University of Technology Sydney

C10361v2 Bachelor of Communication (Journalism)

Award(s): Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) (BComm)
UAC code: 600013 (Autumn session, Spring session, Spring session)
CRICOS code: 087733K
Commonwealth supported place?: Yes
Load credit points: 144
Course EFTSL: 3
Location: City campus

Notes

Students who commenced the Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) before 2022 can view their revised program of study here.


Overview
Career options
Innovation and Transdisciplinary program
Course intended learning outcomes
Admission requirements
Inherent (essential) requirements
External articulation
Course duration and attendance
Course structure
Course completion requirements
Course diagram
Course program
Honours
Professional recognition
Other information

Overview

For those interested in investigating world issues like politics, climate change or global relations, and sharing them with the public, journalism is an exciting and broad career option. It combines skills in writing, production, research and critical thinking to develop students’ capacities to frame world issues and affairs in accessible and relevant ways. UTS teaches journalism on the principle that it is a public good, and that any functional society requires a free and robust media. We encourage our graduates to be critical thinkers and train them in the ethical, intellectual, and political foundations needed to start their professional lives.

Situated in the heart of Sydney in close proximity to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) is a practice-based course, providing opportunities to engage with real reporting through UTS Central News and industry leaders like the ABC, The Guardian and more. The Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) gives students a crucial understanding of the role journalists play in a democracy, with journalism providing a forum for public debate and giving voice to all communities. Through hands-on practice, students also gain the skills in production, digital content creation, news reporting and analysis and writing required to excel in this diverse industry. These skills can be applied in various media platforms, including online, audio, television, video, print and social media.

Career options

To increase career flexibility, students can add a second major from five of the other majors offered in the Bachelor of Communication, and build further skills and portfolios that equip them for a range of work options in media and communication. These courses give students practical and transferrable skills for the expanding media industries.

Graduates leave with access to many career options, including reporter, producer, editor, social media editor, sub-editor, feature and freelance journalist, investigative journalist, researcher, and print, broadcast and online media content producer. In areas related to journalism, graduates may wish to pursue roles such as media advisors, communication consultants, content producers, or work in government and non-government organisations in a communication role.

Innovation and Transdisciplinary program

Transdisciplinarity and Innovation at UTS

All UTS students have the opportunity to develop distinctive capabilities around transdisciplinary thinking and innovation through the TD School. Transdisciplinary education at UTS brings together great minds from different disciplines to explore ideas that improve the way we live and work in the world. These offerings are unique to UTS and directly translate to many existing and emerging roles and careers.

Diploma in Innovation

The Diploma in Innovation (C20060) teaches innovation, supports personal transformation and provides the hard skills needed to support the inventors and inventions of the future. Students come out of the Diploma in Innovation, with the hard skills to create and support sectoral and societal transformation. Graduates are able to fluently integrate ideas, across professional disciplines and are inventors of the future.

All UTS undergraduate students (with the exception of students concurrently enrolled in the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation) can apply for the Diploma in Innovation upon admission in their chosen undergraduate degree. It is a complete degree program that runs in parallel to any undergraduate degree. The course is offered on a three-year, part-time basis, with subjects running in 3-week long intensive blocks in July, December and February sessions. More information including a link to apply is available at https://dipinn.uts.edu.au.

Transdisciplinary electives program

Transdisciplinary electives broaden students' horizons and supercharge their problem-solving skills, helping them to learn outside, beyond and across their degrees. Students enrolled in an undergraduate course that includes electives can choose to take a transdisciplinary subject (with the exception of students concurrently enrolled in the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation). More information about the TD Electives program is available here.

Course intended learning outcomes

This course engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:

1.1 Act in a professional manner appropriate to communication industries
1.2 Apply theoretically informed understandings of communication industries to independent and collaborative projects across a range of media
2.1 Employ appropriate research and inquiry skills to independently gather, organise and analyse information across diverse platforms
2.2 Act as reflexive critical thinkers and innovative creative practitioners who evaluate their own and others' work
3.1 Demonstrate a strong awareness, knowledge of, and sensitivity to, diversity, equity and global contexts
4.1 Apply knowledge of Indigenous issues in professional practices and engage responsibly in communicating with and about Indigenous people and communities
5.1 Analyse and act ethically in the personal, political and professional contexts of civil society
6.1 Exemplify effective and appropriate communication in different communication industry contexts
6.2 Utilise digital literacy and production skills across a range of media

Admission requirements

Applicants must have completed an Australian Year 12 qualification, Australian Qualifications Framework Diploma, or equivalent Australian or overseas qualification at the required level.

The English proficiency requirement for international students or local applicants with international qualifications is: Academic IELTS: 6.5 overall with a writing score of 6.0; or TOEFL: paper based: 550-583 overall with TWE of 4.5, internet based: 79-93 overall with a writing score of 21; or AE5: Pass; or PTE: 58-64 with a writing score of 50; or C1A/C2P: 176-184 with a writing score of 169.

