Faculty of Arts Media and Communications

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Faculty of Arts

Table of Contents

1. Time commitment to study
2. Course objectives
3. Entry requirements
4. Credit for previous studies
5. Course structure
6. The Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)/Bachelor of Commerce degree
7. The Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)/Bachelor of Laws degree
8. Honours entry
9. Honours requirements
    9.1. Pure honours
    9.2. Combined honours
    9.3. Honours subjects
10. Further study
11. Career opportunities
12. Further information
Subject Lists
    First-year subjects
    Second/third-year subjects
    Third-year subjects
    Fourth-year subjects

This area of study is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) program or the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communication) Honours program.

The Media and Communications Program is an exciting Bachelor of Arts stream designed to provide students with optimal access to the globally expanding world of media and new communication technologies and to future postgraduate study and research.

The program is deliberately interdisciplinary in nature and offers a distinctive blend of academic study and media-relevant practice delivered by internationally recognized scholars and experienced industry professionals. By this means students can determine pathways to a wide range of media-related careers and opportunities and/or prepare a foundation for later postgraduate study and advanced research. Possible careers in Media and Communications today include print, broadcasting and on-line journalism, advertising and public relations, publishing and editing, corporate and government communications, as well as diverse opportunities in the entertainment and information industries more generally.

Our courses represent the latest thinking and research in the international field of scholarship and students select core and optional subjects from a wide range of subjects according to their own interests and career trajectories. Subjects offered include, amongst many others, Net Communications; Media Futures and New Technologies; Politics, Communication, Media; Marketing Communications; Professional Writing; Advanced Writing; Writing Journalism; Asia-Pacific Media Systems; Global Media/Intercultural Communication, Understanding Australian Media; and Media Law.

Hands-on media industry experience and project-based research is also available through our popular internships and the final research project. We study Media and Communications as interrelated global-local processes comprising media institutions and communication technologies, media representations and texts, and media audiences and processes of reception, and we situate these in relation to social, political and cultural contexts and historical dynamics of change. Students are encouraged to develop their critical understanding of the changing nature and role(s) of Media and Communications in today's 'mediatised' societies as well as develop practical skills and research aptitudes of use to them in their future careers within today's rapidly changing global media environment.

1. Time commitment to study

As well as scheduled contact hours for lectures, tutorial and seminars a considerable additional time committment is needed to complete the academic requirements of each subect.

A subject-specific time commitment to study will be provided by your lecturer or tutor at the beginning of semester to help you schedule your workload and successfully manage your time during the semester. In addition, general estimates of the total time commitment required to study a 12.5-point single semester subject in the Faculty of Arts can be found on Time commitment to study.

2. Course objectives

The Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) has as its objectives that graduates:

• are enabled to develop a comprehensive overview of the media's place in today's society, economy and culture, with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region;

• are provided with the fundamental written communication skills required by successful journalists and other media professionals;

• are helped to achieve an understanding of new communication technologies and their impact on the fast-changing global media environment;

• are trained to think across media, a skill we see as increasingly important for the next generation of media professionals and media researchers;

• are helped to appreciate the value of an international and interdisciplinary approach to the study of Media and Communications;

• are offered the opportunity to gain industry experience in the form of internships;

• are offered opportunities to develop research skills and engage in applied analysis of media within different subjects and through the presentation of a final research project.

3. Entry requirements

The BA (Media and Communications) commences at first year. The degree is subject to quotas and selection will be based on academic achievement. Work experience is not taken into consideration in the selection process.

Media and Communications undergraduate core subjects are not available to Bachelor of Arts, CAP, complementary studies, or Bachelor of Letters students.

4. Credit for previous studies

Students applying to transfer from a Bachelor of Arts degree into the BA (Media and Communications) who have successfully completed arts and/or optional subjects may apply for a maximum of 150 points of credit. However, no credit will be granted for core Media and Communications subjects, which all students are expected to complete as an enrolled student within the program. Credit is subject to Faculty approval and is assessed on a case by case basis.

Students transferring from other faculties or tertiary institutions may apply for a maximum of 150 points of credit distributed across first and second year. No credit will be granted for core Media and Communications subjects. Credit is subject to Faculty approval and is assessed on a case by case basis. To be granted credit for arts and optional subjects previous study must be deemed to have equivalent content and assessment.

5. Course structure

The BA (Media and Communications) is a three-year full-time program, comprising 100 points at each of first, second, and third-year levels, for a total of 300 points. In the first year students complete two core subjects (25 points), and two subjects from a list of suitable options (25 points), and 50 points of additional study from the Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon entering second year, students choose between two streams of major study:

• Enriched major stream: a comprehensive program of study in Media and Communications, comprising 50 points of core study and 50 points of optional study at second year. Third year is comprised of 100 points of study which may include two core and two optional subjects, a 25 point research project and a 25 point internship or three core subjects, three optional subjects and a 25 point research project.

• Double major stream: a concentrated program of Media and Communications study designed to be taken in conjunction with a major in another arts area of study, comprising 50 points of core study and 50 points of Bachelor of Arts study at each of second and third years.

6. The Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)/Bachelor of Commerce degree

Students must complete a minimum of 225 arts (Media and Communications) points which must include:

For the enriched major stream:

• 50 points of first-year Media and Communications (two core and two optional subjects); and

• 75 points of second-year Media and Communications (three core and three optional subjects); and

• 100 points of third-year Media and Communications (four core and four optional subjects or two core and two optional subjects as well as 100-310 Media and Communications Internship and 100-311 Media & Communications Research Project).

