Master of International Journalism
Course code: MC-INTJOUR
2 years full time / 4 years part time
1 or 1.5 years full time (or part time equivalent) with relevant prior qualifications
March, July
Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) available
Access Melbourne is available
March, July
AUD $48,992 (2026 indicative first year fee)
IELTS 6.5: with writing 6.5 and no other band less than 6.0
Course structure
Overview
200 point program (2 years full-time or part-time equivalent)
This is our most popular program for those who have completed undergraduate study in any discipline.
- One compulsory subject (25 points)
- A minimum of 37.5 points of core subjects (37.5 points)
- A maximum of 100 points of elective subjects (100 points)
- One of the capstone stream requirement (25 or 50 points).
Students in the 200 point programs are strongly advised to complete JOUR90020 in their first semester of the degree. This subject will be a prerequisite for the existing subjects JOUR90005, JOUR90008 and JOUR90023, unless the course coordinator grants exemption from these requirements, which may be done on the grounds of previous study or industry experience.
150 point program (1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent)
This is for graduates who have completed at least one year of relevant professional work experience, or graduates of a relevant undergraduate degree, or graduates of an undergraduate degree in any discipline and a Graduate Certificate in a related discipline.
- One compulsory subject (25 points)
- A minimum of 37.5 points of core subjects (37.5 points)
- A maximum of 50 points of elective subjects (50 points)
- One of the capstone stream requirement (25 or 50 points).
Students in the 150 point programs are strongly advised to complete JOUR90020 in their first semester of the degree. This subject will be a prerequisite for the existing subjects JOUR90005, JOUR90008 and JOUR90023, unless the course coordinator grants exemption from these requirements, which may be done on the grounds of previous study or industry experience.
100 point program (1 year full-time or part-time equivalent)
This is for relevant honours graduates or those who have completed at least two years professional work experience in a closely related field, in addition to relevant background study.
- A minimum of 25 points of core subjects (25 points)
- A maximum of 37.5 points of elective subjects (37.5 points)
- One of the capstone stream requirement (25 or 50 points)
Capstone requirement
Capstone subject options must be completed in the final hundred points of the program. Students must complete one of three available Capstone options for this degree . This requirement cannot be waived or replaced in any circumstances. For more information on subjects, Capstone streams, and detailed information, please view the Handbook entry for this course.
Understanding credit points
A 2-year program typically consists of 200 credit points.
A standard full-time study load is four subjects per semester, across two semesters per year (eight subjects per year), which equals 100 credit points per year.
Most subjects are worth 12.5 credit points*.
* Some subjects carry a heavier workload and may be worth more points.
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this degree.
200 point program
2 years full time / 4 years part time.
Students must complete a 25 point of compulsory subject. Students are strongly advised to complete JOUR90020 in their first semester.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| International Journalism - Key Skills · 25 pts |
This is a practice based subject taught by leading practitioners, which enables students to develop their skills in researching, writing and producing stories in an international context. Students will enhance their understanding of how news stories are put together, including the variety of new formats being developed online, and will develop advanced skills in researching and producing stories in a new and rapidly changing international media environment. The subject examines a range of different research techniques and considers how these can be applied in the context of journalists’ work. It also explores a range of logistical, communication, production and ethical challenges facing journalists, and how these can be effectively managed. |
Students must complete a minimum of 37.5 points of core subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| New Media Storytelling · 12.5 pts |
The subject will equip students for navigating their careers in a world of changing business models. It also considers how journalists create a personal brand in a fracturing media landscape and how they develop an entrepreneurial spirit, which is both a mindset and a problem-solving skill set. The subject will focuses on web based publication and small and medium sized journalism enterprises, and the particular skill combination needed to make a commercial success of online journalism outlets, including those serving niche audiences. Students will explore the ways in which social media, including blogs, Twitter and Facebook, are being used to both gather information for journalistic work, and to publicise that work and gather an audience around it. As well as engaging in practical exercises, students will also be introduced to theoretical understandings of the public space, and the ways in which these are being altered by social media. Key examples of journalistic use of social media will be examined. The subject will also examine the managing of money, audiences and people in small to medium news media enterprises. |
| Audio Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides a solid grounding in audio journalism skills. The structure of news and current affairs reports is analysed, and training in recording and editing sound packages, and in scripting and presenting is provided. Ethical considerations relevant to audio journalism are canvassed in the context of ‘quality’ journalism, with its roots in serving the public interest, objective scrutiny and fact-based reporting. |
| Video Journalism · 12.5 pts |
Video Journalism is a hands-on subject aimed at giving students the skills they need to begin working in a TV newsroom, freelance or produce high-quality video content for social media. The curriculum is informed by decades of industry experience but refreshed every year to stay relevant in this always-evolving medium. The subject is taught in a weekly three-hour workshop and embraces a learning-by-doing philosophy, with in-class activities reinforced by practise at home. Students will learn a range of video journalism roles, including camera operator, editor and journalist. The skills learned will be used to create three assessment items that are the building blocks of video news storytelling – an interview, on-camera presentation and a news package. The subject will take advantage of the university’s media studio. |
| Investigative Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This advanced subject builds on basic journalistic interview and research skills to introduce the discipline and research techniques of investigative journalism. It discusses the ethics, obligations, role and challenges of investigative journalism in the western democratic tradition, including domestic and cross-border investigations and, as appropriate, in other political contexts. Enlisting a story-based inquiry methodology, students will explore and interrogate a range of opportunities to source information: public records, open source intelligence, Freedom of Information legislation, crowd sourcing, data analysis, advanced verification and security and safety technologies. They will be introduced to the multiple ethical and legal issues involved in use of confidential sources and unauthorised disclosures, and how this relates to core journalistic ethical principles. Tasks #1 and #2 require students to initiate, plan and undertake an original investigation as part of the subject, with an option at Task #3 to defer or cease their own investigation and alternatively produce an analytical essay on a published/ high profile investigation. |
| International Traditions in Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practice of professional journalism and its traditions across a variety of international contexts. Students will compare and contrast the intellectual and historical traditions behind the development of contemporary journalism practice in places including Australia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Asia. They will critically analyse how technological innovations and social transformation have driven changes in the field. Students also will engage with debates regarding the influence of international norms and Anglo-American conceptions of journalism in non-Western contexts, and reflect on the degree to which these entanglements have led to a form of modern global journalism. |
| Photojournalism · 12.5 pts |
This is a practice-based subject teaching the history, principles and techniques of photojournalism in the context of rapidly changing communications technology. Students will learn basic photographic techniques, as well as learning how to edit their work and present it in a variety of multimedia contexts and platforms. They will also learn how to handle the ethical issues involved in dealing with subjects in a variety of different situations, as well as how to present and market their work. |
| International Business Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This practice-based subject focuses on the history, principles and techniques of business journalism in the context of rapidly changing communications technology and global capitalism. Students will learn basic skills for analysing the performance of businesses and conducting journalistic research on international business performance, as well as learning how to produce and edit financial and business journalism for a variety of multi-media formats and platforms. |
Students must complete a maximum of 100 points of elective subjects. Students may enrol in up to 25 points of language study in the following areas: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
Media/Journalism
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Dilemmas in Journalism: Law and Ethics · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide students with a grounding in key aspects of media law that all journalists need to be aware of, and offer students an opportunity to engage with particular ethical dilemmas that arise in the field of journalism. It will provide students with an opportunity to gain a deep understanding and capacity to reflect on legal and ethical principles, as well as an understanding of how such knowledge is relevant to the ongoing dilemmas and decisions that journalists are faced with in the course of their work. |
| Data Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This unit will explore the practice and theoretical underpinnings of data journalism, whereby news content is organized around structured pieces of data, as opposed to conventionally structured news stories. Students will learn how to access key public databases, extract stories from them, and make the data available in visualisations that facilitate citizens’ own inquiries and investigations. Students will be acquainted with the history and current practice of data journalism, including key international examples. |
| Advanced Audio: Podcasting · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed to augment the skills learned in Audio Journalism and extend them into longform podcasts. In this hands-on subject, students will work together to create a class podcast. Through this experience, they will learn how to develop content ideas, how to plan podcast series, how to structure an episode of a podcast, and how to brand and promote their work. They will listen to longform podcasts to understand best practice and the ethics of this newly emerging genre, as well as gaining an understanding of the role that podcasts are playing in our media environment. They will also learn to create longform audio work. |
| Global Crisis Reporting · 12.5 pts |
Global Crisis Reporting examines studies and approaches to global communications and the reporting of crises, including disasters and humanitarian relief. The course examines the extent to which, how and why forms of coverage have changed in recent years, and considers how these changes have impacted on the way in which "crises" are constructed, mediated and communicated. It considers the possible impacts of such changes on national and international public opinion and political leaders, as well as on those immediately involved. Amongst the themes addressed are: the rise of digital technologies of news production and distribution and their impact on the nature of crisis reporting, arguments for and against a "journalism of attachment", the communication strategies of humanitarian organisations and the degree to which coverage of human suffering raises questions about the moral responsibility of news-makers. The subject also examines issues regarding the political impacts of contemporary crisis reporting, the nature and direction of communication flows, the rise of emergent practices of crisis communications and media activism and the degree to which transformations in the field may, or may not, serve to positively address the relations underpinning global crises. |
| Fact-checking, Misinformation and AI · 12.5 pts |
The subject is designed to equip students with skills and knowledge relating to online fact-checking practices for digital audiences. The subject combines an analytical and practice-based approach by introducing students to critical issues of misinformation and other informational shifts in public communication. It trains students in the identification and verification of problematic information, and the use of automated and AI tools and genres to carry out fact-checking and explanatory journalism. Students will discuss recent research and applied literature and participate in hands-on sessions and gain insights from guest industry practitioners. |
| Change in Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject encourages students to reflect on how journalism has changed over time and to consider what it might become in the future. It examines the emergence of what we now call ‘journalism’ and looks at the technological, political and economic issues that shaped its development. Students will engage with key theorists and formulate their own informed opinions about the rise of news, the nature of journalistic objectivity, the relationship between journalism and democracy, and the threat (or promise) of Artificial Intelligence. From the emergence of citizen journalism and the struggle for diverse journalistic representation to the nature of combat reporting and the rise of social media, the subject links historical debates with the controversies of today – and invites students to think about the journalism of tomorrow. |
| Advanced Video - Studio Production · 12.5 pts |
