Diploma of Arts

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Discover, discuss, and develop introductory knowledge of at least one discipline or interdisciplinary area in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
2. Apply creative and analytical skills to recognise problems in a selected social and cultural context.
3. Communicate effectively, showing developing ethical, professional and cultural awareness.
4. Begin to demonstrate flexibility and resourcefulness to act as critically engaged global citizens.

After graduation, you could choose to pursue further study or to work in entry-level positions across a wide range of industries.

Possible roles include:

• Administration assistant
  • Support an organisation by monitoring phones and emails, scheduling meetings and performing basic administration tasks.
• Events assistant
  • Help coordinate events by liaising with venues and supporting promotional activities.
• Social media assistant
  • Help to create, edit and manage social media campaigns on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Higher education via OUA

Successful completion of the following Open Access Pathway subjects:

• HIT1HIT Disruption: History of Innovation and Technology and
• Any other Level one La Trobe University open access subject

Secondary education

Demonstrate proficiency equivalent to Year 12 prerequisites.

Work and Life

Satisfy the academic requirements by completing the STAT multiple choice if you:

• are not currently studying an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent)
• have no prior secondary school (Year 12), VET studies, HE studies or relevant work experience that can be considered for entry, or
• do not meet the minimum academic requirements for the program.

Refer to the La Trobe University STAT page for further information.

La Trobe University will consider applications for advanced standing, or credit for prior study. Credit may be applied to a current degree if you have undertaken previous tertiary study and completed and passed subjects similar in content and standard to those offered at La Trobe, from either another recognised tertiary institution or a different La Trobe course.

Note: Applications for credit will not be considered until you have successfully been admitted to a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) in a La Trobe course offered through OUA.

Assessing whether you should apply for credit for subjects in your course:

Credit may be granted for relevant subjects. The following steps will help you to decide which subjects you wish to apply for:

1. Identify subjects within your course that you think align with subjects you have already studied and have completed within 8 years of your La Trobe University course commencement year.
2. Provide subject outlines with detailed information for each subject that you wish to submit for assessment for credit, identifying which subject within your course that you have identified as a match. Include subject learning outcomes/objectives and subject content for each subject.
3. Provide your academic transcript for your previous studies.

*Note that a subject studied can only be used once for credit

Start your university adventure with La Trobe’s Diploma of Arts. Choose your own future – we’re here to help you achieve your dreams.

Get straight into your passions when you choose a stream and undertake the first year of the humanities and social sciences degree of your choice. Choose from criminology, global studies, media and communication, and more. Or choose from a wide range of electives – from politics and languages to environmental studies and public health – and study all the topics you’re passionate about.

Once you’ve graduated, you could transfer into one of our most varied and flexible degrees – the Bachelor of Arts – or choose from a range of specialised programs including,  Bachelor of Archaeology, Bachelor of Criminology, Bachelor of Global Studies, Bachelor of Languages and Linguistics, Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics, the Bachelor of Media and Communication and the Bachelor of Visual Arts.

No matter which path you choose, you’ll learn from world-class academics and leading researchers, and you’ll build skills in critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration – highly sought-after skills that are vital in today’s workforce.

Get a taste of university life as you study side-by-side Bachelor’s degree students. What’s more, we’ll be with you every step of the way. Receive tailored advice from a dedicated Student Adviser and you can connect with discipline-based peer mentors. We’ll help you enrol, choose your subjects and navigate university systems and requirements. You can also access La Trobe’s Careers Service to help you shape your future.

 You’ll learn:

• Critical thinking
  • Delve into complex problems. Experts say critical thinking will be a highly valued skill in the workforce of tomorrow. [1]
• Emotional intelligence
  • Understand what drives our decisions. Learn how to connect to others with emotion and intelligence.
• Creativity
  • Learn how to see new possibilities and turn them into reality.
• Communication
  • Learn how to connect, communicate and collaborate with your university peers and future colleagues.

[1] Forbes, 2019, The 10 Vital Skills You Will Need For The Future Of Work ; PwC, 2020, 10 skills you need for future employment

Recommended Study Pattern

This degree is an Open Access pathway course, which means there is a recommended series of subjects that, once successfully completed, can be credited towards this degree. To commence the pathway for this degree, simply select subjects identified within the Entry requirements field. 

Students who wish to enrol in a part time load are recommended to enrol in two subjects per study period. Please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook to review the full structure.

Students who are studying and want to take a break (minimum one study period) must submit a leave of absence covering the relevant dates.

Students who have been accepted in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) are required to complete the following 2 modules in their first study period as a CSP student:

LTU0AIM Academic Integrity Module

ABS0WOM Wominjeka La Trobe: Indigenous Cultural Literacy for Higher Education

Award Requirements

To qualify for the award of Diploma of Arts, students must complete 8 subjects (120 credit points) as follows:

• 1 core subjects
• 7 elective subjects

Students who have been accepted in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) are required to complete the following 2 modules in their first study period as a CSP student:

LTU0AIM Academic Integrity Module

ABS0WOM Wominjeka La Trobe: Indigenous Cultural Literacy for Higher Education

Choose your subjects

Electives

Students can complete a course related stream sequence (detailed below) or electives consisting of 7 subjects (105 credit points)

Students who are planning to apply for entry into one of the following Bachelor courses, are strongly encouraged to complete the related stream sequence. Please refer to the La Trobe University course handbook page to see the structure of each stream.

• Stream sequence – Arts; Pathway course – Bachelor of Arts
• Stream sequence - Global Studies; Pathway course – Bachelor of Global Studies
• Stream sequence – Politics, Philosophy and Economics; Pathway course – Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics
• Stream sequence - Visual Arts; Pathway course – Bachelor of Visual Arts

Please note: Some pathway courses may not be available for online study.