- Students are to follow the requirements of the Handbook for the year they commenced the course.
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Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies
Testamur Title: | Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies |
Abbreviation: | BCMS |
UOW Course Code: | 798 |
CRICOS Code: | 045471G |
Study Area / Disciplines / My University Key Words: | Asia Pacific, Australian Studies, Comparative Indigenous Studies; Culture and Identities, Digital Media and Communication, English Literatures, English Language & Linguistics, Ethics, Gender Studies, Global Media, History, Human Security, International Media and Communication, Journalism and Professional Writing, Languages, Management, Marketing Communication and Advertising, Masculinities, Peace keeping, Philosophy, Politics, Postcolonial, Public Relations, Resource & Environmental, Sociology, Science & Technology, Transcultural Communication |
Course Duration: | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
Total Credit Points: | 144 |
Delivery Mode: | On campus (Face-to-face) |
Intake Session(s): | Autumn/Spring |
Delivery Campus / UAC Code: | Wollongong / 753110 |
ATAR: | 75 |
Additional Information: | Course Finder |
Course Description
The Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies degree is an interdisciplinary degree that offers students a broad introduction to the changing fields of communication and media. This degree has a strong international focus, and places emphasis on students developing independent research skills that are appropriate to a wide range of professional settings. Students are introduced to core concepts in the academic study of media and communication practice, as well as to flexible and transferable skills that will prepare graduates for informed engagement with global media culture across a range of careers.
Entry Requirements
Academic requirements, English requirements and credit transfer information are available from the Course Finder.
Credit Arrangements
Information on credit and articulation arrangements and how to apply for credit is available from the Course Finder.
Course structure
To qualify for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies course code 798 a student must complete a total of at least 144 credit points from subjects listed in the Course Structure of the Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies and other subjects as approved by the Faculty.
The 144 credit points shall include:
a) The subjects prescribed in the 48 credit point core of subjects that all students must complete. Within this core there are both compulsory subjects, and subjects that students can choose from within a specified set of choices, described in the Course Program below;
b) At least one of the four majors in this degree: Digital Media and Communication, International Media and Communication, Journalism and Professional Writing, Marketing Communication and Advertising;
c) Electives to bring the total number of credit points completed to 144. Students may take another major, a minor or elective subjects offered by any faculty.
d) ARTS100 Peer-2-Peer Mentoring.
No more than 60cp at 100 level can be counted towards the Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies degree.
Peer-2-Peer Mentoring
Peer-2-Peer Mentoring (subject code ARTS100) is a compulsory zero credit point subject that must be undertaken by each student during their first year. This subject consists of a one hour weekly tutorial during the student's first session of study. This subject is designed to enable incoming students to adapt rapidly to the tertiary environment and engage with the university community.
Students can find information at the Peer-2-Peer Mentoring website.
Assessment
Assessment in this course varies between subjects and typically includes a combination of essays, tutorial/seminar presentations, WebCT exercises and, in some subjects, in-class tests and/or exams. Some subjects may have an additional practical component. The assessment requirements of each subject are set out in the individual subject outlines, which students receive in the first week of session.
Majors and Minors
Students can undertake a double major in their degree. As long as the first major is taken from those offered by the Faculty, the second major can be taken from any other faculty, provided students meet the requirements for that major. The most common second majors taken outside the Faculty include Economics, Geography, Management, Marketing and Psychology. If the two majors have common subjects, students can count one subject twice towards the majors but cannot count the credit points twice towards those required for the degree.
Minor studies consist of a minimum of 28 credit points of which no more than 12 credit points at 100 level can be counted. Students may not cross count subjects from a nominated minor into any other minor or major. Minors do not appear on the testamur but do appear on the transcript (i.e. academic record).
Where a minor is taken from outside of an Arts degree, refer to the requirements prescribed for that minor.
