Do you want to take your degree to the next level by combining it with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTS?
We bet you do because it’s a very exciting opportunity to learn the language and culture of a different country as well as study abroad for a year! Plus it only adds on two more years and you’ll finish with a double degree—how sweet is that?
So, let’s get started!
在国际研究文学士是什么s at UTS?
Core Units and Majors
How to Get into a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTS
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
在国际研究文学士是什么s at UTS?
ABachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTSis a combined only degree that gives you theopportunity to study abroad for a whole year!This degree can bepaired with 28 other UTS core degrees.
You’lllearn a language, be immersed in the everyday life of a different culture,gain incredible experiences that will last a lifetimeand finish the degree witha research project on an aspect of your host countryto show future employers. This degree is truly unique and gives your core degree that little bit of an international edge to help you stand out from the crowd.
Must it be studied with another degree?
Yes. A Bachelor of Arts in International Studiescan only be studied alongside another degree (Journalism, Law, Business, Nursing etc.).Checkthisout to see all the other degrees you can pair International Studies with!
Career Paths
Since a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies can’t be studied on its own,the career paths depend more on what your core degree is (Law, Nursing, Journalism etc.). However, UTS International Studies does provide you with the foundations to pursue your core degree at an international level if you wish to.
Perhaps you’re a business student who is interested in working for a company overseas or a journalism student who wants to be a foreign correspondent… Whatever it is you want to do,living life in another country and immersing yourself in the language and culture at such a young age is priceless because of the experiences you gain and skills you develop.
Core Units and Majors
Course Structure
So, we bet you all want to know what year of the degree you spend away?!Well, it’s the fourth year so it gives you plenty of time to save up, practice your language skillsand get super hyped for your year abroad.
You start International Studies in the second yearof your combined degree—you still do some subjects from your core degree but you also start language and culture subjects.In the third year, there’s more of a focus on the language and culture subjects, although you may have one or two subjects from your core degree as well.
And then…fourth year—it’s time to step onto that plane and live in another country!After your year abroad, the International Studies part of your combined degree is finishedand thenyou’ll complete the rest of your core degree.
What are the Core Units?
A Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTSadds an extra 96 credit points onto your core degree. Everyone does the same core subjects—the only difference is which language you choose to learn.
Language and Culture Subjects
Before you leave,you will have completed four language and culture subjects—one each semester during your second and third year.每个扫描电镜er you’ll have 2 x two hour tutorials where you develop your language skills.
Each subject builds on from the previous semester to extend your language skills.You’ll complete listening, writing, reading and speaking activities in the tutorial.
Tutorials are really interactive andyou’re encouraged to speak the language you’re learning as much as possible during class. The tutors are awesome and so helpful—they’re always happy to answer any questions!
Foundations in International Studies
Thissubjectfocuses on the international issues and looks at what it means to be a global citizen in our world today. Topics such astransculturation, nation-states, cultural identitiesand more are discussed in the lectures and tutorials.
Contemporary Society
All students take this subject in relation to their country major—soContemporary Germany,Contemporary Spainetc. It’san introduction to that specific country’s history, culture and the issues发生在今天的社会。
In-country Study and Fieldwork
In-country Study and Fieldwork 1&2are the subjects you take for UTS during your year abroad—they’re all assessment based.Although there are no official classes for these subjects, your tutor will stay in regular contact with you to help guide your research project.
Throughout the process, you’lllearn about another culture and really develop your research and writing skills. You have the whole year to complete your final research project with assessments along the way to monitor your progress and receive feedback.
What are the Majors?
You will major in one of the 14 countries listed belowso that you not onlylearn the corresponding language but also gain an understanding of the country’s culture, current affairs and historyin preparation for your year abroad.
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- Argentina
- Canada (Quebec)
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Latino USA
- Mexico
- Spain
- Switzerland
In your first year as a UTS student,you nominate your country major and if you have already studied the language, you will be assessed on your skills and placed into the appropriate class level.Don’t worry if you’re a beginner because UTS caters to a range of different language levels from beginner to intermediate to advanced.
