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Monash University:
University handbooks: Undergraduate handbook:
Units indexed by faculty School of Humanities, Communications and Social SciencesDisciplinesAustralian Indigenous studies; Australian studies; Communications; Community studies; Cognitive science; History-politics; Journalism; Philosophy; Psychological studies; Psychology; Public relations; Social and community welfare; Sociology and social research; Writing Located at the Gippsland campus, the School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences offers a range of undergraduate courses, enabling students to choose a program which suits their specific interests, needs and career goals. The academic programs offered range from the broad, generalist Bachelor of Arts to the more specifically vocational programs such as the Bachelor of Social and Community Welfare and Bachelor of Arts (Journalism). The school also conducts an extensive off-campus learning program. The school offers the following disciplines: Australian Indigenous studies, Australian studies, cognitive science, community studies, communications, journalism, history-politics, sociology and social research, social and community welfare, psychological studies, public relations, and writing. The school also has the following research units: the Centre for Gippsland Studies, the Gippsland Research and Information Service (GRIS), the Research Unit on Work and Communication Futures, and the Bionics and Cognitive Science Centre, and has established close links with the Centre for Rural Communities. Australian Indigenous studiesAustralian Indigenous studies is an interdisciplinary major offering a range of units that are designed to introduce students to the historical, social and political aspects of Australian Indigenous society. The major will provide an understanding of the relationships between Indigenous Australians and the dominant society as well as developing students with a sound knowledge and sensitivity to work within Aboriginal communities (for full details see entry for the Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies earlier in this section). For information on the units required for a major or minor in Australian Indigenous studies, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Australian studiesAustralian studies is an interdisciplinary minor available within the School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences. The minor includes units from a range of disciplines within the school, enabling students to develop a broad understanding of Australian cultures, lifestyles and societies. For information on the units required for a major or minor in Australian studies, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. National Centre for Australian StudiesContact detailsTelephone inquiries: +61 3 9903 4038 or email: australian.studies@arts.monash.edu.au CommunicationsCommunications offers a range of units designed to equip students with specialised but flexible skills in describing and analysing the organisation, processes, diverse uses and effects of ‘traditional’ and ‘new’ communications technologies including print, broadcasting, cinema and the internet. Communications is interdisciplinary, drawing on literary and screen theory, social and political theory, media and cultural studies. The emphasis is on media as productive of the ways in which the social relations between individuals and social/political institutions are organised. Units in communications provide students with an understanding of the practical operation of communication media as well as the social and cultural dimensions, considering relations between the audiences, producers and policy-makers involved. For information on the units required for a major or minor in communications, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Community studiesThis is a minor sequence of interdisciplinary units introducing students to community issues in post-modern contexts. These units aim to expose students to current debates about the meaning, nature and outlook of communities. For information on the units required for a major or minor in community studies, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Cognitive scienceCognitive science is a multidisciplinary field focusing primarily on the study of thinking in people and machines. The units in the cognitive science sequence focus on the scientific study of higher mental activities – those involving the acquisition, storage, retrieval and application of knowledge. Put more simply, we investigate how the senses work and how our perceptions of the works are built out of these, how we learn and memorise information, how these processes change as we grow, how the cells of the brain change during these processes, what language tells us about thought processes, and how we can replace human parts with others created artificially or borrowed from nature. Students wishing to undertake the full major in cognitive science can do so only in the Bachelor of Cognitive Science degree. The units are available as electives to students enrolled in other degrees. History-politicsThe history-politics major provides students with a structured program of study in history and politics. The units are designed to build up, in a systematic way, significant bodies of knowledge of the history and politics of Europe, Australia, Asia, the USA and international relations. Students are provided with a systematic development of learning skills – including skills in reading, information retrieval, critical analysis, oral and written communications and methodological approaches and research techniques. For information on the units required for a major or minor in history-politics, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. JournalismJournalism is the professional expression of ideas and events in public affairs. The 21st century multimedia industry includes writing and production for print, radio, television, and online. The media play a vital part in the democratic system, providing an accessible communication and information link between governments, the corporate sector, community groups, lobby groups and the public. Journalism helps shape the flow of information among all citizens at local, national and international levels. It occurs in a cultural context and defines the relationship between society and the individual. Rigorous journalism gives a voice to ordinary citizens as well as to the influential. As the fourth estate, it is an essential pillar of democracy. It has developed its own craft, methods and practice, its own code of ethics, and a dynamic body of theory in the rapidly changing world of mass communications. For information on the units required for a major or minor in journalism, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Note that JRN2905 (Radio journalism), JRN2906 (Television journalism) AND JRN3902 (Applied journalism