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Monash University

Master of Arts (Communications and Cultural Studies)

Course code: 3100 ~ Course abbreviation: MComn&CultSt ~ Total credit points required: 72 ~ 1.5 years full-time, 3 years part-time ~ Managing faculty: Arts

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Malaysia)

Course description

The Master of Communications and Cultural Studies is designed to meet the needs of professionals in communications and related sectors. The entire Master's program encompasses a sequence of 72 points of full-time or part-time study on-campus. The course is offered within Malaysia. The course provides a unique focus on convergent knowledge and the understanding and integration of multiple communication systems and practices; as well as consequent impact on culture and society. The curriculum includes policy, organisational, technical, persuasive, visual, aesthetic, written, economic, political, ethical, planning, systems, and logistical facets of communications.

Course objectives

On completion of the Master of Arts (Communications and Cultural Studies), students will be able to demonstrate: 1. knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for the participation in and management of complex communicative processes in regional, urban, national and international contexts; 2. theoretical and empirical understanding of the impact of multiple communication systems and practices on culture and society. 3. competency at dealing with convergent knowledge sets and the capacity to synthesise and negotiate multiple communications practices; 4. knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary for independent research; 5. critical understanding of the social, cultural, political, institutional and economic context in which communicative processes and systems occur; 6. critical understanding of the role of communication arts and literacies in contemporary organisations, economies, markets and polities; 7. theoretical knowledge, communicative competency, critical reflection, ethical understanding, and problem-solving capacities relevant to the management of multi-dimensional communicative processes and environments; 8. substantially enhanced capacity to formulate and research communication issues; 9. substantially enhanced understanding of public, persuasive and advocacy communications and their ethical limits; 10. significantly increased intellectual independence and ability to analyse and evaluate arguments; 11. greater self-reliance in intellectual and professional activity, and greater understanding of the knowledge, skills, and attributes required in management and senior professional roles; 12. substantially enhanced employment-related generic skills, including high-level computing skills, problem-solving, interpersonal, and collaborative skills, written and oral communication skills, understanding of the nature of organisational work, and the ability to use technology in the workplace effectively; 13. enhanced understanding of critical, ethical and aesthetic approaches to communications studies and communications practice.

Course structure

There are two different modes to complete the degree:

i.) all units by coursework

ii.) those who have achieved Distinction or High Distinction for the first 4 units may choose to undertake 24 points research dissertation.

Students must complete a maximum of 48 points at level 4 (two core units plus two elective units) and minimum of 24 points at level 5 (two elective units, or the 24 points dissertation):

  • full-time students will normally complete two 12-point units per semester
  • part-time and off-campus students will normally complete one 12-point unit per semester.

All units except where indicated are worth 12 points.

Course requirements

Students must complete the following two level 4 units:

  • COM4010: Research issues and methodologies
  • COM4020: Industry practice applied

Further two units at Level 4 are as follows:

    * Subject to availability

Two units at Level 5 and research component

Exit points

Students who have completed 24 points of the Master of Communication and Cultural Studies may apply to exit with a Graduate Certificate of Communication and Cultural Studies. Students who have completed 48 points of the Master of Communication and Cultural Studies may apply to exit with a Graduate Diploma in Communication and Cultural Studies.

Course coordinator

Assoc Prof Gil-Soo Han