-181 Australian Indigenous Studies, which offers students the opportunity to learn about the history and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

These subjects are designed to provide an introduction to central Arts concepts, ideas and disciplines, enabling students to make informed choices in later stages of study, and to provide further foundation skills for academic study.

Second Year and Beyond

In the second year of the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) students will have the opportunity to complete two further bridging subjects and choose another six subjects from the Bachelor of Arts. At the completion of the second year of the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) students will have completed 100 points of bridging study and 100 points of Arts Study. Students who have satisfactorily completed the first two years of the Bachelor of Arts Extended will be eligible to complete the third and fourth years of the regular Bachelor of Arts course.

Australian Indigenous Studies is an exciting interdisciplinary program within the School of Culture and Communication that offers students the opportunity to learn about the history and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Subjects offered demonstrate the rich diversity of the field of Australian Indigenous Studies and cover themes including Indigenous art, literature, histories, political issues, identity and health. Australian Indigenous Studies is the academic home of the Bachelor of Arts (Extended).

Staff members at the Centre for Indigenous Education are responsible for support services and programs delivered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undertaking degree programs at the University of Melbourne. Services include academic and student support; personal and career counselling; information technology advice; Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) support; tutorials; scholarships; bursaries; and community networking.

Learn how staying at The University of Melbourne's residential colleges can enrich your studies.

• Residential Colleges of The University of Melbourne

Founded in 1872 as the first college of the University of Melbourne, Trinity College is a unique educational environment that provides a diverse range of high-quality academic and extra-curricular programs for some 1500 talented students from across Australia and around the world. Trinity actively contributes to the life of the wider University through its on-campus residential community of almost 300 graduate and undergraduate students and, since 1991, through the Trinity College Foundation Studies program, which annually prepares around 800 international students for university entry. The bridging component of the Bachelor of Arts (Extended) is taught through Trinity College.

The University of Melbourne's Academic Skills Unit helps all students develop their academic literacy and study skills, including effective study strategies, critical and analytical thinking, researching, essay writing, oral presentations, and preparing for exams. It provides a range of programs, like seminars and workshops, online courses, printed and electronic resources, and individual tutorials. The Academic Skills Unit is co-delivering the subject Academic Literacy, which has been designed specifically for the Bachelor of Arts (Extended).