Bachelor of Communication for 2013

Major study areas

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications focuses on the role of media in society and how this influences the way we receive communications and the way we communicate with each other. Today, we get most of our news and knowledge from mass media and social media, so it is vital that students learn about the structures of communications industries and how to critically analyse the media.

ENGLISH

English students combine a love of reading with a passion for thinking, debating and analysing. English at Monash focuses on English literature and language, and its uses for a range of communication and cultural purposes. We aim to equip students with excellent communication skills, knowledge of a wide range of literary genres, and an understanding of the theoretical frameworks that underpin reading, writing and language use.

FILM AND TELEVISION STUDIES

This teaching program extends and enhances everyday ways of thinking about film and television into more sophisticated and specialised methods and approaches. Students explore the film and television cultures of Asia, the United States and Europe, looking at everything from contemporary popular Hollywood to documentary film, and everything in between.

GENDER STUDIES

Not so long ago, issues such as gender, sexuality and the relationship between the sexes were not theorised, researched or even taught. Today, however, there is such a large body of knowledge and theory on these topics that a new branch of academic study has been formed - women's studies and gender studies. Gender studies frequently challenges students' existing understandings and extends their horizons. Students engage with topics including gender and the body, media representations, new reproductive technologies, employment and education, and ethnicity and racism.

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

As the world globalises and nations and economies become more integrated, understanding our world and the ideas and beliefs of our neighbours is vital. International studies criss-crosses history, politics, international relations, sociology and economics. It starts by looking at the history of the 20th century and then moves to the issues facing our world as we move into the 21st century.

JOURNALISM

Our journalism program is the largest undergraduate journalism program in Australia. Our students are taught by real journalists. Through a combination of academic and practice-based work, students gain a solid foundation in all production technologies - print, video, radio and online - in metropolitan, regional and international contexts.

JOURNALISM STUDIES

Journalism studies complements the journalism major - they are typically taken together - but you can also take journalism studies as a stand-alone area of study. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on a range of areas including media studies, politics, economics, history and philosophy. Students learn about the context and practice of journalism in Australia and internationally, while developing skills in media research.

PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology draws on a range of phenomena including remembering and forgetting, thinking, learning, problem solving, how we communicate, our emotions, and our social interactions. It allows us to examine how we respond to the world around us, providing valuable insights in how we can interact with the world more effectively and safely.

WRITING

Writing at Monash offers students the opportunity to understand a range of writing practices and to become familiar with different kinds of writing and language use for different audiences and purposes. Students gain a detailed understanding of the range of techniques used in contemporary writing practice, and graduate with valuable analytical, editorial and creative skills, applicable to a variety of careers.