Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts

2026 Deakin University Handbook

Year

2026 course information

Award granted

Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts

Course Credit Points32
Deakin course codeD330
Course version2
Faculty

Faculty of Business and Law

Course Information

For students who commenced from 2023 onwards

CampusOffered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Online
Duration4 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Course Map - enrolment planning tool

This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2026

Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.

CRICOS code0100730 Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition

The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7

Supplementary Information

Students and Applicants to Geelong Waterfront Campus
Travel between campuses will be required to complete this combined degree. The Bachelor of Business degree will be taught at Waterfront campus and the Bachelor of Arts degree will be taught at the Waurn Ponds Campus.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Want a career rich with diverse experiences? Deakin’s Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts combines practical business expertise with creativity and critical thinking, preparing you for a career across industries and around the world. Explore your creativity and build transferable skills through a wide range of business and arts specialisations aligned to your career goals.

By combining knowledge from both disciplines,  you will graduate with a unique skill set that sets you apart. For example, you can major in business and digital communications alongside social media, developing expertise valued across business, marketing, and media. You will also gain practical experience through industry placements, consulting projects, and international study tours.

If you are aspiring to become a leader in business, why not graduate with a set of complementary skills that boost your employability?

The arts component of the degree sharpens your creativity and critical thinking, while the business component develops your entrepreneurial mindset and business expertise.

You will study core units in areas identified by industry growth trends, including, financial literacy, marketing fundamentals and the global economy, then tailor your degree by selecting from the following majors:

  • event management
  • organisational psychology
  • people management
  • project management
  • retail and supply chain management
  • business and digital communication
  • entrepreneurship and innovation
  • Recruitment and talent acquisition
  • sustainability and development. 

You can also choose from over 30 arts majors, including visual arts and photography, public relations, social media and visual communication design. This flexibility allows you to customise your studies and develop diverse skills that open a wide range of career pathways. Just as important as what you learn is how you learn it. Deakin’s work integrated learning (WIL) opportunities prepare you for industry by applying your skills in real world settings.

You will solve practical business challenges, explore innovative and emerging business trends and build the practical skills needed for success in diverse industries.

The networks you create through WIL placements can be of significant benefit to your career. Be ready for your chosen industry by taking on a variety of other practical learning opportunities including:

  • mentoring
  • volunteering
  • consulting
  • internships
  • student clubs and societies
  • local and international business competitions.

You can also enhance your global employability by gaining international experience across Asia, Europe or North America through overseas internships and study tours.

Indicative student workload

You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, online interactions, or professional experiences for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Professional recognition

Deakin Business School holds the prestigious and globally recognised AACSB and EQUIS accreditations, which attest to quality, academic and professional excellence, ongoing improvement, innovation and graduate employability.

Depending on your arts specialisation, certain majors are accredited by relevant bodies. If you choose public relations, you will study subjects accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Australia. Our design-related units are also recognised by the Design Institute of Australia.

Career opportunities

Graduate from #1 Victorian university for graduate employment and build a wide-ranging skill set for the jobs of the future. Through the Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts, you will develop transferable skills, entrepreneurial thinking and global awareness that are highly valued across industries.

Depending on your chosen majors, you will graduate with practical experience to thrive in a variety of careers, including:

  • business analyst
  • business operations, event, human resources, logistics, or retail or project manager
  • digital communications manager
  • journalist
  • marketing or media manager
  • photographer
  • policy developer
  • public relations practitioner
  • sustainability manager.

Participation requirements

Units in this course may have participation requirements that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning or collaborative research training arrangements.

Mandatory student checks

Units which contain work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, working with children check or other check. These requirements will be detailed in unit guides upon enrolment.

Alternative exits

Associate Degree of Arts (A250)
Bachelor of Arts (A310)
Bachelor of Business (M325)
Diploma of Arabic (A221)
Diploma of Arts (A215)
Diploma of Business Studies (M201)
Diploma of Chinese (A222)
Diploma of Indonesian (A223)
Diploma of Spanish (A224)

Articulated courses

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (A400)
Bachelor of Communication and Creative Arts (Honours) (A450)

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Business (M325) Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Arts (A310)
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

Evaluate, analyse and apply business theory and practice for real world business problems.

 Critically analyse and synthesise a 
broad and coherent body of knowledge 
in one or more Arts disciplines, and 
apply specialised conceptual 
understanding to professional practice 
and/or scholarship.
Communication

Communicate in a coherent manner using a variety of platforms for a range of purposes and audiences.

