New BA at UNSW? (1 Viewer)

[sirfeathers]

Hey everyone,

I'm a Year 12 student thinking of doing a BA as part of a combined degree at UNSW next year. I've heard that they're restructuring the BA program for next year, but I can't find any info about it anywhere.

Does anyone know more about this? And exactly what is going to be different from the old BA? New majors/courses? Different program structure?

Any info would be great, because as I said, there doesn't seem to be that much about it online yet.

 

[Iruka]

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is in the middle of a restructure - they've cut the number of schools in the faculty from 12 to 5. This is probably why you are having trouble finding any info about them.

I don't know how much the restructure will affect the undergraduate program.

My observation after 4 years study at UNSW is that the degrees regularly get re-badged with new and wonderful sounding names (like "international studies," which is just an arts degree with a compulsory foreign language) but the actual number of subjects on offer inevitably declines.

Unfortunately, I don't think it is just UNSW. It reflects the lack of funding for tertiary education in Australia in general.

In short, if you actually want to know anything in particular, I suggest you track down a real live human being and ask them. You could try talking to some of the program coordinators which you should be able to find on the faculty of arts website.

 

[bringbackshred]

Don't do Arts at UNSW. That's all I'm going to say.

 

[D.]

A History lecturer told me that they're changing the subject names to less imaginative titles, for example: Ancient History 1, 2, 3, etc, and they're taking subjects that used to have 2 courses and putting them into one.
But they're also instituting new majors and minors, like archaeology.

 

[sirfeathers]

Thanks everyone for the info, it's very much appreciated.

My observation after 4 years study at UNSW is that the degrees regularly get re-badged with new and wonderful sounding names (like "international studies," which is just an arts degree with a compulsory foreign language) but the actual number of subjects on offer inevitably declines.

Yup. I just found this out first hand. They're scrapped the Political Economy major plan which is what I wanted to do

Don't do Arts at UNSW. That's all I'm going to say.

I really want to do the combined Advanced Mathematics/ Arts program though. Sydney Uni is better for Arts I know but UNSW is way better for the maths.

A History lecturer told me that they're changing the subject names to less imaginative titles, for example: Ancient History 1, 2, 3, etc, and they're taking subjects that used to have 2 courses and putting them into one.
But they're also instituting new majors and minors, like archaeology.

That doesn't sound too bad...

 

[doink]

I really want to do the combined Advanced Mathematics/ Arts program though. Sydney Uni is better for Arts I know but UNSW is way better for the maths.

Is this from your many years experience at both universities or something you heard from a school friend who heard from a friend who heard from a maths student at UNSW?

I could easily say that USYD is better for maths but i don't know since i havn't done it at UNSW.

 

[D.]

I used to be in Arts at Usyd but really didn't like it and transferred to UNSW. I wouldn't recommend Usyd Arts over UNSW, but then again, other people are of the opposite view. Meh.

 

[lionking1191]

Well USYD was rated as having the 5th best arts faculty in the world (Times, 06) but from what I've seen UNSW has better program structure. eg. language - unsw has more practical language electives at advanced levels (but then I guess it depends on personal interest/needs)

also with the International Studies degree, i think USYD scrapped it recently? they now have a global.int'l studies program which sounds very different to what unsw and uts have