Overview

Career Outcomes

This degree aims to develop your skills and abilities in communication, critical thinking, ethics and social justice as well as developing more specific knowledge related to Community Development.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts (Community Development) will be suitable candidates for a wide range of careers in community services and welfare groups, government departments, and not-for-profit organisations.

Transition Arrangements

Murdoch University has changed the BA (Community Development) offered through OUA, and it is no longer offered in the standard Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 course structure with all 24 units of equal value.

From 2012 all students will be required to complete the equivalent of the Murdoch 72 points in order to obtain the Murdoch BA Community Development degree with Part 1 units valued at 3 points and Part 2 units valued at 4 points.

Murdoch University is committed to the principle that existing OUA students will not be disadvantaged by the changes to the BA (Community Development). All previous study completed towards this degree will transition to the new degree structure.

The pre-2012 BA (Community Development) offered through OUA by Murdoch University required students to complete a total of 24 3 credit point (0.125 EFTSL) units to qualify for the award. The course was structured into three levels.

From 2012 the BA (Community Development) offered through OUA by Murdoch University requires students to complete a total of 72 credit points to qualify for the award. The course is structured into two levels:
Part I has 3 point units (0.125 EFTSL) and requires a total of 24 points;
Part II has 4 point units (0.167 EFTSL) and requires a total of 48 points.

However, students must complete all required Part 1 Core units and a Foundation unit. Also, a minimum of 36 points at level 2/ level 3 must consist of Murdoch University units from the core requirements.

From 2012, Level 2 and Level 3 units currently offered as 3 credit points units will be offered as 4 credit point units in Part II of the course.
Murdoch units offered in the previous offering of this course will still be credited towards the course, but where students have completed the three point version, they will only be granted three points for the unit.

Unregistered students who have enrolled in core units prior to 2012, will be advised to register in the degree with Murdoch University to receive a study plan to complete their degree. Once they are registered, students will be contacted by Murdoch University to provide them with information about the changes to the degree and enrolment advice to complete their degree.

FAQs for Existing Students

• Are all units now totally different and will I need to start again? No. Although there are some new units in the course structures many units are simply recoded. For example, COD204 was recoded to AID204. If you have already completed COD204 your academic record will show that you have already completed equivalent study for AID204. However, many of the unit EFTSLs have changed so you will need to consult your course convenor for advice regarding your study plan.
• Will previously completed non-Murdoch core units be counted as core units in the new course structures? Yes, all units identified as core units by Murdoch in the course structure will be continue to have this status.
• Will I have to pay $250 to have a study plan sent to me? Students are recommended to register with Murdoch University before starting their Part 2 units to receive enrolment advice. A fee of $250 is payable on registration. To obtain an Application for Registration form, please email OUA@murdoch.edu.au. The fee is a registration fee and not a fee for doing a study plan. Many students require a study plan before deciding to register and Murdoch is quite happy to do this and will not charge them $250 for doing so.
• If I have registered prior to the start of Study Period 1, 2012 can I continue under the old degree structure? For those students who enrolled/registered prior to Study Period 1, 2012 – all units completed prior to SP1, 2012 will be counted and any remaining core units will need to be selected from the new degree structure and used in the old degree structure as part of the transition process. 

Special Requirements

Murdoch University’s undergraduate degrees have a course structure that is different from the standard OUA undergraduate degree.

• The standard university undergraduate degree in Australia as offered through OUA requires the completion of 24 units of equal value.

• This Murdoch University degree calculates the award requirements in credit points and students can complete this undergraduate degree with fewer than 24 units. Although there are fewer units in a Murdoch degree, the cost is the same as for other OUA degrees.

• The units in this degree are:
PART 1
3 credit point 0.125 EFTSL units which are equivalent to all the standard university undergraduate units offered through OUA with the same OUA unit fee.
PART 2
4 credit point 0.167 EFTSL units which are unique to Murdoch University and have a higher OUA unit fee than the standard university undergraduate unit fee. The higher unit fee is because of the higher EFTSL value and is in proportion to the number of units students need to complete a Murdoch degree.
 

Award Requirements

To qualify for the Bachelor of Arts (Community Development) at Murdoch University, students must complete 72 credit points:
• This requirement is structured into 24 points of Part 1 units and 48 points of Part 2 units.
• Students can only include one Foundation unit in the degree.
• The degree will normally take three years for full-time students, but part-time students may take up to ten years to complete the course.
 

