At UQ we refer to your degree as a program and a subject as a course. 

Courses

Most UQ courses are 2 units in value.

If you are a full-time student you will undertake 8 units (4 courses) each semester.

Units
To complete the Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Honours) you must complete 64 units comprising:

• 10 units for all BAdvHum(Hons) Core Courses, and
• One of the following:
  • 38 units from BAdvHum(Hons) One Major Option, or
  • 38 units from BAdvHum(Hons) Two Major Option, or
  • 38 units from BAdvHum(Hons) Extended Major Option, and
• 16 units from BAdvHum(Hons) Honours Courses

Selected courses must include at most 24 units at level 1.

Selected courses must include at least 40 units at level 3 or higher.

Some of the courses you complete will form your major or extended major.

The key difference between majors and extended majors is how many courses you will need to take from those disciplines to complete them.

Within your major or extended major there are compulsory courses, which you must pass to complete your major or extended major, and elective courses, which you can select from the rest of your major or extended major.

General electives are individual courses of your choice that can be selected from the Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Honours) course list or other undergraduate course lists.

Make sure you read the program requirements to ensure you understand the requirements of your degree.

At UQ, a standard full-time study load is 16 units over the year – this breaks down to 8 units (or four courses) each semester.

You do not have to decide what courses you want to do for your whole program at the start of your first semester – we only ask you to choose courses one year at a time.

So, all you need to worry about at this stage is choosing four courses for Semester 1 and four courses for Semester 2, taking into account all compulsory core courses.

At the start of the BAdvHum(Hons) you do need to choose which major or extended major you would like to undertake. By choosing your major or extended major, you can start to formulate a study plan.

Please use the PDF below for the year in which you commenced your BAdvHum(Hons) program to draft an enrolment plan. This planner should be read in conjunction with your program requirements (select your year of commencement from the dropdown box).

• 2025
• 2024
• 2023

The following is a suggestion for your first semester:

If taking one major or an extended major -

• HUMN1100 Interdisciplinary Thinking
• Level 1 course towards a major or extended major
• Two x general electives

If taking two majors -

• HUMN1100 Interdisciplinary Thinking
• Level 1 course towards a major
• Level 1 course towards other major
• General elective

General electives may be courses that are listed in other majors or extended majors of the BAdvHum(Hons) program, or courses from any other program at UQ which do not have restrictions preventing your enrolment (i.e. pre-requisites, incompatibilities or program restrictions).

The other BAdvHum(Hons) core courses should be studied in the following semesters, around which you can enrol in the 38 units of other courses towards your One Major Option, Two Major Option or Extended Major Option to make your enrolment 8 units of courses each semester.

Year 1 Semester 2: HUMN1201   Perspectives in Humanities

Year 2 Semester 1: HUMN2200   Cross-Cultural Humanities

Year 3 Semester 1: HUMN3100   Humanities and the Big Questions

Year 3 Semester 2: HUMN3300   Masterclass – Advanced Research in the Humanities

The Starting at UQ website provides a guide for completing your enrolment.

There are no core courses required in Year 2 Semester 2 as this is the semester we recommend you consider untertaking a semester-based exchange. Planning for a semester-based exchange in Year 2 Semester 2 will require you to start planning for this in Year 1 as applications will close around October of Year 1.

Once you complete the first 48 units of your program, you will progress (subject to various requirements) into honours.

We encourage you to participate in a global experience in the form of a semester-based exchange, short-term study (for credit or not for credit), or internship. The University has a team dedicated to assist students with global experiences, and we advise you to look into this as early as possible so that you can take advantage of this opportunity.

Semester-based Exchange

There are no core program courses offered in Year 2, Semester 2 of the BAdvHum(Hons) so that you can utilise this semester to undertake a semester-based exchange. Core HUMN courses are not able to be taken on exchange as these are bespoke courses to UQ, and no equivalent courses are available elsewhere.

