Undergraduate course information

Applications

All non-current school leavers are selected through an assessment of academic merit. For further information, see UTS Communication's selection criteria.

Areas of study

The School of Communication offers a range of undergraduate degrees that equip students with critical thinking skills and the latest industry requirements for the communication industries.

• Bachelor of Communication courses are offered with the following majors
  (all these majors can also be combined with international studies, creative intelligence and innovation, or law):
  • journalism
  • media arts and production
  • public communication
  • social and political sciences
  • creative writing
  • digital and social media.

• Bachelor of Music and Sound Design (this course can also be combined with international studies).

Bachelor of Communication (all majors)

Course structure

Students must complete 144 credit points comprising the following:

• 24 credit points of core subjects
• 48 credit points of major subjects (students choose their major when applying via UAC)
• 24 credit points of cross-disciplinary electives, and
• potentially, a second major of 48 credit points or 16 credit points of a second major stream and 32 credit points of electives.

All new commencing students choose a 16-credit-point second major stream when enrolling in their first session which consists of two subjects from another major. Students can choose any second major (excluding Media Arts and Production) and, subject to meeting criteria, they can apply to continue with their chosen second major for the remaining 32 credit points, (i.e. another four subjects).

Students who choose not to continue with their second major choice or who do not meet the eligibility criteria, continue in their course by choosing 32 credit points of electives (i.e. four subjects).

Bachelor of Communication: majors

Each major integrates theory and practice and is designed to provide the specialist skills and knowledge required by an entrant to a particular industry or creative practice. Major subjects maintain a critical focus on industry while allowing students to develop the well-rounded expertise needed by practitioners in the next decade.

All of these majors can be combined with International Studies, Creative Intelligence and Innovation, or Law.

• Journalism: Journalism education at UTS is based on the principle that professional journalism is founded on the public's right to know. This major develops professional skills across all media and critically engages with the intellectual, ethical and political foundations of journalism and is designed to meet the essential practical skills and theoretical knowledge needed for a career in journalism.
• Media Arts and Production: This major prepares students for a wide range of roles within the media and cultural sectors. Students study the history, contemporary issues and theory of media and culture while developing advanced technical and conceptual skills in film, video, new media and sound. The professional areas within the degree include film, video, television, multimedia, sound, radio, performance and installation, and the interplay among these media forms.
• Public Communication: The critical and theoretical approach offered in this major develops ethical and responsible communication professionals. This major provides students with interdisciplinary knowledge of public communication processes and industries, and their social, economic and political contexts with specialised expertise in public relations and/or advertising.
• Creative Writing: Creative writing at UTS is a practice- and disciplinary-based program focusing on narrative, poetics, reading and literary theory. This major develops creative writing across several genres, fosters independent and professional writing skills via workshop and lecture study, and engages critically with the broader cultural context in which creative writing is produced and read.
• Social and Political Sciences: Social and political sciences is where social and political theory and practices of research and communication converge. This cross-disciplinary major investigates society, explores current issues, and questions implications of change and progress in the global community. Students undertake professional studies as well as social, cultural and communication theory and practice so they can ask questions, research issues, develop advocacy skills and effectively develop communication strategies.
• Digital and Social Media: The rapidly evolving digital communications industries require practitioners who are technologically literate, culturally sophisticated, innovative and resourceful. This major develops imaginative, synthetic and analytical capacities, as well as practical skills across diverse technological platforms.

Bachelor of Music and Sound Design

Course structure

Students in the Bachelor of Music and Sound Design course must complete 144 credit points comprising the following:

• a 48-credit-point major
• 24 credit points of professional subjects
• 24 credit points of core subjects, and
• 48 credit points of electives.

This course can be combined with international studies.

Music and Sound Design

The Bachelor of Music and Sound Design is the first of its kind to combine the domains of music, sound and screens (film, TV, internet, games, online). This course is designed to develop practitioners in music and sound design with a strong base of artistic, professional and theoretical skills. Subjects focus on developing real-world skills for the digital sound industry.

The course appeals to students with an interest in popular music, sound design, creative arts, or interactive multimedia. It offers a contemporary music and sound design degree that focuses on the production and analysis of sound for various media, including interactive environments.

Students graduate with a portfolio of sound works demonstrating their creativity and professionalism. The course also involves input from leading industry figures, including sound designers, songwriters, producers, and other professionals from the creative industries.

Bachelor of Communication (Honours)

All undergraduate students who excel in their respective degree have the option of studying the Bachelor of Communication (Honours).

This course offers graduates the opportunity to pursue advanced-level study in communication, social sciences, culture and creative arts. It prepares graduates for higher-degree research and professional activity.

The honours program consists of an additional year of full-time undergraduate study and is suited to students who wish to undertake a sustained research project in their discipline. Applications are open to graduating students who have a credit average throughout their first undergraduate degree.

Students undertake a program of advanced coursework and produce a project relevant to their academic, professional and/or creative practice.

Honours is a great way to add an extra qualification to your degree, building skills such as in-depth research, creativity and project management in an area of major study. It's also a pathway to postgraduate research. Students increase their research strengths and work one-on-one with their honours project supervisor throughout the year.

Like all UTS degrees, the Bachelor of Communication (Honours) offers an interdisciplinary course design underpinned by scholarship and creativity. It combines the passion of learning with a high-quality research training that equips students with the skills needed to face the future.