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session |
BCMS Core | |||
Introduction to Communication and Media | 6 | Autumn | |
Research Practices in Media and Communication | 8 | Autumn | |
Emerging Issues in Media and Communication | 8 | Autumn | |
Three of the following foundational subjects: | |||
Media, Art and Censorship | 6 | Spring | |
International Media and Communication | 6 | Spring | |
Convergent Media Practices | 6 | Autumn | |
Business Communication | 6 | Autumn | |
Plus one of the following upper level subjects: | |||
Media, Audience, Place | 8 | Spring | |
Politics and the Media | 8 | Spring | |
Risk, Media and Communication | 8 | Autumn | |
Advanced Seminar in Media and Communication | 8 | Spring |
Digital Media and Communication Major (48-52 credit points)Students must complete BCM112 (Convergent Media Practices) as part of this major. The internet revolution has brought to life a new ecology of networked digital media, radically changing the way we work, play, and communicate. The DIGC major uses an innovative blend of teaching methods to ensure that graduates have the necessary communication competencies to navigate and take the lead in the ongoing digital media revolution. Compulsory subjects provide students with an understanding of the core cultural and technological dynamics of contemporary digital media. These subjects offer a framework of practical competencies to operate successfully as a professional communicator in a global media environment. Elective subjects allow students to develop digital media skills and understanding in important applied contexts such as Journalism, Political Communication, and Media Arts. Students in this major will be equipped with critical awareness and practical skills suited to a wide range of employment opportunities in the traditional and new media industries. | |||
Students must complete the following subjects: | |||
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session |
Introduction to Media Arts | 6 | Autumn | |
Global Networks | 8 | Spring | |
Plus one of the following subjects: | |||
Digital Communication Practice: Final Project | 8 | Spring | |
Media Arts Workshop | 6 | Autumn | |
Students must complete a minimum of 28cp of subjects from these electives, and ensure that they have completed a minimum of 24cp at 300 level including either DIGC302 or MEDA301 above. | |||
Computational Media | 6 | Spring | |
Convergent Digital Journalism | 8 | Spring | |
Digital Dissent | 8 | Autumn | |
Time, Space and Data | 6 | Autumn | |
System, Play and Interaction | 6 | Spring | |
Digital Game Cultures | 8 | Autumn | |
Digital Asia | 8 | Spring | |
Cybercultures | 8 | Autumn | |
Media Arts Project | 6 | Spring | |
DIGITAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION MinorA minor in Digital Media and Communication requires students to complete BCM112 and DIGC202 plus any two subjects from the major including one at 300-level. |
International Media and Communication Major (48 credit points) Students must complete BCM111 (International Media and Communication) as part of this major. Contemporary graduates will confront the opportunities and challenges of globalisation in both their work and personal lives. The global reach of the media and communication industries and the cultural diversity generated by new virtual workplaces both create a demand for graduates with a grounding in international media and communication studies. This major focuses on strengthening skills in negotiating cultural difference and diversity, introducing students to international media networks and infrastructure, and on building capacity among students to produce and interpret media content within a range of local, national and international contexts. The major draws from a range of disciplines. At its core, the IMAC major is designed to produce graduates who have a cosmopolitan outlook and a strong sense of their opportunities and responsibilities as global media citizens. | |||
At 200-Level | |||
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session |
Key concepts in International Media and Communication | 8 | Autumn | |
Media, Audience, Place | 8 | Spring | |
Transnational Media and Culture Industries | 8 | N/O 2014 | |
Global Television and Cultural Identity | 8 | N/O 2014 | |
Global Networks | 8 | Spring | |
Communication across cultures | 8 | Autumn | |
At 300-Level | |||
Australian Content, Global Contexts | 8 | Summer | |
Global Media Citizenship | 8 | Spring | |
Media, War and Peace | 8 | Autumn | |
Hollywood and Beyond: Genres across cultures | 8 | N/O 2014 | |
Digital Asia | 8 | Spring | |
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION MinorA minor in International Media and Communication requires students to complete BCM111 and any three subjects from the major including one at 300-level. |
Journalism and Professional Writing Major (60 credit points) Continuing students should consult the handbook from the year they commenced their degree for the appropriate program of study. Students must complete PHIL106 (Media, Ethics and Law) as part of this major. The Journalism and Professional Writing major equips its graduates with the core skills in a range of fields, including journalism, government and corporate communications. The program recognises that writing and research are the skills that underpin modern communications, and that online delivery is central to the provision of information and cultural participation. With this in mind, students learn to source stories and write for a range of publications within the overall news ecology, including newspapers, magazines and websites. In the professional writing subjects they learn how to produce a range of corporate documents, ranging from briefing papers and speeches to company reports and policy documents. All students learn how to publish their work. | |||
