Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) (Honours)

Course information for - 2025 entry

Offered at 1 locations

Duration
1 year full-time or equivalent part-time
ATAR
New
Fees (first year)*

$15446 CSP

Start dates
Semester 1 intake: Beginning February 2025
Applications open August 2024
Midyear (Semester 2) intake: to be advised

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)(Honours) is an honours year program of study in the liberal arts, focused on a ‘great books’ approach to the history of ideas in Western culture. The program builds upon the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) course and consolidates student learning in the liberal arts, directing students through advanced seminars on hermeneutics and the critical interpretation of foundational texts in the Western canon, as well as a capstone research thesis that encounters key texts from an interdisciplinary perspective and a research methods unit. 

Students admitted to the honours course would be covered by the existing Philanthropic Agreement (2020). As noted above, this agreement provides a generous scholarship (worth $32,000 p.a. from January 2023) for a course (or eligible combination of courses) lasting up to 5 years.

Discover ACU's Western Civilisation Program


Course details

Course structure

Course map

Open all

Please note: Course maps are subject to change.

Commencing Semester 1

  • Advanced Coursework units Choose ONE Advanced Coursework unit selected from Part A10 cp
  • Advanced Coursework units Choose ONE Advanced Coursework unit selected from Part A10 cp
  • Research Theory and Methods units HUMA402 Introduction to Thesis Research and Design ORResearch Theory and Methods unitsWCIV416 Slow Reading in Wisdom: Interpretation and Research Methods 10 cp
  • Thesis unitsWCIV417Honours Thesis A10 cp
  • Elective units Elective Unit10 cp
  • Thesis unitsWCIV418Honours Thesis B10 cp
  • Thesis unitsWCIV419Honours Thesis C20 cp

Commencing Semester 2

Graduate statement

Insight

As an ACU graduate you have personal insight founded on an understanding of who you are as a professional, a citizen and a scholar. You embrace change and growth through critical self-awareness and learning autonomy. You are empowered to seek truth and meaning, drawing on the principles of justice, equity, and the dignity of all human beings.

Empathy

As an ACU graduate you value human dignity and diversity. This appreciation is founded on deep reflection, and empathy. You have experience of Indigenous Knowings and perspectives and can engage respectfully when working alongside Australia's First Peoples. You can connect with people and cultures and work with community in ways that recognise the dignity of the human person and all cultures

Imagination

As an ACU graduate you utilise imagination and innovation to solve problems. You critically analyse information from a range of sources to creatively solve practical problems and use critical thinking to make decisions and advance the common good. You appreciate the role of innovation and creative thinking in developing a better future for each person and community.

Impact

As an ACU graduate you recognise your responsibility to work for social justice and a sustainable world founded on a commitment to human dignity and the common good. You lead change through respectful collaboration and effective communication of ideas to diverse peoples, groups and communities in local and global contexts. You are empowered to positively impact your profession and the community.

AQF framework

Bachelor Honours - AQF Level 8

Overseas study available

Students have to option to elect to study a unit overseas.

Entry requirements

Applicants must comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

International applicants need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.


To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites:

1.        the ACU Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)

OR

2.        Equivalent of an Australian bachelor’s degree in a *related discipline

Students must have attained a minimum GPA of 5.50 in the relevant undergraduate degree, as stipulated in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.


*Related disciplines

Ancient History, Archaeology, Classics, Creative Arts, Drama, English, Fine Arts, Geography, Modern History, Modern European Languages and Literatures, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, Study of Religions, Theological Studies, and Visual Arts.


Applicants are also assessed on each of the following to determine suitability for this course:

  1. Personal statement or essay
  2. Performance at interview
  3. Demonstrated suitability on the basis of additional requirements for academic excellence

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2025 Admission.

Adjustment factors

If you’re currently completing Year 12 you may be eligible for adjustment factors that can boost your rank and help you get into your desired course.

Adjustment factors may be applied to your TAC application if you study particular subjects, attend schools geographically close to our campuses or in certain regional areas, apply as an elite athlete or performer or meet certain other criteria.

Learn more about adjustment factors

Inherent requirement

There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.

Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you

Pathways

Further study

Graduates of this course may be eligible for entry into further postgraduate coursework degree programs.

Fees

Course costs

Average first year fee*

$15446 CSP

All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a full-time study load of 40 credit points (normally 4 units) per semester.

A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:

  • the number of units studied per semester;
  • the choice of major or specialisation; and
  • elective units.

The University reviews fees annually.

Payment options

You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.

Explore your options

Scholarships

You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.

Search our scholarships

How to apply

Domestic applicants

Direct application

Apply now

Staff Profile

Dr Kishore Saval

Senior Lecturer, Western Civilisation Program, National School of Arts and Humanities

Dr Kishore Saval is Senior Lecturer of Literature, Philosophy, and Art History in the Western Civilisation Program at Australia Catholic University (North Sydney). His main area of specialisation is the Renaissance, although his research focuses more generally on the relationship between literature and philosophy, the study of the emotions, and the literature, culture, and afterlife of the classical period. Saval received his Ph.D. in English Literature from Harvard University. He is also formerly Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature at Brown University. He received a J.D. in law from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where his studies also included comparative law, jurisprudence, and ancient history. He received his Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) from the University of California, Los Angeles. Among other publications, Saval is the author of two books, Reading Shakespeare through Philosophy, and Shakespeare in Hate. 

Assoc. Prof. Andrew Poe

Undergraduate Course Coordinator, Director of International Study, Western Civilisation Program, National School of Arts and Humanities

Assoc. Prof. Andrew Poe teaches social and political thought in the Western Civilisation Program at Australia Catholic University (North Sydney). He is a political theorist, with specialised interests in democratic theory, religion and politics, modes of resistance, and political violence. His scholarship draws influence from a variety of sources, including continental philosophy, the history of political thought, religion and politics, and modern literature. Assoc. Prof. Poe's most recent work, Political Enthusiasm: Partisan Feeling and Democracy's Enchantments, published by Manchester University Press in 2022, explores the changing role of enthusiasm in democratic politics. Poe is also the co-editor of The Time of Catastrophe (Routledge, 2015), as well as The Lives of Guns (Oxford University Press, 2018). His current research project explores the promise and complexity of democracy without police.

 

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