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At Curtin, you have the flexibility to personalise your course with a specialisation – so that you can get the exact skill sets you want for your career of choice.
With a specialisation, you can choose to broaden your knowledge and skills into a different area, or you can deepen your knowledge of a particular area – both of which can help you to channel your skills into the career pathways you’re attracted to.
For example, you could major in Multidisciplinary Science and take Professional Writing and Publishing as a specialisation, to create a career option in professional science communication. Or, if you’d like to have an impact in environmental policy and regulation, you could choose Environmental Science as your major and Law as a specialisation. On the other hand, the specialisations of many science disciplines let you concentrate your focus and delve even deeper into your major discipline.
If you’re going to study Law, a specialisation in Anthropology and Sociology, or in International Development, would offer an excellent set of specialist knowledge. Alternatively, to gain a comprehensive understanding of brand and marketing communications, you could complement a major in Professional Writing and Publishing with a specialisation in Advertising Design.
Study a specialisation
What is a specialisation?
A specialisation is a set of four units that you choose to study to complement your major. Most Curtin courses allow you to choose a specialisation from the same area as your chosen course of study or from a different academic area. Importantly, you can study a specialisation without extending the course duration. For information specific to your course, refer to the handbook.
Advantages of a specialisation
A specialisation helps you to broaden your professional expertise and deepen your industry knowledge – which will improve your career opportunities and ability to pursue your professional goals.
Build a unique study experience with specialisations and elective units.
1. Choose your major
Your major is the foundation of your degree and is the main learning area that you will focus on in your studies.
2. Choose a specialisation
Most courses will allow you to add a specialisation on to your undergraduate degree. You can typically choose a specialisation from any area in the university.
3. Add electives
If your course has space for electives, add free choice elective units from any Faculty in the university given that you meet the requisite requirements. Electives allow you to explore subjects areas outside the core units of your course.
How to apply
Don’t want to wait? Many of our courses are available for mid-year entry. That means that you can start studying as early as this July! Just choose your preferred start date when you apply. Applications for mid-year entry close Friday 14 July.
Start studying in semester 1, 2024
You can apply from Monday 1 May to start studying with us in 2024. If you’re currently completing year 12, you may be eligible for an early offer to help you secure a place before you even receive your ATAR.
Why study a specialisation from business, management and law?
Partner your career expertise with business and legal skills, to establish your own business or to develop your ability to impact policy and legislation in an area or industry where you’d like to create change.
If you’re passionate about empowering people with knowledge, a specialisation in education can give you the expertise to pass on your knowledge skills inside and outside the learning environment.
At a time when our society is challenged to think differently about our care systems, you can help drive change and help people lead independent and healthier lives.
A minor is a set of four units in a subject area in the same discipline as your course major – it extends your understanding of that subject area. A specialisation is also a set of four units, but you can select a specialisation from any of Curtin’s study areas.
No, but what they have in common is that you can usually choose a specialisation or an elective from outside of your major study area. An elective is a free-choice unit within a course that you might choose to study to suit your career goals or simply out of personal interest. Not all courses have electives, but those that do allow you to choose a unit from any of Curtin’s study areas, provided that you meet the unit prerequisites.
Not at all, but if you want you can choose a specialisation that relates to your major, so that you can delve even deeper into that area.
No, the specialisation units become part of your course.
Help is at hand
See our frequently asked questions or get in touch with us below.