Please refer to Special Requirements for further information about unit details and fees for this course. Students are recommended to Register in this course before starting their Part 2 units to receive enrolment advice from Murdoch University
 

Recognition of Prior Learning / Credit

Students may be eligible for credit for previous studies. When applying for credit, complete documentation, including original transcripts of academic records or certified copies, unit outlines and an explanation of the grading system, must be sent to the Open Universities Australia Liaison Officer at Murdoch University. Please note that credit cannot be gained for subjects completed more than 10 years ago. To obtain an Application for Advanced Standing Form, please email OUA@murdoch.edu.au.

Registering in this Course

Students are recommended to register with Murdoch University before starting their Part 2 units to receive enrolment advice. A fee of $250 is payable on registration. To obtain an Application for Registration form, please email OUA@murdoch.edu.au.

Recommended Study Pattern

To get the most from this course, students are recommended to follow these steps:
 

PART 1 (total of 24 points)

• Students who have not studied at university before, are recommended to start with SSK12 Introduction to University Learning as one of their Part 1 electives.
• Complete one Foundation unit from ISU102, ISU103, ISU110, or ISU111 (3 points).
• Complete four Part 1 core units (12 points).
• Complete three Part 1 or Level 1 elective units (9 points) from any OUA unit.
 

Please note: All Murdoch Part 1 units are 3 point units which are the same as all standard OUA units.
 

PART 2 (total of 48 points)

• Complete Core units (24 points )
• Complete Specified Electives (12 points)
• Complete General Electives (12 points)
 

Please note: All Murdoch Part 2 units are 4 point units and not standard 3 point OUA Level 2 and 3 units. Students may include non-Murdoch Level 2 and 3 units as General Electives but these are not 4 point units and will not be credited as equivalent to a Murdoch 4 point unit in this degree.
 

Course Admission Eligibility Criteria

(Commonwealth supported places)

In order to be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place, students must meet the following requirements:

• 4 OUA Undergraduate units at pass level OR equivalent

To learn more about Commonwealth supported places, please see Commonwealth supported places.

How to Apply

The Bachelor of Arts (Community Development) is open to all students and does not require an Application process. Simply add units from the Course units tab to your Study Cart to begin your enrolment.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Bachelor of Arts (Community Development) is also eligible for Commonwealth supported places. To enrol in this course as a Commonwealth supported student, you can submit your application by clicking on the Apply online button below. Please ensure you check the eligibility requirements for a Commonwealth supported place in this course in the Requirements Tab.

To learn more about Commonwealth supported places, please see Commonwealth supported places or call 1300 322 870.

You can submit your application by clicking on the Apply online button below.

Apply online

If you require an application form in an alternative format please phone a CSP Student Advisor on 1800 870 322.

About Commonwealth supported places

A Commonwealth supported place is a higher education place for which the Australian Government provides funding to the university towards the cost of your education. Commonwealth supported places are only available for students who wish to enrol in a full course of study and are required to contribute to the cost of their higher education through a student contribution. Eligible students in Commonwealth supported places can also receive assistance with their student contribution in the form of HECS-HELP.

To be eligible for Commonwealth support, you must be:

• An Australian citizen OR;
• A New Zealand citizen who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your study OR;
• The holder of a permanent visa who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your study.

For more information and to download an information booklet on the eligibility requirements and the payment options available including the process for applying for HECS-HELP assistance, please visit http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/StudyAssist/

Alternatively if you do not wish to apply as a Commonwealth supported place student or are not eligible, you can still apply to study this course or units within this course. Click on the Course units tab above to find out more.

Please note that depending on the course eligibility requirements, you may be required to provide scanned and certified copies of the following supporting documents:

• Certified copies of academic transcripts - required in most cases but check course eligibility rules.(Please ensure you attach all pages of your academic transcript including both the front and back pages)

A “certified copy” is a copy of an original document which has been certified as being a true copy by an authorised person. These include a justice of the peace, lawyer, medical practitioner, pharmacist, accountant, school principal or minister of religion.

• English language test results - if your courses were not predominantly in English e.g. IELTS or equivalent test results.
• IMPORTANT:  Please do not send original documents as they will not be returned.

Pricing and Payment Options

The total cost of completing a degree will vary depending on the course you have chosen to study.

Fees can also vary according to the type of unit you enrol in and the applicable fee band. Below is a guide to help you find the fees applicable for your own study path.

Please also note that the fees listed here are only indicative costs for new students in 2012. These fees may vary depending on the units you choose and do not include incidental fees (such as lab coats or art supplies) or the cost of your textbooks.

Course Structure

Electives