Fast Facts
Location
Online study is only available to off-shore students
Commencing
- Online: January, May, September
- Townsville: January, May, September
- Cairns: January, May, September
Fees
$32,960.00+
+estimated annual tuition fee for a full-time study load
Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Scholarships and financial aid available if eligible
Fees currently displayed are indicative only. 2024 fees will be uploaded by October, 2023.
Duration
4 years full-time
Part-time study available for online students
Entry Requirements
English (Units 3/4,C)
English language requirements
Band 1
If your native language is not English, you must meet the minimum English language requirements for this course.
CRICOS Code
036644M
Course detail
Discover the interconnections between the humanities and enterprise as you consider the principles of arts and business. This flexible four-year joint degree covers study areas across business, the social sciences and humanities, giving you a well-rounded perspective on how businesses operate in different societies — from within the Tropics to throughout Australia and around the world.
In your first year, you will study core subjects relevant to all business and arts majors, building a foundation for the rest of your studies. You can also tailor your degree to suit your interests by selecting your preferred major and various combinations of a second major, or a maximum of two minors. Choose from a range of majors including Anthropology, History, Human Resources Management, Politics and International Relations and Marketing for the Digital Age.
No matter what business major you select, you will be equipped for your future career through the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) component of the Bachelor of Business degree. In your second and third years of study, you will put your knowledge and skills to the test in real-world scenarios during short-term WIL experiences, which can include internships with an industry partner. Each of these experiences prepare you for your final-year placement within a local business, where your career development will have you ready to take on whatever your post-graduation career may hold.
Expand your understanding of the nuances of business through an in-depth consideration of humanity. In the Bachelor of Arts degree, each major is designed to give you the tools to understand the world and the people around you. With the ability to identify the underlying factors of social settings, contracts and transactions, you will be able to do better business — with empathy, understanding and strategy. The knowledge you’ll gain in history, politics, economics and social systems and the skills you’ll obtain in research, observation and communication will position you to stand out from the crowd in the worlds of enterprise and the arts.
Combining a knowledge of business and enterprise with knowledge in your chosen area of the arts opens doors of opportunities in your future career. Deepen your understanding of human behaviour as you identify how business and economics influence social changes. The mix of transferrable skills that you gain with a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Arts will enhance your employability. You’ll have the ability to pursue your chosen field with greater independence, using your capacity for entrepreneurship to develop your own business in the area of your arts study, such as using your network to effectively market and sell your artistic creations, becoming a consultant in the area of your expertise, or innovating new ways to make work in your field profitable.
You can choose from three business majors and twelve arts majors. Not all majors are available at every campus.
View the handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects.
Majors
Show additional information about majors
Arts
JCU’s Bachelor of Arts offers twelve majors for you to choose from. Each major provides you with in-depth knowledge in that area.
Anthropology
Study history, languages, politics, economics and social systems. Understand cultural and ethnic differences and analyse how people’s beliefs fit into a wider social, political and economic context.
Learn the research, observation and interview techniques that will equip you to work with those from diverse cultural backgrounds. Develop skills critical in decision making for governments, corporations and not-profit organisations.
Archaeology
Develop skills in archaeological site recording and conservation. Participate in field trips to investigate heritage site excavations and Aboriginal Australian rock art sites.
You may also have the opportunity to travel on South-East Asian excursions. You will learn the fundamentals of archaeology, then expand on this knowledge with more specialised offerings in Evolutionary, Forensic, Asian, Australian and European Archaeology.
Criminology
Learn why people are motivated to commit crime and explore strategies to prevent law-breaking and rehabilitate offenders. Throughout your studies, you can participate in a wide range of extracurricular criminology student activities.
This course equips you with skills to help make a difference in your community. It combines subjects from Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Social Work and Law.
Design and Creative Arts
Amplify your creativity, learn how to think differently, and bring your ideas to life. Using technical equipment, software and programs, you will explore the creative world and cultivate strong individual design aesthetics.
Complement core subjects with one of two specialisations, which vary between campuses. JCU Cairns students focus on the visual arts and digital imaging fields. JCU Townsville students will study future-focused design and innovation.
English
Gain critical communication and reasoning skills and develop your understanding of the English language, while growing your passion for reading and writing. JCU English major students examine a wide range of literary periods and genres that provide a comprehensive source of historical and cultural understanding.
Grow your passion for written and visual literature as you study the talents of Shakespeare, diverse forms of cinema, Australian literature, children’s literature and more.
