Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Course

The Master of Journalism is both an entry-level qualification for a professional journalism career and a mid-career course for working journalists seeking to extend their expertise and refresh the intellectual basis of their practice. It has a national and international orientation designed to optimise the contribution graduates will make to their profession using a full range of media technologies.

Students completing this course will demonstrate:

• strong professional research and reporting skills in a range of media technologies and formats
• the necessary skills and attributes either to enter professional practice in the news media or, for qualified journalists, to extend their existing skills and intellectual understanding of journalist practices
• an understanding and ability to contribute to the important role of professional and ethical journalism in the service of the public right to know and democratic process
• an effective understanding of the role of journalism and the media in local, national, regional and global contexts.

The faculty may award credit for postgraduate work completed at Monash University or at another tertiary institution, including overseas universities. Applicants may be granted specific credit in equivalent units or unspecified credit towards electives. A maximum of 50 per cent credit may be granted in line with course requirements and structure. To be eligible for credit, previous study must have been completed within ten years prior to the year of application for credit.

Recognised prior learning is assessed on the basis of equivalent learning outcomes or competencies. Assessments will be evidence-based and the faculty will determine a variety of methods and instruments to establish equivalence.

This course consists of four core units (24 points), plus 24 points of electives at level four and one of the options at level five. Students who achieve a distinction average in their level-four units have the option of undertaking a 24-point research dissertation at level five. Students must complete a maximum of 48 points at level four and minimum of 24 points at level five. All units are worth 6 points except where indicated.

Level four

Core units

• APG4773 Research and reporting
• APG4774 Reporting with sound and image
• APG4775 Journalism and the law
• APG4776 Journalism studies

Electives

Students complete 24 points from the following:

• APG4640 Journalism and society
• APG4641 Reporting the environment
• APG4642 Investigative reporting
• APG4777 Print features
• APG4778 Editing and publishing
• APG4779 Online research and reporting
• APG4780 Radio reporting
• APG4781 Video journalism
• APG4782 Specialist reporting

Level Five

Students choose one of the following options.

Option one

Core units

• APG5813 Journalism studies project
• APG5814 Journalism professional project

Electives

Students complete 12 points of elective units from the following or other level-five units chosen with the approval of the course coordinator:*

• APG5640 Journalism and society
• APG5641 Reporting the environment
• APG5642 Investigative reporting
• APG5809 Specialist reporting

* The units selected must not previously have been completed at level four.

Option two

Students complete a 24 point journalism research unit:*

• APG5810 Journalism research project (24 points), or APG5811 Journalism research project (12 points) and APG5812 Journalism research project (12 points)

Students may apply to exit after successful completion of:

• 24 points with a related graduate certificate.
• 48 points with a related graduate diploma.

Master of Journalism