Bachelor of Arts
With the AUT Bachelor of Arts you can choose from majors in areas as diverse as languages, international studies, criminology, psychology, event management and education.
Build a degree that fits your passions and interests with the Bachelor of Arts. Get an in depth understanding of the wider world and your role in it, and learn how you can make a positive difference.
As you explore topics that unpack social issues, you’ll become a skilled problem solver, analytical thinker, communicator, researcher and questioner. The knowledge and skills you gain, combined with workplace experience opportunities in your final semester, will prepare you for meaningful careers in Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad.
Talk to us about your study options
Thinking about studying at AUT? Book a time with us to discuss your study options.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements for the Bachelor of Arts
If you have New Zealand qualifications
- University Entrance or equivalent
- Interpreting major: High level of competency in English and one other language. Interview will be required.
- NZ Sign Language - English Interpreting major: High level of competency in English (NZSL fluency is not required). Interview will be required.
If you have qualifications from another country
See entry requirements for students from other countries. Select your country from the dropdown menu.
Useful New Zealand school subjects
All subjects are useful, in particular Art History, Classical Studies, English, Geography, History, Media Studies, Social Studies, Psychology and other languages
English language requirements
- Interpreting and NZ Sign Language - English Interpreting majors: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 overall with 7.0 in Writing and Speaking, and 6.5 in Reading and Listening; or equivalent.
- All other majors: IELTS (Academic) 6.0 overall with all bands 5.5 or higher; or equivalent.
Don’t meet the entry requirements?
Consider starting with:
You can build your degree in a way that suits you and your interests, and include subjects from outside of the Bachelor of Arts as part of your studies.
To graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) you need to complete:
Core courses (120 points)
All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.
Complete one course from each of the following clusters. Each cluster aligns with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Partnerships and Reduced Inequalities
Choose one of:
- ENGL502 Reading New Zealand
- ENGL503 A Pacific Reader
- JAPA511 Speak Japanese I
- MAOR505 Te Mānutanga Beginners Māori Language 1
- MAOR506 Te Ekenga Waka Beginners Māori Language 2
- NZSL502 Deaf Community and Culture I
- NZSL510 New Zealand Sign Language I
- NZSL520 New Zealand Sign Language II
- SPAN501 Spanish 1A
- SPAN502 Spanish 1B
Peace and Justice, Climate Action and Economic World
Choose one of:
- CRIM580 Criminology and Criminal Justice
- EVNT500 Introduction to Event Management
- HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History
- HIST501 The Holocaust: Its Causes, Character, and Legacy
- PSYC580 Introduction to Psychology A
- SOSC582 Social Thinking
- SOSC583 Social Institutions
- SOSC585 Climate Action
- TOUR511 Global Issues in Tourism
Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing
Choose one of:
- FOOD501 Food and the Senses
- CLSY513 Organisation and Human Behaviour Perspectives
- HOSP509 Hospitality Social Enterprise
- TOUR512 Tourism and Sustainability
Quality Education, Gender Equality and Reduced Poverty
Workplace experience is an important part of your degree, and the Work Integrated Learning course is the final part of your degree. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice. It's a great way to get industry experience while still being able to get feedback from AUT lecturers, and for many of our students this workplace experience also leads to a job offer.
You could also take the Foundations in Research course if you’re considering continuing into postgraduate study.
Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?
Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.
These courses align with different United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and you can choose from different courses for each of the core course themes. One of the core courses is the workplace experience you complete in your third year.
Your chosen major (120 points)*
Your major is the subject area you want to specialise in. This makes up one third of your degree, and usually consists of eight courses related to your chosen subject. You can view the list of majors in this degree in the ‘Majors’ tab.
Flexible component (120 points)
You can choose one of the following options:*
- Two minors (60 points each); or
- A minor (60 points) and elective courses (60 points); or
- A second major (120 points)
Your second major, minor(s) and elective courses can be from different AUT degrees; they don’t need to be from the Bachelor of Arts.
*The Psychology major is bigger than the other Bachelor of Arts majors and makes up half of your degree (180 points). Depending on which subjects you choose to combine with your Psychology major, it may take you a little longer to complete your degree.
Build your degree
Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.
Skills you will develop
The outcomes for graduates of the Bachelor of Arts degree are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
Your major is the subject area you want to specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree, and usually consists of eight courses related to your chosen subject.
Choose one of these majors as part of your degree
- Creative Writing
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Culinary Arts
- Economics (not offered for new students)
- Education
- Event Management
- Global Tourism
- History
- International Studies
- Interpreting
- Māori Development
- Māori Media (not offered for new students)
- NZ Sign Language and Deaf Studies
- NZ Sign Language - English Interpreting*
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
*This major focuses on New Zealand Sign Language and developing the skills to become a Sign Language interpreter. It doesn’t include the option to include courses from different subjects.
Add a second major to your Bachelor of Arts degree
If you want to include a second major, you can choose another subject from the list above or view more options from different AUT degrees
A minor is smaller than a major. It usually consists of four courses.
Arts minors you could choose
If you decide to include one or two minors in your degree, you could choose from:
- Children and Learning
- Conflict Resolution
- Creative Writing
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Culinary Arts
- Deaf Studies
- Digital Cultures
- Economics
- Education
- Event Management
- Gastronomy
- Global Tourism
- History
- Hospitality
- Hospitality Enterprise
- Hospitality and Society
- Hospitality Management
- International Studies
- Interpreting
- Māori Development
- Māori Media
- New Zealand Sign Language
- Popular Culture and Performance (not open to new students from 2025)
- Psychology
- Restaurant Management
- Social Education
- Social Sciences
- Spanish
- Te Reo Māori
- Translation
Add a minor from outside of the Bachelor of Arts degree
You can also choose your minor(s) from subjects outside of the Bachelor of Arts to complement your degree.
Other undergraduate study options
- Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business conjoint programmes
- Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences conjoint programmes
With these conjoint programmes you study two degrees at the same time in a single programme of study. It’s usually possible to complete two three-year degrees in four to five years.
You could also study double degrees, where you apply for and enrol separately in each of the two degrees. Double degrees can be completed either one after the other or at the same time. If you’re considering doing this, it’s important that you contact AUT to discuss your plans.
Postgraduate study
Certificate and diploma study options
($7,187 - $8,069 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
($33,900 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
- Fees-free study may be available for domestic students
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.