This subject builds on basic video journalism skills and takes them to an advanced level with an emphasis on live and as-live studio production. Students will work together to research, develop and produce a dynamic and multi-dimensional video program in the Faculty of Arts’ Media Production Studios for potential broadcast on free-to-air television and online platforms. The subject equips students to perform many of the roles involved in studio-based video production, including on-camera tasks - such as presentation and interviewing - and production roles – including vision switching, graphics, floor management and camera operation. The subject culminates in the joint production, of an hour-long program, incorporating live and pre-recorded content, and drawing on the skills acquired by every student throughout the semester. |
| Researching Audiences and Reception · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines diverse understandings of audiences and introduces research approaches to investigating audience practices and patterns of consumption in a changing media landscape. It provides a detailed understanding of the different ways in which questions of media impact and audience power have been theorised, conceptualised and examined across the history of media research. Students will be encouraged to deepen their understanding of contemporary audience research methodologies from both administrative and critical points of views and to develop critical evaluation skills deployed in relation to these. Approaches examined will include early media effects studies rooted in the behavioural paradigm, and sociological studies of public beliefs and opinion formation, as well as political economy of globalisation and its (re)construction of audiences and approaches inspired by cultural studies that explore audiences as culturally situated and as active sense makers. Students will consider different audiences, media and genres across the course and engage in focused study of selected audiences and processes of reception. |
| The Contemporary Publishing Industry · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of the major factors affecting the local and global production, marketing and distribution of books, magazines and electronic publications. It considers the impact of political, social and economic conditions, technological changes, and changing industry practices. Students will gain a critical understanding of professional practices and current issues in various sectors of the industry in the context of global developments. |
| Writing and Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of writing and editing for digital media. It provides students with an understanding of and practical skills in writing for different online contexts and genres, including websites, online essays, multimedia stories, social media content, and search engine optimisation. Students will apply these skills using their existing disciplinary expertise to develop and creative contribute to platforms focused on their professional industries. |
| Advanced Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to advanced aspects of writing and editing for digital media through the creation of a digital project with an industry partner. It focuses on the strategic and creative decision-making of editorial practice and digital storytelling. Working within the creative and cultural industries, students will explore multi-platformed editorial approaches; principles of workflow, budgeting, and monetisation; digital software for authoring, editing, and content management; and the creation of text, audio, and video for the internet. Students will gain a practical understanding of industry standards, develop new digital literacies through the creation of a multi-platform project, and the systems, trends and technological developments taking place in the digital media industries. |
| Print Production and Design · 12.5 pts |
This subject teaches students practical skills in creating documents using the industry-standard software, Adobe Indesign through practical workshops that take the student from beginner to intermediate skill levels. It also introduces students to the concepts and practice of print production and design, and outlines the underlying principles of publishing design and page layout, the characteristics of good typesetting, the interrelationship of images, space, colour and text and the importance of design briefs. Through reference to the history of printing, this subject will extend students’ understanding of the impact of changing technologies on typography, graphic design and production processes, enabling them to develop a critical awareness of trends in the field. A brief insight to some of the specific design and publishing challenges of ePublishing is also provided. Please note: Students should subscribe to Adobe Indesign via Adobe Creative Cloud for the duration of the subject in order to be able to complete assignments out of class time. |
| Writing and Editing for Magazines · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of magazine writing, editing and publishing, with special emphasis on the skills needed to successfully produce magazines today. We examine how magazine editors conceive of audiences, and how they create print and digital magazines that serve the needs and desires of those audiences. Students will study how editors turn ideas into stories, and work with the magazine production team to give a story its final form. Students will learn how writers pitch ideas to editors, and to research and write magazine feature stories. We study the commercial aspects of magazine publishing – advertising, sales, marketing and promotion – and investigate innovative magazine business models in a time of great change and disruption in publishing. We examine how a magazine develops from concept to finished product, including launch proposal, project planning, scheduling and budgeting. Our focus is not solely on print, but on the magazine as a form that continues to evolve in response to social and technological change. |
| Legal Issues in Arts and Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject addresses ethical issues and legal constraints related to working in the arts and culture sector, including publishing for print and digital media. It will review existing ethical codes and the mechanisms established to police them, as well as offering an overview of how practices are shaped by law relating to such matters as intellectual property, contracts, negligence, privacy, defamation and respect for cultural differences. On successfully completing this subject, students will have gained an understanding of a wide range of ethical and legal considerations for their professional practice. |
| The International Publishing Industry · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of the global publishing industry, examining global book production, translation, the international rights market, multi-media adaptation of books, conglomerate publishing companies, and global practices of reception. Students will gain a critical understanding of professional practices and the issues that define book publishing on a global scale. This subject compliments PUBL90003 The Contemporary Publishing Industry (which gives students a general overview of the contemporary book publishing sector) and focuses more specifically on the global book trade and the way that professional publishing practice, in myriad forms, happens across national borders. |
Understanding Australia and the world
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Human Rights in Southeast Asia · 12.5 pts |
This seminar will focus on human rights and its critics from a historical and comparative perspective. We will explore the factors that have given rise to radically different conception of rights and justice (i.e. political, economic, cultural, religious, ideological) and look at their implementation and the obstacles at the local, national, and international levels. What is the relationship and relevance of the international human rights movement to local notions of rights? What impact is this having on local gender relations and the relationships of women to their states and communities? Are human rights NGOs weakening or strengthening the nation-states in Southeast Asia. Are they sites of resistance or complicity? The seminar introduces students to different conceptions of rights, and social justice, including feminist critiques of rights discourse and of 'development', ethnographic studies on the relationship between attitudes towards bodily integrity and human rights, the debates about poverty, economic development and access to adequate health care as human rights. We shall draw upon a wide range of sources from theoretical works, philosophical and anthropological critiques of rights discourse, and NGO documents. On completion of the subject students should have a broad historical, comparative and critical perspective on the debates about rights and justice in Southeast Asia. This subject is usually taught two times a year. It is available either as a semester-long subject taught on the Parkville campus or as an overseas intensive subject in some years. ASIA90001 at the University of Indonesia will be taught intensively on location at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. The subject will consist mainly of seminars held at the Faculty, with some field visits in Jakarta. There is a pre-teaching requirement for this subject, during which time students will be required to access subject materials on the LMS, and attend a pre-departure briefing on campus. |
| Professional Speaking Communication · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed for graduate students who would like to improve their spoken English skills for professional contexts. It is aimed at speakers of English as an additional language. Students who complete this subject will become familiar with Australian English pronunciation, will develop confidence and self-awareness, and will improve the clarity and fluency of their speech for use in professional communication. The content covers various aspects of pronunciation, such as individual sounds, sound combinations, syllables and word stress, rhythm, sentence stress, connected speech processes and intonation. Students will also improve their listening-discrimination skills, develop an understanding of the basic processes involved in speech production and gain practical knowledge about the communicative nature of sentence stress and intonation, especially as they apply to workplace settings. |
| Advanced Self-Editing · 12.5 pts |
The subject aims to improve students’ ability to edit their written texts in order to produce grammatically accurate and stylistically appropriate texts for professional purposes. The subject begins with a review of the most frequent errors in the writing of students who speak English as a Second Language, including errors in morphology, syntax, cohesion, and punctuation, and then considers the impact that such errors may have on meaning. In the second half of the subject, students engage in linguistic analysis of a range of work-related texts (e.g., email communication, job application letters). The aim of this analysis is to identify the most salient grammatical and stylistic features that contribute to the clarity of the texts. Throughout the subject students will engage in identifying areas of concern in their writing (annotation), self and peer editing exercises, keeping logs of their progress, and using available online grammar resources. |
| Trust, Communication and Expertise · 12.5 pts |
Questions of trust, effective communication, and judging credibility, are integral to the assessment of knowledge claims both within science and in the context of public debate. Questions about trust and legitimate communication consequently arise every day in a range of professional contexts, for example in scientific research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge, in journalism and media, public relations, and in police, accounting and development work, etc. But what makes one trustworthy? How do we pick out who the experts are? This course will interest students in a wide range of careers. Questions to be covered: Trust
Communication
Expertise
|
| Rising China in the Globalised World · 12.5 pts |
This subject looks at the impact of a rising China in the globalised world. It examines contemporary China's relations with various powers, regions and global institutions, particularly in the context of its phenomenal rise in the last four decades. The subject also explores key issues related to China's rise: state-society relations, economic development, participation in regional and global institutions, disputes and conflict resolution etc. |
| Politics of the Modern Middle East · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the intricate relationship between Islam and politics in the Middle East from the late 19th century to the present. The subject investigates Muslims’ various conceptualisations of religion and politics in the region, exploring how Islam has shaped reactions to colonisation and neoimperialism, state formation, governance, political movements, and conflicts in the region. Key areas of focus include the role of Islam in nationalist and liberation movements, the rise and transformations of political Islam, debates around shariʿa, and the intersections between religion and authoritarianism. Additionally, the subject will touch on Australia’s role and attitude to politics in the region. Importantly, this subject challenges the dominant narratives that often view Middle Eastern politics through an Orientalist or Islamophobic lens—perspectives that reduce the region’s complexities to monolithic or stereotypical depictions. Instead, this subject is grounded in multidisciplinary frameworks, drawing on history, political science, religious studies, sociology, and international relations to provide a nuanced and critical understanding of the Middle East. Students will engage with diverse methodologies and theoretical approaches that highlight the region’s diversity and the varied ways in which Islam intersects with social and political structures. The subject aims to foster a deeper and more critical appreciation of how Middle Eastern states and societies navigate the challenges of modernity, identity, and globalisation, with particular attention to the ways Islamic ideologies and institutions contribute to and are influenced by these dynamics. The subject ultimately seeks to equip students with the analytical tools needed to critically assess and contribute to contemporary debates on Middle Eastern politics. |
| Islam and Politics: Interfaith Relations · 12.5 pts |