Articulate complex ideas using oral, 
written and digital communication 
skills and create professional and /or 
scholarly materials that effectively 
impart knowledge and research 
findings to diverse audiences.
Digital literacy

Use a range of digitally based technologies to communicate and create solutions to business issues.

Critically evaluate the effectiveness 
and ethical implications of digital 
technologies and apply them 
responsibly in the creation of research 
and analysis that is both authentic and 
accountable.
Critical thinking

Evaluate information, exercise and express sound judgement, ideas and reflection in relation to a range of business issues.

Analyse, synthesise and evaluate, 
complex and wide-ranging knowledge and information to create logical judgements and informed perspectives in a range of professional and academic contexts.
Problem solving

Create solutions to a diverse range of authentic business challenges and problems.

Integrate cognitive, 
methodological, and creative skills to generate and communicate innovative approaches to unpredictable and complex problems.
Self-management

Manage independent work and study, reflect on own performance, take personal responsibility for actions, and plan for future development needs.

Plan and execute actions with a 
high level of responsibility, 
accountability, and independence, while maintaining a consistent 
commitment to continuous learning in professional and scholarly contexts.
Teamwork

Interact and collaborate with others from a range of disciplines and backgrounds.

Collaborate effectively and 
contribute constructively to team objectives with colleagues, other 
professionals, and members of the wider community in diverse professional and scholarly contexts.
Global citizenship

Engage and apply business knowledge in different environments and contexts reflecting social, sustainability, ethical, economic and global perspectives.

Apply culturally responsive, 
critically reflective and embodied self-knowledge in decolonial practice and diversity principles, to engage ethically with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island 
peoples as well as diverse communities and cultures, within professional and/or scholarly contexts.

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts you must pass 32 credit points. This includes:

  • DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit- point compulsory unit) in your first study period
  • 16 credit points from the Bachelor of Business
    • 8 credit points of core units
    • 1 major (8 credit points)
  • 16 credit points from the Bachelor of Arts
    • 1 major (8 credit points)
    • a minimum of 4 credit points at level 3 of arts-coded units
    • the remaining credit point(s) may be used to undertake the Employability sequence, or additional elective units chosen from the Bachelor of Arts which may comprise of a minor sequence
  • a maximum of 12 credit points at level 1 across both courses
  • a minimum of 10 credit points at level 3 or above across both courses.

Course requirements for both the Bachelor of Business (M325) and Bachelor of Arts (A310) must be satisfied.

Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Majors

Bachelor of Business majors

Students must complete 1 Bachelor of Business major sequence chosen from the below list. Refer to the details of each major sequence for availability.

Bachelor of Arts majors and minors

One (1) approved Arts major sequences of 8 credit points selected from A310 Bachelor of Arts major/minor listing, the remaining credit point(s) may be used to undertake a Bachelor of Arts minor sequence or to take additional elective units chosen from the Bachelor of Arts. A minimum of 4 credit points at level 3 of Arts coded units.

Refer to the details of each major sequence for availability

* UX refers to User Experience

Course structure

Compulsory 0-credit point module

To be completed in the first trimester of study:-

DAI001Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin

Core units

Students must complete 8 credit points of core (foundation) units from the Bachelor of Business

MAA104Financial Literacy

MAE120Money, Growth and the Economy

MIS203Managing Information in the Digital Age

MMK101Marketing Fundamentals

MMM132Management

MMM267Business Logistics

Plus 2 Personal Skills units

MMM111Managing Self and Others

MMM311Global Mindset and Citizenship

Open electives

The remaining credit points may be used to undertake the Employability sequence, or additional elective units chosen from the Bachelor of Arts which may comprise of a minor sequence.

Work experience

This course provides students the opportunity to complete one or more work integrated learning units.

Explore Business and Law WIL opportunities.

International Students:

This course includes Work Integrated Learning (WIL) formally registered as part of the course on the CRICOS register. The total work integrated learning hours will differ depending on the WIL unit you choose. For more information about WIL hours, please check the unit information in the handbook or the unit guide.

For information about how WIL units may impact student visa holder work rights, please visit Home Affairs.  See 8105 Work limitation.


Course duration

You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.

Fees and charges

Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.

Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.

Estimate your fees

Further information

Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.

Contact Student Central