Bachelor of Arts (Honours)(Media and Communications)

Course 104MC (2010)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2010.

Year and Campus: 2010 - Parkville
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Level: Undergraduate
Duration & Credit Points: 100 credit points taken over 12 months full time. This course is available as full or part time.

Coordinator

Prof Sean Cubitt
sean.cubitt@unimelb.edu.au

Contact

Arts & Music Student Centre

Course Overview: The BA (Honours) (Media & Communications) is an advanced and specialised course of study requiring a higher standard of performance than for the pass degree. It enhances your ability to acquire advanced skills of analysis, to develop original ideas, and to apply innovative solutions to complex problems. The Honours program involves one additional year of study at fourth-year level. Commencement of honours must occur within five years of the completion of your degree course.
Objectives: In order to meet the requirements for the BA (Media & Communications)(Honours) degree, you must complete 100 points of study at fourth-year level. Pure honours consists of 62.5 points of coursework and a thesis of 37.5 points. Combined honours usually consists of the thesis and two coursework subjects in one area of study (37.5 + 25 = 62.5 points) and three coursework subjects in the combined area of study (37.5 points). Students intending to complete combined Media & Communications Honours with the thesis in Media & Communication enrol in this course stream. Students intending to complete combined Honours with the thesis in the second area of study enrol in the BA (Honours) course stream (104AA). In most cases, BA (M&C) combined degree students who meet the required academic entry standards can enter the Honours program. However, before you are admitted to fourth-year level studies you must complete your Media & Communications component as well as enough relevant subjects from your combining degree to allow you to take out the pass degree if you were to discontinue your combining degree. You will not be eligible to graduate with the BA (Media & Communications)(Honours) degree until all the requirements of the combining degree or program are met.
Course Structure & Available Subjects:

Students undertaking the pure honours stream complete:

  • three fourth-year level Media and Communications core subjects (37.5 points); and

  • two optional fourth-year level subjects (25 points); and

  • a Media and Communications thesis of 12,000 words (37.5 points).

Double major students may complete one of the following combined honours streams:

  • two fourth-year level Media and Communications core subjects (25 points); and

  • three fourth-year level subjects in the combining discipline (37.5 points); and

  • a Media and Communications thesis of 12,000 words (37.5 points).

or

  • three fourth-year level Media and Communications core subjects (37.5 points); and

  • two fourth year-level subjects in the combining discipline (25 points); and

  • a thesis in the combining discipline (37.5 points).

Please note: students undertaking the second option will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) NOT a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications Honours).

For policies that govern this degree, see Academic Services Policy in the University Melbourne Policy Framework. Students also should also refer to information in the Student Policy Directory.
Subject Options:

Media & Communications thesis subject

Note: the thesis requires two consecutive semesters of enrolment.
Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Semester 1, Semester 2
18.75

Media & Communications core honours subjects

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Semester 2
12.50

Media & Communications optional honours subjects

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Entry Requirements:

The prerequisites for entry to fourth-year honours in Media and Communications are:

  • completion of all the requirements of the BA (Media and Communications); and

  • completion of a major in Media and Communications; and

  • an average grade of H2B (70%) or higher over the second/third-year Media and Communications subjects.

Entry into combined honours is contingent on completing a second major and meeting the average grade requirements for that major.
Core Participation Requirements: For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Description, Course Objectives and Generic Skills of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/
Further Study: The Media and Communications Program offers a range of postgraduate coursework and research programs: Postgraduate Certificate in Arts (Media and Communications), Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Media and Communications), one and two-year Masters of Global Media Communication, Master of Arts in Media Communication (advanced seminar and shorter thesis), Master of Arts in Media Communication (thesis only) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Details of these programs are available in the Course & Subject Catalogue and from the Media and Communications program.
Graduate Attributes: Students who graduate with Honours in the Bachelor of Arts (Media & Communication) at Melbourne receive a passport to a world of opportunities. The degree provides students with the scope to refine their analytical skills and research techniques while significantly expanding the range of options available after graduation.
Links to further information: http://www.culture-communication.unimelb.edu.au/media-communications/

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