What is the intersection of Islam, politics and interfaith relations? This is a common theme in explorations of Islam and its role in the modern world. This subject explores how different Muslim communities and states, both in the past and present, have developed concepts, rules and understandings to engage with people of other faiths, and created societies that had a high degree of tolerance, if not acceptance, of the religious ‘Other’. It achieves this with a focus on the study of primary texts of Islam, agreements and charters as well as specific laws relevant to the regulation of inter-religious matters. The subject surveys several historical periods and Muslim communities from the time of early Islam to the present day, with a particular focus on the Middle East. It considers how Muslim states responded to other religious traditions and communities in the past—during the early days of Islam and in the classical period—before exploring how Muslim-majority states engage with religious minorities today, including the rights and freedoms of religious minorities and contested notions of citizenship. It also considers religious diversity within Muslim communities and how different trends in Islamic thought respond to that. |
| Academic English for Graduate Studies · 12.5 pts |
This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study. |
| Social Enterprise Incubator · 12.5 pts |
This experiential learning subject introduces students to the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship, while equipping students with a practical understanding of social enterprise as a model to tackle social and/or environmental problems through trade. Working in small teams, students are introduced to a range of design thinking and social innovation frameworks. They draw on these frameworks to iteratively conceptualise, ‘pitch’, refine and develop a social enterprise ‘business model’ that appropriately responds to the needs of communities and society. To nurture and support development of ideas, the subject draws on real-world case studies as well as industry guests from the social enterprise ecosystem including social entrepreneurs, people with ‘lived-experience’, social finance and impact investment intermediaries, incubators and accelerators and leading scholars and thinkers in the field. Upon completing this subject, students will develop a critical understanding of the theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship and how to develop a ‘business model’ for financially sustainable social impact. By doing so, the subject also offers a unique opportunity for students to apply conceptual knowledge and project management and business skills to real-world social and/or environmental challenges. |
| Trade Policy Politics & Governance · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the politics and governance of international trade. It explores the domestic and international dimensions of trade policy-making and the growing complexity of the "trade agenda" in national and international politics. It examines theories of trade and protection and theories of trade policy-making. It examines the evolution of the multilateral trade system since World War Two and the contemporary and future challenges that confront the system. The subject examines some of the perennial problems in the governance of the global trade system, as well as new issues and concerns, such as trade and the environment, trade and development, and agenda-setting and decision-making in the WTO. Finally, the subject explores the emergence of regional trade blocs and "free trade agreements" and their consequences for the multilateral trade system. |
| Asia-Pacific: Zone of Conflict or Peace? · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines important issues in international relations in the Asia Pacific, drawing on theory and evidence about domestic and international politics. The topics for study normally include the China-US-Japan triangle, the Taiwan and Korean conflicts, the international context of conflicts relating to Indonesia and the Southwest Pacific, and Australian engagement in the Asia-Pacific. |
The environment and climate change
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Climate Change Politics and Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces and analyses critical concepts and terms central to debates over climate change, including risk and uncertainty, adaptation and mitigation, burden sharing, and problems and issues relating to regimes, strategies and policy instruments for addressing global warming. The subject considers the rise of climate change as a policy problem. It reviews and analyses the history of climate change policy as it has evolved nationally and internationally. It examines the interactions between national and regional climate policy, including in Australia, the United States, the European Union and China. It analyses debates and concerns that have led to the evolution of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and more recent arrangements. Students will consider a range of policy instruments, including carbon taxes and emissions trading, and technologies that have been proposed or deployed to address this issue. This subject enables students to understand the evolution of a critical global environmental issue. It offers insights into technical, political, ethical and ecological issues that have framed climate change policy, and enables students to think critically about and participate in developing policy in this domain. |
| Environmental Politics and Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject engages with critical concepts and issues related to environmental politics and policy. Special attention is paid to the political dimensions of policy development and implementation, with reference to national and international domains. Students will be introduced to relevant theories, cases, and tools for policy makers and environmental activists. Students will consider a variety of case studies including climate change, ozone depletion, water management, land conflict, forest preservation, waste and 'sustainability planning'. Case studies will be drawn from Australia, Southeast Asia, and other global contexts. The subject is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. Students will gain a practical understanding of issues confronting policymakers and other political actors in relation to a range of environment problems and solutions. |
| Environment and Knowledge · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines various ways of knowing the environment. Students develop an understanding of the unprecedented transformation in the environment, the sciences, and in politics around environment and knowledge across the twentieth century. As part of their assessment students will study the knowledge practices of a particular environmental organisation becoming sensitised to historical, political and cultural influences on environmental knowledge. |
Health
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Health Policy · 12.5 pts |
The subject explores the policy decisions, usually made by governments, that determine present and future country or regional level objectives relating to health services; programs; and the regulatory, organisational, social, cultural, physical and natural environments that contribute to population health and well-being. The subject explores the nature of health policy, types of policy instruments, and policy making processes including agenda setting and policy influencing frameworks and theories. The role of evidence in policy formation including the significance of the balance between effectiveness, efficiency and equity as objectives of health policy will be debated. In doing so, students will be introduced to the importance and process of policy analysis and explore the relevant legal, political, managerial, sociological, ethical, epidemiological and economic perspectives to instrument selection and policy implementation across a range of health policy contexts. Australian and international country contexts will be used throughout the subject. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Managing Stakeholders · 12.5 pts |
The demand for business-focused HR means that HR practitioners need the ability to work in partnership with stakeholders from diverse areas of the business. This capacity is essential to improving the implementation of HR strategies, initiatives and plans, to build business support for HR and to ensure that HR is integrated with other business activities and functions. This subject focuses on developing business partnership competencies for HR people and will cover consulting and influencing skills, relationship-building, organisational politics, group processes and project management. |
| Human Resource Fundamentals · 12.5 pts |
Students in this subject examine the key policies and practices of HR, including the attraction and retention of employees, developing, evaluating and rewarding performance. We evaluate the impact of HR policies and practices from the perspective of workplace stakeholders, including employees, unions, management and organisations. |
| People and Change · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines individual and collective human behaviour in and around issues of organisational change. The subject will cover a broad theoretical basis that assists in understanding how change at the employee, group and strategic levels affects individuals. Both the planned approach and emergent approach to change management will be considered. Topics to be covered include: drivers of change, the role of internal and external change agents, tools for successful change management, and the implementation and consequences of specific change initiatives. |
| Public Relations · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practices of public relations management. Topics include an introduction to public relations, the evolution of public relations, public relations theory, ethical issues in public relations, public relations strategies and tactics, the various stakeholders/publics that organisations interact with and the issues that they face with their major stakeholder relationships, crisis management, and also an examination of the difference between marketing public relations (MPR) and corporate public relations. Marketing public relations (MPR) is a key focus in the class. |
| Marketing Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to the basic concepts, principles and activities of marketing and how to manage an organisation's marketing effort. Some of the principal topics include value-based marketing, market research, selecting target markets, product and brand management, marketing communications (advertising and promotions, as well as personal selling), management of distribution channels, pricing decisions and marketing ethics. Students are also introduced to the nature of buyer behaviour, including decision-making patterns, purchase behaviours, and customer satisfaction. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to integrate knowledge and research skills to address a specific Journalism research by planning and executing a substantial research-based project. Students taking this capstone stream must complete both minor thesis subjects and ARTS90032 Research Principles & Practices Graduate. Note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consecutive semesters.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Research Principles & Practices Graduate · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to research skills for students planning, researching and writing a thesis in the School of Culture and Communication. Research Principles and Practices Graduate explores traditional and contemporary research practices and the differing methodological approaches guiding research practices in the School of Culture and Communication. It explores key research principles and practices including: defining an academic field, establishing a research question, identifying key words and key texts, developing a literature review, preparing and presenting a research proposal. Research Principles and Practices Graduate provides students with specific research methodologies and academic practices that will facilitate their research projects. It will also provide information about copyright, ethics and the conduct of ethical research. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Thesis Part 1 · 18.75 pts |
A research topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. |
| Journalism Thesis Part 2 · 18.75 pts |
A research topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to combine knowledge of and experience in international journalism, supporting potential professional pathways.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Internship · 12.5 pts |
Students enrolled in this subject will be guided individually by the Subject Coordinator to a media organisation suited to the student's interests, ambitions and skills, for a 20 day (or FTE) placement as an intern. The subject coordinator will liaise with workplace mentor/supervisor to ensure student's internship is productive. The internship will facilitate the application of knowledge acquired through coursework to a professional workplace. The internship will stretch the student, provide a valuable professional experience , result in published work for the student's resume, and will extend professional networks. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Dilemmas in Journalism: Law and Ethics · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide students with a grounding in key aspects of media law that all journalists need to be aware of, and offer students an opportunity to engage with particular ethical dilemmas that arise in the field of journalism. It will provide students with an opportunity to gain a deep understanding and capacity to reflect on legal and ethical principles, as well as an understanding of how such knowledge is relevant to the ongoing dilemmas and decisions that journalists are faced with in the course of their work. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to complete a substantial professionally focused project under industry standard supervision. This might be a book, portfolio of articles or other substantial journalistic project. Students taking this capstone stream must complete both Journalism Project subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Project Part 1 · 12.5 pts |
Students will work intensively under advanced industry supervision on an agreed journalistic project, such as a documentary, series of articles, book or investigative assignment. Working with the resources of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and other academic staff, the student will complete a publishable piece of innovative journalism, and a short essay reflecting on their professional practice. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Project Part 2 · 12.5 pts |
Students will work intensively under advanced industry supervision on an agreed journalistic project, such as a documentary, series of articles, book or investigative assignment. Working with the resources of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and other academic staff, the student will complete a publishable piece of innovative journalism, and a short essay reflecting on their professional practice. |
150 point program
1.5 years full time / up to 3 years part time.
