Bachelor of Arts
at The University of Western Australia, Western Australia.
A flexible humanities and social sciences degree at UWA's Crawley campus on the Swan River. Students major in fields such as history, English and literary studies, anthropology, political science and international relations, or a language, with broad elective choice.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the The University of Western 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 | 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 UWA sets the foundation across two majors plus broadening units. The BA structure is built around two majors and one optional second major or minor, with Crawley-based tutorials of 15 to 25 students and weekly readings of 80 to 150 pages per unit. Most BA students try four or five subject areas in year one before committing.
Year two narrows to chosen majors. UWA offers majors including History, English and Literary Studies, Anthropology and Sociology, Asian Studies, Communication and Media Studies, Indigenous Knowledge History and Heritage, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations, and language streams in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Korean. Research methods units appear from second year in disciplines such as history and political science.
Year three is heavy on capstone seminars, independent research essays and discipline-specific theory. Many students add an Honours year (4th year) with a 12,000 to 15,000 word thesis under a supervisor. Cross-faculty electives are standard, so students can pick up units from the Conservatorium, business or science. Assessment weighs heavily on long-form writing, with seminar participation usually 10 to 20 percent.
Example first-year subjects
- Approaches to History
- Reading Literature
- Introduction to Politics and International Relations
- Anthropology: Encountering Culture
- Foundations of Communication and Media Studies
- Indigenous Australia and the World
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 supervised thesis (12,000 to 18,000 words)
Career outcomes
- Graduates work in writing, editing and publishing roles across WA media, government and the not-for-profit sector.
- Many alumni pursue policy and research positions in the WA public service or NGO sector across Perth.
- Common further-study pathways include teaching, law (graduate JD) and a research Honours year.
Typical first jobs
- Policy officer in WA Government graduate programs (Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Department of Communities)
- Editorial assistant in publishing and content roles across Perth
- Communications adviser at WA state agencies and Perth not-for-profits
- Electorate officer or political adviser at WA Parliament
- Research assistant at think tanks, the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre and Perth NGOs
- Project coordinator in arts organisations such as the Perth Festival and AGWA
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
Strong students take the BA Honours year (added 4th year, supervised thesis around 12,000 to 18,000 words) which is the standard pipeline into PhD or research masters at UWA. Many BA graduates do the Juris Doctor (3 years) at UWA Law School to enter law, the Master of Teaching (Primary or Secondary, 2 years) for accreditation with the Teacher Registration Board of WA, or the Master of International Relations, Master of Communication and Public Relations or Master of Heritage Studies. UWA offers combined bachelors with Laws (BA/LLB), Commerce, Science and Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).
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 on the Crawley campus
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
Related courses at UWA
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the The University of Western Australia handbook and on TISC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/uwa/bachelor-of-arts.