Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours) (BCAH) - BCRA(Hons)

Contact us

Please contact the School of Creative Arts Honours Program Coordinator, telephone +61 7 4631 1121, email studyarts@usq.edu.au (for prospective students).

Program focus

The Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours provides an advanced-level program of study. Students can elect to specialise in the disciplines of Music, Theatre or Visual Arts, or to pursue an interdisciplinary hybrid creative arts project in consultation with the Honours Program Co-Ordinator. The Honours Program involves students in an intellectual engagement with both theoretical and practical aspects of their chosen disciplines.

Program aims

The program aims to produce graduates who have advanced specific discipline knowledge and skills. Students will acquire the ability to research independently, apply theory and develop academic expertise in their chosen fields. The Program will extend student’s appreciation of the cultural contributions offered by the creative arts to local and regional communities and Australian. In addition to these generic aims, each discipline within the Program has specific aims:

• Music: The program aims to produce graduates who have specialised and advanced training in the areas of music performance. They will also have the intellectual and practical skills necessary to apply knowledge in further study, research, employment, and community service.

• Theatre: The program aims to produce graduates who will have an advanced understanding of the nature and impact of drama and theatre in human society who will be proficient in critical analysis and problem solving relating to the theory and performance of dramatic texts and to the intersection between theory and practice.

• Visual Arts: The program aims to produce graduates who have an advanced understanding of visual arts theory and practice. They will be able to articulate and sustain a sophisticated analysis in relation to a range of issues involving the relation of the arts and society both historically and in contemporary times.

Program objectives

On successful completion of the program, students should be able to demonstrate:

• • a high level of discipline-based skills and knowledge that extends the student’s undergraduate achievement

• • a discriminating application of methods, concepts, techniques and theories in the creative arts

• • an advanced knowledge of the historical, ideological, critical, and ethical perspectives in the creative arts, in both traditional and contemporary cultural and social contexts;

• • a proficiency in the conduct of independently designed research projects

Admission requirements

Admission to the Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours is in accordance with University admission guidelines for undergraduate programs and applicants will normally have completed the Bachelor of Creative Arts degree program at USQ or an equivalent award at another accredited tertiary institution. Non-USQ applicants may occasionally be required to submit portfolios, samples of work, or attend an interview or audition as appropriate to determine their aptitude to successfully study at Honours level.

Some consideration for significant professional practice can be given to applicants at the discretion of the Program Co-Ordinator. Specific entry requirements can be:

• • credit level (grade point average of 5.0/7 i.e. 71.4 per cent) in the entire program and permission of the relevant Program Coordinator

• • a grade point average of 5/7 (71.4 per cent) across all levels in the proposed Major Study

• • a grade point average of 5.2/7 (75 per cent) in the third level of the program (i.e. Major and Option), including an 'A' or better level pass in at least one course of the Major

• • grades of 'A' or High Distinction in all courses in the third-level of the Major

• for a candidate with equivalent qualifications or relevant work experience by special permission of the Dean on the advice of the relevant Program Coordinator

International applicants must have met the University's English language requirements or have completed the University's ELICOS/UNIPREP program.

How to apply

Domestic students

Application for Honours study is normally made by Direct Entry vis USQ on the appropriate form. Prospective students are advised to check deadlines for the lodgement of applications.

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of your higher education and you as a student pay a student contribution amount, which varies depending on the courses undertaken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called HECS-HELP.

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Program structure

The Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours consists of 6 courses (comprising 8 credit point units) in the areas of Music, Theatre and Visual Arts). The program can be undertaken full-time in one academic year, or part-time over two years. Part-time enrolment will normally be course-work in Year One, and dissertation project in Year Two. The BCA Honours involves 4 generic Faculty of Arts courses, and 2 specialised courses in each of the creative arts disciplines.

Please refer to the Recommended Enrolment patterns for further details on offerings from each Discipline.

Core courses

Core courses are essential to developing the skills required to conduct scholarly activity and independent research at Honours level. All students must enrol in:

HMT4005 Research Design

ENL4001 Cultural Theory and Popular Culture

HMT4001 Honours Dissertation A

HMT4002 Honours Dissertation B

IT requirements

All students wishing to take advantage of online (Internet-based) systems and services provided by the University should be aware that USQ makes recommendations about the type of hardware http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/hardware.htm and software http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/software/default.htm best suited to match our systems. Compliance with these recommendations will ensure students receive the computing help needed if experiencing problems.

Students studying on-campus or externally should ensure they have access to a computer that meets these minimum standards. Compliance with these recommendations will ensure students receive the computing help needed if experiencing problems.

USQ has a number of hardware and software agreements with suppliers that may result in various benefitshttp://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/deals.htm being passed onto University staff, students and alumni when they purchase privately.

For some students the financial cost of purchasing computing equipment may be a barrier to studying with USQ. In view of this, the University provides the following assistance:

• • Computer laboratories http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/computerlabs/default.htm at the Toowoomba, Fraser Coast, and Springfield campuses which are available for student use.

• • Scholarships and financial supporthttp://www.usq.edu.au/scholarships/default.htm in the form of financial assistance that may help cover study costs such as computer equipment.

Students may also be interested in tips for computer use http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/tips.htm, including definitions of computing terms used in these standards.

For further advice on the recommended computing standards, please contact the ICT Service Desk ictservicedesk@usq.edu.au

Exemptions

According to University policy, no exemptions can be given for study in an 8 credit point degree program.

In this section:

• Music recommended enrolment pattern
• Theatre recommended enrolment pattern
• Visual Arts recommended enrolment pattern

Music recommended enrolment pattern

Theatre recommended enrolment pattern

Visual Arts recommended enrolment pattern