Students must complete a 25 point of compulsory subject. Students are strongly advised to complete JOUR90020 in their first semester.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| International Journalism - Key Skills · 25 pts |
This is a practice based subject taught by leading practitioners, which enables students to develop their skills in researching, writing and producing stories in an international context. Students will enhance their understanding of how news stories are put together, including the variety of new formats being developed online, and will develop advanced skills in researching and producing stories in a new and rapidly changing international media environment. The subject examines a range of different research techniques and considers how these can be applied in the context of journalists’ work. It also explores a range of logistical, communication, production and ethical challenges facing journalists, and how these can be effectively managed. |
Students must complete a minimum of 37.5 points of core subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| New Media Storytelling · 12.5 pts |
The subject will equip students for navigating their careers in a world of changing business models. It also considers how journalists create a personal brand in a fracturing media landscape and how they develop an entrepreneurial spirit, which is both a mindset and a problem-solving skill set. The subject will focuses on web based publication and small and medium sized journalism enterprises, and the particular skill combination needed to make a commercial success of online journalism outlets, including those serving niche audiences. Students will explore the ways in which social media, including blogs, Twitter and Facebook, are being used to both gather information for journalistic work, and to publicise that work and gather an audience around it. As well as engaging in practical exercises, students will also be introduced to theoretical understandings of the public space, and the ways in which these are being altered by social media. Key examples of journalistic use of social media will be examined. The subject will also examine the managing of money, audiences and people in small to medium news media enterprises. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Audio Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides a solid grounding in audio journalism skills. The structure of news and current affairs reports is analysed, and training in recording and editing sound packages, and in scripting and presenting is provided. Ethical considerations relevant to audio journalism are canvassed in the context of ‘quality’ journalism, with its roots in serving the public interest, objective scrutiny and fact-based reporting. |
| Video Journalism · 12.5 pts |
Video Journalism is a hands-on subject aimed at giving students the skills they need to begin working in a TV newsroom, freelance or produce high-quality video content for social media. The curriculum is informed by decades of industry experience but refreshed every year to stay relevant in this always-evolving medium. The subject is taught in a weekly three-hour workshop and embraces a learning-by-doing philosophy, with in-class activities reinforced by practise at home. Students will learn a range of video journalism roles, including camera operator, editor and journalist. The skills learned will be used to create three assessment items that are the building blocks of video news storytelling – an interview, on-camera presentation and a news package. The subject will take advantage of the university’s media studio. |
| Investigative Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This advanced subject builds on basic journalistic interview and research skills to introduce the discipline and research techniques of investigative journalism. It discusses the ethics, obligations, role and challenges of investigative journalism in the western democratic tradition, including domestic and cross-border investigations and, as appropriate, in other political contexts. Enlisting a story-based inquiry methodology, students will explore and interrogate a range of opportunities to source information: public records, open source intelligence, Freedom of Information legislation, crowd sourcing, data analysis, advanced verification and security and safety technologies. They will be introduced to the multiple ethical and legal issues involved in use of confidential sources and unauthorised disclosures, and how this relates to core journalistic ethical principles. Tasks #1 and #2 require students to initiate, plan and undertake an original investigation as part of the subject, with an option at Task #3 to defer or cease their own investigation and alternatively produce an analytical essay on a published/ high profile investigation. |
| International Traditions in Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practice of professional journalism and its traditions across a variety of international contexts. Students will compare and contrast the intellectual and historical traditions behind the development of contemporary journalism practice in places including Australia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Asia. They will critically analyse how technological innovations and social transformation have driven changes in the field. Students also will engage with debates regarding the influence of international norms and Anglo-American conceptions of journalism in non-Western contexts, and reflect on the degree to which these entanglements have led to a form of modern global journalism. |
| Photojournalism · 12.5 pts |
This is a practice-based subject teaching the history, principles and techniques of photojournalism in the context of rapidly changing communications technology. Students will learn basic photographic techniques, as well as learning how to edit their work and present it in a variety of multimedia contexts and platforms. They will also learn how to handle the ethical issues involved in dealing with subjects in a variety of different situations, as well as how to present and market their work. |
| International Business Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This practice-based subject focuses on the history, principles and techniques of business journalism in the context of rapidly changing communications technology and global capitalism. Students will learn basic skills for analysing the performance of businesses and conducting journalistic research on international business performance, as well as learning how to produce and edit financial and business journalism for a variety of multi-media formats and platforms. |
Students must complete a maximum of 50 points of elective subjects.
Media/Journalism
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Dilemmas in Journalism: Law and Ethics · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide students with a grounding in key aspects of media law that all journalists need to be aware of, and offer students an opportunity to engage with particular ethical dilemmas that arise in the field of journalism. It will provide students with an opportunity to gain a deep understanding and capacity to reflect on legal and ethical principles, as well as an understanding of how such knowledge is relevant to the ongoing dilemmas and decisions that journalists are faced with in the course of their work. |
| Data Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This unit will explore the practice and theoretical underpinnings of data journalism, whereby news content is organized around structured pieces of data, as opposed to conventionally structured news stories. Students will learn how to access key public databases, extract stories from them, and make the data available in visualisations that facilitate citizens’ own inquiries and investigations. Students will be acquainted with the history and current practice of data journalism, including key international examples. |
| Advanced Audio: Podcasting · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed to augment the skills learned in Audio Journalism and extend them into longform podcasts. In this hands-on subject, students will work together to create a class podcast. Through this experience, they will learn how to develop content ideas, how to plan podcast series, how to structure an episode of a podcast, and how to brand and promote their work. They will listen to longform podcasts to understand best practice and the ethics of this newly emerging genre, as well as gaining an understanding of the role that podcasts are playing in our media environment. They will also learn to create longform audio work. |
| Global Crisis Reporting · 12.5 pts |
Global Crisis Reporting examines studies and approaches to global communications and the reporting of crises, including disasters and humanitarian relief. The course examines the extent to which, how and why forms of coverage have changed in recent years, and considers how these changes have impacted on the way in which "crises" are constructed, mediated and communicated. It considers the possible impacts of such changes on national and international public opinion and political leaders, as well as on those immediately involved. Amongst the themes addressed are: the rise of digital technologies of news production and distribution and their impact on the nature of crisis reporting, arguments for and against a "journalism of attachment", the communication strategies of humanitarian organisations and the degree to which coverage of human suffering raises questions about the moral responsibility of news-makers. The subject also examines issues regarding the political impacts of contemporary crisis reporting, the nature and direction of communication flows, the rise of emergent practices of crisis communications and media activism and the degree to which transformations in the field may, or may not, serve to positively address the relations underpinning global crises. |
| Fact-checking, Misinformation and AI · 12.5 pts |
The subject is designed to equip students with skills and knowledge relating to online fact-checking practices for digital audiences. The subject combines an analytical and practice-based approach by introducing students to critical issues of misinformation and other informational shifts in public communication. It trains students in the identification and verification of problematic information, and the use of automated and AI tools and genres to carry out fact-checking and explanatory journalism. Students will discuss recent research and applied literature and participate in hands-on sessions and gain insights from guest industry practitioners. |
| Change in Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject encourages students to reflect on how journalism has changed over time and to consider what it might become in the future. It examines the emergence of what we now call ‘journalism’ and looks at the technological, political and economic issues that shaped its development. Students will engage with key theorists and formulate their own informed opinions about the rise of news, the nature of journalistic objectivity, the relationship between journalism and democracy, and the threat (or promise) of Artificial Intelligence. From the emergence of citizen journalism and the struggle for diverse journalistic representation to the nature of combat reporting and the rise of social media, the subject links historical debates with the controversies of today – and invites students to think about the journalism of tomorrow. |
| Advanced Video - Studio Production · 12.5 pts |
This subject builds on basic video journalism skills and takes them to an advanced level with an emphasis on live and as-live studio production. Students will work together to research, develop and produce a dynamic and multi-dimensional video program in the Faculty of Arts’ Media Production Studios for potential broadcast on free-to-air television and online platforms. The subject equips students to perform many of the roles involved in studio-based video production, including on-camera tasks - such as presentation and interviewing - and production roles – including vision switching, graphics, floor management and camera operation. The subject culminates in the joint production, of an hour-long program, incorporating live and pre-recorded content, and drawing on the skills acquired by every student throughout the semester. |
| Researching Audiences and Reception · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines diverse understandings of audiences and introduces research approaches to investigating audience practices and patterns of consumption in a changing media landscape. It provides a detailed understanding of the different ways in which questions of media impact and audience power have been theorised, conceptualised and examined across the history of media research. Students will be encouraged to deepen their understanding of contemporary audience research methodologies from both administrative and critical points of views and to develop critical evaluation skills deployed in relation to these. Approaches examined will include early media effects studies rooted in the behavioural paradigm, and sociological studies of public beliefs and opinion formation, as well as political economy of globalisation and its (re)construction of audiences and approaches inspired by cultural studies that explore audiences as culturally situated and as active sense makers. Students will consider different audiences, media and genres across the course and engage in focused study of selected audiences and processes of reception. |
| The Contemporary Publishing Industry · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of the major factors affecting the local and global production, marketing and distribution of books, magazines and electronic publications. It considers the impact of political, social and economic conditions, technological changes, and changing industry practices. Students will gain a critical understanding of professional practices and current issues in various sectors of the industry in the context of global developments. |
| Writing and Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of writing and editing for digital media. It provides students with an understanding of and practical skills in writing for different online contexts and genres, including websites, online essays, multimedia stories, social media content, and search engine optimisation. Students will apply these skills using their existing disciplinary expertise to develop and creative contribute to platforms focused on their professional industries. |
| Advanced Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to advanced aspects of writing and editing for digital media through the creation of a digital project with an industry partner. It focuses on the strategic and creative decision-making of editorial practice and digital storytelling. Working within the creative and cultural industries, students will explore multi-platformed editorial approaches; principles of workflow, budgeting, and monetisation; digital software for authoring, editing, and content management; and the creation of text, audio, and video for the internet. Students will gain a practical understanding of industry standards, develop new digital literacies through the creation of a multi-platform project, and the systems, trends and technological developments taking place in the digital media industries. |
| Print Production and Design · 12.5 pts |
