Disciplines and areas of study
Media studies
Program Coordinator: Dr Terrie Waddell
The Media Studies Program has developed a unique approach to media education, combining the study of various media with the development of practical media skills. Consequently, the program offers a wide range of subjects that explore the historical, political, and cultural aspects of media and are linked to subjects that allow students to develop a range of media production skills. Media studies subjects are available in both the Bachelor of Media Studies and the Bachelor of Journalism degrees and as a major in the Bachelor of Arts degree.
Full details of the course structure for the Bachelor of Media Studies and the Bachelor of Journalism are available at the beginning of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences chapter of this Handbook.
Media studies in the Bachelor of Arts
A media studies major in a Bachelor of Arts degree combines the study of media and media production with a wide range of other subjects, including politics, history, English, sociology, cinema studies, and drama.
Media Studies Major
To complete a major in media studies students must complete:
- a media studies core subject at each year level of their degree.
- 30 credit points at first year level,
- 40 credit points at second-year level and
- at least 60 credit points at third year level of media studies or other subjects from the list below.
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| First year core subjects (15 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Constructing Communication | MST1CCO |
| Second year core subjects (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Researching the Media | MST2RTM |
| Third year core subjects (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Researching Media Audiences | MST3RMA |
Subjects for a media studies major available in 2010
The following subjects are available to students studying media studies in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Media Studies, Bachelor of Journalism, Graduate Diplomas and Certificates in media or journalism and media studies double degrees.
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| First year subjects (15 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Constructing Communication | MST1CCO |
| TE-SEM-2 | Audiences and Communication | MST1AAC |
| Second year and third year subjects (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Hollywood Cinema | CST2CLH |
| TE-SEM-1 | Image and Industry: Australian television | MST2IAI/MST3IAI |
| TE-SEM-1 | Press and Society | MST2PAS/MST3PAS |
| TE-SEM-1 | Radio Sound Production | MST2RSP/MST3RSP |
| TE-SEM-1 | Radio Theory and History | MST2RTH/MST3RTH |
| TE-SEM-1 | Researching the Media | MST2RTM |
| TE-SEM-1 | Shooting Short Productions | MST2SCV/MST3SCV |
| TE-SEM-2 | Digital Media Cultures | MST2DMC/MST3DMC |
| TE-SEM-2 | Popular Culture and the Media | MST2PCM/MST3PCM |
| TE-SEM-2 | Researching Media Audiences | MST2RMA/MST3RMA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Writing for Radio | MST2WFR/MST3WFR |
| TE-SEM-2 | Writing for Video – non-fiction | MST2WFV/MST3WFV |
| Third year subjects (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Media Industries | MST3MIN |
| TE-SEM-1 | Publishing and Editing | MST3PAE |
| TE-SEM-1 | Reading Course A | MST3RCA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Advanced Media Production – Radio | MST3MPR |
| TE-SEM-2 | Media Project Development | MST3MPD |
| TE-SEM-2 | Reading Course B | MST3RCB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Script Development | CST3SED |
| Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|
| Second or third year subjects (20 credit points) | |
| Contemporary European Cinema | CST2CIC/CST3CIC |
| Documentary Cinema | CST2DOC/CST3DOC |
| Media and the Spectacular | MST2MAS/MST3MAS |
| Sex and the Media | MST2SAM/MST3SAM |
| Storytelling and the Cinema | CST2SAC |
| Writing and Editing for Multimedia | MST3WEM |
Media Studies subjects with restricted availability
The following subjects are only available to students in the Bachelor of Media Studies or Bachelor of Journalism.
| Teaching period | Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| First year subjects (15 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Making the News | MST1MTN |
| TE-SEM-2 | Writing for the Media | MST1WFM |
| Second and/or third year subjects (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Journalism Research | MST2CAJ/MST3CAJ |
| TE-SEM-1 | Multi-platform Storytelling | MST2MPS/MST3MPS |
| TE-SEM-2 | Dilemmas in Journalism: legal and ethical issues | MST2DIJ |
| TE-SEM-2 | Online Journalism Production | MST2JPW/MST3JPW |
| Third year subjects (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Broadcast and Electronic Journalism | MST3BEJ |
| TE-SEM-1 | Media Internship | MST3INT |
| TE-SEM-2 | Advanced Journalism and Design | MST3AJD |
| TE-SEM-2 | Advanced Journalism Practice 2 | MST3AJP |
| TE-SEM-2 | Documentary and Television Production | MST3MPT |
| TE-SEM-2 | Media Internship | MST3INT |
Key: 2 Available only to Bachelor of Journalism students.
Honours in the Bachelor of Arts
Students are selected into honours at the end of their third year. Prospective students should make their interest known to the Media Studies Honours Coordinator by early July or November so that a decision can be made and the student notified in time for re-enrolment in December. Mid-year enrolment is also available.
The principal requirement for selection is consistently high performance (normally at least a B average) in a media studies major and, in particular, distinction in third year level media subjects. Successful completion of more than the major of 130 credit points would be an advantage.
To complete the course a student must complete 60 credit points of coursework subjects at fourth year level and either a 12,000 to 15,000 word thesis or a media production with supporting analysis.
For full details of the fourth year offerings please see the Postgraduate Handbook.