About the Bachelor of Arts (BA)

At the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, student advisers are available to talk with you about your choice of degree, major and subjects, and relate these to your career goals. We like to do this when you first start planning your degree, to enhance your time at university. Here are a few ideas about choosing subjects for your degree.

Do you have a specific career plan?
Think about a combination of subjects that will strengthen your career options, rather than simply looking at a major subject. For example, Spanish + Economics + Political Science for a career in Foreign Affairs.

Are you seeking to further your education in a way that leaves options open?
Consider an interdisciplinary major, that is, one that combines papers from a variety of subjects with a related focus. For example, Asian Studies at Waikato combines papers from the subjects of Political Science, Chinese, Japanese and Economics that relate to Asia. This can be useful if you are considering an international management career with our Asian partners.

Do you enjoy learning and want a challenge?
You are also allowed to enjoy study - to expand your mind or challenge your beliefs - so choose something that sounds interesting or totally new, like Anthropology, Religious Studies, Philosophy or Women's and Gender Studies.

Do you want to build on your strengths and abilities?
You may want to continue with a subject you did well at school. Most people get consistently good grades in subjects they really enjoy and become motivated to extend their knowledge in that subject. Continue with your favourite subjects such as Theatre Studies, History, French, Geography or English.

For the full regulations governing the BA, see The University of Waikato Calendar.