This subject teaches students practical skills in creating documents using the industry-standard software, Adobe Indesign through practical workshops that take the student from beginner to intermediate skill levels. It also introduces students to the concepts and practice of print production and design, and outlines the underlying principles of publishing design and page layout, the characteristics of good typesetting, the interrelationship of images, space, colour and text and the importance of design briefs. Through reference to the history of printing, this subject will extend students’ understanding of the impact of changing technologies on typography, graphic design and production processes, enabling them to develop a critical awareness of trends in the field. A brief insight to some of the specific design and publishing challenges of ePublishing is also provided. Please note: Students should subscribe to Adobe Indesign via Adobe Creative Cloud for the duration of the subject in order to be able to complete assignments out of class time. |
| Writing and Editing for Magazines · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of magazine writing, editing and publishing, with special emphasis on the skills needed to successfully produce magazines today. We examine how magazine editors conceive of audiences, and how they create print and digital magazines that serve the needs and desires of those audiences. Students will study how editors turn ideas into stories, and work with the magazine production team to give a story its final form. Students will learn how writers pitch ideas to editors, and to research and write magazine feature stories. We study the commercial aspects of magazine publishing – advertising, sales, marketing and promotion – and investigate innovative magazine business models in a time of great change and disruption in publishing. We examine how a magazine develops from concept to finished product, including launch proposal, project planning, scheduling and budgeting. Our focus is not solely on print, but on the magazine as a form that continues to evolve in response to social and technological change. |
| Legal Issues in Arts and Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject addresses ethical issues and legal constraints related to working in the arts and culture sector, including publishing for print and digital media. It will review existing ethical codes and the mechanisms established to police them, as well as offering an overview of how practices are shaped by law relating to such matters as intellectual property, contracts, negligence, privacy, defamation and respect for cultural differences. On successfully completing this subject, students will have gained an understanding of a wide range of ethical and legal considerations for their professional practice. |
| The International Publishing Industry · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of the global publishing industry, examining global book production, translation, the international rights market, multi-media adaptation of books, conglomerate publishing companies, and global practices of reception. Students will gain a critical understanding of professional practices and the issues that define book publishing on a global scale. This subject compliments PUBL90003 The Contemporary Publishing Industry (which gives students a general overview of the contemporary book publishing sector) and focuses more specifically on the global book trade and the way that professional publishing practice, in myriad forms, happens across national borders. |
Understanding Australia and the world
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Human Rights in Southeast Asia · 12.5 pts |
This seminar will focus on human rights and its critics from a historical and comparative perspective. We will explore the factors that have given rise to radically different conception of rights and justice (i.e. political, economic, cultural, religious, ideological) and look at their implementation and the obstacles at the local, national, and international levels. What is the relationship and relevance of the international human rights movement to local notions of rights? What impact is this having on local gender relations and the relationships of women to their states and communities? Are human rights NGOs weakening or strengthening the nation-states in Southeast Asia. Are they sites of resistance or complicity? The seminar introduces students to different conceptions of rights, and social justice, including feminist critiques of rights discourse and of 'development', ethnographic studies on the relationship between attitudes towards bodily integrity and human rights, the debates about poverty, economic development and access to adequate health care as human rights. We shall draw upon a wide range of sources from theoretical works, philosophical and anthropological critiques of rights discourse, and NGO documents. On completion of the subject students should have a broad historical, comparative and critical perspective on the debates about rights and justice in Southeast Asia. This subject is usually taught two times a year. It is available either as a semester-long subject taught on the Parkville campus or as an overseas intensive subject in some years. ASIA90001 at the University of Indonesia will be taught intensively on location at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. The subject will consist mainly of seminars held at the Faculty, with some field visits in Jakarta. There is a pre-teaching requirement for this subject, during which time students will be required to access subject materials on the LMS, and attend a pre-departure briefing on campus. |
| Professional Speaking Communication · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed for graduate students who would like to improve their spoken English skills for professional contexts. It is aimed at speakers of English as an additional language. Students who complete this subject will become familiar with Australian English pronunciation, will develop confidence and self-awareness, and will improve the clarity and fluency of their speech for use in professional communication. The content covers various aspects of pronunciation, such as individual sounds, sound combinations, syllables and word stress, rhythm, sentence stress, connected speech processes and intonation. Students will also improve their listening-discrimination skills, develop an understanding of the basic processes involved in speech production and gain practical knowledge about the communicative nature of sentence stress and intonation, especially as they apply to workplace settings. |
| Advanced Self-Editing · 12.5 pts |
The subject aims to improve students’ ability to edit their written texts in order to produce grammatically accurate and stylistically appropriate texts for professional purposes. The subject begins with a review of the most frequent errors in the writing of students who speak English as a Second Language, including errors in morphology, syntax, cohesion, and punctuation, and then considers the impact that such errors may have on meaning. In the second half of the subject, students engage in linguistic analysis of a range of work-related texts (e.g., email communication, job application letters). The aim of this analysis is to identify the most salient grammatical and stylistic features that contribute to the clarity of the texts. Throughout the subject students will engage in identifying areas of concern in their writing (annotation), self and peer editing exercises, keeping logs of their progress, and using available online grammar resources. |
| Trust, Communication and Expertise · 12.5 pts |
Questions of trust, effective communication, and judging credibility, are integral to the assessment of knowledge claims both within science and in the context of public debate. Questions about trust and legitimate communication consequently arise every day in a range of professional contexts, for example in scientific research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge, in journalism and media, public relations, and in police, accounting and development work, etc. But what makes one trustworthy? How do we pick out who the experts are? This course will interest students in a wide range of careers. Questions to be covered: Trust
Communication
Expertise
|
| Rising China in the Globalised World · 12.5 pts |
This subject looks at the impact of a rising China in the globalised world. It examines contemporary China's relations with various powers, regions and global institutions, particularly in the context of its phenomenal rise in the last four decades. The subject also explores key issues related to China's rise: state-society relations, economic development, participation in regional and global institutions, disputes and conflict resolution etc. |
| Politics of the Modern Middle East · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the intricate relationship between Islam and politics in the Middle East from the late 19th century to the present. The subject investigates Muslims’ various conceptualisations of religion and politics in the region, exploring how Islam has shaped reactions to colonisation and neoimperialism, state formation, governance, political movements, and conflicts in the region. Key areas of focus include the role of Islam in nationalist and liberation movements, the rise and transformations of political Islam, debates around shariʿa, and the intersections between religion and authoritarianism. Additionally, the subject will touch on Australia’s role and attitude to politics in the region. Importantly, this subject challenges the dominant narratives that often view Middle Eastern politics through an Orientalist or Islamophobic lens—perspectives that reduce the region’s complexities to monolithic or stereotypical depictions. Instead, this subject is grounded in multidisciplinary frameworks, drawing on history, political science, religious studies, sociology, and international relations to provide a nuanced and critical understanding of the Middle East. Students will engage with diverse methodologies and theoretical approaches that highlight the region’s diversity and the varied ways in which Islam intersects with social and political structures. The subject aims to foster a deeper and more critical appreciation of how Middle Eastern states and societies navigate the challenges of modernity, identity, and globalisation, with particular attention to the ways Islamic ideologies and institutions contribute to and are influenced by these dynamics. The subject ultimately seeks to equip students with the analytical tools needed to critically assess and contribute to contemporary debates on Middle Eastern politics. |
| Islam and Politics: Interfaith Relations · 12.5 pts |
What is the intersection of Islam, politics and interfaith relations? This is a common theme in explorations of Islam and its role in the modern world. This subject explores how different Muslim communities and states, both in the past and present, have developed concepts, rules and understandings to engage with people of other faiths, and created societies that had a high degree of tolerance, if not acceptance, of the religious ‘Other’. It achieves this with a focus on the study of primary texts of Islam, agreements and charters as well as specific laws relevant to the regulation of inter-religious matters. The subject surveys several historical periods and Muslim communities from the time of early Islam to the present day, with a particular focus on the Middle East. It considers how Muslim states responded to other religious traditions and communities in the past—during the early days of Islam and in the classical period—before exploring how Muslim-majority states engage with religious minorities today, including the rights and freedoms of religious minorities and contested notions of citizenship. It also considers religious diversity within Muslim communities and how different trends in Islamic thought respond to that. |
| Academic English for Graduate Studies · 12.5 pts |
This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study. |
| Social Enterprise Incubator · 12.5 pts |
This experiential learning subject introduces students to the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship, while equipping students with a practical understanding of social enterprise as a model to tackle social and/or environmental problems through trade. Working in small teams, students are introduced to a range of design thinking and social innovation frameworks. They draw on these frameworks to iteratively conceptualise, ‘pitch’, refine and develop a social enterprise ‘business model’ that appropriately responds to the needs of communities and society. To nurture and support development of ideas, the subject draws on real-world case studies as well as industry guests from the social enterprise ecosystem including social entrepreneurs, people with ‘lived-experience’, social finance and impact investment intermediaries, incubators and accelerators and leading scholars and thinkers in the field. Upon completing this subject, students will develop a critical understanding of the theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship and how to develop a ‘business model’ for financially sustainable social impact. By doing so, the subject also offers a unique opportunity for students to apply conceptual knowledge and project management and business skills to real-world social and/or environmental challenges. |
| Trade Policy Politics & Governance · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the politics and governance of international trade. It explores the domestic and international dimensions of trade policy-making and the growing complexity of the "trade agenda" in national and international politics. It examines theories of trade and protection and theories of trade policy-making. It examines the evolution of the multilateral trade system since World War Two and the contemporary and future challenges that confront the system. The subject examines some of the perennial problems in the governance of the global trade system, as well as new issues and concerns, such as trade and the environment, trade and development, and agenda-setting and decision-making in the WTO. Finally, the subject explores the emergence of regional trade blocs and "free trade agreements" and their consequences for the multilateral trade system. |
| Asia-Pacific: Zone of Conflict or Peace? · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines important issues in international relations in the Asia Pacific, drawing on theory and evidence about domestic and international politics. The topics for study normally include the China-US-Japan triangle, the Taiwan and Korean conflicts, the international context of conflicts relating to Indonesia and the Southwest Pacific, and Australian engagement in the Asia-Pacific. |
The environment and climate change
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Climate Change Politics and Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces and analyses critical concepts and terms central to debates over climate change, including risk and uncertainty, adaptation and mitigation, burden sharing, and problems and issues relating to regimes, strategies and policy instruments for addressing global warming. The subject considers the rise of climate change as a policy problem. It reviews and analyses the history of climate change policy as it has evolved nationally and internationally. It examines the interactions between national and regional climate policy, including in Australia, the United States, the European Union and China. It analyses debates and concerns that have led to the evolution of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and more recent arrangements. Students will consider a range of policy instruments, including carbon taxes and emissions trading, and technologies that have been proposed or deployed to address this issue. This subject enables students to understand the evolution of a critical global environmental issue. It offers insights into technical, political, ethical and ecological issues that have framed climate change policy, and enables students to think critically about and participate in developing policy in this domain. |
