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Bachelor of Arts (Sociology)

N0515SOC  001763D



Duration

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Fee*
3 Year/s Hawthorn (Semester 1, Semester 2) A$18,550 (annual for 2012) 
*The indicative course fees shown in Course Search apply to international students studying on-campus in Australia for the relevant year only. They are based on a standard study load per year. However, please note that fees are assessed according to a student's study load in each semester, and variation to study load will result in an adjustment to tuition fees. All fees are subject to annual review and may be adjusted.

Sociology is the study of people in groups – from the family to whole societies. It investigates how individual and group behaviour shapes groups and society, and in turn, how behaviour is shaped by society and its institutions. Studying sociology equips students with specialised knowledge of social processes and cultivates creative and critical thinking skills highly sought after by employers in the public, private and community sectors.
 
The sociology major develops a deep understanding of social and cultural issues, high-level communication and research skills, intellectual resourcefulness and the ability to adapt to new social and technological circumstances that is crucial in today’s rapidly changing workplaces. The sociology curriculum also emphasises research skills training, in particular research design and qualitative research methods. It involves designing and carrying out original research, learning critical real-world project management, research design and report-writing skills. Swinburne also offers an honours (fourth) year for this program.

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The Bachelor of Arts degree is designed to produce graduates who are able to contribute effectively and professionally to a dynamic global economy because they possess:
  • knowledge, conceptual understanding and expertise in specific areas of study in the humanities and social sciences
  • an understanding of the relationship between theory, research and practice
  • a capacity for critical analysis, creativity and problem solving
  • professional skills, including the ability to use modern technology
  • independent and lifelong learning skills
  • comprehensive written and oral communication skills
  • a strong sense of personal integrity and an appreciation of the role of ethics in private and public life
  • excellent problem-solving, teamwork and decision-making skills
The combined focus on generic skills and sound academic and professional knowledge within the Bachelor of Arts degree equips students well for a lifelong process of personal development. Students with these attributes are highly sought after by employers who increasingly seek people with well-developed generic skills, in addition to professional competencies.

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This course will operate under a student workload model based on 100 credit points for a full-time academic year. One credit point is deemed to be equivalent to one hour of student work per week over a semester, whether in contact with staff or in private study. Four units of study, each worth 12.5 credit points, will generally be taken each semester. The typical student's average weekly workload during semester is therefore expected to be 50 hours. Total student contact hours, including lectures, classes, tutorials, flexible learning and laboratory and field sessions will be approximately 16 hours/week during academic semesters.
Students in the Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) program must complete 300 credit points, normally 24 units of 12.5 credit points each, comprising:
  • Sociology Major - 2010, 16 units of 12.5 credit points each (200 credit points); and
  • one co-major (8 units) or two minors (4 units each).
Additionally the following rules apply: 
  • At enrolment students will be provided with recommended combinations of Faculty majors, co-majors or minors. Any other combinations a student proposes will be subject to approval by the Faculty;
  • the non-credit unit, Careers in the Curriculum (HAC0001), is compulsory;
  • two (2) Major Project units must be completed as part of the major studies sequence;
  • the same unit cannot be counted more than once. Where there are overlaps in majors, co-majors or minors, the 300 credit points of study must be made up in the first instance by a minor where 50 credit points is required, otherwise by freeelectives or Options Plus units;
  • students will normally not be permitted to successfully complete more than 26 units (325cps);
  • students may only enrol in two majors where both majors have sufficient unit overlap to enable both to be completed within a total 300 credit-points of study; and
  • Professional Major Co-ordinators have the authority to approve alternative units if required for students to complete in a timely fashion.
Careers in the Curriculum (CIC)
In addition to the above, students must complete a compulsory unit of study HAC0001 Careers in the Curriculum to be awarded the degree. Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) is an innovative unit designed to assist Swinburne students to enhance their employability and career prospects. It is usually undertaken in the second year of their course and is compulsory for all undergraduate students. Students studying CIC will not incur a HECS or fee debt as the cost will be met by the university as part of an initiative to enhance students' career skills.

Final Year Experience - Major Projects
As part of the Swinburne Model for Professional Learning, all incoming undergraduates will undertake 25 credit points of professionally focused final year major projects within their programs of study. Entry with advanced standing may require alternate study sequences to be undertaken.

Winter and Summer Term
This program also provides opportunities to undertake study in an optional six-week Winter and Summer term allowing you to complete extra study between the standard semesters. These terms are not mandatory.  However, if you wish to vary your study load you may want to consider this option.
 
