Bachelor of Arts
at The University of Sydney, 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 The University of Sydney 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
First year sets the foundation across two majors and one Open Learning Environment unit. Most BA students try four or five subject areas in year one before committing. Tutorials run at 12 to 20 students with weekly readings of 80 to 150 pages per unit. Year two narrows to two majors. You take 1000 and 2000 level units, with research methods built in for history, sociology and political economy streams. Language majors run streamed beginner, intermediate and advanced pathways. Year three is heavy on capstone seminars, independent research essays and discipline-specific theory. Many students add an Honours year (4th year) for a thesis under a supervisor. Cross-faculty electives are standard, so you can pick up units from Sydney Conservatorium, business, or even science. Assessment weighs heavily on long-form writing, with seminar participation usually 10 to 20 percent.
Example first-year subjects
- Introduction to Sociology
- Modern Europe: Revolution to Present
- Reading Literature
- Introduction to Politics
- Power, Privilege and Inequality
- Language in Society
How you will be assessed
- Essays of 1500 to 3500 words across most arts units
- Tutorial participation usually 10 to 20 percent
- Take-home final exams or research papers in lieu of formal exams
- Annotated bibliographies and literature reviews from second year
- Oral presentations and seminar-leading in 3000-level units
- Honours year features a single 18,000 word 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 or Federal government graduate programs
- Editorial assistant in publishing and content roles
- Communications and media adviser
- Electorate officer or political adviser
- Research assistant at 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.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/labour-market-insights. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Strong students take the BA Honours year (added 4th year, supervised thesis around 18,000 words) which is the standard pipeline into PhD or research masters. Many BA graduates do the Juris Doctor (3 years) to enter law, the Master of Teaching (Primary or Secondary, 2 years) for accreditation, or the Master of Publishing, Media Practice or International Relations. The faculty also runs combined bachelors with Law, Advanced Studies (Media and Communications, Politics and International Relations) and Education.
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 essays
- People comfortable defending an argument in small tutorials
- Those willing to design their own pathway across two majors
- Students considering law, journalism, policy or postgraduate teaching
- Independent learners who can manage unstructured study time
It is probably not for you if
- Students who want a structured timetable with clear career outcomes from day one
- Those who prefer technical problems with single correct answers
- Anyone hoping to avoid 2000 to 3000 word essays
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 USyd
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the The University of Sydney handbook and on UAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/usyd/bachelor-of-arts.