Course code: 2131 * Gippsland campus * HECS fees applicable * Attendance compulsory for some units
The
double degree provides students with the knowledge, understanding and skills
relevant to the practice of science journalism, the role of science and media
society, modern multimedia technology appropriate to journalism and science
communication, and provides one or more areas of natural and/or applied
sciences.
Although the employment market for journalists in mainstream media
organisations within Australia is tight, the importance of science in our
society will continue to develop rapidly and will require people with
specialised and flexible communication skills able to make science accessible
to the general community. There is also an increasing need for scientists to be
able to communicate their work and its importance to colleagues in other
rapidly diverging fields, and to grant-awarding bodies as well as to industry
and the community in general.
Candidates for the award would be eligible to seek membership of professional societies appropriate to areas of science specialisation (eg a chemistry major - the Royal Australian Chemical Institute) and the professional media associations. Professional societies appropriate to the sciences offered within this double degree program include the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, the Australian Institute of Energy and the Australian Psychological Society.
Normal Monash entry requirements apply - the VCE or equivalent with a study score of at least 25 in English. Applicants will also be interviewed, and this interview may be conducted as a face-to-face interview or via electronic communication. Non-VCE applicants should refer to the section on admission requirements at the front of this book.
To complete this course satisfactorily, it is strongly recommended that students have access to a PC, a modem and the world wide web.
All applicants should be willing to undertake a normal initial workload of at least 24 points a year by distance education. Distance education students should note that this may have implications regarding eligibility for Austudy or similar schemes.
Students
enrolling in any biological or chemical science units (especially upper-level
units) must attend on-campus laboratory sessions. These sessions are conducted
in residential schools which are held once each semester and are usually from
three to seven days duration (laboratory work in some first-level science units
is performed entirely off-campus, using home experimental kits loaned to
students on the basis of a refundable deposit). There are some compulsory
attendance requirements in the journalism component of the award.
In addition, in some units, optional weekend school sessions are conducted for
the benefit of students who are able to attend. These sessions are typically of
two to four hours duration. They include lectures, seminars or tutorials and
hands-on workshops.
The applied journalism research project is a compulsory unit in the last year of study which offers the student the option of undertaking a newsroom placement in Australia or overseas, or an individual research project selected through negotiation with the unit adviser. To undertake the placement option, students must be available for six to eight weeks during or immediately before one semester of study.
For more detailed information about course structure, refer to the Science section of this book.
For more information, contact Ms Lauren Burney, Faculty of Science, telephone (03) 9902 6844 or (03) 5122 6844 or Kim Van Den Broeke, School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences, telephone (03) 9902 6318 or (03) 5122 6318.
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