Students must complete the following subjects: | |||
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session |
Media Reporting and Storytelling 1 | 6 | Autumn | |
Convergent Media Reporting and Production | 6 | Spring | |
JRNL201 | Media Reporting and Storytelling 2 | 6 | N/O 2014 |
Media Editing and Production Practice | 6 | N/O 2014 | |
JRNL301 | Data Journalism Research and Investigation | 6 | N/O 2014 |
JRNL302 | Narrative Portfolio | 6 | N/O 2014 |
Plus 12 credit points from the following subjects: | |||
Advocacy Journalism | 6 | N/O 2014 | |
Magazine and Lifestyle Journalism | 6 | N/O 2014 | |
Professional Writing 1 | 6 | N/O 2014 | |
Narrative Non-fiction | 6 | N/O 2014 | |
Journalism Project | 6 | N/O 2014 | |
Professional Writing 2 | 6 | N/O 2014 | |
JRNL360 | Convergent Newsroom Practice | 6 | N/O 2014 |
JOURNALISM AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING MinorA minor in Journalism and Professional Writing requires students to complete the following subjects: | |||
JRNL101 | Media Reporting and Storytelling 1 | 6 | Autumn |
JRNL102 | Convergent Media Reporting and Production | 6 | Spring |
JRNL201 | Media Reporting and Storytelling 2 | 6 | N/O 2014 |
JRNL202 | Media Editing and Production Practice | 6 | N/O 2014 |
Marketing Communication and Advertising Major (48 credit points) This major will provide an understanding of the important roles that business and marketing communication play in engaging, building and maintaining key relationships with a diverse set of stakeholder groups, including employees and customers. Compulsory communication-orientated subjects including Advertising, Public Relations and Corporate Branding ensure that students are exposed to relational concepts via an appropriate mix of theory, practice and application. Elective subjects allow students to consider and apply these concepts within other important marketing contexts, such as International Marketing, Internet Marketing, Tourism Marketing and Social Marketing. Students undertaking this Major will gain access to real world organisations and communication projects, aiding understanding while providing critical experience in preparation for future employment. | |||
Students must complete the following subjects | |||
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session |
Business Communication | 6 | Autumn | |
Marketing Principles | 6 | Autumn/Spring | |
Public Relations Concepts | 6 | Autumn | |
Advertising Practice and Creative Strategies | 6 | Spring | |
Marketing Communication and Advertising | 6 | Autumn | |
Corporate Identity and Branding | 6 | Spring | |
And two of the following subjects: | |||
Internet Applications for Marketing | 6 | Autumn | |
Social Marketing | 6 | Spring | |
International Marketing | 6 | Autumn | |
Tourism Marketing | 6 | Spring | |
MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND ADVERTISING MinorA minor in Marketing Communication and Advertising will require students to complete the following: Students may not cross-count any subjects from the minor in any other minor or major study. This version of the minor is therefore not available to students undertaking the Bachelor of Commerce either as a single degree or in any double degree combination. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce and related double degrees, for whom MARK101 is a compulsory subject, may complete a minor in Marketing Communication and Advertising by substituting MGMT102 as follows: |
Internship and International Subjects
The Arts internship program provides students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their degree in a workplace setting. The internship subject ARTS301 is offered in autumn and spring sessions, all Arts students can enrol into ARTS301 providing they meet the pre-requisites. Another popular internship facilitated by the Faculty is the Politics Internships. The Politics internship subject POL301 presents interested students with the opportunity to be an intern at Washington, New York or Canberra. Read more about the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts Internship Program on our website.
One of the Faculty's aims is to encourage students to study in an overseas university. Students can study abroad for a full session taking three to four subjects, or can study abroad for a shorter period of time by taking a study tour. The Faculty's study tour subjects currently focus on War History and incorporate visits to Gallipoli and the Western Front. Both subjects are listed below:
Gallipoli Study Tour | N/O 2014 | |
Western Front Study Tour | Winter |
Honours
See separate entry for the Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies Honours
Dean's Scholars Degree or Double Degree
In January of each year, the School of Arts invites applications from high achieving students to apply to transfer into the Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies Dean's Scholars Degree or Double Degree.
To be eligible to apply for a place in the BCMS Dean's Scholars Degree or Double Degree, applicants would normally need the following criteria:
- Be currently enrolled in the BCMS 798 or any other degree
- Be a full-time student
- Have successfully completed two full sessions of study or 8 subjects
- Have a WAM (weighted average mark) of at least 80
Other Information
Further information is available at:
UOW Course Finder
Email: lha-enquiries@uow.edu.au