Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2008

Single degrees

Bachelor of Social Sciences (ABSS) – Melbourne (Bundoora)

The degree of Bachelor of Social Sciences may be awarded either as a pass degree or as a degree with honours and can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis. The pass degree requires completion of 360 credit points and, if taken full-time, is designed to be completed in three years with students completing 120 credit points at each year level. The course allows students to major in one of the social science disciplines and complete units in policy and social research methods.

First year (120 credit points)

In their first year, students study six introductory social sciences units from List A below and in addition complete two Elective units, as follows. In first year, each unit is worth 15 points.

Teaching period Requirements
TE-SEM-1 List A unit List A unit List A unit Elective unit
TE-SEM-2 List A unit List A unit List A unit Elective unit
List A
Teaching period Area / unit title Unit code
Anthropology
TE-SEM-1 Culture and Globalisation: introduction to anthropology ANT1CAG
TE-SEM-2 Our Global Village: introduction to anthropology ANT1FET
Asian studies
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Asia: Japan and Indonesia AST1IJI
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Asian culture and traditions AST1BCE
TE-SEM-2 Introduction to Asia: China and India AST1ICI
Legal Studies
TE-SEM-1 Law and Society LST1LAS
TE-SEM-2 Crime and Criminology LST1CCR
Politics
TE-SEM-1 Australian Politics: government and society POL1AUP
TE-SEM-2 Representation and Participation in Australian Politics POL1RAP
Sociology
TE-SEM-1 Self and Community: introduction to sociology SOC1SAC
TE-SEM-2 Australia and Beyond: introduction to sociology SOC1AAB

Second year (120 credit points)

In second year, students select a core discipline from anthropology, politics, or sociology and complete the following:

  • two second year units (40 credit points) from their chosen core discipline, including any designated core units (see below)
  • the unit SOC2MSR Introduction to Social Research Methods (20 credit points)
  • one second year policy unit (20 credit points) from List A below, and
  • two second year Elective units (40 credit points).

The following is an example of a second year program.

Teaching period Requirements
TE-SEM-1 Social Science core discipline unit SOC2MSR Elective unit
TE-SEM-2 Social Science core discipline unit policy unit from List A Elective unit
Second year core disciplines
Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following units.
Area / unit title Unit code
Anthropology
Aboriginal Australia ANT2ABA
Anthropological Concepts and Practice ANT2ACP
Applied Anthropology ANT2APA
Australian Aboriginal History HIS2AAH
Body, Mind and Culture ANT2BMC
Childhood and Culture ANT2CAC
Current Issues in Anthropology2 ANT2CIA
Kinship, Gender and Marriage ANT2KAM
Postcolonial Perspectives ANT2PCP
Psychological Anthropology ANT2PSA
Symbols, Psyche and Society ANT2SPS
Legal Studies
Aborigines and the Law in Australia LST2ALA
Crime and Psychology LST2CAP
Crime, Law and Culture LST2CLC
Discrimination and the Law LST2DAL
Law, Rights and Social Justice LST2LSJ
Punishment in Context LST2PIC
Politics
Australian Political Culture2 POL2APC
Nations and States2 POL2NAS
Sociology
Community Studies SOC2CMS
Comparative Social Movements SOC2CSM
Current Issues in Sociology2 SOC2CIS
Deviance, Criminality and Social Control SOC2DCS
Disintegration and Dread in Modern Society SOC2DDM
Food, Drink and World History: ancient world to modern Australia HIS2FDA
Gender and Sexuality: contemporary debates SOC2GES
Heritage Sites and Landscapes in Australia HIS2HSL
Migration to Australia in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries HIS2MTA
New Religious Movements SOC2NRM
Society and State in Japan and China AST2EAS
Sociological Theories of Deviance SOC2STD
Sociology and Everyday Life SOC2SEL
Sociology of Culture SOC2SOC
Theory, Culture and Society SOC2TCS
  • Key: 2 Core unit.
List A
Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following units.
Policy unit title Unit code
Asian-Pacific Cities SOC2APC
Critical Social Policy SOC2CSP
Development, Globalisation and Culture ANT2DGC
Ethnicity and Identity: social and political approaches SOC2EAI
Families and Change SOC2FAC
International Law and International Organisation POL2ILO
Politics and the Economy POL2PAE
The Politics of Economic Regions POL2PER
Sex, Gender and Work SOC2SGW
Social Policy, Welfare and the State SOC2SWS
Sociology of Health and Illness SOC2SHI
Sociology of Health and Medicine SOC2SHM

