The BA Humanities major introduces students to eight Humanities disciplines, and develops interdisciplinary approaches to two major Western philosophical and cultural movements: the Enlightenment and the Renaissance. It is based on courses licensed from the Open University UK.

The major courses are interdisciplinary and will develop your understanding and critical thinking skills with reference to social and cultural contexts of Western Europe, with supplementary reference to New Zealand contexts. The other major course, Individual Studies, provides an opportunity for you to study a Humanities topic of particular interest to you. You will be encouraged to incorporate a New Zealand perspective into your study programme.

Humanities graduates will have a knowledge of and skills in music, art history, literature, history, classical studies, philosophy, religious studies, and the history of science. They will be able to apply their interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to specific cultural, social and work contexts.

Please note: This major is not available for international students.

Download a copy of the brochure for this programme and the Course Information Handbook 
( .pdf 932kb and 551kb) documents will open in a new window.

Programme structure

To complete a BA with a Humanities major, you will be required to gain 360 credits by passing courses selected from the following:

Major courses (200 credits)

Level 5

74104 Introducing Humanities and Arts
74105 Humanities: Tradition and Dissent
74106 Humanities: Cultural Encounters

Level 6

74206 From the Enlightenment to Romanticism

Level 7

74305 Culture and Identities: Europe and New Zealand
74342 Research Paper

Elective courses (160 credits)

Electives can be selected from any degree course offered by The Open Polytechnic, including

You may select up to eight 20 credit courses or a combination of 20 credit and 60 credit courses. Please check for prerequisites and availability.

Course availability

See the Course availability page

Entry requirements

See the Bachelor of Arts page

Level of study

Hours of study

We suggest you begin your studies at Level 5 and work your way up to the next levels. You may gain a maximum of 160 credits at Level 5 and a minimum of 80 credits at Level 7. If you want to complete your degree in three years you will need to gain 120 credits a year. However, if you are working and studying part-time, we suggest you begin with one course. A 20 credit course will take about 180-200 hours of study over 17 weeks, and a 60 credit course will take about 500-600 hours over 40 weeks.

Fees

Download a copy of the 2010 fees schedule, ( .pdf 123kb) document will open in a new window.

What do I do now?

Request a copy of the brochure.
Download an enrolment form.
For further information free phone 0508 650 200 or email