Help! (degree choices) (1 Viewer)

[Nikkkkkkkk]

Hi guys


I’m just looking at my options for an arts degree at Sydney Uni next year, and I’ve got lots of questions (I had always thought I would do arts / law so I didn’t make the proper enquiries at the open day). Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you could help with any of the following:

• With an arts / law degree, am I right in believing that you can’t do as many arts units as you would be able to if you did a straight arts degree, because you’d have to leave some units free for law? (on the site it said something about only being able to do one major from arts)

• With the arts (advanced) (honours) degree, the acceleration of the course is the only difference between this degree and a normal arts degree right?
• If so, then I’m thinking that there’s not much point in doing this because effectively you learn less, since you only get to do three years worth of subjects rather than four, and this wouldn’t be too good especially for language subjects where you need to build up the knowledge over a period of time – what do you guys think?

• With the arts (languages) degree, can you elect to do honours in your 4th year, or do you have to add a 5th year if you want to do honours?
• Can you do honours in a non-foreign-language subject (i.e. English?)
• What does this degree look like on paper (i.e. do you get B.A (Languages) or do you get B.A. (Major 1) (Major 2)?

• Something I’m considering is to work as an interpreter (French) for large-scale international organisations. Is Arts (languages) the most suitable undergraduate degree as a foundation for this type of work? What postgraduate training would you need? Also, how are the job prospects for this type of position?

• How much extra work would it be to do 30 credit pts / semester in your 2nd and 3rd year rather than 24? Is it realistic?

Thanks for your help


Nik

 

[kami]

Regarding Arts (Advanced), check here first.
Regarding Arts (Languages), check here.
I found that are of the site really informative last year.

I'm also guessing that this is the kind of thing you'd be looking for after your first degree if you were interested in translation. There are also post grad diplomas in translation at TAFE and MQ for people with a language major.

 

[bustinjustin]

Hi guys

• With an arts / law degree, am I right in believing that you can’t do as many arts units as you would be able to if you did a straight arts degree, because you’d have to leave some units free for law? (on the site it said something about only being able to do one major from arts)

• With the arts (advanced) (honours) degree, the acceleration of the course is the only difference between this degree and a normal arts degree right?
• If so, then I’m thinking that there’s not much point in doing this because effectively you learn less, since you only get to do three years worth of subjects rather than four, and this wouldn’t be too good especially for language subjects where you need to build up the knowledge over a period of time – what do you guys think?

• With the arts (languages) degree, can you elect to do honours in your 4th year, or do you have to add a 5th year if you want to do honours?
• Can you do honours in a non-foreign-language subject (i.e. English?)
• What does this degree look like on paper (i.e. do you get B.A (Languages) or do you get B.A. (Major 1) (Major 2)?

• Something I’m considering is to work as an interpreter (French) for large-scale international organisations. Is Arts (languages) the most suitable undergraduate degree as a foundation for this type of work? What postgraduate training would you need? Also, how are the job prospects for this type of position?

• How much extra work would it be to do 30 credit pts / semester in your 2nd and 3rd year rather than 24? Is it realistic?

Thanks for your help


Nik

- Yes, Combined Law restricts the number of Arts Units you can do, so much so that you'll have barely, if not any space for electives after first year.


- Yes, honours does require an extra year, though the 4th yr of BA Langs. can be your honours year... hence why Arts (advanced) (honours) is totally mad (and something I wish I was doing now) because you graduate with a BA (honours) in 3 rather than 4 years. (and yes, this is the main difference, but oh what a difference it is!!)

Honours is a huge "+" on any testamur. Yes, you only get to do 3 years worth of studying rather than 4 with the BA Adv. honours, boo hoo, but if you're thinking of going onto law and even postgrad, which will take at least 7 years (most probably more), trust us - you'll salivate at any opportunity to fast-track any part of your degree, especially the mundane first year shit (you'll get to skip introductory units and go straight to the hardcore stuff). Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's nothing noble about being a poor uni student while your friends are on 60-70k with nothing to spend it on but themselves. They'll be maxing out their gold cards, living it up in their loft-style inner city apartments and lunching at tetsuyas or machiavelli, while you make do with a home-made peanut butter sandwich just so you can afford to photocopy and bind your thesis.
All this at 25.

- Yes, you can do honours in non-foreign language with the BA Languages (i'm pretty sure anyway, don't quote me).
- Doing a shorter degree most definitely does not necessarily mean you learn less. With regards to languages, surely the depth and intensity of your study, and the frequency at which you practice is more important than the number of language units you do.


- Never mind being unable to ask these things at the last open day, there'll be another one come January, and before then you'll can easily e-mail uni folk in the meantime - their contacts are all over the place on the already listed sites.

 

[bustinjustin]

Pre-2007, apparently there wasn't too much to gain except for the "(Advanced)" on the testamur (don't quote me on this though(. Now with the new structure, there's a more explicit benefit to be had.

 

[Silver Persian]

Tch..fucking bastards changing fucking arts advanced to get automatic honours instead of having to do a fucking fourth year

*kicks arts advanced degree*

 

[walrusbear]

I don't know about the rest of it but I know 30cp in a semester is feasible... I've done it this semester and I know many others on the forum will back me up on it.

yup
i did 30cp both semesters last year
it was a stretch but it's possible
i didn't work particularly hard

 

[wake_tonight]

With the arts (languages) degree, can you elect to do honours in your 4th year, or do you have to add a 5th year if you want to do honours?

Arts (languages) is four years, so the fourth year can be either honours or just making up credit points for majors etc. Feasibly you can fit in 3 majors without honours if that's your thing.

Can you do honours in a non-foreign-language subject (i.e. English?)
What does this degree look like on paper (i.e. do you get B.A (Languages) or do you get B.A. (Major 1) (Major 2)?

Yeah, you definitely can do honours in another subject area, but obviously you have to have done a major in your language. You'd still get B.A (Lang)(Hons)
You also have to do an exchange, which is great for improving your language skills.

I'd be glad if i were you to be able to skip first year units - a lot are extremely dry! Interesting stuff usually starts second year.

 

[Nikkkkkkkk]

Wow thank you so much - you guys are awesome and extremely helpful!

So you reckon I wouldn’t be missing out on too much if I skipped first year stuff (even for things I’m not entirely familiar with like philosophy?)

I guess my current plans for uni are to do honours in English and major also in French (and philosophy if possible). Ultimately I think I would either want to do high school teaching / tertiary academic work in English, or, if I was ever good enough, perhaps become one of those simultaneous interpreters who get paid ridiculous amounts of money. Based on that do you think I should do BA (languages) or BA (Adv)?

Thanks