Bachelor of Arts (Sustainable Development)

You may choose to pursue employment in a range of federal, state or local government agencies or with non-government organisations concerned with the environment. Graduates may also find employment in a wide range of businesses such as mining, agriculture and urban development.

Higher education via OUA

2 OUA Undergraduate units at pass level OR equivalent.

Higher education

Transferring from another course or university

If you have successfully completed university studies equivalent to at least 2 units (6 Murdoch credit points) you can apply to transfer to Murdoch University using your previous studies. To be eligible for the course, you need to have passed units to a high standard and may be required to provide a personal statement upon application.

Secondary education

School leavers gain an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) from four course subjects completed during Year 12, or OP (Overall Positions) in Queensland.

To apply to Murdoch University after Year 12, you must achieve English competency and have achieved your WA Certificate of Education (WACE) or its interstate equivalent along with the ATAR (or OP) relevant for your chosen course.

An ATAR of 70.00 or higher (or a Queensland Overall Position of 14 or less) is required for admission to a Commonwealth Support Place in this course.

VET studies

If you have successfully completed a Certificate IV or higher you can apply for admission into a Commonwealth Support Place.

Work and Life

• Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
  • STAT is a national test for mature age people designed to assess aptitude for learning in a tertiary environment. It is not a test of your knowledge on specific academic subjects. It is recognised in all Australian states. You must achieve a minimum of 140 in the Written English and 135 in the Qualitative or Multiple Choice sections of the STAT to gain entry to Murdoch.
• Completed secondary education more than two years ago
• Enabling Programs
  • Murdoch Institute of Technology - http://www.murdochinstitute.wa.edu.au/
  • STAT preparation course - Applicant needs to sit the STAT after the course is completed.
  • Murdoch University OnTrack / OnTrack Sprint / FlexiTrack - If you have successfully completed Murdoch University's OnTrack or Flexitrack program you can apply for admission into a Commonwealth Support Place. Details are available at http://www.murdoch.edu.au/OnTrack/ and https://www.open.edu.au/degrees/flexitrack-murdoch-university-mur-ftk-deg

Additional information

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre - http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Kulbardi/
• International Students - http://www.murdoch.edu.au/study/how-to-apply
• For further admission information about this course, please refer to Murdoch Admission Information - Arts

English Proficiency Requirements

To demonstrate English language competency you will need a scaled mark of at least 50 in  ATAR English, Literature or English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD).

Students may be eligible for credit for previous studies.
When applying for credit, students will need to provide documentation, including original transcripts of academic records or certified copies, subject outlines and an explanation of the grading system.
This must be sent to the Open Universities Support Office 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 download it from this website:
http://our.murdoch.edu.au/OUA/Forms/

Note: Students must be enrolled in a Murdoch subject before any Advanced Standing application will be assessed.

Please Note: New students who wish to complete this degree should go to Murdoch's Bachelor of Arts degree page.

The interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Development addresses some of the most crucial issues facing the world today, including climate change, environmental protection, the use of scarce resources such as water and fossil fuels and fair and equitable economic growth for communities.

With an emphasis on practical solutions, this degree builds connections between theory and practice and integrates environmental, economic and community considerations. Students have the opportunity to explore areas such as urban or regional sustainability, overseas aid and development and climate change.

Sustainability is an emerging growth industry and profession.

• Graduates progress to successful careers in
• the State and Commonwealth public sectors;
• local councils and non-government organisations (NGOs);
• research institutes;
• national and international aid organisations;
• as well as in industry, tourism, media, education and resource sectors of the economy.

Recommended Study Pattern

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

LEVEL 1 (total of 24 points)

• Complete the Transition and Breadth subjects - BAR100 and BAR150 (6 points)
• Complete two Part I core subjects - COD125 and SUS100 (6 points)
• Complete four Level 1 General Electives from any OUA subject (12 points)

LEVEL 2 (total of 24 points)

• Complete the Research Skills subject - BAR200 (3 points)
• Complete one Breadth Subject from the list (3 points)
• Complete three Part II (Level 2) core subjects (9 points)
• Complete three Level  2 or 3 General Electives from any OUA subject  (9 points)

LEVEL 3 (total of 24 points)

• Complete the Research Skills subject - BAR300 (3 points)
• Complete one Breadth Subject from the list (3 points)
• Complete three Part II (Level 3) core subjects (9 points)
• Complete three Level 2 or 3 General Electives from any OUA subject (9 points)

Award Requirements

To qualify for the Murdoch University Bachelor of Arts (Sustainable Development) students must complete 72 credit points (24 subjects).

