Bachelor of Arts
at CQUniversity Australia, Queensland.
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 CQUniversity Australia 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 | QTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official QTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
First year is broad. You take introductory units across several disciplines (history, sociology, literature, professional communication, indigenous studies and a chosen major stream) plus academic-skills and digital-literacy units. CQUniversity delivers most arts units both on campus (Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Mackay, Cairns and the Brisbane and Melbourne hubs) and fully online, so a large share of students study by distance while working in regional towns. Second year deepens your major and minor. Reading and essay loads climb, with weekly tutorial or online-forum preparation, theory units and research-method introductions. Online students join the same assessments through recorded lectures and discussion boards, which suits mature-age and regionally based learners. Third year is specialisation and a capstone. Many students complete a research project, a professional-communication portfolio or a work-integrated learning unit placed with a regional council, museum, media outlet or community organisation. Strong students continue into an Honours year, the standard entry point to research masters and PhD study.
Example first-year subjects
- Introduction to Sociology
- Foundations of Australian History
- Academic and Professional Communication
- Introduction to Politics and Government
- Literary Studies and Storytelling
- Indigenous Australia and Decolonisation
How you will be assessed
- Essays (1500 to 3000 words) carrying 40 to 60 per cent of most units
- Online discussion-board participation and weekly responses
- Research-based capstone or portfolio in third year
- Take-home or open-book final exams
- Oral or recorded presentations
- Annotated bibliographies and primary-source analyses
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
- Policy or project officer in local or Queensland state government
- Communications or media officer for a regional organisation
- Community-sector programme coordinator
- Research assistant or administrative analyst
- Editorial assistant, content writer or journalist
- Electorate or ministerial support staffer
- Museum, gallery or heritage assistant
Graduate starting salary
$55,000 - $66,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
Most graduates enter the workforce directly or take an Honours year (one extra year with a thesis), which is the entry point to research masters and PhD study. Because CQUniversity has a large online cohort, many students already work and use the degree to move into policy, communications or community-sector roles. Common postgraduate paths include the Master of Teaching (primary or secondary), Graduate Diploma of Education, Master of Human Resource Management, graduate-entry law and a research Honours year leading to higher-degree research.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Strong readers who enjoy long-form non-fiction and academic writing
- Self-directed learners suited to online or distance study while working
- Mature-age and regionally based students returning to study
- People drawn to history, politics, language and culture
- Independent workers comfortable building and defending arguments in writing
It is probably not for you if
- Students wanting a single, clear job title at graduation
- Those who dislike heavy reading and frequent essay writing
- People who prefer maths-heavy or lab-based subjects
- Students who need a tightly structured, high-contact timetable
Related courses at CQU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the CQUniversity Australia handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/cqu/bachelor-of-arts.