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La Trobe University
University Handbook 2012

Bachelor of Creative Arts

Course code/s: ABCA Melbourne

Creative Arts is an exciting cross disciplinary degree, bringing together media arts (screen+sound), theatre and performance, and writing (including creative writing, screen writing and writing for the media). BCA students explore the creative arts through critical, imaginative, and performative approaches to one or more areas of creative arts practice as well as expanding their critical thinking through a choice of electives. The Bachelor of Creative Arts course has a central core of dedicated subjects in which students develop creative writing skills, explore creative arts experimentally, and build research and production skills. It also offers subjects from the disciplines of English, Theatre/Drama/Performance, and Media Arts: Screen + Sound as well as others offered at the University.

This three-year degree consists of 360 credit points, 120 credit points at each year level for full-time study, part-time is also available. Besides choosing subjects from those listed, students either focus their degree around one of the areas of creative writing, media arts, and theatre and performance or they combine subjects from two or three of these areas.

First year (120 credit points)

In their first year students study

  • Two core subjects, HUS1PWR and HUS1ECM
  • four first-year subjects from List A below,
  • two first-year elective subjects which can be selected from List A, the Faculty or anywhere in the University, pre-requisites permitting.
Teaching period Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 Professional Writing: words in action HUS1PWR
TE-SEM-2 Exploring Creative Media HUS1ECM

List A

TE-SEM-1 Text, Criticism and the Visual ENG1TCV
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Screen and Sound Analysis CST1IFA
TE-SEM-1 Theatre Knowledge and Practices DRA1TKP
TE-SEM-2 Introducing Literature: the short story ENG1ILS
TE-SEM-2 Making Sense of the Movies CST1MSM
TE-SEM-2 Writing your Own Life ENG1WYL
TE-SEM-2 Introduction to Screenwriting CST1ITS
TE-SEM-2 Process-based Performance DRA1PBP

Second year (120 credit points)

In their second year students study

  • the core subject, CST2CIP - Creative Arts and Industry Research,
  • five, second-year subjects from List A below,
  • two, second-year elective subjects which can be selected from List A, the Faculty or anywhere in the University, pre-requisites permitting.

Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following subjects.

List B

Teaching period Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 Creative Arts and Industry Research (Core) CST2CIP
TE-SEM-1 Modern Drama and Acting Identity DRA2MOA
TE-SEM-1 Multi-platform Storytelling MST2MPS
TE-SEM-1 Re-thinking Jane Austen ENG2RJA
TE-SEM-1 Screenwriting Project CST2ADS
TE-SEM-1 Theatre Production DRA2TPR
TE-SEM-1 Theatre, Stages and Spaces DRA2TSS
TE-SEM-1 Writing for Video MST2WFV
TE-SEM-1 Writing Poetry ENG2WRP
TE-SEM-2 English: a user’s guide LIN2EUG
TE-SEM-2 Performance Making DRA2PEM
TE-SEM-2 Shakespeare in Performance DRA2SIP
TE-SEM-2 Shooting Shorts for Screen Productions - An Introduction to Screen Production MST2SCV
TE-SEM-2 Writing Fiction ENG2WFI
TE-SEM-2 Writing, Internet, Performance DRA2WIP
TE-SEM-2 Writing for Radio MST2WFR

Third year (120 credit points)

In their third year students study

  • the core subject, CST3PPP - Professional Practice Portfolio (available from 2013).
  • five, third-year subjects from List A below,
  • two, third-year elective subjects which can be selected from List A, the Faculty or anywhere in the University, pre-requisites permitting.

Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following subjects.

List B
Teaching Period Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 Australian Drama from 1955 to the Present Day DRA3AUD
TE-SEM-1 Broadcast and Electronic Journalism JRN3BEJ
TE-SEM-1 Creative Arts and Industry Research CST3CIP
TE-SEM-1 Multi-platform Storytelling MST3MPS
TE-SEM-1 Re-thinking Jane Austen ENG3RJA
TE-SEM-1 Screenwriting Project CST3ADS
TE-SEM-1 Theatre Production DRA3TPR
TE-SEM-1 Theatre, Stages and Spaces DRA3TSS
TE-SEM-1 Video Project CST3VID
TE-SEM-1 Writing for Video MST3WFV
TE-SEM-1 Writing Poetry ENG3WRP
TE-SEM-2 Drama Project DRA3PRO
TE-SEM-2 English: a user’s guide LIN3EUG
TE-SEM-2 Script Development CST3SED
TE-SEM-2 Shakespeare in Performance DRA3SIP
TE-SEM-2 Writing Autobiography ENG3WAB
TE-SEM-2 Writing Fiction ENG3WFI
TE-SEM-2 Writing for Radio MST3WFR
TE-SEM-2 Writing, Internet, Performance DRA3WIP

Honours

The honours program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop skills, which will prepare them for further academic study or for work in specific fields and industries involving creative writing, screenwriting, writing for the media and theatre production.

Students are selected into honours at the end of their third year. Prospective students should make their interest known to the Creative Arts Honours Coordinator by November for commencement in semester one or in early June for commencement in second semester.

The normal requirement for selection is consistently high performance (at least a B average) in the creative arts subjects.

The Bachelor of Creative Arts honours year allows students to:

  • incorporate more than one discipline i.e. Creative Arts 4, or
  • concentrate on one discipline i.e. Cinema Studies 4, English 4 or Theatre and Drama 4.

Creative Arts 4

The course consists of:

  • two fourth year subjects offered by the cinema, English, media studies or theatre and drama programs
  • a thesis which consists of a negotiated practical project in script writing, creative writing, performance or production which explores a research question, and
  • a 5000-word exegesis to support the thesis.

Students wishing to concentrate on one discipline should check the requirements for honours in the discipline and areas of study under the Cinema studies, English or Theatre and Drama section of this Handbook.

For further information about creative arts, please contact the School of Communication, Arts and Critical Enquiry by email at english@latrobe.edu.au or by telephone on (03) 9479 2390.