The Murdoch Degree Framework
(72 Points of Credit:  24 points at Part I, 48 points at Part II)

A Murdoch University degree is structured around four key elements:

• transition to university,
• research skills,
• breadth of knowledge, and
• depth of knowledge (the chosen Major).

Degree Structures
Murdoch’s degree structures combine all the required elements to make a student knowledgeable, experienced, confident and successful within a chosen career:
Each level of an undergraduate degree requires 24 credit points, the equivalent of a year of full-time study.  Taking a combined degree introduces additional credit point requirements to your qualification.
Transition to University
Each degree includes a transition subject, helping students develop the key academic skills to succeed in a chosen field. Students entering Murdoch with advanced standing will still be required to complete this subject or demonstrate achievement of the subject’s learning outcomes.
Research Skills
Second and third year subjects focus on the research skills relevant to the chosen degree.  Research, communication and problem solving abilities are highly valued by employers, so we aim to ‘future proof’ your education with skills for undertaking life-long learning.
These skills involve:

• Identifying research
• Using appropriate methodology to find, record and organise research data;
• Critically evaluating and interpreting available information;
• Managing the research process and organising information;
• Communicating research findings with the appropriate language and context.

Breadth of Knowledge
Often, the best solutions appear when people apply knowledge in new ways or work with a team to bring different skills together. Breadth studies introduces students to knowledge outside a chosen discipline, teaching students to understand how others think and solve problems.
For detailed information go to this website:  http://our.murdoch.edu.au/OUA/

Choose your subjects

Majors

Level 1
Core Units – 6 credit points
BAR100 Academic Learning Skills (Transition Unit)
BAR150 Ideas & Identity (Breadth Unit)

Core Units – 6 credit points
COD125: Introduction to Community Development
SUS100 Introduction to Sustainable Development

Level 2
Core Units – 6 credit points
BAR200 Developing Research Skills
Plus one of the following Murdoch University Breadth Units: 

• BRD202 Drugs in Society
• BRD251 Wellbeing
• BRD209 Creativity and Innovation
• ENV245 Global and Regional Sustainability
• AIS204 Indigenous Australia and the Nation
• POL226 Sex and Gender Matters
• ASN288 Women in Asian Societies
• PHL209 Metaphors of Mind
• REL101 World Religions

You may complete more than one Murdoch Breadth unit (as general electives)

Core Units – 9 credit points
SUS203 Sustainability, Ecology & Communities
SUS207 (New unit to OUA): Overseas Aid & International Development
ENV245 Global & Regional Sustainability

Level 3
Core Units – 6 credit points
BAR300 Bachelor of Arts Research Skills
Plus one of the following Murdoch University Breadth Units not yet completed: 

• BRD202 Drugs in Society
• BRD251 Wellbeing
• BRD209 Creativity and Innovation
• ENV245 Global and Regional Sustainability
• AIS204 Indigenous Australia and the Nation
• POL226 Sex and Gender Matters
• ASN288 Women in Asian Societies
• PHL209 Metaphors of Mind
• REL101 World Religions

Core Units – 9 credit points
SUS305 Economics of Sustainability
SUS310 Sustainable Urban Communities
SUS301 Resilient Regions: Sustainability in Practice

Please Note: Units which appear in a major and the breadth unit list may only be counted towards the requirements of the major.

Electives

Part I  (Level 1)

General Electives – 12 credit points
Select from any 100 level units offered by OUA, subject to individual unit prerequisites.  Students who are considering a second major are advised to consider using General Elective points(from Murdoch offerings) to meet the requirements of a second major.

Recommended General Elective 
BIO103 Environmental Biology 

Part II (Level 2)

General Electives – 9 credit points
Select from any 200 or 300 level units offered by OUA, subject to individual unit prerequisites.  Students who are considering a second major are advised to consider using General Elective points (from Murdoch offerings) to meet the requirements of a second major.

Part II (Level 3)

General Electives – 9 credit points
Select from any 200 or 300 level units offered by OUA, subject to individual unit prerequisites.  Students who are considering a second major are advised to consider using General Elective points (from Murdoch offerings) to meet the requirements of a second major.