| Environmental Politics and Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject engages with critical concepts and issues related to environmental politics and policy. Special attention is paid to the political dimensions of policy development and implementation, with reference to national and international domains. Students will be introduced to relevant theories, cases, and tools for policy makers and environmental activists. Students will consider a variety of case studies including climate change, ozone depletion, water management, land conflict, forest preservation, waste and 'sustainability planning'. Case studies will be drawn from Australia, Southeast Asia, and other global contexts. The subject is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. Students will gain a practical understanding of issues confronting policymakers and other political actors in relation to a range of environment problems and solutions. |
| Environment and Knowledge · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines various ways of knowing the environment. Students develop an understanding of the unprecedented transformation in the environment, the sciences, and in politics around environment and knowledge across the twentieth century. As part of their assessment students will study the knowledge practices of a particular environmental organisation becoming sensitised to historical, political and cultural influences on environmental knowledge. |
Health
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Health Policy · 12.5 pts |
The subject explores the policy decisions, usually made by governments, that determine present and future country or regional level objectives relating to health services; programs; and the regulatory, organisational, social, cultural, physical and natural environments that contribute to population health and well-being. The subject explores the nature of health policy, types of policy instruments, and policy making processes including agenda setting and policy influencing frameworks and theories. The role of evidence in policy formation including the significance of the balance between effectiveness, efficiency and equity as objectives of health policy will be debated. In doing so, students will be introduced to the importance and process of policy analysis and explore the relevant legal, political, managerial, sociological, ethical, epidemiological and economic perspectives to instrument selection and policy implementation across a range of health policy contexts. Australian and international country contexts will be used throughout the subject. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Managing Stakeholders · 12.5 pts |
The demand for business-focused HR means that HR practitioners need the ability to work in partnership with stakeholders from diverse areas of the business. This capacity is essential to improving the implementation of HR strategies, initiatives and plans, to build business support for HR and to ensure that HR is integrated with other business activities and functions. This subject focuses on developing business partnership competencies for HR people and will cover consulting and influencing skills, relationship-building, organisational politics, group processes and project management. |
| Human Resource Fundamentals · 12.5 pts |
Students in this subject examine the key policies and practices of HR, including the attraction and retention of employees, developing, evaluating and rewarding performance. We evaluate the impact of HR policies and practices from the perspective of workplace stakeholders, including employees, unions, management and organisations. |
| People and Change · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines individual and collective human behaviour in and around issues of organisational change. The subject will cover a broad theoretical basis that assists in understanding how change at the employee, group and strategic levels affects individuals. Both the planned approach and emergent approach to change management will be considered. Topics to be covered include: drivers of change, the role of internal and external change agents, tools for successful change management, and the implementation and consequences of specific change initiatives. |
| Public Relations · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practices of public relations management. Topics include an introduction to public relations, the evolution of public relations, public relations theory, ethical issues in public relations, public relations strategies and tactics, the various stakeholders/publics that organisations interact with and the issues that they face with their major stakeholder relationships, crisis management, and also an examination of the difference between marketing public relations (MPR) and corporate public relations. Marketing public relations (MPR) is a key focus in the class. |
| Marketing Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to the basic concepts, principles and activities of marketing and how to manage an organisation's marketing effort. Some of the principal topics include value-based marketing, market research, selecting target markets, product and brand management, marketing communications (advertising and promotions, as well as personal selling), management of distribution channels, pricing decisions and marketing ethics. Students are also introduced to the nature of buyer behaviour, including decision-making patterns, purchase behaviours, and customer satisfaction. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to integrate knowledge and research skills to address a specific Journalism research by planning and executing a substantial research-based project. Students taking this capstone stream must complete both minor thesis subjects and ARTS90032 Research Principles & Practices Graduate . Note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consecutive semesters.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Research Principles & Practices Graduate · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to research skills for students planning, researching and writing a thesis in the School of Culture and Communication. Research Principles and Practices Graduate explores traditional and contemporary research practices and the differing methodological approaches guiding research practices in the School of Culture and Communication. It explores key research principles and practices including: defining an academic field, establishing a research question, identifying key words and key texts, developing a literature review, preparing and presenting a research proposal. Research Principles and Practices Graduate provides students with specific research methodologies and academic practices that will facilitate their research projects. It will also provide information about copyright, ethics and the conduct of ethical research. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Thesis Part 1 · 18.75 pts |
A research topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. |
| Journalism Thesis Part 2 · 18.75 pts |
A research topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to integrate knowledge and research skills to address a specific Journalism research by planning and executing a substantial research-based project.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Internship · 12.5 pts |
Students enrolled in this subject will be guided individually by the Subject Coordinator to a media organisation suited to the student's interests, ambitions and skills, for a 20 day (or FTE) placement as an intern. The subject coordinator will liaise with workplace mentor/supervisor to ensure student's internship is productive. The internship will facilitate the application of knowledge acquired through coursework to a professional workplace. The internship will stretch the student, provide a valuable professional experience , result in published work for the student's resume, and will extend professional networks. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Dilemmas in Journalism: Law and Ethics · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide students with a grounding in key aspects of media law that all journalists need to be aware of, and offer students an opportunity to engage with particular ethical dilemmas that arise in the field of journalism. It will provide students with an opportunity to gain a deep understanding and capacity to reflect on legal and ethical principles, as well as an understanding of how such knowledge is relevant to the ongoing dilemmas and decisions that journalists are faced with in the course of their work. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to complete a substantial professionally focused project under industry standard supervision. This might be a book, portfolio of articles or other substantial journalistic project. Students taking this capstone stream must complete both Journalism Project subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Project Part 1 · 12.5 pts |
Students will work intensively under advanced industry supervision on an agreed journalistic project, such as a documentary, series of articles, book or investigative assignment. Working with the resources of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and other academic staff, the student will complete a publishable piece of innovative journalism, and a short essay reflecting on their professional practice. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Project Part 2 · 12.5 pts |
Students will work intensively under advanced industry supervision on an agreed journalistic project, such as a documentary, series of articles, book or investigative assignment. Working with the resources of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and other academic staff, the student will complete a publishable piece of innovative journalism, and a short essay reflecting on their professional practice. |
100 point program
1 year full time / 2 years part time.
Students must complete a minimum of 25 points of core subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| New Media Storytelling · 12.5 pts |
The subject will equip students for navigating their careers in a world of changing business models. It also considers how journalists create a personal brand in a fracturing media landscape and how they develop an entrepreneurial spirit, which is both a mindset and a problem-solving skill set. The subject will focuses on web based publication and small and medium sized journalism enterprises, and the particular skill combination needed to make a commercial success of online journalism outlets, including those serving niche audiences. Students will explore the ways in which social media, including blogs, Twitter and Facebook, are being used to both gather information for journalistic work, and to publicise that work and gather an audience around it. As well as engaging in practical exercises, students will also be introduced to theoretical understandings of the public space, and the ways in which these are being altered by social media. Key examples of journalistic use of social media will be examined. The subject will also examine the managing of money, audiences and people in small to medium news media enterprises. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Audio Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides a solid grounding in audio journalism skills. The structure of news and current affairs reports is analysed, and training in recording and editing sound packages, and in scripting and presenting is provided. Ethical considerations relevant to audio journalism are canvassed in the context of ‘quality’ journalism, with its roots in serving the public interest, objective scrutiny and fact-based reporting. |
| Video Journalism · 12.5 pts |
Video Journalism is a hands-on subject aimed at giving students the skills they need to begin working in a TV newsroom, freelance or produce high-quality video content for social media. The curriculum is informed by decades of industry experience but refreshed every year to stay relevant in this always-evolving medium. The subject is taught in a weekly three-hour workshop and embraces a learning-by-doing philosophy, with in-class activities reinforced by practise at home. Students will learn a range of video journalism roles, including camera operator, editor and journalist. The skills learned will be used to create three assessment items that are the building blocks of video news storytelling – an interview, on-camera presentation and a news package. The subject will take advantage of the university’s media studio. |
| Investigative Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This advanced subject builds on basic journalistic interview and research skills to introduce the discipline and research techniques of investigative journalism. It discusses the ethics, obligations, role and challenges of investigative journalism in the western democratic tradition, including domestic and cross-border investigations and, as appropriate, in other political contexts. Enlisting a story-based inquiry methodology, students will explore and interrogate a range of opportunities to source information: public records, open source intelligence, Freedom of Information legislation, crowd sourcing, data analysis, advanced verification and security and safety technologies. They will be introduced to the multiple ethical and legal issues involved in use of confidential sources and unauthorised disclosures, and how this relates to core journalistic ethical principles. Tasks #1 and #2 require students to initiate, plan and undertake an original investigation as part of the subject, with an option at Task #3 to defer or cease their own investigation and alternatively produce an analytical essay on a published/ high profile investigation. |
| International Traditions in Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practice of professional journalism and its traditions across a variety of international contexts. Students will compare and contrast the intellectual and historical traditions behind the development of contemporary journalism practice in places including Australia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Asia. They will critically analyse how technological innovations and social transformation have driven changes in the field. Students also will engage with debates regarding the influence of international norms and Anglo-American conceptions of journalism in non-Western contexts, and reflect on the degree to which these entanglements have led to a form of modern global journalism. |
| Photojournalism · 12.5 pts |
This is a practice-based subject teaching the history, principles and techniques of photojournalism in the context of rapidly changing communications technology. Students will learn basic photographic techniques, as well as learning how to edit their work and present it in a variety of multimedia contexts and platforms. They will also learn how to handle the ethical issues involved in dealing with subjects in a variety of different situations, as well as how to present and market their work. |
| International Business Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This practice-based subject focuses on the history, principles and techniques of business journalism in the context of rapidly changing communications technology and global capitalism. Students will learn basic skills for analysing the performance of businesses and conducting journalistic research on international business performance, as well as learning how to produce and edit financial and business journalism for a variety of multi-media formats and platforms. |
Students must complete a maximum of 37.5 points of elective subjects.
