Bachelor of Arts
at Edith Cowan 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 Edith Cowan 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 at ECU's Mount Lawley campus is broad. You sample introductory units across several disciplines (English and writing, history, sociology, politics and international relations, philosophy, screen studies, a language) plus an arts foundation unit on academic writing and critical thinking. You settle on a major and usually a minor by the end of first year. Second year deepens the major with theory-driven units, research-method work and primary-source analysis. Reading and writing loads climb, with weekly tutorial preparation and longer essays. ECU emphasises applied and community-engaged learning, so you may take a unit involving local Perth organisations, oral-history projects or work-integrated electives. Third year is specialisation and capstone. Many students complete a research-style capstone, a professional internship unit or a community project. Strong students continue into an Honours year, which is the standard pathway into research masters and PhD study in the humanities.
Example first-year subjects
- Introduction to Australian Politics
- Foundations of Sociology
- Writing and Editing
- Modern World History
- Introduction to International Relations
- Critical Thinking and Academic Writing
How you will be assessed
- Essays (1500 to 3000 words) carrying a large share 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 state government
- Research assistant or analyst
- Communications or media officer
- Editorial assistant or content writer
- Electorate or political staffer
- Community-sector programme 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 enter the workforce directly or complete an Honours year (one extra year with a thesis), which is the entry point to research masters and PhD study. Common postgraduate paths from an ECU arts degree include the Master of Teaching (Secondary) to become a teacher, postgraduate communications or international relations study, and graduate-entry programmes in areas such as social work or counselling. Some graduates pursue a graduate law qualification at another WA provider.
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 and defending arguments in writing
- People drawn to politics, language, history or culture
- Independent learners comfortable with light contact hours
- Students keen to combine study with community or internship work
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 subjects
- People who need tight structure and many contact hours
Related courses at ECU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Edith Cowan University handbook and on TISC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/ecu/bachelor-of-arts.