Depending on your country major,you will either learn French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese or Japanese!
How to Get into a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTS
Since a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTS is only offered as a combined degree,the ATAR cut-off varies depending on what your core degree is. A double degree does make the ATAR cut-off higher as opposed to studying a single degree.
UTS International Studies can be combined with 28 other degrees sothe ATAR cut-off ranges from 72.55-96.45!
Have a lookherefor more details!
Pathway Programs
Now, if you just miss out on getting the ATAR to add a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies to your core degree, don’t worry.After completing a full year of study in your core degree with at least an overall Credit average, you can then add it on—so there’s no missing out!
How can I afford to study overseas for a year?
The great part about your in-country study is thatUTS pays for your flights to get there and back, transport from the airport to your host city, visa, insurance and part of your semester fees at your host uni.Now, that’s pretty neat!
Loans
Even if you save really hard and work up until you leave, it can still be challenging to finance your year overseas—you’ve got to pay for your accommodation and food as well as any activities or travel you do.That’s whyUTS offers students the chance to apply for an OS-HELP loan.
You can find all the info on it righthere!
Scholarships
You can apply for theInternational Studies Overseas Access Scholarshipwhich provides financial assistance for your year away. In order to apply,you must have at least an overall Distinction average.
Check out more infohere!
What’s the Teaching Format?
A Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTS iscompleted through semesters with a mix of lectures, tutorials and workshops.
During your year abroad,you’re obviously there for the entire year and when you leave/return depends on when the uni year starts in your host country.But you will all get that big summer break—the perfect time to pack your bags and travel if you want to.
Lectures
As it depends on the subject, you could haveanywhere between 25 to 100 studentsin your lecture. The moretailored subjects like Contemporary Germany or Spain, depending on your country major are usually a lot smaller.
In the lectures,you’ll learn all the content, take lots of notes and sometimes have guest lecturers. There areno lectures for the language classes—only tutorials because they are very interactive.
Tutorials
The tutorials are very discussion based and interactive—you’ll discuss the readings and ideas from the lecture and work in groups on various activitiessuch as giving feedback on your essay progress. There are usually around20 to 30 studentsin the tutorials.
Workshops
Before you leave for your in-country study, there are a fair few logistics to work out! That’s why UTS has a number of compulsory workshops which cover everything fromhow to apply for student accommodation to visas to flights and what is expected of you throughout the year.
It depends on how popular you host country is for that year but there’susually 20 to 30 people.Don’t worry,you are guided every step of the way—they even help enrol you in the university of your host country.
How many contact hours?
UTS
This really depends on what year of the degree you’re in however,the lectures at UTS go for an hour and the tutorials are two hours.Of course, you spend a fair bit of time writing all those essays and also practicing your language skills by doing your homework and learning new vocab.
Abroad
You’ll do around10-12 hours of classes at your host university a week.There are no classes for UTS while you’re away and insteadyou maintain contact with your tutor and work on your assessments in your own time.
Thetutors are really supportive and just an email or call awayif you want to discuss your project with them or have any questions.
What are the assessments like?
Language Assessments
You’ll have acombination of in-class assessments and take home assignments. It is important to note thatdepending on your language efficiency, the assessments will vary.
Your progress is monitored over the whole semester withsmall writing tasks and vocab tests. Developing your speaking skills in the language is an important aspect and that’s why there isa focus on giving presentations.
You can expect to havelistening comprehension你将听到一个对话,方法r questions related to it. There is usually awritten exam at the end of the semesterwhere you get to showcase your reading comprehension and writing skills.
It’s also good to know thatlanguage classes will be taught mostly in the language you’re learning—of course, it depends on your level, but that’s the aim because it’s the best way to learn. In preparation for your in-country research project,you’ll conduct a small survey or interview and write up the findings.
You’ll also be expected todo any set homework, learn new vocab and practice regularly因为这是你学习如何结束!
