Bachelor of Arts
at Curtin University, Western Australia.
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 Curtin 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 | TISC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official TISC 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 sample introductory units across at least two disciplines from Curtin's arts offering (history, sociology, politics, professional writing, literary and cultural studies, a language, anthropology, screen arts or Indigenous studies) plus skills units in academic writing and critical thinking. You declare a major during first year. Second year deepens the major with theory-driven units, research methods and primary-source analysis. Reading and writing loads climb, with weekly tutorial preparation and longer essays. Curtin's Bentley campus offers cross-faculty electives, so many students pair an arts major with units from business, media or computing. Third year is the capstone and specialisation year. Many students complete a research project, a community-engagement unit or an internship through Curtin's work-integrated learning. Strong students continue into a one-year Honours program, the standard entry point to research masters and PhD study in the humanities.
Example first-year subjects
- Academic and Professional Communications
- Introduction to Sociology
- Australian Politics and Policy
- Foundations of Human Geography
- Literary and Cultural Studies
- Introduction to History
How you will be assessed
- Essays (1500 to 3000 words) carrying 40 to 60 per cent of most units
- Tutorial participation and weekly written responses
- Research-based capstone or project in third year
- Take-home or seen-question final exams
- Oral presentations and seminar facilitation
- Annotated bibliographies and 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 WA or Commonwealth public service
- Research assistant or analyst
- Communications or media officer
- Editorial assistant or content writer
- Electorate or political staffer
- Community-sector program coordinator
- Marketing or social-media coordinator
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 either enter the workforce directly or take an Honours year (one extra year built around a thesis), which is the entry point to research masters and PhD study. Common postgrad paths from a Curtin BA include the Master of Teaching (secondary), a graduate JD, Master of Human Rights, Master of International Relations and Master of Arts coursework programs. Some graduates move into professional communications or policy roles and study part-time.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Strong readers who enjoy long-form non-fiction and academic writing
- Students who like building arguments and defending them in writing
- People drawn to politics, history, language or culture
- Independent learners comfortable with light timetables
- Writers who want to develop a research and analysis portfolio
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
- Students who prefer maths-heavy or lab-based study
- People who need tight structure and high contact hours
Related courses at Curtin
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Curtin University handbook and on TISC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/curtin/bachelor-of-arts.