Drama
and theatre studies
English
Visual culture (including film and television
studies)
judith.keogh@arts.monash.edu.au or louella.dcosta@arts.monash.edu.au
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/schools/lvcs/
Room W707, West Wing, Menzies building, Clayton campus
+ 61 3 9905 2148 or + 61 3 9905 2140
The
English section offers a variety of units in the literatures of Britain,
Australia, America, Asia, and in a range of related areas including academic,
professional and creative writing.
In first year, students are introduced to the study of English through a choice
of unit sequences. Each sequence has a different focus - the study of English
literature and the study of effective writing. Each aims to introduce students
to a variety of modes of reading and to a number of ways of speaking and
writing about what they read. Students may choose to do a combination of these
units and must take a literature unit if they wish to major in English.
Second and third-year units in literature introduce students to the literature
and culture of different historical periods. Related units are offered in the
following fields: Australian studies, the theory and practice of children's
literature, war literature and travel writing, critical theory, feminist theory
and women's writing, postcolonial theory and literature, the languages of
literature, literary and visual semiotics and performance studies, creative
writing and professional writing. Students may select from these areas to
develop their major in English.
Students will find the expectations of English outlined in unit handbooks as
they proceed through the degree.
For information on the units required for a major or minor in English, students
should refer to the `Areas of study' section on the Arts faculty website at
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/.
English provides consultation and advice on choice of units at first, second,
third and fourth-year levels to ensure that students choose suitable and
coherent sequences.
The
visual culture section offers units in two major streams: visual culture, and
film and television studies. Minor sequences, major sequences and honours
studies may be undertaken in either of these broad areas, or a combination of
the two. The first-year unit VSA1000 (Introduction to visual culture: back to
the future) is designed to provide a foundation for all subsequent studies in
visual culture. Students may choose to complete a first-year sequence by taking
VSA1010 (Contemporary visual culture) or VSA1050 (Contemporary popular film),
or both, in second semester.
Visual culture units involve historical and critical approaches to film and
television, video and new screen technologies, photography, painting, fashion,
sculpture and the built environment, with a special emphasis on Australian,
European and American art and architecture. Particular attention is paid to
recent manifestations of visual culture. Film and television studies cover
Australian, Asian and European national cinemas, contemporary popular Hollywood
and its institutions, alternative film and video, documentary and television
studies and video practice.
Throughout the course of studies, emphasis will be given to a variety of
critical and theoretical methods of analysis appropriate to the study of visual
culture, including formal, semiotic and psychoanalytic approaches,
consideration of issues to do with the intersection of ideology and culture,
the representation of gender, race and class, and questions concerning the
relations between visual culture and technology.
Students are encouraged to consider combining their visual culture studies with
other relevant and compatible disciplines in the Faculty of Arts. Examples are
performing arts, comparative literature and cultural studies, English, history,
women's studies, and a range of relevant Asian and European languages.
Particular attention is drawn to: CLS1010 (Text and context), CLS1040
(Introduction to cultural studies) and WMN2240/WMN3240 (Introduction to
contemporary feminist theory).
Students
who wish to make a specialist study of drama and theatre studies as part of
their Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Performing Arts may do so within the
Centre for Drama and Theatre Studies. The units available represent a wide
range of approaches to studies in the field. Most place a strong emphasis on
performance. While the major in drama and theatre studies is not designed
specifically as a course in systematic skills training, the element of
performance in our program (in text-based and devised productions) is regarded
as fundamental to the analysis of theatre texts and processes.
The first-year prerequisite for students intending a major or minor sequence in
drama and theatre studies is DTS1060 (The language of performance) and DTS1160
(The places of performance). A second first-year sequence is available as an
additional option (DTS1320 and DTS1420).
Second and third-year units offer a range of options in the history, theory and
practice of theatre. Students may choose to specialise in fields such as
theatre history, directing, music theatre, movement and dance, technical
aspects of theatre, script writing and design.
The DTS units listed in this handbook are offered at the Clayton campus unless
otherwise indicated. None of the DTS units listed in the handbook may be
counted towards more than one minor or major sequence. Units with the prefix
PER, which offer students specialist study in play production and devised
performance, are available only to students enrolled in the Bachelor of
Performing Arts degree.
The
Centre for Drama and Theatre Studies has close connections with a number of
other teaching programs in the Faculty of Arts, all of which are concerned in
one way or another with the study of texts and textuality. These are
comparative literature, critical theory, cultural studies and English
literature - units offered in these areas are listed under each of these
disciplines.
It is possible to take a double major in any two of comparative literature and
cultural studies, drama and theatre studies, and English. A major in any of
these may also be combined with a minor sequence in any other or with a minor
sequence in critical theory.
For details of the following courses, see `Outline of undergraduate studies' earlier in this section.
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