Humanities and Social Sciences

We’re all looking towards a tomorrow that we cannot predict. With a Bachelor of Arts, you will explore our history and discover new places, you will learn to influence cultural and social change, and you will gain the knowledge and creativity to envision better futures.

We’re all looking towards a tomorrow that we cannot predict. Learning through the Humanities and Social Sciences, you will gain the critical and intellectual skills you will need to encounter an ever-changing future with flexibility, creativity, compassion, and curiosity.

You can experience Tasmania through place-based learning, including the opportunity to learn from Indigenous knowledge holders, and enrich your studies through immersive overseas travel experiences and work-readiness opportunities.

Our expert lecturers will help you to explore our history and discover new places, learn to influence cultural and social change, and think critically, ethically and creatively to envision better futures. Discover who you can be in the world. Forge your own path with a Bachelor of Arts.

If you already know what you want to study in the Bachelor of Arts, visit the course page to learn more. Otherwise, if you're looking to match what is important to you with a relevant study option, we've curated some examples below to help you find your study path.

What's important to you?

Make sense of critical global issues

Investigate the issues that drive the modern world. Confront our society’s deepest social, political, moral, and ethical questions. Understand the functions and dysfunctions of our human world – and learn analytical and critical skills to change it for the better. To meet the political, moral and environmental challenges of our time head-on, have a look at the majors below.

Learn from expert lecturers for any topic

Be taught by field-leading researchers and creative practitioners across diverse fields of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

Gain policy experience with public sector internships

Get credit towards your degree with a Tasmanian Parliament or Public Service internship.

Explore topics critical to our region and neighbours

Study research-led subjects including sustainability, food cultures and policy, Australian and South-East Asian politics, and more.

Study options for making sense of critical global issues

Our Bachelor of Arts presents a winding avenue that can take you from industry to industry, role to role, all based on your interests and passions. As a graduate, you’ll have a combination of skills, knowledge, and experience that means you are never limited to a single career path.

We've curated a list of majors available in the Bachelor of Arts to match some study options with your passion for making sense of critical global issues. This is designed to get you started, then once your learning journey is underway, you'll be empowered to take your studies in any direction that interests you.

Each of these study options can be studied in the courses listed below.

As Australia's relations with China have expanded, so has the demand for skills in Chinese language and an appreciation of cultural forms. Learning Chinese not only opens a window to understanding one of the oldest civilizations in the world, but also boosters your career opportunities, including diplomacy, tourism, finance, translators and interpreters, law, technology, business and education.

Explore the meaning and impact of gender, race, and sexuality on our lives. Assumptions about sex, gender and race have influenced everything, from our most fundamental understandings of what it is to be human, to ancient poetry, to contemporary fashion.

Understanding the interactions between diverse environments, places, and societies is fundamental to addressing climate change, economic inequality, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity and landscape vulnerability. We combine diverse environments with student-led and problem-based fieldwork. Graduates will gain skills to work in a wide variety of environmental and social professions.

You may know about Bali and Komodo dragons, but after studying Indonesian, you’ll learn that our close neighbour has an extraordinary literary history. Learning Indonesian is an intellectual passport to one of the most exciting and diverse cultures in South East Asia

International Relations considers some of the world’s biggest problems. You’ll gain the tools to have an impact on global challenges and opportunities. Plus, you’ll explore key areas like international security and law, human rights, the global politics of China or the international political economy.

Media and communication connect every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Our graduates are sought by many industries looking for people whose understanding of media goes beyond their own favourite shows and social media accounts. Open doors to a wide range of exciting careers.

What makes for a meaningful life? What is the nature of the world, or our own existence? What makes for a just and fair society? Philosophy explores fundamental questions about the human condition.

Immerse yourself in the world of political ideas, institutions and actors. You’ll study current events and recent political developments, learn how the world’s political institutions work, and engage with the political ideas and concepts that shape our communities.

Why do we think, react and interact as we do? When you study psychology, you begin to understand the science behind human behaviour – and how this science can be used to solve problems. Psychological Science covers everything from how the brain functions, to how social and environmental factors shape our behaviours.

Sociology questions established views of reality that we all take for granted. It also provides clearer and more complex understandings of social life. Studying Sociology equips you with the skills to think critically about the world around you, as well as the ability to apply different perspectives to your decision-making and planning.

In this new major, you will gain skills and techniques to help create sustainable societies. You’ll learn to identify sustainability-oriented impacts of decisions, as well as come up with effective solutions. This new major can be applied to a variety of study areas, including economics, arts, agricultural science, and ICT. It is also a great option to combine with another major, complementing specialist skills in the pursuit of a sustainable future.

Course options

The Bachelor of Arts is the ultimate, flexible university degree, and you can tailor it to explore your interests and discover a wide range of career possibilities. It is an opportunity to pursue what you loved in high school or branch out into areas you've never had the opportunity to explore.

Visit the course page

Other study options

Diploma of Arts

The Diploma is designed to allow you to choose your path: it can be the first year of your Bachelor of Arts, enrol to focus eight units and undertake one of the majors below, or extend your curiosity and try units from a number of disciplines. View the course page.

Associate Degree in Arts

The Associate Degree is designed to allow you to choose your path: it can be the first two years of your Bachelor of Arts, or you may enrol to focus all 16 units and undertake two of the majors below, or extend your curiosity and try units from a number of disciplines. View the course page.

Diploma of Languages

In addition to studying a major in one of the courses above, you can also study one of our language options via the Diploma of Languages. This can be undertaken as a stand-alone qualification, or in conjunction with another degree. View the course page.

Fast track your studies and become a fully qualified teacher while studying for a Bachelor of Arts. The University of Tasmania is one of few universities in Australia that offer a double degree combing a Bachelor of Arts with a Master of Teaching.

This study option will accelerate your career allowing you to graduate with two degrees in just 4-years.

Visit the course page

The Bachelor of Arts combines with a wide range of courses like Law, Music, Economics, and many more. Studying a double degree, you can deepen your knowledge and expertise within two separate study areas. It's also your chance to pursue a career and follow your passion at the same time.

Visit the course page

Further study options

For honours course information, please visit

For honours postgraduate course information, please visit

Career opportunities

Recent University of Tasmania Humanities and Social Sciences graduates had a median salary of $95,894, 16.4% higher than the national average of $80,192.^

Careers relating to the arts and social sciences are growing across many industries. Here are some of the top careers projected to grow in the next five years.^^

21.9%

Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers

Across education, health care and public safety.

18.9%

Social Professionals

Including historians, interpreters and translators.

8.7%

Intelligence and Policy Analysts

In areas of education, social assistance, and scientific services.

Follow your passion, you might be surprised where it leads

After completing her honours thesis in Creative Writing, Hannah didn't imagine she'd end up managing a radio station - or helping people with disabilities unveil their stories through audio.

Learn more about Hannah's story

Indigenising our curriculum

Broaden your perspectives

We are proud to offer our unique Indigenous Lifeworlds units as part of our ongoing acknowledgment and commitment to Palawa/Pakana people of Lutruwita, upon whose lands our University stands.

These units prioritise palawa Tasmanian Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, and enable you to access a unique on-Country learning experience from palawa knowledge holders. Incorporating these units as part of your studies will help you graduate with a greater understanding of place, people, and culture, benefiting any career or path you pursue.

Learn more