Entry requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours)

• Admission criteria
• English language requirements
• About selection
• Additional information

Admission criteria

In order to be considered for entry into this course, you must:

• Have completed a Bachelor of Arts (AQF7) in a cognate (relevant) discipline with a weighted average mark (WAM) of 70%, or equivalent, within the last 5 years.
  
  Cognate (relevant) disciplines include: a major in the specialisation within the Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) they seek to enter, or equivalent.

And

• Have completed below prerequisite subject(s):
  • Any specific subject prerequisites and prior academic performance requirements associated with the specialisation they seek to enter.

The University of Melbourne is committed to maintaining a transparent admissions policy by clearly communicating all entry scores to prospective students. Entry requirements to the University of Melbourne are regularly reviewed to ensure they align with the University's Selection and Admissions Policy. The entry requirements published for this course will apply from the start year 2027 intake onwards.

All degree levels referenced align with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), the national policy guide for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. Applications will be assessed against these standards.

Where our admission criteria includes a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and/or specific subject criteria, these are based on University of Melbourne grades and subjects. If you've studied elsewhere, we'll assess your relevant prior studies and equivalent grades. Your final WAM may be adjusted depending on your previous institution's accreditation, subject grading, and pass marks.

English language requirements

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. You can meet this requirement in several ways, including recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test. If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:

• IELTS Academic English: Minimum score of 6.5 overall (writing 6.0; speaking 6.0; reading 6.0; listening 6.0)
• TOEFL: Minimum score of 81 (writing 19; speaking 19; reading 16; listening 16)
• Pearson: Minimum score of 64 (writing 60; speaking 60; reading 60; listening 60)
• Cambridge C1 Advanced: Minimum score of 169 (writing 170; speaking 179; reading 163; listening 163)
• LanguageCert: Minimum score of 67 (writing 64; speaking 70; reading 60; listening 57)
• MET: Minimum score of 58 (writing 57; speaking 48; reading 55; listening 56)

^{*Accepted tests: IELTS (Academic English only); TOEFL Internet-based test; Pearson Test of English Academic; Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE); LanguageCert Academic; Michigan English Test. If a test displays N/A, it is not accepted for this course.}

About selection

Selection tasks

As part of selection, you must also:

• Provide a research proposal (up to 500 words) in accordance with the course specific requirements. Information should include but not limited to: summarising the research topic, objectives and proposed thesis title, if relevant.

Missing information or documents may result in your application being deemed ineligible.

When assessing (and where relevant, ranking) applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• Prior academic performance
• Relevance of previous study
• Availability of appropriate supervision, subject to academic staff capacity
• Quality of research proposal

The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Selection and Admission Policy.

Meeting the minimum entry and English language requirements does not guarantee selection.

Additional information

• For information about the subject pre-requisites and prior academic performance requirements associated with each specialisation, refer to the Majors, minors and specialisations in the Handbook.

• Applicants for Combined Honours must satisfy the relevant subject prerequisites and prior academic performance requirements associated with both specialisations they seek to enter.

• Quotas may be applied to the degree as a whole or to individual discipline streams and preference may be given to applicants with evidence of appropriate preparation or potential to undertake research.

• Please note:

  • There is no mid year entry for: Anthropology, Criminology, Economics, Geography, History, Politics and International Studies, Psychology and Sociology.
  • There is no combined honours option for: Anthropology, Ancient World Studies, Arabic Studies, Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, Classics Economics, Geography, Islamic Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Psychology, and Sociology.
  • There is no pure honours option for: Russian Studies

• Applicants holding a bachelor degree other than a Bachelor of Arts (eg Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Commerce) or applicants who completed their Bachelor of Arts more than 5 years ago may be eligible to apply instead for the Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced)(GDA-ARTS).
• Applicants for all specialisations (except Psychology) must prepare and submit an Honours thesis proposal with their course application. Most specialisations use the Faculty of Arts Honours thesis proposal form. Applicants for the Geography or Economics program, however, submit a different thesis proposal form (see How to Apply). Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek feedback from a potential supervisor prior to applying. Thesis supervisors are usually assigned when you commence your course, and discussing your thesis proposal with a staff member does not guarantee your choice of supervisor.