Bachelor of Arts
at Macquarie University, New South Wales.
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 Macquarie 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
Year one introduces two majors plus broad electives across the humanities and social sciences. You typically test four to five disciplines (history, sociology, politics, philosophy, literature, linguistics, languages, anthropology) before settling on majors at the end of first year. Tutorials run small (15 to 25 students) with weekly readings of 80 to 150 pages per unit. Year two narrows to two majors at 200-level, with research methods baked into history, sociology and political science streams. Language majors stream into beginner, intermediate and advanced cohorts. Year three carries capstone seminars, independent research essays and theory-heavy 300-level units across both majors. Macquarie runs the BA alongside elective space for an Honours pathway, with a year-four supervised thesis option for high-GPA students. Long-form writing dominates assessment from start to finish, with seminar participation and presentations adding weight in upper years.
Example first-year subjects
- Introduction to Sociology
- Modern History 1: Revolutions to the Present
- Reading Literature
- Introduction to Politics and Government
- Power, Privilege and Inequality
- Introduction to Linguistics
How you will be assessed
- Essays of 1500 to 3500 words across most units
- Tutorial participation marks of 10 to 20 percent
- Take-home final exams or major research papers in lieu of formal exams
- Annotated bibliographies and literature reviews from second year
- Oral presentations and seminar leadership in 300-level units
- Honours year features a single supervised thesis
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 officer in NSW and Federal government graduate programs
- Editorial assistant in publishing, content and communications
- Communications adviser at NGOs and corporates
- Electorate officer or political adviser
- Research assistant at universities, think tanks and NGOs
- Project coordinator in not-for-profits and arts organisations
Graduate starting salary
$55,000 - $70,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Top-tier students enter the BA Honours year (added as year four, supervised thesis of around 15,000 to 20,000 words), which feeds research masters and PhD pathways. Common postgraduate pivots include the Juris Doctor (3 years) into law, Master of Teaching Primary or Secondary (2 years) for accreditation, or coursework masters in Publishing, Media Practice, International Relations, Public Policy or Human Rights. Combined bachelors with Laws, Advanced Studies and Education are widely available at Macquarie.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who enjoy reading 100 plus pages per week and writing long-form essays
- People comfortable defending an argument in small tutorial groups
- Those willing to design their own degree across two majors and free electives
- Students considering law, journalism, policy or postgraduate teaching
- Independent learners who can manage unstructured weekly time blocks
It is probably not for you if
- Students who want a structured timetable with one clear career outcome from day one
- Those who prefer technical problems with a single correct answer
- Anyone hoping to avoid 2000 to 3000 word essays
Related courses at Macquarie
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Macquarie University handbook and on UAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/macquarie/bachelor-of-arts.