For the double major stream:

• 50 points of first-year Media and Communications (two core and two optional subjects); and

• 25 points of first-year arts subjects in the combining area of study, which must be taken from the free points available within the combined degree; and

• 50 points of second-year Media and Communications (two core and two optional subjects); and

• 37.5 points of second-year arts subjects in the combining area of study, 12.5 points of which must be taken from the free points available within the combined degree; and

• 50 points of third-year Media and Communications (two core and two optional subjects); and

• 50 points of third-year arts subjects in the combining area of study.

Students must complete a minimum 200 commerce points, which must include:

• between 50 and 125 level 100 commerce points

• at least 50 level 300 commerce points

Compulsory subjects:

• 316-101 Introductory Macroeconomics

• 316-102 Introductory Microeconomics

• 316-130 Quantitative Methods 1

• 325-201 Organisational Behaviour*

  and at least one of:

• 316-206 Quantitative Methods 2 or

• 316-205 Introductory Econometrics or

• 325-210 Managerial Decision Analysis or

• 325-212 Market Research.

The remaining 62.5 points may be taken from subjects available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce combined degree.

* Students who commenced the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) / Bachelor of Commerce degree prior to 2005 are not required to complete this subject.

7. The Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)/Bachelor of Laws degree

This degree is only available with an enriched major stream.

Students must complete a minimum of 200 arts (Media and Communications) points which must include:

• 50 points of first-year Media and Communications (two core and two optional subjects); and

• 75 points of second-year Media and Communications (three core and three optional subjects); and

• 75 points of third-year Media and Communications (three core and three optional subjects or one core and one optional subject as well as 100-310 Media and Communications Internship and 100-311 Media & Communications Research Project).

Students must complete a minimum 300 law points, which must include:

• 730-105 History and Philosophy of Law I

• 730-115 History and Philosophy of Law II

• 730-301 Constitutional and Administrative Law

• 730-462 Equity and Trusts

• Law options (137.5 points)

8. Honours entry

The prerequisites for entry to fourth-year honours in Media and Communications are:

• completion of all the requirements of the BA (Media and Communications); and

• completion of a major in Media and Communications; and

• an average grade of H2A or higher over the second/third-year Media and Communications subjects.

For information on how to apply see Applying for Honours.

9. Honours requirements

Honours coordinator: Dr Umi Manickam-Khattab

Honours in Media and Communications comprises two streams:

• Pure honours for enriched and double major students.

  This leads to the award of the BA (Media and Communications) Honours.

• Combined honours for double major students.

  This leads to:

  either

  the award of the BA (Media and Communications) Honours for students who complete the thesis in Media and Communications

  For example, a student who were to complete the Media and Communications thesis, two fourth-year level Media and Communications core subjects, and three fourth-year level History subjects would be awarded the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) Honours with specialisations in Media and Communications and History.

  or

  the BA (Honours) for students who complete the thesis in the combining area of study.

  For example, a student who were to complete the History thesis, two fourth year subjects in History, and three fourth-year level Media and Comunications core subjects would be awarded the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with specialisations in History and Media and Communications.

9.1. Pure honours

Students undertaking the pure honours stream complete:

• three fourth-year level Media and Communications core subjects; and

• two optional fourth-year level subjects; and

• a Media and Communications thesis of 12 000 words.

9.2. Combined honours

Double major students complete one of the following combined honours streams:

• two fourth-year level Media and Communications core subjects; and

• three fourth-year level subjects in the combining area of study; and

• a Media and Communications thesis of 12 000 words.

or

• three fourth-year level Media and Communications core subjects; and

• two fourth year-level subjects in the combining area of study; and

• a thesis in the combining area of study.

9.3. Honours subjects

10. Further study

The Media and Communications Program offers a range of postgraduate coursework and research programs: Postgraduate Certificate in Arts (Media and Communications), Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Media and Communications), one and two-year Master of Arts (Global Journalism) and Master of Arts (Global Media Communication), Master of Arts in Media Communication (advanced seminar and shorter thesis), Master of Arts in Media Communication (thesis only) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Details of these programs are available in the University's on-line postgraduate course guide and from the Media and Communications program.

11. Career opportunities

The BA (Media and Communications) is designed to facilitate students' entry into the dynamic and expanding Media and Communications sectors of Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. The degree is a pathway into careers in print and on-line journalism, multimedia, public relations, corporate and government communication, advertising, film, television and broadcasting, lobbying and consultancy, media policy, research and management, and the information and entertainment industries more generally.

12. Further information

Media and Communications Program
Department of English
Second Floor, John Medley Building
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Tel: +61 3 8344 5506/7/8
Web: http://www.mediacomm.unimelb.edu.au

or

Faculty of Arts
Old Arts Building
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Email: arts-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au
Web: http://www.mediacomm.unimelb.edu.au

International enquiries:
Email: internastud@arts.unimelb.edu.au
Web: http://www.arts.unimelb.edu.au/international

First-year subjects

100-100 Introduction to Media and Communications
100-101 Professional Writing

Second/third-year subjects

100-103 Global Media/Intercultural Communication
100-104 Media and Communications Theory
100-105 Writing Journalism
100-106 Net Communications
100-107 Asia-Pacific Media Systems
100-108 Politics, Communication, Media
100-220 Marketing Communications
100-221 Media Futures and New Technologies
100-222 Understanding Australian Media
100-223 Media Law

Third-year subjects

100-310 Media and Communications Internship
100-311 Media & Communications Research Project
100-312 Advanced Writing

Fourth-year subjects

100-581 Media and Communications Thesis
100-415 Journalism: Conflict and Society
100-416 Researching Audiences and Reception
100-417 Media and Everyday Life
100-418 Media Policy and Regulation
100-419 Public Relations and Corporate Power
100-420 Journalism: Practice and Theory
760-445 New Media Criticism

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