Explore Philosophy & Liberal Arts degrees
Whether you want to engage deeply with major philosophical traditions and enduring human questions, add philosophical depth to another degree, or pursue intellectually ambitious study through a flexible Liberal Arts pathway, UOW offers three distinct entry points.
- Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation
- Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy)
- Liberal Arts major
- Double degrees
The Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation is one of the most intellectually ambitious undergraduate degrees in Australia. Built around close reading, seminar dialogue, and direct engagement with the canonical works of Western art, literature, philosophy, politics, and science, it teaches you how to think - not what to think.
Small class sizes foster a genuine scholarly community in which students debate ideas with peers who challenge their thinking and academics deeply invested in their intellectual development.
Graduates pursue careers across law, public policy, business, education, journalism, technology, and beyond.
Tackle the questions at the heart of modern life: ethics, epistemology, the philosophy of mind, logic, and political philosophy. Combined with a second major of your choosing, this builds a degree that is deeply interesting and genuinely versatile. Philosophy graduates are consistently among the highest performers on law school and business school admission tests. They are actively sought in consulting, government, finance, technology, and media.
You don’t have to choose between your passion and your philosophy. The Liberal Arts major sits within UOW’s general elective schedule, meaning it can be added to a wide range of undergraduate degrees across the University. Adding the Liberal Arts major gives you something distinctive that strengthens any degree: the ability to think clearly, question assumptions, communicate with confidence, and engage thoughtfully with complex problems.
Through small, discussion-based classes, you’ll engage with big ideas and enduring questions about ethics and the good life, the self, truth, society, science, religion, and culture, while developing the critical and creative thinking capacities increasingly valued in a rapidly changing world.
Pair the intellectual foundation of a Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation with professional expertise in law, the creative arts, or international studies. Each combination is uniquely powerful. Two degrees, one coherent direction.
