Bachelor of Arts (Community Development)

At the completion of this degree students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate substantive knowledge of the history, scope and diversity of community development literature, policy and practice.
2. Formulate clear and persuasive written and spoken communication for community and professional audiences using a range of appropriate styles and formats.
3. Develop and manage projects of increasing complexity that respond to the needs of community groups, working both independently and collaboratively.
4. Recognise and demonstrate knowledge of practices used to build projects that propose solutions that confront communities.
5. Apply a range of disciplinary approaches and social skills that are used in work in cross-cultural and diverse communities.

Working with community is often complex and demands sophisticated skills and ‘artfulness’. Success comes to those who possess a combination of wisdom, high-end knowledge of relationships, considerable diplomacy, tenderness and ‘smarts’. Often we need to balance a clear head, soft heart, kindness, emotional and social maturity and ethical strength. Although many think that working with community comes naturally there is much to learn and good practitioners are in great demand.

This course takes you to ‘living’ examples of community development, introduces you to other people’s ideas about what works and has you thinking and talking about what you see and read. The Community Development major gives you the chance to undertake an internship in a community-based setting, and encourages you to extend your repertoire and build your imagination for how things could be different for communities around the globe. This major is for people seeking to work with community in a range of settings including local government, not-for-profit organisations, Aboriginal Community controlled groups, community arts centres, social service organisations, and the resources sector.

Recommended study pattern

To get the most from this degree, students are recommended to follow these steps:

LEVEL 1

• ART100 Communication and Persuasion (3cp) - required
• Choose 1 of these core subjects:
  • ART101 Coming into Community (6cp) OR
  • IND101 Indonesia 1 (3cp) OR
  • ART200 The Power of Perfect Text: Writing for Professional Contexts (3cp) OR
  • ART208 Presenting in Public: Writing and Performing for Professional Contexts (3cp) OR
  • MSP202 The Search for Everything: Data Analytics and Storytelling in the Twenty-First Century (3cp)
• SUS100 Introduction to Sustainable Development (3cp) - required
• COD125 Introduction to Community Development (3cp) - required
• Complete at least 3 subjects (9cp) of Level 1 General Electives from any OUA subject.

LEVEL 2

• Choose 1 of these core subjects NOT completed at Level 1: (PLEASE NOTE: If you have completed ART101 in Level 1, you don’t have to enrol in any subject from this list in Level 2 as ART101 is a 6-credit point subject.)
  • IND101 Indonesia 1 (3cp) OR
  • ART200 The Power of Perfect Text: Writing for Professional Contexts (3cp) OR
  • ART208 Presenting in Public: Writing and Performing for Professional Contexts (3cp) OR
  • MSP202 The Search for Everything: Data Analytics and Storytelling in the Twenty-First Century (3cp)
• COD201 Stories of Doing Community Work (3cp) - required
• COD214 Social Policy and Community Action (3cp) - required
• SUS207 Overseas Aid and International Development (3cp) - required
• Complete at least 3 subjects (9cp) of Level 2 or 3 General Electives from any OUA subject.

LEVEL 3

• COD301 Indigenous Community Development (3cp) - required
• COD302 Creative Ways to Work with Community (3cp) - required
• SUS310 Sustainable Urban Communities (3cp) - required
• Choose 1 of the core subjects below:
  • ART300 Industry Project: Real-world partnership and project design (3cp) OR
  • ART303 Research Project (3cp) OR
  • ART325 Internship (3cp) OR
  • COD303 Preparing for Professional Community Practice (3cp)
• Complete 4 subjects (12cp) of Level 2 or 3 General Electives from any OUA subject.

Award requirements

To qualify for the Murdoch University Bachelor of Arts (Community Development) students must complete 72 credit points (24 subjects). This degree is structured around the following key elements:

• Required Degree Subjects (Core) 12 credit points.
• Required Major Subjects (Major) 24 credit points.
• General Elective Subjects (Options) 36 credit points.

Degree Structures

Murdoch’s degree structures combine all the required elements to make a student knowledgeable, experienced, confident and successful within a chosen career. Each level of an undergraduate degree requires 24 credit points, the equivalent of a year of full-time study.  

