BA Major Project

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

Level of Unit in Course

AQF Level(s) of Course

Level of Unit in Course

Introductory

Intermediate

Effective Term:

2026/20

Institute / School :

Institute of Education, Arts & Community

Unit Title:

BA Major Project

Unit ID:

BACAP3100

Credit Points:

15.00

Prerequisite(s):

(At least 180 credit points from ANY subject-area at any level)

Co-requisite(s):

Nil

Exclusion(s):

Nil

ASCED:

099999

Other Change:

Brief description of the Unit

This unit enables students in the final year of the Bachelor of Arts to design, manage and complete a research project on a topic relating to their major in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). Students in other courses are also eligible to do this unit if they work on a project in a HSS discipline and have completed 60 credit points in a relevant study area. Every student in the unit works with an academic supervisor from the discipline with whom they meet regularly to plan and conduct the research. The unit is relevant to students wishing to go on to do further research, such as at Honours level, and is also open to any final year student with a desire to engage in self-directed learning. Every student is required to obtain approval from their Course Coordinator prior to enrolling in this unit. Also, before the start of the semester, each student must make contact with an academic in the relevant discipline who agrees to supervise their project.

Grade Scheme:

Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)

Work Experience Indicator:

No work experience

Placement Component:

Supplementary Assessment:No

Supplementary assessment is not available to students who gain a fail in this Unit.

Course Level:

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge:

K1.	Appraise key issues, topics and problems of contemporary relevance in the discipline associated with the project.

K2.	Identify theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches relevant to the discipline and project.

K3.	Identify the principles and practice of project management.

K4.	Develop knowledge of the issue, topic or problem that is the focus of the project.

Skills:

S1.	Plan and complete a project within the time frame of the unit.

S2.	Use technology for research in informed and responsible ways, including database searches, identifying appropriate internet sources, and word processing.

S3.	Utilise creative and critical problem-solving approaches in the conduct of a project.

S4.	Customise and use forms of oral/written/visual communication and/or hypermedia to communicate the project to an audience, as applicable to the specific project.

Application of knowledge and skills:

A1.	Employ strategies of self-assessment showing the ability to build on and develop the student’s own work to completion, including applying feedback through revision.

A2.	Apply disciplinary knowledge and skills to developing and researching a topic of contemporary relevance.

Other outcomes:

Unit Content:

Each student works primarily with an academic supervisor to develop a research topic and manage and complete the research project. The student is required to meet regularly with their supervisor as their main contact in the unit. Tasks that may be undertaken as part of the supervision process during the semester include:

Formulating a topic and defining its focus;
Project planning and time management;
Information literacy for research — literature searches; evaluating sources; responsibilities relating to Artificial Intelligence;
Types of research — theoretical, empirical, quantitative, qualitative, practice-related;
Intellectual integrity — copyright, ethics, referencing;
Academic writing — planning, drafting and editing; processing feedback;
The role of the exegesis in creative projects.

Students are also encouraged to become active participants in a research community in the unit by taking interest in other students’ projects.

Graduate Attributes:

Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.

FED TASK and descriptor		Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit
FED TASK and descriptor		Level
FEDTASK 1 Interpersonal	Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams.	Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines
FEDTASK 2 Leadership	Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations.	Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context
FEDTASK 3 Critical Thinking and Creativity	Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning.	Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context
FEDTASK 4 Digital Literacy	Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities.	Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines
FEDTASK 5 sustainable and Ethical Mindset	Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life	Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines

	Learning Outcomes Assessed	Assessment Tasks	Assessment Type	Weighting	Professional Standards
1.	K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S3, A1, A2	Attend regular informal meetings, face-to-face or online, with the student’s supervisor for goal-setting, progress reporting and task completion. The number of meetings students are required to attend is to be specified in the unit description for the specific semester.	Supervision meetings	S/U
2.	K1, K2, K3, S2, S3, S4, A2	A minimum of two tasks, to be submitted at different stages in the frst eight weeks of semester, for the purpose of supporting students in the research development process. Suitable tasks can include a research proposal, a partial draft, a sample of the final work, a written analysis from a project management perspective. The tasks required are to be specified in the unit description. The work in progress tasks are to be assessed by two markers, convened by the unit coordinator.	Work in progress tasks	20-40%
3.	K1, K2, K4, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2	A finished work that presents the completed project, including tasks undertaken, referencing of all sources, and outcomes or conclusions. The format is to be agreed between supervisor and student, and can be written, audible, audiovisual and/or another format suited to demonstrating the learning outcomes. All projects will be assessed by two markers.	Final project	60-80%

Adopted Reference Style:

Other (Reference style as applicable to project discipline)

Professional Standards / Competencies:

Standard / Competency