History
Gain an intimate knowledge of humanity by examining past societies and cultures. You will study the history of North Queensland and develop your understanding of Australian history.
Analyse major historical events in a global context and investigate how political, economic and environmental events shaped different communities. Graduates have the skills needed for careers that demand strong research and communication abilities.
Human Geography
Explore the interrelationship between people and their natural and built environments. Develop specialist skills including urban planning and design, regional sustainability, and social and environmental impact assessment.
Become proficient in identifying problems, communicating explanations, analysing data, and relevant computing techniques. Graduates develop recommendations to assist in solving major social and environmental problems.
Human Services
Develop skills that will prepare you to work with marginalised and vulnerable people. Study social policy, community planning and development, education and capacity building, organisational practice and social responsibility.
Benefit from JCU’s research culture and working relationships with government agencies and local community groups. You will gain practical skills and experience through field trips and project work.
Indigenous Studies
Expand your understanding of the complex interface between Indigenous and Western knowledge, perspectives and practices in Australia today. Explore Indigenous knowledge and traditions, colonial disruptions, and Indigenous re-assertion in the current era, from the local to the global.
Some subjects include field trips, and one includes an optional international trip to an Indigenous community. Graduates are prepared to engage thoughtfully with Indigenous Australians and Indigenous issues in professional and community spaces.
Politics and International Relations
Take a deep dive into the people, institutions and issues involved in Australian and international politics. Explore political processes, policy, diplomacy, political economy, and globalisation of Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
You will examine Australia's global position and role, economic and social policies, traditional and non-traditional threats to security, poverty and other topics relevant to our modern society.
Explore Politics and International Relations
Psychology Studies
Gain a deeper understanding of the biological, social and cultural factors that influence how humans think, feel and behave. Explore the history of psychology, the nervous system, memory, cognition, intelligence, motivation, emotion, health psychology, personality and psychological disorders.
This major is not accredited. If you want to become a Registered Psychologist, find out more about the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours). This major is not available at Cairns campus.
Sociology
Develop the analytical skills to learn how society is organised and how we interact with each other. Study social trends and understand why and how societies and institutions have developed through history.
Gain social science research tools and explore a diverse range of topics. Examine the societal issues of the Tropics, including race, gender identity, poverty and wealth.
Business
A major is your chosen area of subject specialisation. JCU’s Bachelor of Business degree has three majors for you to choose from. You can choose to add a second major to your preferred major or a maximum of two minors. However, when studying a joint degree such as the Bachelor of Arts — Bachelor of Business, it is recommended to choose one major from each degree to ensure a manageable workload.
Human Resources Management
Discover what motivates employees and how you can boost performance and productivity in organisations. Learn how to effectively communicate, develop positive employment relations and create environments that help people thrive. Your passion for human resources can take you across industries within Australia and around the world.
Explore Human Resource Management
Management
Use your love of innovation, entrepreneurship and people-management to strengthen your employability. Learn how to lead businesses in highly competitive environments, solve complex organisational problems, plan effectively and hire the right employees. Managing finances, resources, and direct business operations with confidence in a fast-paced setting. You will learn a variety of transferable skills, important in managing a business or team in any industry.
Marketing for the Digital Age
Gain the skills to speak directly to your customers through traditional advertising, digital marketing and social media. Your creativity and understanding of people will help you to become an effective marketer, fulfilling the needs of your customers or growing a new customer base. Develop industry knowledge by creating sustainable marketing strategies for real-world businesses. Transfer your skills across organisations in private, public, and non-profit sectors and stand out in a competitive marketplace.
Bachelor of Arts and Business
JCU has designed the Bachelor of Business and Arts joint degree to offer students a flexible skillset for a diverse job market after graduation. The course is designed to start students off with a strong foundation in both humanities and business before allowing them to choose up to two majors or one major and two minors. Between business and the arts, there are a total of 21 majors to choose from, and the combination of disciplines prepares students for a world that values both practicality and creativity.
Career Prospects for a Business-Arts Double Degree
Thanks to the versatility of this joint degree, your career prospects are almost limitless. Your interest can head more towards business or the arts; regardless, one discipline will scaffold the other throughout your career. With so many majors and minors to combine and choose from, this Bachelor of Business and Arts in Queensland allows you to prepare for your future how you want. More importantly, this degree allows you to effect the changes you believe society needs.
Are you passionate about criminal justice but less interested in law? Your studies in a Criminology major can help you identify socioeconomic issues that lead to crime. You can combine that with a major or minor in Digital Marketing or Management to promote existing NGOs or start your own to begin healing communities and reducing crime.