Choose your subjects

Electives

Options (General Electives) – 12 subjects (36 credit points)

The number of electives undertaken at each level varies depending on selection of core electives.

• Complete at least 3 subjects (9 credit points) of Level 1 General Electives from any OUA subjects
• Complete 9 subjects (27 credit points) of Level 2 points or 3 General Electives from any OUA subjects.

Select from any subjects offered by OUA, subject to individual subject prerequisites. Students who are considering a second major are advised to consider using General Elective points (from Murdoch offerings) to meet the requirements of a second major.

Murdoch University electives available include:

• POL102 21st-Century Security Challenges
• POL298 International Political Economy
• POL203 Sustainability, Ecology and Communities
• POL304 Security Challenges in Policy and Practice
• SOC300 The Age of Global Mobility
• HIS102 The Rise and Fall of the West: Imperialism and Post-Imperialism since 1776
• HIS182 The Making of the Modern World
• HIS207 The Silk Roads: Asia, Europe and the First Era of Globalisation, 1200 - 1600
• HIS208 Australian Political History
• HIS209 The Caesars: The Rise and 'Fall' of the Roman Empire
• HIS211 Modern Japan
• HIS313 Rebellion in World History

Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.

This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.

• First Year Core

• Specified Core Electives

• Final Year Core

• Major Subjects

This program has undergone a major structure change in 2023, and additional changes in 2024.

As approved changes to core units include increasing the number of options, students will not be disadvantaged. Any student who has started studying prior to 2024 will have existing core/spine units credited.

Please refer to this Course Requirements (PDF) document for more information.

Contact:

Academic Chair for Community Development major:

Mr Cameron Tero - C.Tero@murdoch.edu.au / Tel: +61 8 93602992

This research-based university in Perth has a strong interdisciplinary focus and a reputation for outstanding teaching and ground-breaking research. With more than 25,000 students and 2,400 staff from over 90 countries, and campuses in Dubai and Singapore, Murdoch embraces free thinking, shared ideas and knowledge to make a difference, and Open Universities Australia is certainly part of that.

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Transferring from another degree or university

If you have successfully completed university studies equivalent to at least 2 subjects (6 Murdoch credit points) you can apply to transfer to Murdoch University using your previous studies.

For all other minimum entry requirements and pathways, please refer to the course you are interested in on Murdoch University website.

Successful completion of 2 subjects at Open Universities Australia (OUA), or an Australian University.

School leavers gain an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) from four degree subjects completed during Year 12, or OP (Overall Positions) in Queensland.

To apply to Murdoch University after Year 12, you must achieve English competency and have achieved your WA Certificate of Education (WACE) or its interstate equivalent along with the ATAR (or OP) relevant for your chosen degree.

An ATAR of 70.00 or higher (or a Queensland Overall Position of 14 or less) is required for admission to a Commonwealth Support Place in this degree.

If you have successfully completed a Certificate IV or higher you can apply for admission into a Commonwealth Support Place.

• Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
  • STAT is a national test for mature age people designed to assess aptitude for learning in a tertiary environment. It is not a test of your knowledge on specific academic subjects. It is recognised in all Australian states. You must achieve a minimum of 140 in the Written English and 135 in the Qualitative or Multiple Choice sections of the STAT to gain entry to Murdoch.
• Completed secondary education more than two years ago
• Enabling Programs
  • STAT preparation course - Applicant needs to sit the STAT after the course is completed.
  • Murdoch University OnTrack Flex - If you have successfully completed Murdoch University's OnTrack Flex program you can apply for admission into a Commonwealth Support Place. Details are available at On Track Flex

Additional information

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre
• International Students - How to Apply
• For further admission information about this degree, please refer to Murdoch Admission Information - Arts

To demonstrate English language competency you will need a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR English, Literature or English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD). Or equivalent of an Academic IELTS overall score of 6.0 with no band less than 6.0.

Find out if you are eligible and apply at Recognition of Prior Learning.

Proof of citizenship is not required for admission; however, it is required for access to Higher Education Loan Programs (HELP). Please upload a scanned copy of your birth certificate or Australian passport or citizenship certificate along with your application.