Turn your interests into expertise
The Bachelor of Arts with Honours lets you dig deeper into your chosen subject and boost your career prospects. Through more independent study, you'll sharpen your research, writing, creative, and analytical skills while building on what you already know.
You'll do a 30-point research project, designing, researching, and reporting on it with guidance from an academic supervisor. As an Honours student, you'll be in smaller classes, giving you the chance to build closer relationships with staff and other students.
If you want to build on your existing knowledge, study for a BA(Hons) with us.
Discover what’s possible
Hear from our students about their experiences of postgraduate study and the opportunities it has opened up.
Who can study for this qualification
The BA(Hons) suits you if you have a BA and want to extend your study in your main area of focus, potentially preparing for advanced postgraduate research.
You need to have at least a B average in your Bachelor's degree for the subject you want to study. For some subjects you’ll need at least a B+ average to study at Honours level.
What you’ll learn
Investigate contemporary topics and hone your skills in:
- critical and conceptual analysis
- creative thinking and practice
- communication—including written, verbal, non-verbal, visual, and intercultural
- cultural knowledge and skills
- data and information analysis
- human behaviour and motivation
- interpretation and meaning
- problem solving
- research design and methodology
- strategic thinking and planning.
How you’ll study
Much of your time will be spent on focused, self-directed study along with guided individual research. Classes are typically small and supportive.
There are fewer lectures than at undergraduate level, and sometimes your classes will be student-run seminars. Our postgraduate programmes are designed to fit around your schedule.
If you study full time, you’ll take four courses—one of which is a research project—worth 120 points over for two trimesters, which is between 10 and 12 months.
You’ll study two courses in your first trimester and one course in your second. You’ll do your research project over both trimesters.
Part-time study
If you study part time, you’ll do one course each trimester over a maximum of four years.
Why Wellington
We’ve offered the Humanities and Arts for over a century, with many of our subjects consistently ranked in the world’s top 100 in the QS World University Rankings. Whatever area you want to explore, you’ll be joining a community that values understanding people, culture, and society.
As the capital, Wellington sits at the heart of Aotearoa New Zealand’s political life and the creative economy. From Wētā FX, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Te Papa Tongarewa, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, connect with and learn from leaders making their mark.
Degree support and advice
We can help you match your interests and career goals with the right course of study.
If you’re a new student, talk to a Future Student Adviser.
If you’re already studying with us, talk to Tītoko—Student Success.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for domestic students
- Requirements for students who completed university in:
If you live in New Zealand and are a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand or Australia, you're considered a domestic student.
Some citizens of the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau may automatically hold New Zealand citizenship.
Diplomatic residents living in New Zealand are also regarded as domestic students.
To be accepted into this qualification, you need:
1. Before enrolment, a candidate for the BA(Hons) degree shall have:
(a) completed a degree of this university or, at the discretion of the Associate Dean (Students) of the Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, another university;
(b) satisfied the prerequisites for the subject to be presented as listed in section 2, or been exempted from those prerequisites by the relevant head of school;
(c) been accepted by the relevant head of school as capable of proceeding with the proposed course of study.
2. The subjects for the BA(Hons) and their prerequisites are as follows.
Group I
Subjects: Art History, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, Criminology, Cultural Anthropology, Education, English, Film, Greek, History, International Relations, Latin, Linguistics, Media Studies, Music, Pacific Studies, Philosophy, Sociology, Study of Religion, Theatre.
Prerequisite: The BA major requirements for this subject as listed in section 2 of the BA regulations.
Group II
Subjects: Chinese, Economics, French, Geography, German, Italian, Japanese, Mathematics, Māori Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Spanish.
Prerequisites: As shown below.
Chinese (CHIN)
The BA major requirements for Chinese (or, with the approval of the head of school, Modern Language Studies, including CHIN 312).
Economics (ECON)
As stated in section 2 of the BCom(Hons) regulations for this subject.
French (FREN)
The BA major requirements for French (or, with the approval of the head of school, Modern Language Studies, including FREN 302 or 316).
Geography (GEOG)
As stated in section 3 of the BSc(Hons) regulations for this subject.
German (GERM)
The BA major requirements for German (or, with the approval of the head of school, Modern Language Studies, including GERM 316 or 321).
Italian (ITAL)
The BA major requirements for Italian (or, with the approval of the head of school, the BA major requirements for Modern Language Studies, including ITAL 301).
Japanese (JAPA)
The BA major requirements for Japanese (or, with the approval of the head of school, Modern Language Studies, including JAPA 302 or 305).
Māori Studies (MAOR)
The BA major requirements for Kaitiakitanga, Māori Studies or Te Reo Māori.
Mathematics (MATH)
As stated in section 3 of the BSc(Hons) regulations for this subject.
Political Science (POLS)
The BA major requirements for either Political Science or International Relations.
Psychology (PSYC)
As stated in section 3 of the BSc(Hons) regulations for this subject.
Spanish (SPAN)
The BA major requirements for Spanish (or, with the approval of the head of school, Modern Language Studies, including SPAN 316).
Entry requirements
Your acceptance into this programme is based on your previous qualifications and experience.