Elective Plus Minors
Electives Plus combinations provide Swinburne degree students with options to broaden their career skills and strengthen their employability by undertaking specially selected groups of units from outside their degree discipline.
 
For further information visit the Elective Plus website. Electives Plus Minors are available in all Swinburne degree programs subject to timetabling constraints, with the exception of double degree programs, specialist double major degrees, and where entry has been approved with advanced standing.
 
Options Plus
Students will have access to a small set of approved individual Options Plus units of study which provide either a distinctive learning experience or targeted study support. This could include optional study tours, an Intercultural Communications unit, and an ‘introduction to undergraduate research’ unit. In some cases, students may be advised or directed to take specially targeted Options Plus units, for example the Analysing and Writing English unit to be offered for credit in Winter Term for NESB students.

Students undertaking a full 300 cp program are allowed to substitute at least one Options Plus unit for one existing unit within their co-major but not in their Professional Major. They will be advised by their Faculty on which unit(s) of the co-major.

In the case of students who enter with significant levels of advanced standing and whose program is therefore composed only of a Professional Major, the Faculty may approve a substitution, or else require the students to undertake the Options Plus unit in addition to their major studies.

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Sociology Professional Major
 
Notes: HAS308 Internship in Social Research, 25 credit points. (Alternative option replacing HASP303 Research Project & HAS303 Genetics in Society.)
 
HASM205 Cultural Study Tour, 12.5 credit points. (Alternative option. Students must have completed 8 units or 100 credit points, usually with a credit average. The unit may replace one unit, and is undertaken in winter term.)

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Professional Majors
Where a student has completed the requirements of a Professional Major they are eligible to apply to graduate with the appropriate tagged degree outcome.
 
A Professional Major (200 credit points or 16 units of study) in Arts is designed to provide students with appropriate breadth and depth of knowledge in a particular field of study and provide suitable preparation for professional graduate employment. It may be based on a single, recognised discipline, or it may be inter-disciplinary in character.
Study areas in the Sociology Professional Major include sociology, politics, communications, media, philosophy and cultural enquiry, political economy, politics and history, psychology, politics and policy studies, philosophy, philosophy and cultural inquiry, sociology and health, sociology and politics.

Co-majors
A co-major (100 credit points or 8 units of study) is a sequence of study focused on a specific discipline and is normally self-contained, in that it includes any requisite foundation studies. Where a student has studied a co-major they are not normally eligible to apply to graduate with the associated tagged degree outcome.

Co-majors can be taken from any discipline across the university, timetabling permitting. Co-majors available in the Bachelor of Arts program include: 
 
 
Minors
A minor (50 credit points or 4 units of study) is a set of units and can be taken from any discipline across the University, including Electives Plus minors, timetabling permitting. Credit cannot be given for any minor which contains more than two units of study in common with any other minor, co-major or major a student is undertaking. Minors offered in the Bachelor of Arts program are: 
 

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Swinburne offers International Exchange Programs as well as other Education Abroad Programs to help internationalise your degree. International Exchange is an academic program allowing you to study at a Swinburne Partner Institution for one or two semesters during your degree. Swinburne's Partner Institutions offer many relevant subjects as well as a secure base to explore a different culture. Your studies whilst on exchange can be credited towards your Swinburne degree, provided they are relevant and approved by Swinburne. For further information visit the  Swinburne Abroad website.

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Sociology prepares you for careers in research, government, non-profit organisations and other human-focused fields.

Sociology graduates typically find careers in the areas of social research, administration, planning, community development, human resources, policy development and marketing. These positions all require the conceptual and skill-based training that comes from undertaking a degree in sociology.

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Apply for this course by following the step-by-step process on our How to Apply page.

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Swinburne College English for Academic Purposes Advanced level certificate at the undergraduate level (EAP 5: UG-65% ); OR, Obtaining a minimum IELTS overall band of 6.0 (Academic Module) with no individual band below 6.0; OR, a TOEFL (Paper-based) minimum score of 550 (with Test of Written English (TWE) score of 5); OR, a TOEFL (Computer-based) minimum score of 213 (with Written Writing score of 5); OR, a TOEFL (Internet-based) minimum score of 80 with no band less than 20.

Refer to the English Language Requirements website for further information.

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Phone: +613 8676 7002 (outside Australia)
Freecall 1800 897 973 (within Australia)

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Visit our Meet Us page to see when we are visiting your home country (or here in Australia)

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A range of scholarships are available to international students, visit our Scholarship Page for details.

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