Bachelor of Arts

Take advantage of the flexibility of our Bachelor of Arts. Some of your options include:

• a double major—specialise in two subjects in your degree. Choose from over 35 majors in the Bachelor of Arts.
• a second major from a different degree—study a wider range of subjects without doing another degree. Choose from over 90 majors across the University.
• a minor—specialise in a subject without doing as many courses as for a major. You can have more than one minor.
• a conjoint degree—this more intense programme of study lets you complete two degrees more quickly, usually in four years, by requiring you to do fewer courses. Most of our degrees can be studied together in a conjoint programme.
• elective courses that aren’t part of your major—these can be courses from other degrees that expand the scope of your studies.

Not sure which subject to choose as your major? Our BA encourages you to explore up to three majors in your first year, so you can discover your passions and develop a broad base of learning before deciding where to specialise.

Gain a new understanding of the world and the people who live in it. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is ranked in the top 1 percent worldwide for Arts and Humanities in the QS World University Rankings 2024.

The QS World University Rankings is an annual global publication that gives overall rankings and subject rankings for more than 15,000 universities worldwide.

This degree will give you insights into cultures, languages, art, history, politics, and societies that will challenge your thinking and expand your view of the world.

For this degree you'll need to:

Complete at least 360 points, of which:

At least 240 points must be from courses listed for the BA Part A

At least 80 points must be from 100-level courses listed for the BA

A maximum of 180 points can be at 100 level and

At least 180 points must be at 200 and 300 level

at least 75 must be from 300-level courses listed for the BA

Of the 75 points, up to 15 may come from courses listed for another degree when they are taken to satisfy the requirements of an additional major subject from another degree

Satisfy the requirements for at least one major subject

300-level courses may only be counted towards one major (see below)

If your major subject is in Part A (the first section of drop down list of majors in the selector below) you may elect to do a second major. In this case:

The second major may be chosen from the BA or any other first degree at this university and

A maximum of 120 points may be credited to the BA from courses listed for the second major if it is not listed (in the drop down below) when included as a major for a BA

If your major subject is in Part B (the second section of drop down list of majors in the selector below e.g. Psychology), then:

You may only do a second major if it is selected from Part A and

At least 180 points must come from courses listed for the BA (rather than 240 if the major is not listed in Part B)

IELTS (Academic): minimum overall score of 6.0 with no sub-score below 5.5

TOEFL: minimum overall score of 80 (internet-based test)

Pearson Test of English: minimum score of 50 (with a 'Communicative score' of not less than 42)

Victoria University of Wellington English for Academic Purpose (EAP) programme: minimum final scores of 4,4,4,3

Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 169 or higher, with each skill score no less than 162

New Zealand Certificates in English Language (NZCEL): Level 4 (Academic)

NZAPA: English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment Level 2 (with no skill lower than Level 1)