Media/Journalism
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Dilemmas in Journalism: Law and Ethics · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide students with a grounding in key aspects of media law that all journalists need to be aware of, and offer students an opportunity to engage with particular ethical dilemmas that arise in the field of journalism. It will provide students with an opportunity to gain a deep understanding and capacity to reflect on legal and ethical principles, as well as an understanding of how such knowledge is relevant to the ongoing dilemmas and decisions that journalists are faced with in the course of their work. |
| Data Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This unit will explore the practice and theoretical underpinnings of data journalism, whereby news content is organized around structured pieces of data, as opposed to conventionally structured news stories. Students will learn how to access key public databases, extract stories from them, and make the data available in visualisations that facilitate citizens’ own inquiries and investigations. Students will be acquainted with the history and current practice of data journalism, including key international examples. |
| International Journalism - Key Skills · 25 pts |
This is a practice based subject taught by leading practitioners, which enables students to develop their skills in researching, writing and producing stories in an international context. Students will enhance their understanding of how news stories are put together, including the variety of new formats being developed online, and will develop advanced skills in researching and producing stories in a new and rapidly changing international media environment. The subject examines a range of different research techniques and considers how these can be applied in the context of journalists’ work. It also explores a range of logistical, communication, production and ethical challenges facing journalists, and how these can be effectively managed. |
| Advanced Audio: Podcasting · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed to augment the skills learned in Audio Journalism and extend them into longform podcasts. In this hands-on subject, students will work together to create a class podcast. Through this experience, they will learn how to develop content ideas, how to plan podcast series, how to structure an episode of a podcast, and how to brand and promote their work. They will listen to longform podcasts to understand best practice and the ethics of this newly emerging genre, as well as gaining an understanding of the role that podcasts are playing in our media environment. They will also learn to create longform audio work. |
| Global Crisis Reporting · 12.5 pts |
Global Crisis Reporting examines studies and approaches to global communications and the reporting of crises, including disasters and humanitarian relief. The course examines the extent to which, how and why forms of coverage have changed in recent years, and considers how these changes have impacted on the way in which "crises" are constructed, mediated and communicated. It considers the possible impacts of such changes on national and international public opinion and political leaders, as well as on those immediately involved. Amongst the themes addressed are: the rise of digital technologies of news production and distribution and their impact on the nature of crisis reporting, arguments for and against a "journalism of attachment", the communication strategies of humanitarian organisations and the degree to which coverage of human suffering raises questions about the moral responsibility of news-makers. The subject also examines issues regarding the political impacts of contemporary crisis reporting, the nature and direction of communication flows, the rise of emergent practices of crisis communications and media activism and the degree to which transformations in the field may, or may not, serve to positively address the relations underpinning global crises. |
| Fact-checking, Misinformation and AI · 12.5 pts |
The subject is designed to equip students with skills and knowledge relating to online fact-checking practices for digital audiences. The subject combines an analytical and practice-based approach by introducing students to critical issues of misinformation and other informational shifts in public communication. It trains students in the identification and verification of problematic information, and the use of automated and AI tools and genres to carry out fact-checking and explanatory journalism. Students will discuss recent research and applied literature and participate in hands-on sessions and gain insights from guest industry practitioners. |
| Change in Journalism · 12.5 pts |
This subject encourages students to reflect on how journalism has changed over time and to consider what it might become in the future. It examines the emergence of what we now call ‘journalism’ and looks at the technological, political and economic issues that shaped its development. Students will engage with key theorists and formulate their own informed opinions about the rise of news, the nature of journalistic objectivity, the relationship between journalism and democracy, and the threat (or promise) of Artificial Intelligence. From the emergence of citizen journalism and the struggle for diverse journalistic representation to the nature of combat reporting and the rise of social media, the subject links historical debates with the controversies of today – and invites students to think about the journalism of tomorrow. |
| Advanced Video - Studio Production · 12.5 pts |
This subject builds on basic video journalism skills and takes them to an advanced level with an emphasis on live and as-live studio production. Students will work together to research, develop and produce a dynamic and multi-dimensional video program in the Faculty of Arts’ Media Production Studios for potential broadcast on free-to-air television and online platforms. The subject equips students to perform many of the roles involved in studio-based video production, including on-camera tasks - such as presentation and interviewing - and production roles – including vision switching, graphics, floor management and camera operation. The subject culminates in the joint production, of an hour-long program, incorporating live and pre-recorded content, and drawing on the skills acquired by every student throughout the semester. |
| The Contemporary Publishing Industry · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of the major factors affecting the local and global production, marketing and distribution of books, magazines and electronic publications. It considers the impact of political, social and economic conditions, technological changes, and changing industry practices. Students will gain a critical understanding of professional practices and current issues in various sectors of the industry in the context of global developments. |
| Writing and Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of writing and editing for digital media. It provides students with an understanding of and practical skills in writing for different online contexts and genres, including websites, online essays, multimedia stories, social media content, and search engine optimisation. Students will apply these skills using their existing disciplinary expertise to develop and creative contribute to platforms focused on their professional industries. |
| Advanced Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to advanced aspects of writing and editing for digital media through the creation of a digital project with an industry partner. It focuses on the strategic and creative decision-making of editorial practice and digital storytelling. Working within the creative and cultural industries, students will explore multi-platformed editorial approaches; principles of workflow, budgeting, and monetisation; digital software for authoring, editing, and content management; and the creation of text, audio, and video for the internet. Students will gain a practical understanding of industry standards, develop new digital literacies through the creation of a multi-platform project, and the systems, trends and technological developments taking place in the digital media industries. |
| Print Production and Design · 12.5 pts |
This subject teaches students practical skills in creating documents using the industry-standard software, Adobe Indesign through practical workshops that take the student from beginner to intermediate skill levels. It also introduces students to the concepts and practice of print production and design, and outlines the underlying principles of publishing design and page layout, the characteristics of good typesetting, the interrelationship of images, space, colour and text and the importance of design briefs. Through reference to the history of printing, this subject will extend students’ understanding of the impact of changing technologies on typography, graphic design and production processes, enabling them to develop a critical awareness of trends in the field. A brief insight to some of the specific design and publishing challenges of ePublishing is also provided. Please note: Students should subscribe to Adobe Indesign via Adobe Creative Cloud for the duration of the subject in order to be able to complete assignments out of class time. |
| Writing and Editing for Magazines · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of magazine writing, editing and publishing, with special emphasis on the skills needed to successfully produce magazines today. We examine how magazine editors conceive of audiences, and how they create print and digital magazines that serve the needs and desires of those audiences. Students will study how editors turn ideas into stories, and work with the magazine production team to give a story its final form. Students will learn how writers pitch ideas to editors, and to research and write magazine feature stories. We study the commercial aspects of magazine publishing – advertising, sales, marketing and promotion – and investigate innovative magazine business models in a time of great change and disruption in publishing. We examine how a magazine develops from concept to finished product, including launch proposal, project planning, scheduling and budgeting. Our focus is not solely on print, but on the magazine as a form that continues to evolve in response to social and technological change. |
| Legal Issues in Arts and Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject addresses ethical issues and legal constraints related to working in the arts and culture sector, including publishing for print and digital media. It will review existing ethical codes and the mechanisms established to police them, as well as offering an overview of how practices are shaped by law relating to such matters as intellectual property, contracts, negligence, privacy, defamation and respect for cultural differences. On successfully completing this subject, students will have gained an understanding of a wide range of ethical and legal considerations for their professional practice. |
| The International Publishing Industry · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an overview of the global publishing industry, examining global book production, translation, the international rights market, multi-media adaptation of books, conglomerate publishing companies, and global practices of reception. Students will gain a critical understanding of professional practices and the issues that define book publishing on a global scale. This subject compliments PUBL90003 The Contemporary Publishing Industry (which gives students a general overview of the contemporary book publishing sector) and focuses more specifically on the global book trade and the way that professional publishing practice, in myriad forms, happens across national borders. |
Understanding Australia and the world
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Human Rights in Southeast Asia · 12.5 pts |
This seminar will focus on human rights and its critics from a historical and comparative perspective. We will explore the factors that have given rise to radically different conception of rights and justice (i.e. political, economic, cultural, religious, ideological) and look at their implementation and the obstacles at the local, national, and international levels. What is the relationship and relevance of the international human rights movement to local notions of rights? What impact is this having on local gender relations and the relationships of women to their states and communities? Are human rights NGOs weakening or strengthening the nation-states in Southeast Asia. Are they sites of resistance or complicity? The seminar introduces students to different conceptions of rights, and social justice, including feminist critiques of rights discourse and of 'development', ethnographic studies on the relationship between attitudes towards bodily integrity and human rights, the debates about poverty, economic development and access to adequate health care as human rights. We shall draw upon a wide range of sources from theoretical works, philosophical and anthropological critiques of rights discourse, and NGO documents. On completion of the subject students should have a broad historical, comparative and critical perspective on the debates about rights and justice in Southeast Asia. This subject is usually taught two times a year. It is available either as a semester-long subject taught on the Parkville campus or as an overseas intensive subject in some years. ASIA90001 at the University of Indonesia will be taught intensively on location at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. The subject will consist mainly of seminars held at the Faculty, with some field visits in Jakarta. There is a pre-teaching requirement for this subject, during which time students will be required to access subject materials on the LMS, and attend a pre-departure briefing on campus. |
| Professional Speaking Communication · 12.5 pts |
This subject is designed for graduate students who would like to improve their spoken English skills for professional contexts. It is aimed at speakers of English as an additional language. Students who complete this subject will become familiar with Australian English pronunciation, will develop confidence and self-awareness, and will improve the clarity and fluency of their speech for use in professional communication. The content covers various aspects of pronunciation, such as individual sounds, sound combinations, syllables and word stress, rhythm, sentence stress, connected speech processes and intonation. Students will also improve their listening-discrimination skills, develop an understanding of the basic processes involved in speech production and gain practical knowledge about the communicative nature of sentence stress and intonation, especially as they apply to workplace settings. |
| Advanced Self-Editing · 12.5 pts |
The subject aims to improve students’ ability to edit their written texts in order to produce grammatically accurate and stylistically appropriate texts for professional purposes. The subject begins with a review of the most frequent errors in the writing of students who speak English as a Second Language, including errors in morphology, syntax, cohesion, and punctuation, and then considers the impact that such errors may have on meaning. In the second half of the subject, students engage in linguistic analysis of a range of work-related texts (e.g., email communication, job application letters). The aim of this analysis is to identify the most salient grammatical and stylistic features that contribute to the clarity of the texts. Throughout the subject students will engage in identifying areas of concern in their writing (annotation), self and peer editing exercises, keeping logs of their progress, and using available online grammar resources. |