Perhaps you are an artist who wants to avoid the financial pitfalls that the career is notorious for. You can combine your Design and Creative Arts major with International Business or Digital Marketing to attract and cultivate a large global audience for your work. You can capably negotiate yourself into galleries or even open your own.
You might care about Australian heritage and culture and want to take practical steps towards preserving it well. With a degree in History and Hospitality and Tourism Management, you can work towards ensuring museums always have adequate funding. And with a mix of Psychology Studies and Human Resources Management, you can effectively mediate conflicts and resolve internal issues in any business you join. These are just some examples of what you can pursue, and they barely scratch the surface.
The possibilities abound with this Bachelor of Arts and Business at Queensland JCU.
Practical Experience Through Work Integrated Learning
At JCU, the benefits of interdisciplinary learning are not theoretical. You are not merely studying very different subjects concurrently and hoping to combine them eventually. This degree is set up to ensure every student receives practical experience before graduation. Regardless of your choice of combined majors, you’ll find a practical option for you in this degree. Every student requires their Work Integrated Learning (WIL) component to graduate. The WIL involves short-term work in a real-world setting, which includes internships in the industry you plan to enter or a closely related one.
Application and Getting Started with Your Business & Arts Double Degree
For the best interdisciplinary education, choose JCU. You can begin your application for the Bachelor of Arts and Business using the Online Application Portal. You can also learn more about other double arts degrees, such as the Bachelor of Arts and Laws and the Bachelor of Arts and Science.
Hide additional informationInherent requirements
Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment,and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Bachelor of Arts - Bachelor of Business.
Honours
Honours is available in each discipline as additional 24 credit points of study. Refer to either the Bachelor of Arts (Honours), or the Bachelor of Business (Honours) Handbook for eligibility information.
A JCU Arts-Business degree prepares you to work across a variety of occupations and industries.
Depending on your choice of majors, you could pursue a career in areas such as human resources, policy analysis or community planning and development.
JCU Arts-Business graduates are qualified to perform roles such as business manager, employee relations advisor, organisational psychologist, business analyst, or policy adviser.
Handbook year | Information valid for students commencing in 2024 |
Course code | 20310 |
Course type | Bachelor Degree (AQF Level 7) |
Owner | Academy |
Colleges | Arts, Society and Education |
Award Requirements
Admission Requirements
Course pre-requisites | English (Units 3/4,C) |
Minimum English language proficiency requirements | Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 1 – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy. |
Academic Requirements for Course Completion
Credit points | 96 credit points as per course structure |
| Additional completion requirements | The Psychology Studies major is not an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited sequence. |
Course learning outcomes | JCU graduates are committed to lifelong learning, intellectual development, and to the display of exemplary personal, professional and ethical standards. They have a sense of their place in the tropics and are charged with professional, community, and environmental responsibility. JCU graduates appreciate the need to embrace and be acquainted with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia. They are committed to reconciliation, diversity and sustainability. They exhibit a willingness to lead and to contribute to the intellectual, environmental, cultural, economic and social challenges of regional, national, and international communities of the tropics. On successful completion of the Bachelor of Arts, graduates will be able to:
On successful completion of the Bachelor of Business, graduates will be able to:
|
Inherent Requirements
Inherent Requirements | Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Bachelor of Arts - Bachelor of Business. |
Reasonable adjustments | All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure. |
Course Structure
CORE SUBJECTS
Level 1
BA1001:03 Time, Truth, and the Human Condition
BA1002:03 Our Space: Networks, Narrative and the Making of Place
BU1002:03 Accounting for Decision Making
BU1003:03 Principles of Economics
BU1007:03 Principles of Data Analysis for Business
BU1104:03 Introduction to Management Concepts and Application
BU1105:03 Professional and Academic Skills for Business
SS1010:03 Australian People: Indigeneity and Multiculturalism
Level 2
BU2108:03 Marketing Matters
BU2111:03 Business Law
Level 3
BA3000:03 Arts Edge
BU3101:03 Professional Internship or BU3102:03 Multi-Disciplinary Project or BU3103:03 Independent Project
OPTIONS
Select an Arts major from Table A below
PLUS
Select a Business major from Table B below
PLUS
Select 9 credit points of level 2 and 3 Humanities, Arts and Social Science subjects
PLUS
Select 3 credit points of any undergraduate subjects
TABLE A (ARTS MAJORS)
Credit points in major | 24 credit points |
ARTS MAJOR | AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Townsville External | Not all subjects available internally. | |
JCU Cairns External | Not all subjects available internally. Students will need to take some subjects offered only in external mode. | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville External | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville External | Not all subjects available internally. Students will need to take some subjects offered only in external mode. | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville External | Not all subjects are available at all locations | |
