Bachelor of Arts
at The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory.
A flexible humanities and social sciences degree. Students major in fields such as history, sociology, politics, literature or a language, with broad elective choice across the faculty.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the The Australian National University Bachelor of Arts. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official UAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
The ANU Bachelor of Arts uses the Plan structure: students complete one major (48 units), an optional minor (24 units) and electives drawn from across the College of Arts and Social Sciences. Year one introduces two prospective majors with 1000-level units and an open elective. Most BA students sample three or four disciplines before locking in a major. Tutorials run small (10 to 18 students) which is a signature of the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. Year two narrows to 2000-level discipline core plus research methods units in History, Sociology or Political Science. Year three carries 3000-level seminars, capstone research essays and discipline-specific theory. Available majors include Anthropology, Archaeology, Art History and Curatorship, Asia-Pacific Studies, Australian Indigenous Studies, Classics, English, History, International Relations, Linguistics, Pacific Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, and languages spanning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Burmese, Hindi-Urdu, French, German, Italian and Spanish. ANU is unusual in the depth of its Asia-Pacific languages catalogue (taught through the College of Asia and the Pacific). Cross-college electives let students pick units from the Crawford School of Public Policy or the School of Music.
Example first-year subjects
- Modern World History
- Foundations of Political Analysis
- Introduction to International Relations
- Worlds of English Literature
- Anthropology of the Global
- Philosophy and Critical Thinking
How you will be assessed
- Research essays of 1500 to 4000 words across most CASS units
- Tutorial participation in small-class seminars (often 10 to 20 percent)
- Take-home research papers in lieu of formal exams
- Annotated bibliographies and literature reviews from 2000-level
- Oral presentations and seminar-leading in 3000-level units
- Honours thesis of 18,000 to 20,000 words under academic supervision
Career outcomes
- Graduates work in writing, editing and publishing roles across media, government and the not-for-profit sector.
- Many alumni pursue policy and research positions in the public service or NGO sector.
- Common further-study pathways include teaching, law (graduate JD) and a research Honours year.
Typical first jobs
- Graduate policy officer in APS departments (DFAT, Treasury, PM&C, Home Affairs, ATO)
- Research officer at the Australian Parliamentary Library or Parliamentary Budget Office
- Departmental liaison officer or ministerial adviser in Parliament House
- Communications adviser at Canberra-based NGOs and peak bodies
- Research assistant in ANU research schools and the Australia Institute
- Electorate officer for federal MPs and senators
Graduate starting salary
$55,000 - $72,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
ANU is famous for its undergraduate research culture, and the BA Honours year (added fourth year, 18,000 to 20,000 word thesis under a supervisor in CASS) is the standard pipeline into PhD work. Strong students enter the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) - Arts (PhB Arts), a four-year research-intensive variant with mentored research projects from year one. Common combined degrees include Arts/Law (5 years), Arts/Science, Arts/Commerce, Arts/Asia-Pacific Studies and Arts/International Security Studies. Graduate pathways include the Juris Doctor (3 years) at the ANU College of Law, Master of Diplomacy, Master of International Relations, Master of Public Policy (Crawford) and the Master of Teaching (Primary or Secondary).
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who enjoy reading 100 plus pages a week and writing long-form research essays
- People comfortable defending an argument in 10 to 18 person tutorials
- Those drawn to the ANU research-school model and a possible Honours or PhB pathway
- Students considering DFAT, Treasury or Crawford-style policy careers
- Independent learners willing to design their own pathway across two majors
It is probably not for you if
- Students who want a vocational timetable with a fixed job at graduation
- Those who prefer technical problems with a single correct answer
- Anyone hoping to avoid 3000 to 4000 word seminar essays
- Students uncomfortable with self-directed reading and unstructured study time
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Arts as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Related courses at ANU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the The Australian National University handbook and on UAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/anu/bachelor-of-arts.