research project), are restricted – only students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) can take these units. PhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of fundamental ideas about the world we live in, about what would constitute a good life in such a world, and about what could be done to make it better. Students are not expected to be persuaded by the doctrines of any one school or tradition. Rather, we seek to deepen the understanding of a variety of different world views. Students are encouraged to express any conclusions that they themselves may have reached concerning foundational questions, but they are also expected to try to understand some of the influential conclusions that others have reached and what reasons they have had for reaching those conclusions. For further information see the School of Philosophy and Bioethics entry later in this section of the handbook. Psychological studiesThe major in psychological studies includes a set of psychology units with an applied flavour. It is designed for students who wish to complete a major in psychology in conjunction with studies in a number of other areas such as science, social work, sociology, communications, management, marketing or education. At first-year level, the sequences provides a brief coverage of a wide range of human behaviours, including seeing and hearing, sleep and dreaming, learning, remembering, thinking, functioning of the brain and nervous system, language, social interactions, dealing with stress, abnormal behaviours and emotions, with more in-depth coverage of developmental topics. The second and third-year units are geared more towards the applied aspects of psychology. Students should be aware that psychological studies is not APS-accredited. Those interested in undertaking APS-accredited units should refer to 'Psychology'. For information on the units required for a major or minor in psychological studies, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. PsychologyPsychology is concerned with a wide range of phenomena including remembering and forgetting, thinking, problem-solving, learning, the acquisition of skills, language, seeing and hearing, decision-making, verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and emotions. It is also concerned with the practical and ethical applications of psychology research to the profession. While the major focus is on people, animals are also studied because they are of interest in their own right. Monash undergraduate psychology embraces all of these topics at each of the campuses. Students wishing to take the APS-accredited major sequence is psychology, leading to honours or postgraduate studies in psychology, must complete 10 six-point units (nine core units and one elective). Note that psychology is currently being offered at the Gippsland campus through off-campus learning only For information on the units required for a major or minor in psychology, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Public relationsPublic relations is about building and maintaining relationships for the mutual benefit of those involved in the relationship. Essentially, it is concerned with relationships between organisations and people who are somehow mutually involved with these organisations. This course will not only equip students with the techniques and tactics to work in an area that has become a major branch of organisational functioning, but also provide them with the analytical tools to reflect on the functions and roles of public relations in modern day organisations and the society as a whole. Today, every worthwhile organisation understands the value of public relations and the critical role it plays in organisational survival. In this course, students will be introduced to the challenging and rewarding calling of building organisation–public relationships in an era of instantaneous global communication. It will provide students with the necessary tools to work in any position where the concern is with building a meaningful relationship between an organisation and the people it depends on for survival. For information on the units required for a major or minor in public relations, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Social and community welfareSocial and community welfare is designed to provide students with an understanding of social issues as they relate to their personal, organisational and socio-political contexts. Students will develop the necessary skills and knowledge to equip them to work effectively in organisational and community contexts, and for bringing about change at personal, community, organisational and political levels. For information on the units required for a major or minor in social and community welfare, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Sociology and social researchSociology is the study of social life. Since all human behaviour is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organised crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the large-scale issues of global development and social change to the more immediate issues of everyday relationships within our family, friends and communities. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Its broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge makes sociology one of the most versatile and valuable university majors. For information on the units required for a major or minor in sociology, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. WritingThe writing major provides a sequence of units which enables students to gain an understanding of a range of writing practices in the context of media and communication studies, contemporary cultural theory, and analyses of literary and other media forms. Units in writing enable students to become familiar with different kinds of contemporary writing, especially prose forms, and to acquire detailed knowledge of a range of techniques associated with contemporary cultural production. Upper-level units provide students with the opportunity to reflect critically on their own writing practices while developing and applying skills and techniques though individual and collaborative projects. The emphasis through the major is on exploring the many forms and possibilities of writing by contextualising writing practice through reflection on a range of textual histories and cultural theories. For information on the units required for a major or minor in writing, refer to the ‘Areas of study’ section on the Arts faculty website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/current/coursework/study-areas/. Relevant coursesFor details of the following courses, see ‘Outline of undergraduate studies’ section:
Contact detailsInquiries (Gippsland): Room 283, building 2W; Telephone +61 3 9902 6339; Email humcass.info@arts.monash.edu.au or visit www.arts.monash.edu.au/humcass Previous page | Next page | Section contents | Title and contents |