JCU Townsville | If you plan to practise as a registered psychologist, you will need additional studies beyond a BA-BBus in Psychology Studies | |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville External | Not all subjects available internally |
TABLE B (BUSINESS MAJORS)
Credit points in major | 24 credit points |
BUSINESS MAJOR | AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville External | ||
JCU Cairns JCU Townsville External | ||
JCU Townsville External |
Location
COURSE AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
JCU Cairns | Not all majors are available |
JCU Townsville | Not all majors are available |
External | Not all majors are available |
Candidature
Expected time to complete | 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
Maximum time to complete | 9 years |
Maximum leave of absence | 1 year |
Progression
Course progression requisites | Nil |
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s) | No |
Special assessment requirements | Nil |
Professional accreditation requirements | The Psychology Studies major is not an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited sequence. |
Supplementary exam for final subject | A student who has failed a single subject towards the award in their final teaching period and who gained 40% or more of the marks for that subject, may be granted a supplementary examination in that subject. However if that subject is required for accreditation, then the criteria specified by that accreditation will apply. |
Credit
Eligibility | Students may apply for credit transfer for previous tertiary study in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure. |
Maximum allowed | 48 credit points |
Currency | Credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 6 years prior to the commencement of this course. |
Expiry | Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 15 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed the course of study prescribed for the degree. |
Other restrictions | Nil |
Award Details
Award title | BACHELOR OF ARTS – BACHELOR OF BUSINESS |
Approved abbreviation | BA-BBus |
Inclusion of majors on testamur | Majors will appear on the testamur |
Exit with lesser award | Students who have completed 24 credit points of their course award requirements, and withdraw from or fail to meet the requirements for progression in the later years, may be eligible for the award of Diploma of Tertiary Studies. Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed the relevant number of credit points of study and appropriate subjects, may be eligible for the award of Advanced Diploma of Arts. |
Course articulation | Not applicable |
Special awards | Students may receive an Award of Recognition in accordance with the Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedure |
Honours
Honours availability | Honours is available in either or both disciplines as an additional 24 credit points of study each |
Eligibility | By invitation of the College Dean Achievement of an overall grade point average of 5.0 (i.e. credit average) across their undergraduate degree and/or a grade point average of 5.0 in the final year of their undergraduate degree, with credits or better in specific discipline areas. |
Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD32,960.00
Courses are charged per year of full-time study. International course fees are reviewed annually and subject to change.
A Student Services and Amenities Fee is payable per subject up to a maximum amount per year.
Student Visa holders must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their Student Visa (except Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian citizens). Costs depend on the length of study and the number of dependants accompanying the student. For more information see Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
Scholarships and financial aid are also available for international students.
Consult the admission requirements section in the Handbook for prerequisites and pathways into this course.
Application dates vary between courses, whether they're delivered in semester, trimester or carousel study modes. View our Application due dates page for more information.
Gather the documents you need to apply and submit an application via JCU's online application portal.
Real stories
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Student
Lillian MacGregor
Bachelor of Arts - Bachelor of Business
I chose this degree so that I would have the opportunity to study a diverse range of topics and have the variety to keep my studies exciting and motivating. JCU has a lot of awesome subjects available and this degree is a great opportunity to discover what you are truly passionate about.
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Alumni
Jared Power
Bachelor of Arts – Bachelor of Business
This course was a perfect combination of practical business skills and creativity. One of the highlights was the opportunity to travel to Malaysia for 6 weeks through the Work Integrated Learning placement. I met some amazing people and got closer to my workplace aspirations – it was an experience I’ll never forget.
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Lecturer
Dr Rachel Hay
College of Business, Law and Governance
To meet employer demand for transferrable skills such communication, teamwork and critical thinking, students should consider a joint degree in JCU Business and Arts. Graduates with great communication skills and high emotional intelligence have a better understanding of society; a joint degree gives students an edge.
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Employer
Patricia O’Callaghan
Townsville Enterprise CEO
At Townsville Enterprise, we're proud that our team of 17 consists of 10 JCU graduates. Eight team members moved to Townsville to study and remained after graduating and securing employment. They are proud members of the community and passionate advocates for the region and the opportunities North Queensland can offer.