Postgraduate - CourseMaster of Journalism

This course 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 is designed to ensure graduates will make an excellent contribution to their profession using a full range of media technologies.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that graduates will be able to 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 journalism
• 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.

Students may be eligible for credit to a maximum of 50 per cent of the course requirements for previous graduate-level studies.

Credit or exemptions up to a maximum of 24 points is available for a bachelor degree level qualification in a related discipline, and a further 24 points is available for honours degree level qualification in a related discipline.

Therefore, students who have completed an:

• undergraduate degree and a graduate certificate (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline* must complete 72 points as outlined in Structure 2 under 'Requirements'.
• honours degree with a major in a relevant discipline* must complete 48 points as outlined in Structure 3 under 'Requirements'.

* Relevant disciplines include humanities or social sciences.

48 credit points

This course consists of core and elective units, including capstone units which allow the student to demonstrate their understanding of the course and the skills they have acquired.

Students complete one of the following structures as determined by any credit granted for prior studies:

• Structure 1: 96 points over two years full-time, or part-time equivalent
• Structure 2: 72 points over one and a half years full-time, or part-time equivalent
• Structure 3: 48 points over one year full-time, or part-time equivalent.

Note: Students eligible for credit for prior studies may elect not to receive the credit and complete one of the higher credit-point options if they choose.

All students must complete a minimum of 48 credit points at level 5, and so should take care when choosing between units offered at level 4 and 5 (where this option is offered).

Units are 12 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Structure 1 - 96 credit points

Students must complete:

(a.) in their first year of study, two of the following 6-point preparatory units (12 points):

• ATS2446 Australian media histories
• ATS2490 Advanced professional writing or ATS3743 Build your career: Planning and strategies for employability
• ATS2395 Australia in a globalising world
• ATS2693 Politics and the media in Australia

(b.) the following core units (36 points):

• APG5095 Research and writing
• APG5096 The new newsroom
• APG5640 Journalism and society

(c.) one of the following capstone/research options (24 points):

(i.) one capstone chosen from the following:

• APG5044 Professional internship
• APG5642 Investigative reporting

plus:

• 12 points of electives from the list below

(ii.) the following research unit/s:

• APG5848 Research thesis (24 points) or APG5849 Research thesis A and APG5850 Research thesis B

(d.) electives (24 points)

Electives

• APG5018 Celebrity, fashion, publicity
• APG5098 Long-form storytelling
• APG5099 Innovation and entrepreneurship
• APG5297 Recording oral history: Theory and practice
• APG5389 Tourism industry and marketing
• APG5547 Studio production
• any capstone unit/s not completed at (c.) above

Structure 2: 72 points

Students must complete from the requirements listed in Structure 1 above:

• units in (b.), (c.)(i.) or (ii.) and one elective unit

Structure 3: 48 points

Students must complete from the requirements listed in Structure 1 above:

• units in (b.) and one capstone unit

Master of Journalism