Following successful completion of your exchange, the Faculty will apply any eligible credit to your studies report. Please note, while you must pass your courses at the overseas institution to receive credit, the grades obtained from this study will not be applied to your UQ program and will not contribute to the GPA required to progress into the BAdvHum(Hons) Honours Field of Study.

When to go: Year 2, Semester 2 

What to study: We recommend to take only general elective courses on exchange. In some instances you may be able to take courses towards your major or extended major, however it is best to plan for general electives only.

Deadlines: For a semester-based exchange in semester 2, applications usually close in October of the year before. Check actual dates on the Global Experiences website.

Who to speak to: HASS Faculty

Information: Global Experiences and HASS Faculty

Short-term Study

Short-term study can be for-credit or not-for-credit and may be more flexible for you. Short-term study opportunities are taken over UQ’s Summer or Winter break. Check the Global Experiences website for the due dates to apply. 

Following successful completion of your for-credit short-term study, the Faculty will apply any eligible credit to your studies report. Please note, while you must pass your courses at the overseas institution to receive credit, the grades obtained from this study will not be applied to your UQ program and will not contribute to the GPA required to progress into the BAdvHum(Hons) Honours Field of Study.

What to study: It is recommended you take only general electives on short-term study experiences.

Who to speak to: HASS Faculty

Information: Global Experiences and HASS Faculty

Internship

An internship is a great advantage to your employability. UQ has a list of approved providers for internships over the Summer or Winter break. Information on internships, including the list of providers and due dates to apply can be found on the Global Experience website.

The Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Honours) program is what we, at UQ, call an embedded honours program, where all students who enrol in and complete the program will graduate with a class of honours.

Honours in the BAdvHum(Hons) program is based on either a research thesis in a field of study (in the discipline of your primary major or extended major), or as a less popular option, an extended project pathway.

Research Thesis Pathway (Field of Study): by enrolling in a Field of Study you will enrol in a 12-unit Honours Research Thesis course, and complete a thesis on a topic approved by your supervisor, as well as a 4-unit Research Design course specific to your discipline. Refer to the Field of Study section of the BAdvHum(Hons) course list.

Progression into a Field of Study is dependent on completing the first 48 units of the program, and obtaining a GPA of 5.5 across all courses comprising:

1. 48 units for Part A, Part B, and general elective courses (program requirements for 2017-2019), or
2. 46 units for core courses (not including HUMN3300), plans section courses, and general elective courses (program requirements for 2020-2021), or
3. the major (16 units) or extended major (24 units) in the same discipline as the Field of Study (program requirements from 2022).

NB: so that no student is disadvantaged, students who commenced in 2017-2019 will have their GPA calculated against all three criteria above and students who commenced in 2020 and 2021 will have their GPA calculated against criteria ii and iii above. The best GPA will be applied for entry into the Field of Study.

Enrolment in the Honours Research Thesis courses are restricted, and the ability to enrol in these courses will be possible once you gain entry into your Field of Study. Enrolment in the Research Design course will be enabled by the relevant School.

Field of Study:

Obtaining Thesis Approval

In order to enrol in the Honours Research Thesis course, you must seek the approval of the relevant disciplinary honours coordinator. To get this permission, you should first make contact with a potential supervisor and agree on a suitable honours project. These projects will need to be approved by each discipline’s honours coordinator. The process for your admission to honours is:

1. Advice reagrding your progression towards honours will be provided around April of your third year.
2. To progress to Honours, you must have your thesis propsal and your research design course approved by your Honours supervisor. Download one of the following Honours Proposal forms and return to  advhum@uq.edu.au by the end of November in the year prior to commencing Honours:
   • FIelds in Art History, Drama, English Literature
   • Fields in Ancient History, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies
   • Field of Western Civilisation
3. The BAdvHum(Hons) program support team will forward your form to the relevant School/Centre for processing. 
4. Once grades are final for your last semester before progression into honours your final GPA can be calculated.
5. If your GPA meets the required minimum GPA, approval will be sought from the Associate Dean (Academic) for you to progress to honours.
6. Once approval has been granted you will be enrolled in the Field of Study, which will enable you to enrol in the Honours Research Thesis course. 