| Rising China in the Globalised World · 12.5 pts |
This subject looks at the impact of a rising China in the globalised world. It examines contemporary China's relations with various powers, regions and global institutions, particularly in the context of its phenomenal rise in the last four decades. The subject also explores key issues related to China's rise: state-society relations, economic development, participation in regional and global institutions, disputes and conflict resolution etc. |
| Islam and Politics: Interfaith Relations · 12.5 pts |
What is the intersection of Islam, politics and interfaith relations? This is a common theme in explorations of Islam and its role in the modern world. This subject explores how different Muslim communities and states, both in the past and present, have developed concepts, rules and understandings to engage with people of other faiths, and created societies that had a high degree of tolerance, if not acceptance, of the religious ‘Other’. It achieves this with a focus on the study of primary texts of Islam, agreements and charters as well as specific laws relevant to the regulation of inter-religious matters. The subject surveys several historical periods and Muslim communities from the time of early Islam to the present day, with a particular focus on the Middle East. It considers how Muslim states responded to other religious traditions and communities in the past—during the early days of Islam and in the classical period—before exploring how Muslim-majority states engage with religious minorities today, including the rights and freedoms of religious minorities and contested notions of citizenship. It also considers religious diversity within Muslim communities and how different trends in Islamic thought respond to that. |
| Academic English for Graduate Studies · 12.5 pts |
This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study. |
| Social Enterprise Incubator · 12.5 pts |
This experiential learning subject introduces students to the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship, while equipping students with a practical understanding of social enterprise as a model to tackle social and/or environmental problems through trade. Working in small teams, students are introduced to a range of design thinking and social innovation frameworks. They draw on these frameworks to iteratively conceptualise, ‘pitch’, refine and develop a social enterprise ‘business model’ that appropriately responds to the needs of communities and society. To nurture and support development of ideas, the subject draws on real-world case studies as well as industry guests from the social enterprise ecosystem including social entrepreneurs, people with ‘lived-experience’, social finance and impact investment intermediaries, incubators and accelerators and leading scholars and thinkers in the field. Upon completing this subject, students will develop a critical understanding of the theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship and how to develop a ‘business model’ for financially sustainable social impact. By doing so, the subject also offers a unique opportunity for students to apply conceptual knowledge and project management and business skills to real-world social and/or environmental challenges. |
| Trade Policy Politics & Governance · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the politics and governance of international trade. It explores the domestic and international dimensions of trade policy-making and the growing complexity of the "trade agenda" in national and international politics. It examines theories of trade and protection and theories of trade policy-making. It examines the evolution of the multilateral trade system since World War Two and the contemporary and future challenges that confront the system. The subject examines some of the perennial problems in the governance of the global trade system, as well as new issues and concerns, such as trade and the environment, trade and development, and agenda-setting and decision-making in the WTO. Finally, the subject explores the emergence of regional trade blocs and "free trade agreements" and their consequences for the multilateral trade system. |
| Asia-Pacific: Zone of Conflict or Peace? · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines important issues in international relations in the Asia Pacific, drawing on theory and evidence about domestic and international politics. The topics for study normally include the China-US-Japan triangle, the Taiwan and Korean conflicts, the international context of conflicts relating to Indonesia and the Southwest Pacific, and Australian engagement in the Asia-Pacific. |
The environment and climate change
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Climate Change Politics and Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces and analyses critical concepts and terms central to debates over climate change, including risk and uncertainty, adaptation and mitigation, burden sharing, and problems and issues relating to regimes, strategies and policy instruments for addressing global warming. The subject considers the rise of climate change as a policy problem. It reviews and analyses the history of climate change policy as it has evolved nationally and internationally. It examines the interactions between national and regional climate policy, including in Australia, the United States, the European Union and China. It analyses debates and concerns that have led to the evolution of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and more recent arrangements. Students will consider a range of policy instruments, including carbon taxes and emissions trading, and technologies that have been proposed or deployed to address this issue. This subject enables students to understand the evolution of a critical global environmental issue. It offers insights into technical, political, ethical and ecological issues that have framed climate change policy, and enables students to think critically about and participate in developing policy in this domain. |
| Environmental Politics and Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject engages with critical concepts and issues related to environmental politics and policy. Special attention is paid to the political dimensions of policy development and implementation, with reference to national and international domains. Students will be introduced to relevant theories, cases, and tools for policy makers and environmental activists. Students will consider a variety of case studies including climate change, ozone depletion, water management, land conflict, forest preservation, waste and 'sustainability planning'. Case studies will be drawn from Australia, Southeast Asia, and other global contexts. The subject is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. Students will gain a practical understanding of issues confronting policymakers and other political actors in relation to a range of environment problems and solutions. |
| Environment and Knowledge · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines various ways of knowing the environment. Students develop an understanding of the unprecedented transformation in the environment, the sciences, and in politics around environment and knowledge across the twentieth century. As part of their assessment students will study the knowledge practices of a particular environmental organisation becoming sensitised to historical, political and cultural influences on environmental knowledge. |
Health
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Health Policy · 12.5 pts |
The subject explores the policy decisions, usually made by governments, that determine present and future country or regional level objectives relating to health services; programs; and the regulatory, organisational, social, cultural, physical and natural environments that contribute to population health and well-being. The subject explores the nature of health policy, types of policy instruments, and policy making processes including agenda setting and policy influencing frameworks and theories. The role of evidence in policy formation including the significance of the balance between effectiveness, efficiency and equity as objectives of health policy will be debated. In doing so, students will be introduced to the importance and process of policy analysis and explore the relevant legal, political, managerial, sociological, ethical, epidemiological and economic perspectives to instrument selection and policy implementation across a range of health policy contexts. Australian and international country contexts will be used throughout the subject. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Managing Stakeholders · 12.5 pts |
The demand for business-focused HR means that HR practitioners need the ability to work in partnership with stakeholders from diverse areas of the business. This capacity is essential to improving the implementation of HR strategies, initiatives and plans, to build business support for HR and to ensure that HR is integrated with other business activities and functions. This subject focuses on developing business partnership competencies for HR people and will cover consulting and influencing skills, relationship-building, organisational politics, group processes and project management. |
| Human Resource Fundamentals · 12.5 pts |
Students in this subject examine the key policies and practices of HR, including the attraction and retention of employees, developing, evaluating and rewarding performance. We evaluate the impact of HR policies and practices from the perspective of workplace stakeholders, including employees, unions, management and organisations. |
| People and Change · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines individual and collective human behaviour in and around issues of organisational change. The subject will cover a broad theoretical basis that assists in understanding how change at the employee, group and strategic levels affects individuals. Both the planned approach and emergent approach to change management will be considered. Topics to be covered include: drivers of change, the role of internal and external change agents, tools for successful change management, and the implementation and consequences of specific change initiatives. |
| Public Relations · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practices of public relations management. Topics include an introduction to public relations, the evolution of public relations, public relations theory, ethical issues in public relations, public relations strategies and tactics, the various stakeholders/publics that organisations interact with and the issues that they face with their major stakeholder relationships, crisis management, and also an examination of the difference between marketing public relations (MPR) and corporate public relations. Marketing public relations (MPR) is a key focus in the class. |
| Marketing Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to the basic concepts, principles and activities of marketing and how to manage an organisation's marketing effort. Some of the principal topics include value-based marketing, market research, selecting target markets, product and brand management, marketing communications (advertising and promotions, as well as personal selling), management of distribution channels, pricing decisions and marketing ethics. Students are also introduced to the nature of buyer behaviour, including decision-making patterns, purchase behaviours, and customer satisfaction. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to integrate knowledge and research skills to address specific Journalism research by planning and executing a substantial research-based project. Students taking this capstone stream must complete both minor thesis subjects and ARTS90032 Research Principles & Practices Graduate . Note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consecutive semesters.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Research Principles & Practices Graduate · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to research skills for students planning, researching and writing a thesis in the School of Culture and Communication. Research Principles and Practices Graduate explores traditional and contemporary research practices and the differing methodological approaches guiding research practices in the School of Culture and Communication. It explores key research principles and practices including: defining an academic field, establishing a research question, identifying key words and key texts, developing a literature review, preparing and presenting a research proposal. Research Principles and Practices Graduate provides students with specific research methodologies and academic practices that will facilitate their research projects. It will also provide information about copyright, ethics and the conduct of ethical research. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Thesis Part 1 · 18.75 pts |
A research topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. |
| Journalism Thesis Part 2 · 18.75 pts |
A research topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to combine knowledge of and experience in international journalism, supporting potential professional pathways.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Internship · 12.5 pts |
Students enrolled in this subject will be guided individually by the Subject Coordinator to a media organisation suited to the student's interests, ambitions and skills, for a 20 day (or FTE) placement as an intern. The subject coordinator will liaise with workplace mentor/supervisor to ensure student's internship is productive. The internship will facilitate the application of knowledge acquired through coursework to a professional workplace. The internship will stretch the student, provide a valuable professional experience , result in published work for the student's resume, and will extend professional networks. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Dilemmas in Journalism: Law and Ethics · 12.5 pts |
This subject will provide students with a grounding in key aspects of media law that all journalists need to be aware of, and offer students an opportunity to engage with particular ethical dilemmas that arise in the field of journalism. It will provide students with an opportunity to gain a deep understanding and capacity to reflect on legal and ethical principles, as well as an understanding of how such knowledge is relevant to the ongoing dilemmas and decisions that journalists are faced with in the course of their work. |
This capstone stream gives students an opportunity to complete a substantial professionally focused project under industry standard supervision. This might be a book, portfolio of articles or other substantial journalistic project. Students taking this capstone stream must complete both journalism project subjects and requires two consecutive semesters of enrolments.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Project Part 1 · 12.5 pts |
Students will work intensively under advanced industry supervision on an agreed journalistic project, such as a documentary, series of articles, book or investigative assignment. Working with the resources of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and other academic staff, the student will complete a publishable piece of innovative journalism, and a short essay reflecting on their professional practice. |
Business and economics
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Journalism Project Part 2 · 12.5 pts |
Students will work intensively under advanced industry supervision on an agreed journalistic project, such as a documentary, series of articles, book or investigative assignment. Working with the resources of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and other academic staff, the student will complete a publishable piece of innovative journalism, and a short essay reflecting on their professional practice. |