Eligibility for admission does not guarantee offer of a place.

International students

Visa requirement: To obtain a student visa to study in Australia, international students must enrol full time and on campus. Australian student visa regulations also require international students studying on student visas to complete the course within the standard full-time duration. Students can extend their courses only in exceptional circumstances.

Inherent (essential) requirements

Inherent (essential) requirements are academic and non-academic requirements that are essential to the successful completion of a course.

Prospective and current students should carefully read the Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement below and consider whether they might experience challenges in successfully completing this course. This Statement should be read in conjunction with the UTS Student Rules.

Prospective or current student concerned about their ability to meet these requirements should discuss their concerns with the Academic Liaison Officer in their faculty or school and/or UTS Accessibility Service on 9514 1177 or at accessibility@uts.edu.au.

UTS will make reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional experiences, course related work experience and other course activities to facilitate maximum participation by students with disabilities, carer responsibilities, and religious or cultural obligations in their courses.

For course specific information see the Bachelor of Music and Sound Design, Bachelor of Communication (Media Arts and Production), Bachelor of Communication (Journalism), Bachelor of Animation Production Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement.

External articulation

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has established credit recognition packages with the following institutions:

  • UTS College: Diploma of Communication
  • Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore
  • Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore
  • Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore

Course duration and attendance

The course is offered on a three-year, full-time basis.

Course structure

Students must complete 144 credit points consisting of 24 credit points of core subjects, a 48-credit-point major, a potential 48-credit-point second major, and 24 credit points of electives.

Industrial training/professional practice

Students take part in relevant and applied journalism tasks throughout the course, and must undertake a professional internship with a media organisation.

Course completion requirements

STM91104 Communication core 24cp
MAJ09478 Journalism 48cp
CBK92062 Elective Choice 24cp
CBK92093 Second Major/ Electives 48cp
Total 144cp

Course diagram

Course diagram: C10361

Course program

Typical course programs are shown below for students commencing in either Autumn or Spring session who are completing 8 credit point elective subjects. Students also have the option to complete 6 credit point elective subjects under CBK92062 Elective Choice instead.

All students choose a second major stream when enrolling in their first session. This 18 credit point stream consists of three major subjects from another major (excluding Media Arts and Production).

Students who choose not to continue with their second major choice can continue in their course by choosing 30 credit points of electives (i.e., five 6 credit point subjects) - this should be requested via eRequest.

Autumn commencing
Year 1
Autumn session
54000 Citizenship and Communication   8cp
52640 Media Law and Ethics   6cp
52641 News Now   6cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92087 Stream choice 18cp  
Spring session
54001 Digital Literacies   8cp
52642 Multimedia Features   6cp
Select 12 credit points from the following:   12cp
CBK92087 Stream choice 18cp  
Year 2
Autumn session
54002 Communicating Difference   8cp
52643 Sound Journalism   6cp
52645 Digital Journalism Research   6cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
Spring session
52644 Visual Journalism   6cp
Select 8 credit points from the following:   8cp
CBK92062 Elective Choice 24cp  
Select 12 credit points from the following:   12cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
Year 3
Autumn session
52646 Investigations, Data and Collaboration   6cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
Select 8 credit points from the following:   8cp
CBK92062 Elective Choice 24cp  
Spring session
52647 Professional Project   6cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
Select 8 credit points from the following:   8cp
CBK92062 Elective Choice 24cp  
Spring commencing
Year 1
Spring session
54001 Digital Literacies   8cp
52641 News Now   6cp
52642 Multimedia Features   6cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92087 Stream choice 18cp  
Year 2
Autumn session
54000 Citizenship and Communication   8cp
52640 Media Law and Ethics   6cp
Select 12 credit points from the following:   12cp
CBK92087 Stream choice 18cp  
Spring session
52644 Visual Journalism   6cp
Select 12 credit points from the following:   12cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
Select 8 credit points from the following:   8cp
CBK92062 Elective Choice 24cp  
Year 3
Autumn session
52643 Sound Journalism   6cp
52645 Digital Journalism Research   6cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
Select 8 credit points from the following:   8cp
CBK92062 Elective Choice 24cp  
Spring session
52647 Professional Project   6cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
Select 8 credit points from the following:   8cp
CBK92062 Elective Choice 24cp  
Year 4
Autumn session
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
CBK92081 Second Major Choice 48cp  
CBK92066 Electives 30cp  
52646 Investigations, Data and Collaboration   6cp
54002 Communicating Difference   8cp

Honours

The Bachelor of Communication (Honours) (C09047) is available with an additional year of full-time study for eligible students.

Professional recognition

  • Graduates are eligible to apply for professional level membership of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).
  • Students are eligible for student membership of the MEAA and access to the MEAA, Women in Media and Walkley Foundation network which provides skill development programs.
  • The course is recognised by the MEAA and the Australian Press Council.

Other information

Further information is available from the UTS Student Centre on:

telephone 1300 ask UTS (1300 275 887)
or +61 2 9514 1222
Ask UTS