Major study areas for Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences

AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS STUDIES

In this discipline, students are encouraged to engage with what it means to be an Australian today, how our history might have unfolded differently, and how Australia can further enhance its democratic ideals. They use a comparative approach to understand key issues and experiences of Indigenous peoples not only in Australia, but in international contexts.

AUSTRALIAN STUDIES

At Monash, we are renowned for our field trips, our use of interactive media, and our willingness to look beyond the myths and stereotypes and interpret Australia in new and different ways. Students engage with a number of different disciplines including history, politics, literature, geography, and international and Indigenous studies. They gain an appreciation of the strength and diversity of the many cultures that make up the Australian identity today.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications focuses on the role of media in society and how this influences the way we receive communications and the way we communicate with each other. Today, we get most of our news and knowledge from mass media and social media, so it is vital that students learn about the structures of communications industries and how to critically analyse the media.

COMMUNITY STUDIES

In community studies, students explore alternative and mainstream communities, community development, welfare work and Australian social justice issues. They are exposed to debates about the purpose of communities, and cover a range of issues including globalisation, citizenship, and the representation and history of Australian societies.

COMMUNITY WELFARE AND COUNSELLING

Our community welfare and counselling program is vocationally-driven - we aim to give students the knowledge and skills that they need for ethical and social welfare practice. Graduates have the necessary skills to participate in a number of fields - counselling, child protection, disability services, youth justice, aged care, homelessness, family violence. While they are studying, we also provide students with work placements in welfare agencies, so that they can see what it's really like to work in these areas.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Criminal justice addresses the complex issue of crime and the way in which it affects the lives of us all. It draws on diverse areas including psychological studies, sociology and Indigenous studies to stimulate fresh thinking. Students compare regional, state, national and international crime and crime prevention policies, while also considering radical alternatives for dealing with crime.

ENGLISH

English students combine a love of reading with a passion for thinking, debating and analysing. English at Monash focuses on English literature and language, and its uses for a range of communication and cultural purposes. We aim to equip students with excellent communication skills, knowledge of a wide range of literary genres, and an understanding of the theoretical frameworks that underpin reading, writing and language use.

HISTORY

History is not simply about dates and facts, but about new ways to interpret and understand the past, allowing us to make sense of the world today. History at Monash delves into different aspects of the human experience, and considers societies and civilisations across a range of periods and continents. Students can study everything from medieval and renaissance Europe to contemporary worlds, Asian civilisations and nations at war.

HISTORY-POLITICS

History and politics are two very interrelated disciplines - so why not study them together? In history-politics at Monash, students build their knowledge of the history and politics of Europe, Australia, Asia, the US and international relations. Students gain a deeper understanding on the past and present world, as well as continuity and change in human society.

POLITICS

Politics at university is more concerned with explaining how and why different political systems are constructed, and how they work, than surface level politics such as current affairs. Students look at what happens, but also investigate why, such as the causes of political events and hidden meanings and motivations.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES

Psychological studies provides a sequence of units that cover popular applied areas of psychology, such as forensic psychology, the psychology of sport, and psychology and work. It is ideal for students who are not intending to take up psychology as a profession, but want to complement studies in education, social welfare, journalism, criminal justice and sociology.

PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology draws on a range of phenomena including remembering and forgetting, thinking, learning, problem solving, how we communicate, our emotions, and our social interactions. It allows us to examine how we respond to the world around us, providing valuable insights in how we can interact with the world more effectively and safely.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public Relations (PR) is primarily about building and maintaining relationships for the mutual benefit of those involved. Our PR area of study is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Australia. It is designed to equip students with the relevant and necessary skills for the profession, such as effective writing, critical thinking, active listening, decision-making, and persuasiveness.

SOCIOLOGY

Sociology explores people and the relationships that they have in different contexts such as families, schools and workplaces. Sociologists look to things like social class, gender, ethnicity, power and culture to understand and explain the differences in how people live, think and feel.

WRITING

Writing at Monash offers students the opportunity to understand a range of writing practices and to become familiar with different kinds of writing and language use for different audiences and purposes. Students gain a detailed understanding of the range of techniques used in contemporary writing practice, and graduate with valuable analytical, editorial and creative skills, applicable to a variety of careers.