Diploma in Arts

This subject introduces students to university culture and life, and explores a range of skills, attributes and behaviours that will gear students for success in their first year of tertiary study. A range of topics will be covered to facilitate increased confidence in students as they embark upon their university journey, as well as enhance students’ capacities to engage critically and actively in their chosen field of study. This subject will equip students with a range of academic study skills, research techniques and multi-literacies, and support students to develop their own individualised learning model, personal learning objectives and academic capacities. Academic integrity is further positioned as a critical component of university life and this subject will prepare students to engage effectively in their future professional fields and as active citizens.

This subject will support students across a range of Diplomas in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences to gain foundational knowledge and capacities relevant to their future studies. The subject will enable students to begin actively engaging with the foundation theories and contemporary issues and controversies from a selected discipline area for future professional application. Students will learn about the discipline and professional pathways that are specific to their diploma area, and be introduced to how these might intersect with other disciplines in a changing tertiary education and societal context. Students will also enhance and further demonstrate foundational university research and communication skills

In this subject, you will explore core concepts and approaches of major Arts disciplines: sociology, philosophy, history, and literature, applying critical and creative thinking. You will also develop skills in reading and textual analysis to understand the human experience better. This subject will introduce you to the basic principles of reader-response theory and general strategies to improve reading resilience. Textual analysis skills are built through engagement with a diverse range of texts on a variety of themes, which are relevant to the contemporary world. You will be able to read, discuss, analyse, and communicate about texts in ways appropriate to academic levels of study in Arts and Humanities.

Contemporary Australian society is dynamic and diverse, influenced by an increasingly interconnected world where international trade, foreign policy, digital communication and flows of migrants and cultures across borders appear to undermine the importance of national communities and identities. Despite this, everyday life is still profoundly influenced by the decisions which national governments make and the powers they exercise. This subject explores Australia’s history, peoples, liberal democratic tradition and contemporary challenges and issues we face as members of the national and global community. You will identify and explore established narratives, connect past developments with present issues and examine specific events within the broader context of world history. You will also develop the skills to further understand broader influences on contemporary Australia and your personal lived experiences.

Reading literary texts is crucial to our ways of understanding the world and ourselves. This subject involves the close reading of literary texts to explore concepts about meaning-making, including the use of language, narrative form, and the issues of genre. In this subject you will acquire reading resilience and the ability to identify specific literary techniques. You will read a range of Australian texts and analyse how meanings in those texts are shaped by diverse cultural and international contexts. The subject will also guide you in the development of written communication skills in academic English, by teaching you how to identify and make critical arguments. Ultimately, you will learn about the different ways in which literary forms are constructed and the ways in which they represent reality.

The aim of this subject is to get you thinking critically about the world around you! We live in turbulent, uncertain times and this can often make us feel powerless. However, learning to think sociologically — and developing a critical understanding of how society and culture work — are the first steps towards understanding how to challenge disadvantage and create positive change. The purpose of this subject is to equip you with the skills to navigate a culturally and linguistically diverse society, including that of Greater Western Sydney. You will gain an historically informed, critical understanding of the meaning of culture, the impact of colonisation, Indigenous Australian cultures, and of approaches to diversity, multilingualism and multiculturalism. You will explore the value of existing and emerging skills in multilingualism and cross-cultural communication as tools to navigate a rapidly changing global environment. You will have the opportunity to develop your intercultural communication skills through interactive learning activities and a field-trip.

This subject is designed to complement the first six months of study in a College Diploma program by developing the skills required to be successful at University and beyond. The subject is delivered online with students accessing learning modules and connecting with their learner community in their own time and at their own pace to allow maximum flexibility. At the beginning of the subject students use diagnostic tools to identify their specific strengths and areas for improvement, and develop an individualised learning journey through the content. This learning journey will help to address individual study skill needs, while also developing employability skills, facilitating connection with peers and with the University community, as well as the student’s future career.

This subject is designed to assist students to take the next step in their academic development by helping them build higher level reflective skills that will allow them to critically consider their own learning and professional journey and make the adjustments required to achieve their goals. Students will begin to take ownership of their learning by developing proactive strategies that will allow them to study on their own terms. Students will begin engaging with their intended profession and reflect on the skills, attributes and qualifications that will be required to reach their goals. Students will also develop a transition plan to help them navigate the next steps in their academic journey so that they can identify the challenges they might encounter as they move forward, and develop the skills to overcome them.