Bachelor of Arts (Communication)

• General information
• Objectives
• Entry requirements
• Course structure
• Major and minor sequences
  • First-year sequence
  • Minor sequence
  • Specialisation sequence
  • Communications sequence
  • Prerequisites
• Requirements for the degree
  • Communications compulsory sequence
  • Arts minor sequences
  • Specialisation sequences
    • Journalism
    • Business computing
    • Marketing
    • Management
    • Tourism management
    • Writing
  • Duration

General information

Course code: 1708

Objectives

The objectives of the Bachelor of Arts (Communication) are:
1 To provide students with an undertstanding of

• the theory, practice technology and processes of mass communication;
• quantitative and qualitative research techniques;
• an area of professional specialisation which may include journalism, marketing, management, writing, business computing, or tourism management;
• an area of humanities and social sciences which may include Australian studies, gender studies, history-politics, Indonesian and sociology.

2 To provide students with an understanding of

• the role of mass communications in society;
• the application of mass communications theory in the corporate sector;
• the role of modern technologies in the application of mass communication theory;
• the role of the media;
• the economics and politics of communications.

3 To provide students with the skills to

• enable them to work as professionals in an area of specialisation;
• bring together their multidisciplinary knowledge in order to provide solutions to real-world problems;
• communicate effectively with other professionals and the wider community;
• enable them to conduct basic research pertinent to the discipline within which they are working.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (or equivalent) including the satisfactory completion of work requirements in units 3 and 4 of English. Comparable qualifications at secondary or tertiary level obtained in Victoria, interstate or overseas and TAFE qualifications may be deemed to be equivalent to the VCE. Applicants may also satisfy minimum entrance requirements by sitting a STAT test or completing two non-award subjects or two open learning (OLA) subjects. All applicants should be willing to undertake a normal work load of forty-eight points a year full-time or twenty-four to thirty-two points a year part-time or by distance education. Part-time and distance education students should note that this may have implications regarding eligibility for Austudy or similar schemes.

Course structure

The various components leading to the awarding of the degree are defined in terms of disciplines, interdisciplinary programs, subjects and sequences. A discipline is a distinct area of study in which a major can be taken. An interdisciplinary program is a distinct area of study comprising subjects from more than one discipline. A subject is a prescribed amount of work extending over a semester at a certain-year level within a discipline or interdisciplinary program.
The disciplines from which students may select subjects for inclusion in an arts degree are not confined to those taught by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students who are interested in taking subjects from outside the school should discuss this option with the administrative officers at the outset of their studies. In most disciplines there is more than one subject at a given level. A student must spread first-year work over at least four disciplines, three of which must be offered by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The value of a subject is expressed in points and a normal year's work for a full-time student is forty-eight points.

Major and minor sequences

Students must complete a major sequence in communication studies, a minor sequence in arts and a specialisation sequence. Students should be aware that they may include electives from the following areas in the Bachelor of Arts (Communication): GSC1301 (Social welfare issues), GSC1306 (Introduction to understanding human behaviour), GSC1307 (Human behaviour across the lifespan), GSC1611 (Understanding university learning), GSC1601 (Basic statistics and computing for social sciences).

First-year sequence

A first-year sequence is a pair of first-level subjects which form the first part of a major or minor sequence.

Minor sequence

A minor sequence requires the completion of twenty-eight to thirty-two points of study and will normally comprise a first-level sequence followed by two second-level, or two second-level subjects followed by two third-level subjects.

Specialisation sequence

A specialisation sequence requires the completion of thirty-two to thirty-six points of study and will comprise four to six subjects.

Communications sequence

The communication sequence requires the completion of fifty-eight points, comprising three first-level subjects (eighteen points), two second-level subjects (sixteen points) and three third-level subjects (twenty-four points).

Prerequisites

All second and third-level subjects have prerequisites.

Requirements for the degree

A candidate for the degree must fulfil the following requirements to receive the award of Bachelor of Arts (Communication):
(a) complete at least 144 points but not more than 162 points;
(b) complete a minimum of 108 points within the School of Humanities and Social Sciences;
(c) complete a minimum of eight and a maximum of ten first-level subjects;
(d) complete the prescribed sequence in communication studies (fifty-eight points), an arts minor sequence (twenty-eight points) and a specialisation sequence (thirty-two to thirty-six points);
(e) undertake additional subjects to complete the 144 points needed for the degree.

Communications compulsory sequence

• GSC1901 Introduction to communication studies
• GSC1402 Media studies
• GSC1602 Introduction to methods of social research
• GSC2410 Public relations and mass communications technologies
• GSC2411 Media, culture, power: theories of mass communications
• GSC3402 Policies, audiences, futures
• GSC3407 Authorship and writing
• GSC3409 Narratives and representations

Arts minor sequences

The arts minor may be chosen from Australian studies, history-politics, Indonesian, Koorie studies (subject to approval), sociology or gender studies (details are provided under discipline headings).

Specialisation sequences

Journalism

To complete the sequence in journalism, a student would be required to complete five of the following subjects:
Compulsory subjects:

• GSC1902 Newsroom practice and theory
• GSC1903 News feature writing

plus three of the following subjects:

• GSC2903 Journalism technology and information society
• GSC2905 Radio journalism*
• GSC2906 Television journalism*
• GSC2907 Radio/television journalism_
• GSC3901 Comparative journalism
• GSC3903 Media, law and ethics

* ON-CAMPUS ONLY. SUBJECT QUOTAS MAY APPLY.

_ DISTANCE EDUCATION ONLY.

Business computing

Students will complete the following six subjects:

• GCO1851 Computing systems and applications
• GCO2851 Programming for business applications
• GCO2852 Business systems
• GCO2813 Information systems 2
• GCO3831 Database management systems
• GCO3816 Information systems 3

Marketing

To complete the sequence in marketing, a student would be required to satisfy the examiners in the following five subjects:

• MKG1401 Introduction to marketing
• MKG1402 Consumer behaviour
• MKG2420 Market research methods
• MKG3444 International marketing
• MKG3440 Marketing strategy

plus one of the following subjects:

• MKG2421 Promotion management
• MKG3441 Research project in marketing
• MKG3442 Sales management
• MKG3443 Export management

Management

Two vocational streams are available. One is the strategic management stream and the other is the employment relations stream. To complete the sequence a student is required to satisfy the examiners in six of the following subjects:
Compulsory subjects

• MGG1302 Management theory and functions
• MGG1303 Organisational behaviour

Strategic management stream (the following four subjects)

• MGG2320 Organisational change and development
• MGG2321 Management methods and decision making
• MGG3344 Strategic management
• MGG3352 Management processes and systems

Employment relations stream (the two compulsory subjects plus any four of the following subjects satisfying appropriate prerequisites)

• MGG2323 Industrial relations
• MGG2324 Human resource management
• MGG2325 Training and development
• MGG3346 Employment relations policy and practice
• MGG3350 Strategic human resource management
• MGG3351 Contemporary issues in employment relations

Tourism management

The sequence in tourism management comprises six compulsory subjects as follows:

• MGG1501 Tourism - social environment
• MGG1502 Tourism - policy and regulations
• MGG2520 Travel services management
• MGG2521 Hospitality services management
• MGG3540 Tourism management processes
• MGG3541 Tourism management project

Writing

Students will complete the following four subjects:

• GSC2406 Women's writing
• GSC2405 Contemporary fiction
• GSC3421 Writing 1: techniques
• GSC3422 Writing 2: portfolio

Duration

The course of study is normally a minimum of three years full-time or five years part-time and cannot extend beyond eight years.

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