Core Subjects – Foundations in International Studies and Contemporary Society (country major)
You canexpect a lot of research and writingfor these assessments. There’s no exams though—thank goodness!
Instead, you’ll have amix of group presentations, research essays and reflective journal entriesrelated to the lectures and readings. All these assessments refine your skills needed for your in-country research project.
University Classes Abroad
You’ll be expected to attend university classes in your host country. This is where you’ll meet new people and really immerse yourself in the culture and language.
Although you’re not marked by UTS on these classes,it is a requirement of the program and you have to attend the classes, complete all the activities and pass the subjects.
In-country Study and Fieldwork 1 & 2
These are the assessments you complete during your year abroad.All of these tasks are completed in English—phew!
Basically,all of the assessments contribute to your final research project known as a Capstone. You can expect to have the following assessments which include a lot of research and essay/report writing:
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- Literature review:Research essay on a topic of your choice
- Pilot research project:收集data through surveys or interviews etc. and then write up findings
- Project Proposal:Plans for how you will carry out the final project
- Final research project: This is your Capstone—so you’ll collect data, analyse the findings in relation to your chosen topic and then write up a 5000 word report on it.
What’s really cool is thatyou finish your Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with an original research project that you can show future employees!
Skills That You Refine and Learn
During the degree, you’ll develop and refine a huge set of different skills.
Of course, you’ll develop yourlanguage skillsduring your UTS language classes which prepare you for the year abroad. But trust us,there’s no better way to learn the language than being in the country where it’s spoken and immersing yourself in everyday life.
You’ll be surprised how quickly you pick up on things and gain the confidence to just speak,even if you don’t really know how to say it.
“I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a place for that long where the official language was not my first language. I was able to be in that position for the first time and I think that’s a valuable experience that I’ll never get again.” – Emiko Reed
Now, as you can expect,studying abroad can also be quite challenging at times—you might get homesick, experience culture shock, get lost in translation or just feel totally lost!And that’s okay—there’s going to be ups and downs but you’ll figure it out, you’ll make it work andthose are times where you develop resilience.
For a lot of students, the year abroad is the first time they’ve lived away from home. So,there’s no one telling you what to do or when to do it—it’s kind of all up to you and your responsibility to stay on top of everything. You learn to become more independentand it’s a great feeling!
The in-country study assessments are heavily research based and help youdevelop your writing skills(there’s a lot, a lot of writing involved). Juggling your UTS assessments, host university classes, staying on top of all the paperwork, hanging out with friends and travelling definitelyteaches you about organisation and time management.
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
First things first:all students doing International Studies are in the same boat as you.They’re just as nervous about all that pre-departure organisational stuff, whether their language skills are up to speed and whether they’ll feel homesick.
They’re also just as excited to travel, make new friends and gain experiences that they’ll talk about for years later. So,you all support each other and really stick together throughout your year abroad.
The other great thing is thatyou start your language and culture classes in the second year of the combined degree which gives you time to make friendswith the students who will be going to the same country as you.
Societies
You can join theUTS Global and International Studies Clubwhere you canmeet new people, listen to previous student’s experiences abroad and also share your own!If you want to discuss international issues and talk about the world, then this is the place for you.
You may also be interested in theExchange and Study Abroad Clubwhere international and local students can mix and get to know each other.If you choose to do this degree, you’ll also be an International student in a different country someday and will probably also want to get to know local students.
There’sWelcome drinks, games and trivia nights, BBQ and picnics, coastal walks and lots of day trips exploring Sydney!It’s a great way to learn about other cultures and also experience your own city through new eyes!
Interested in the pros and cons of this double degree? Check out our article here!
Tanna Nankivellis a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently in Germany completing a year of study for her double degree in Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts (International Studies). She has had articles published on Central News – the UTS Journalism Lab and wrote a feature piece for Time Out Sydney during her internship. Tanna has a love for travel and the great outdoors, you’ll either find her on the snowfields or in the ocean, teaching aqua aerobics or creating short films.