Qualification requirements
Excerpt from the regulations for the BA(Hons)
3. A candidate for this degree shall normally be enrolled for at least two trimesters and shall complete the requirements of the degree within four years of first enrolling for it. A student transferring from another qualification shall be deemed to have commenced the BA(Hons) on the date of first enrolment in a course or courses credited to the degree. In special cases, this period may be extended by the associate dean.
Major requirements
Majors are the subjects you focus your degree on.
Explore more degree options by adding an optional second major or minor. How our flexible degrees work.
Major subjects and requirements
Explore your major options below.
BA(Hons) subjects
Asian Studies
Classical Studies
Cultural Anthropology
English Literature
Environmental Humanities
International Relations
Māori Studies
Media Studies
Pacific Studies
Political Science
Study of Religion
21 of 34 major subjects shown
Change filtersNo matching majors found.
Globally ranked
Our Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences ranks within the top 120 in the world for Arts and Humanities in the latest QS World University Rankings.
This annual global rankings publication rates the world's universities and the subjects they teach.
Research an area that interests you
As part of your Honours study, you choose a topic for your research project. Your school will usually assign a supervisor for you.
Find out about research areas and supervising staff on each School's staff page:
- Te Kawa a Māui—School of Māori Studies
- Te Kōkī—New Zealand School of Music
- Te Kura Aro Whakamuri, Rapunga Whakaaro, Matai Tōrangapū me te Ao—School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations
- Te Kura Kōmanawa—School of Arts and Media
- Te Kura Mahinga Tangata—School of Social and Cultural Studies
- Te Kura o ngā Reo me ngā Tikanga-ā-iwi—School of Languages and Cultures
- Te Kura Tātari Reo—School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
- Te Pūtahi Tuhi Auaha o Te Ao—International Institute of Modern Letters
Future careers
The BA (Hons) builds cultural awareness, analytical thinking, creativity, and the ability to work collaboratively—skills that are valued in any field. Graduates are employed in every part of the workforce.
The kinds of roles and industries you work in depends on your chosen subject.
Industries can include:
- arts and cultural institutions
- creative industires
- environmental and resource management
- government and policy development
- media, communications, and cultural advocacy
- international development and human rights.
More career information
Find out more about careers.
The government careers website, Tahatū, offers more information about jobs, salaries, and current opportunities.
Scholarships
You may be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies.
We have postgraduate and doctoral scholarships available, as well as specialised scholarships for different groups and subject areas.
We encourage you to apply—many scholarships don’t receive enough applications.
Scholarships for the BA(Hons)
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The Brian Murray Fox Scholarship in History offers an opportunity to students who are intending to undertake their second, third or Honours year of their degree at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in the year following application.
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The Brian Murray Fox Scholarship in English Literature offers an opportunity to students who are intending to undertake their second, third or Honours year of their degree at Te Herenga Waka Victoria—University of Wellington in the year following application.
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This scholarship has been established by the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies.
Scholarships for international students
We're currently offering a NZ$10,000 VUW Postgraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma programme.
Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.
Other scholarships
We also have postgraduate and doctoral scholarships available, as well as specialised scholarships for different groups and subject areas.
We encourage you to apply—many scholarships don’t receive enough applications.
Scholarships for BA(Hons)
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This scholarship has been established by the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies.
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The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage postgraduate study of French and German language at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
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This scholarship was established in 1980 by the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt. Hon. Sir John Marshall, GBE, CH, BA, LLM, Hon. LLD, to encourage the study of Political Science at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington. The Scholarship was extended to include International Relations.
Join our postgraduate community
The Postgraduate Students’ Association provides a voice for you on campus and information on studying at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Postgraduate Students’ Association
MAI ki Pōneke
MAI ki Pōneke are part of an international network of Māori and Indigenous postgraduate students. They provide advice, support, and information to Indigenous postgraduate students of all levels, as well as those thinking about enrolling.
Further study
Once you’ve completed your BA(Hons), you have a few options for continuing your studies with us at Master’s level.
You could take the Master of Arts—either by research thesis or by coursework. If you do a thesis, you’ll write up to 40,000 words on your chosen topic and graduate as an expert in your subject, with highly developed research skills.
We also offer specialist Master’s degrees across a range of subjects—from Political Science and Communication, to Indigenous Studies, and International Relations.
Study for a PhD
If you do well in your Honours degree and show an aptitude for advanced research, you’ll be able to apply to do a PhD.
You’ll carry out original and sustained research under supervision from world-class academics in Te Wāhanga Aonui—Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
As a PhD candidate, you’ll also be supported by Te Here Tāura Rangahau—Faculty of Graduate Research.
Get help to manage your finances
We can help you:
- budget your money
- manage your student loan or allowance
- work out your accommodation payment schedule.
If you’re facing financial difficulties, we can help you apply for the Hardship Fund.
You may be eligible for government or community support, too.
Apply for a New Zealand study visa
You’ll need to apply for a study visa if you plan to study with us as an international student.
You should apply for your visa after you’ve received your Offer of Place, and before you come to New Zealand.