Program Overview

You could be a tourist in your own city to get a new perspective. You could study community development or international aid – or learn to put your creative thinking to work for government agencies, corporations or organisations anywhere in the world.

The Bachelor of Arts embraces new directions in teaching and practice-based learning to train the thinkers and researchers of the 21st century. Many of the biggest and most vital issues we face today are about human society and the human condition. How can we understand who we are, how we want to live, or what kind of society we want to create, without the insights, knowledge and skills provided by the humanities?

In this degree you will learn to put theory into practice in a way that is recognised and valued by employers.

Major: Community Development

Working with community is often complex, and demands sophisticated skills and an ‘artfulness’. Success comes to those who develop a combination of wisdom, high-end knowledge of relationships, considerable diplomacy and tenderness.. Often we need to balance a clear head, soft heart, kindness, emotional and social maturity and ethical strength. Although many think that working with community comes naturally there is much to learn, and good practitioners are in great demand. That’s where we come in!

This course will take you to current examples of community development, introducing you to other people’s ideas about what works, getting you thinking and talking about it. The Community Development major will give you the chance to undertake an internship in a community-based setting, encouraging you to extend your repertoire and build your imagination for how things work in different communities around the globe.

This major is for people seeking to work with community in a range of settings including local government, not-for-profit organisations, Aboriginal Community controlled groups, community arts centres, social service organisations, and the resources sector.

3 reasons to study Community Development at Murdoch

• Throughout your degree, you will have the opportunity to intern with community groups, private organisations, non-government agencies (NGOs), or government departments through our Work Integrated Learning program.
• Study two majors in three years to graduate with two specialisations, to further expand your expertise and career prospects.
• Number 1 in WA for median graduate salary and full-time employment for Humanities and Social Sciences by the Good Universities Guide 2024.

What you’ll learn
Build the knowledge and skills you need to meet your career or study goals. In this course you will:

• Recognise and develop knowledge of practices used to build projects.
• Discover creative ways to work with communities, both in Australia and internationally.
• Explore topics such as overseas aid and international development, indigenous community development and sustainable approaches to urban communities.