International Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies (Honours)

Overview

The International Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies (Honours) is a four year degree for high achieving students offering a program of study that will give them the knowledge, research and language skills, personal organisational capabilities and international study experience that will provide them with a competitive edge in seeking employment in media and communication institutions that operate internationally. The program includes, as compulsory elements, a prescribed major, a minor in a language other than English (LOTE) and a session of study abroad. A distinctive feature of the degree are the extension subjects in both the major and the specialisations which form an important part of the preparation for the session of study abroad and for Honours. The Honours year is the fourth year in the degree that allows students to develop their skills at a higher level in one, or more, of the specialisations that are part of the degree.

The Major

The major for this degree is a prescribed major of 64 credit points which means that students need to complete every subject in the list below.

LOTE Minor

The LOTE minor is to be taken from the Language courses offered by the Faculty of Arts. For beginners in a language, 32 credit points are required. For students with an HSC language, 28 credit points are required.

Specialisations

The degree offers four specialisations: Advertising and Marketing, Digital Communication, Journalism and Screen Studies. Students must complete one of these specialisations. In all specialisations, the extension subject is compulsory.

Electives

Depending on the specialisation chosen, students may fall short of the required credit points. They can make up the remaining credit points by taking as electives subjects listed in the schedule for this degree (see below).

Honours

The Honours year is an integral part of the degree and constitutes 48 credit points of the credit points required to graduate. The Honours year is divided into theory, method and dissertation components. Students are advised to refer to the following University of Wollongong web site for access to the Code of Practice - Honours: www.uow.edu.au/handbook/honourscode.html

Entry Requirements

Enrolment in this degree is restricted to a quota. Students apply through UAC and satisfy the UAI requirement for the year of application which is set by the University. Assumed knowledge is any two units of English. Students with secondary qualifications outside NSW, or other tertiary qualifications, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Course Requirements

To qualify for award of the degree of Bachelor of International and Communication Studies (Honours) a student must complete a total of 192 credit points from the subjects listed for the degree. The 192 credit points shall include:

a) the prescribed major of 64 credit points;

b) one of the specialisations listed for the degree including its extension subject;

c) a minor in a language other than English (LOTE);

d) a session of study abroad;

e) the Honours year;

d) no more than 60 credit points at 100 level.

Students may count no more than 32 credit points of PC (Pass Conceded) and PR (Pass Restricted) grades towards the 192 required for the degree.

Course Program

All students enrolled in the degree must complete the following subjects:

Specialisations

Advertising and Marketing

This specialisation will provide students with an understanding of markets, and how these may be reached by manipulating the “marketing mix”, the core elements of marketing practice. A focus on the psychology of consumers as decision-makers provides a foundation for the management of the “marketing communication mix”, the various channels through which goods and services are promoted and advertised in the marketplace. The subjects in the stream cover the theory and practice of marketing in both national and international contexts. These subjects are taught by the Faculty of Commerce.

The Advertising and Marketing Specialisation is made up of 44 credit points consisting of the extension subjects BCM 202, MARK101 & MGMT110 and 24 credit points from the subjects listed below:

Digital Communication

This specialisation examines new media industries and investigates new forms of communication in the digital era. These include an understanding of video and game culture, cyber culture and its relationship to globalisation.

The Digital Communication specialisation is made up of 44 credit points consisting of the extension subjects BCM 203, DIGC101, DIGC102 and 24 credit points from the subjects listed below:

Journalism

The Journalism specialisation is designed to develop basic journalism skills to complement the conceptual knowledge of media process in the BA Communication and Media Studies program. Instead of looking at journalism from three separate media - print, radio and television -- the sequence focuses on media convergence based on the practical foundation of generic print media techniques. The teaching approach focuses on learning by doing.

The Journalism specialisation of 40 credit points is made up of the following compulsory subjects:

Screen Studies

Students specialising in Screen Studies will gain experience in media content analysis, and will be introduced to the history of film and television production in Australia and the United States. In addition, they will become familiar with the key policy and theoretical issues raised by the globalisation of broadcast media. This specialisation will offer students a chance to develop advanced skills in research and critical analysis of the screen media.

The specialisation in Screen Studies is made up of 40 credit points including the extension subject BCM 205 and 32 credit points chosen from the subjects below:

Honours: BCM 401 (FT) and BCM 402 (PT)

Theory 12 cps

Method 12 cps

Dissertation 24 cps

Last reviewed: 4 April, 2008