Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation

University of Wollongong

About

Students will philosophically reflect on questions about art, literature, science and religion while also investigating such topics as the nature of selfhood, truth, reason and wisdom.

Students will discover how great ideas and art can shape us - our understanding of ourselves and the world - and how ideas can make a difference for good or ill.

This course will ensure students develop informed and reasoned views about significant contemporary concerns, such as the value of democracy, benefiting from your acquired knowledge of the history of ideas and will become acquainted with diverging perspectives from within various Western traditions of thought and art as well as under-represented voices and perspectives from outside of those traditions.One chosen major will be completed by students in this degree.

See the course structure information below for major list.

Structure

To qualify for award of this degree, a candidate must satisfactorily complete a total of at least 144 credit points, comprised of the following:

Year 1 Core

Subject Code Subject Name Credit Points
WCIV101 The Great Conversation 6
WCIV102 Classics of Ancient Greece 6
WCIV103 Wisdom, Truth and Reason 6
WCIV104 Aesthetics: Masterpieces of Western Art and Architecture 6
WCIV105 Classics of the Roman Republic and Empire 6
WCIV106 The Good Life and the Virtues 6

Year 2 Core

Subject Code Subject Name Credit Points
WCIV201 Classics of the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance 6
WCIV202 Early Modern Philosophy: Rationalism versus Empiricism 6
WCIV203 Philosophy of Religion: Reason, Faith and Revelation 6
WCIV204 Literature of the Late Renaissance 6
WCIV205 The Rise of Western Science 6
WCIV206 Classics of the Enlightenment and the Age of Revolutions 6

Year 3 Core

Subject Code Subject Name Credit Points
WCIV301 Thought and Reality: Idealism versus Realism 6
WCIV302 Classics of the Modern Era 6
WCIV303 Philosophy of Democracy: Britain, America, Australia 6
WCIV304 The Self in Western Thought and Art 6

Major Study

Entry requirements

Information on academic and English language requirements is available on the Course Finder

Learning outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes are statements of learning achievement that are expressed in terms of what the learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do upon completion of a course. Students graduating from this course will be able to:

CLO Description 1 Knowledgeably describe and analyse exemplary masterpieces of Western thought, art and architecture; 2 Philosophically reflect upon and aesthetically appreciate exemplary masterpieces of Western thought, art and architecture; 3 Critically discuss and analyse connections between Western and non-Western traditions of thought, art and architecture; 4 Critically examine the very idea of Western civilisation and the contribution Western ideas and ideals make to, and challenges they raise for, today’s world; 5 Participate in civil, rational discussion and argument, backed by reason, applying relevant social skills and acquired intellectual virtues; 6 Communicate effectively, open mindedly and ethically across a wide range of contexts. 7 Apply specialized knowledge of a chosen area of study to understand and address complex issues

Institution