Enrolling in Honours Research Thesis courses:

You will be able to enrol in the Honours Research Thesis course once:

• the relevant honours coordinator has approved your thesis supervisory arrangements, and
• your GPA has been determined to have met the entry requirements to progress, and you have been admitted to, the Field of Study.

The School/Centre will advise you of the honours coordinator's approval, and the BAdvHum(Hons) program support team will advise you in regards to meeting the GPA to progress to honours and will declare your Field of Study in SI-net on your behalf.

Once your Field of Study has been declared you will be able to enrol in the Honours Research Thesis course through mySI-net.

As the Honours Research Thesis is a full-year course, be sure to enrol in this course code in both semester one and semester two of your honours year as per the Study Plan on your Honours Proposal form.

If you have any questions on this process to enrol in honours, please email advhum@uq.edu.au.

If you need to withdraw from your Honours Research Thesis course in your first semester, you must ensure to drop this course from subsequent semesters as well.

For any queries relating to enrolment in the Honours Research Thesis course through mySI-net or the supervision of your honours thesis, please contact the relevant school:

Art History, Drama, English Literature: student.commarts@uq.edu.au

Ancient History, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies: hapi@uq.edu.au

Music: music@uq.edu.au

Western Civilisation: westernciv@uq.edu.au

Class of Honours:

All students who graduate with the BAdvHum(Hons) will receive a Class of Honours.

Students who commenced the BAdvHum(Hons) in 2017, 2018 or 2019*: The Class of Honours is calculated based on the GPA of the grades obtained by a student in the first attempt at HUMN3100, HUMN3300 and all courses that contribute to part C or part D of the program.

Students who commenced the BAdvHum(Hons) in 2020 or 2021*: The Class of Honours is calculated based on the GPA of the grades obtained by a student in the first attempt at all 18 units from the BAdvHum(Hons) Honours Courses (HUMN3300 and all 16 units of Honours courses).

Students who commenced the BAdvHum(Hons) in 2022 or later: The Class of Honours is calculated based on the GPA of the grades obtained by a student in the first attempt at all 16 units of BAdvHum(Hons) Honours Courses.

* Due to the change of rule pertaining to Class of Honours in 2020 and again in 2022, students who commenced prior to 2022 will have their Class of Honours calculated against the rule in place at the time they commenced the program, and any subsequent rule. The best GPA will be used to award the Class of Honours.

Based on this GPA, a student will receive a Class of Honours in accordance with the table below:

Honours is awarded in accordance with the University's Bachelor Honours Degree Procedures.

Projects pathway: enrolling in 16 units of project courses. Refer to the Projects Courses in the BAdvHum(Hons) course list.

Progression into this honours component of the program is based on the completion of 48 units of courses comprising core courses (including HUMN3300), plans section courses, and general elective courses. If you intend to complete honours via the Projects pathway please contact us at advhum@uq.edu.au as soon as possible.

Exiting early: if you do not wish to undertake the fourth year of study and complete honours you may elect to exit the program early with the Bachelor of Humanities. If you decide to exit early, contact the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences so that they can assess your progress and process you for graduation from this award.

Study plans

Study plans are provided below for each program with an extended major in Western Civilisation. If you receive credit or exemptions from prior study, please contact the HASS Faculty Student Administration office for assistance with enrolling in courses.

1. Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Western Civilisation) (Honours) 
2. Bachelor of Humanities (Western Civilisation) / Bachelor of Laws (Honours) 

Where to go for assistance

As a student studying an extended major in Western Civilisation you are enrolled in a program administered by the HASS Faculty. As such, any query regarding credit and exemptions, course enrolment, dropping a course, exchange study, program changing, adding a concurrent Undergraduate Diploma, Dean’s Honour Roll, graduation or progression checks should be made to the HASS Faculty Student Administration office.

If you have a question about the extended major more specifically, your scholarship including travel for a Global Experience, timetabling, or assessment and results please contact us via email at westernciv@uq.edu.au. 

More information

Visit the Western Civilisation program advice page