Apply for Literary and Cultural Studies Major (BA)

Study Literary and Cultural Studies at Curtin
MJRU-LITCU

Literary and Cultural Studies

Undergraduate major

Explore socio-political issues and discover how society came to be the way it is today.

This offering version is phasing out and no longer taking applications. You may be able to apply for a later version.

Course outline
  • ATAR

    ATAR

    Guaranteed ATAR 70
  • Qualification
    Literary and Cultural Studies Major (BA)
  • Credit

    Credit

    200
Course outline

Select your preferred degree

This course belongs to multiple degrees. Select the single degree or double degree below to see the application deadlines.

Course outline

Outline

Outline

Literary and Cultural Studies explores the development of cultures and how meanings within them are circulated.

This major suits students who are interested in popular cultural texts, socio-political issues and how society came to be the way it is today.

In this major you will explore the construction of cultural values and how they are creatively and socially articulated.

You will examine various media – novels, advertisements, newspapers, photographs, paintings, film, fashion, popular music, social space and social media – and how these encode and reflect cultural conditions.

By learning how to interpret complex texts, you will gain new ways of understanding and making sense of our world.

The Literary and Cultural Studies major is offered as part of the Bachelor of Arts. You can enhance your studies with a secondary major or choose from a range of elective units to support your career goals.

You can also study this major as part of a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce double degree.

What jobs can the Literary and Cultural Studies lead to?

Careers

  • Arts administrator
  • Public relations officer
  • Journalist
  • Copywriter / writer
  • Conservator
  • Researcher

Industries

  • Media and communications
  • Education
  • Government

What you'll learn

  • identify, explain and apply the key disciplinary concepts in Literary and Cultural Studies.
  • apply the theoretical, logical and methodological processes appropriate to issues that exist or arise in the field Literary and Cultural Studies- this is key to thinking creatively and generating innovative solutions to questions.
  • access and evaluate the sources, authority and relevance of information and synthesise key facts, themes and ideas in Literary and Cultural Studies.
  • communicate ideas to a range of audiences and in a variety of media and genres.
  • use technologies to access resources, communicate effectively and develop writing and research skills.
  • use disciplinary skills and knowledge to sustain intellectual curiosity in order to enhance learning strategies and support different intellectual and professional roles required by the broader community.
  • acknowledge the interrelationship between local, national and global perspectives and apply this to the enhancement of international practices and standards within the discipline.
  • value a range of cultural knowledge and take care to represent these, where appropriate, in an ethical and professional manner.
  • work independently and/or collaboratively to produce innovative and informed research that contributes meaningfully to contemporary culture.

Why study Literary and Cultural Studies

Transferable skills

Humanities courses teach transferable skills for international careers. 

Global Education

You’ll have access to a range of international study opportunities.

Specialist pathways

This course can be taken as part of a double degree.

Admission criteria

What you need in order to get into this course. There are different pathway options depending on your level of work and education experience.

Select an option that best suits you:

You’re considered a high school leaver if you:

  • Completed year 12 in Australia or overseas in the past two years, or
  • Completed TAFE or VET studies in the past two years.

ATAR pathway

  • Guaranteed ATAR 70

    This course has a guaranteed ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

StepUp Entry

StepUp Entry

Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.

Alternative pathways

  • UniReady

    If you don’t meet our minimum admission criteria, the UniReady Enabling Program can help you qualify for entry into a range of undergraduate courses.

  • Certificate IV + English Competency

    The certificate IV is the minimum requirement for university entry. It qualifies you for entry to Curtin courses with a 70 ATAR. You must also meet English language proficiency.

  • Indigenous applicant

    If you’re an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant who hasn’t met Curtin’s minimum admissions criteria, the Centre for Aboriginal Studies offers bridging courses that are tailored to help you gain entry into this course.

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Written English and either MC Verbal or Quantitative

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

6.0

Speaking

6.0

Reading

6.0

Listening

6.0

Overall band score

6.5

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

How others gained admission

View the ATAR breakdown to see the low, median and high ATAR scores of students who started studying this course recently.

To see the other pathways students have taken, see the pathway breakdown.

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you wish to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

You’re considered someone with work and life experience if:

You have left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.

How we define ‘experience’
‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.

Pathways

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Written English and either MC Verbal or Quantitative

ATAR pathway

  • Guaranteed ATAR 70

    This course has a guaranteed ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

6.0

Speaking

6.0

Reading

6.0

Listening

6.0

Overall band score

6.5

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you wish to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

You’re considered someone who studied at TAFE or have done an apprenticeship if:

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

Pathways

  • TAFE entry

    AQF Certificate IV - Separate evidence of English language proficiency is required; or AQF Diploma; or AQF Advanced Diploma.

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Written English and either MC Verbal or Quantitative

ATAR pathway

  • Guaranteed ATAR 70

    This course has a guaranteed ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

6.0

Speaking

6.0

Reading

6.0

Listening

6.0

Overall band score

6.5

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you wish to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

You’re considered someone who has recently left university if:

Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This may include applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It may also include applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.

Curtin course switcher criteria

Our admission criteria for minimum entry apply to Curtin course switchers. For information on how to meet Curtin's minimum entry requirements, please see our admission criteria web page.

Higher education course switcher criteria

Our admission criteria for minimum entry apply to other higher education course switchers. For information on how to meet Curtin's minimum entry requirements, please see our admission criteria web page.

ATAR pathway

  • Guaranteed ATAR 70

    This course has a guaranteed ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

6.0

Speaking

6.0

Reading

6.0

Listening

6.0

Overall band score

6.5

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you wish to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

Unsure what option suits you?

We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of university admission. Choose the support you need from the options below.

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool
Credit for recognised learning (CRL)

Use your experience to get credit towards your degree

Finish your course sooner with credit for your previous study or work experience.

Fees and charges

Please view the Bachelor of Arts degree for indicative fees.

Looking for more detail on the course structure?

View course structure

Frequently asked questions

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  • The offering information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.

    The information on this page may be subject to change. In particular, Curtin University may change the content, method or location of delivery or tuition fees of courses.

    While Curtin uses reasonable efforts to ensure that the information provided on this page is accurate and up to date, errors and omissions sometimes occur. Curtin makes no warranty, representation or undertaking (expressed or implied) nor does it assume any legal liability (direct or indirect) for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information.

    View courses information disclaimer.

  • Curtin course code: MJRU-LITCU
  • Last updated on: 28 March 2024

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