Third year (120 credit points)

In third year, students complete the following:

  • two third year units (40 credit points) from the chosen core discipline below
  • one research methodology unit (20 credit points) from List B below
  • one third year policy unit (20 credit points) from List A below, and
  • two third year level Elective units (40 credit points).

The following is an example of a third year program.

Teaching period Requirements
TE-SEM-1 Social Science core discipline unit policy unit from List A Elective unit
TE-SEM-2 Social Science core discipline unit research methodology unit from List B Elective unit
Third year core disciplines

Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following units.

Area / unit title Unit code
Anthropology
Aboriginal Australia ANT3ABA
Anthropological Concepts and Practice ANT3ACP
Applied Anthropology ANT3APA
Body, Mind and Culture ANT3BMC
Childhood and Culture ANT3CAC
Displacement, Flight and Refuge ANT3DFR
Kinship, Gender and Marriage ANT3KAM
Postcolonial Perspectives ANT3PCP
Psychological Anthropology ANT3PSA
Symbols, Psyche and Society ANT3SPS
Legal Studies
Aborigines and the Law in Australia LST3ALA
Crime and Psychology LST3CAP
Crime, Law and Culture LST3CLC
Discrimination and the Law LST3DAL
Law, Rights and Social Justice LST3LSJ
Punishment in Context LST3PIC
Politics
Australia, Asia and the World POL3AAW
Contemporary Australian Politics POL3CAP
From Lenin to Stalin: the first decades of Soviet society HIS3FLS
International Relations of the Middle East POL3IME
Introduction to American Politics POL3IAP
Liberalism and its Critics POL3LAC
Peace and Change POL3PAC
Peasants and Politics in Latin America HIS3PPL
South-East Asian Politics: change and conflict POL3SEA
Theories of World Politics POL3TWP
Sociology
Community Studies SOC3CMS
Comparative Social Movements SOC3CSM
Deviance, Criminality and Social Control SOC3DCS
Disintegration and Dread in Modern Society SOC3DDM
Food, Drink and World History: ancient world to modern Australia HIS3FDA
Gender and Sexuality: Contemporary Debates SOC3GES
Gender Relations in Australian Society HIS3GRA
Genocides and Holocaust: Nazi Europe, Central America, Africa HIS3GAH
New Religious Movements SOC3NRM
Society and State in Japan and China AST3EAS
Sociological Theories of Deviance SOC3STD
Sociology and Everyday Life SOC3SEL
Sociology of Culture SOC3SOC
Theory, Culture and Society SOC3TCS
List A

Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following units.

Area / unit title Unit code
Policy units
Asian-Pacific Cities SOC3APC
Critical Social Policy SOC3CSP
Development, Globalisation and Culture ANT3DGC
Ethnicity and Identity: social and political approaches SOC3EAI
Families and Change SOC3FAC
International Law and International Organisation POL3ILO
Politics and the Economy POL3PAE
The Politics of Economic Regions POL3PER
Sex, Gender and Work SOC3SGW
Sociology of Health and Illness SOC3SHI
Sociology of Health and Medicine SOC3SHM
List B

Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following units.

Area / unit title Unit code
Research methodology units
Introduction to Ethnographic Research ANT3MQA
Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods SOC3MQB
Quantitative Methods in Social Research SOC3MTB

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