Postgraduate Degree (Coursework)
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Master of Communications and Media Studies - Course Overview Course Description This course focuses on the challenges posed by the emergence of digital media, globalisation and increasing levels of cross-cultural exchange. The last decade has been one of unprecedented change in communications and media content, forms, technology and policy with wide-ranging implications for business, politics, public administration and everyday life. The graduate program in communications and media studies examines these developments from both empirical and theoretical perspectives. It looks at the history, development and reception of traditional and new media around the world, and the changes in content delivery, policy and technology that have taken place in recent years. The Master of Communications and Media Studies seeks to further students’ understanding of communications and media systems both locally and globally. Contemporary policy debates in various nations are studied as responses to changing processes of mediation and consumption. The program is particularly designed to focus on themes relevant to those employed (or seeking employment) in communications and media industries (for instance, policy formulation, media / public relations, audience research), as well as those wishing to develop expertise in communications and media studies for purposes of teaching or further study. Students undertaking the course will learn skills necessary for the participation in and management of sophisticated communicative processes in regional, urban, national and international contexts. These include critical thinking, cultural sensitivity, advanced reading and communication skills (both written and verbal), and advanced analytical skills. More widely, the degree aims to develop skills in communications and media research. This methodological training will enable students to transition from undergraduate to research-based study smoothly, and prepare them well for today’s competitive industry.
Key Strengths The strength of the Master of Communications and Media Studies program lies in its global, contemporary focus and its linkages with vocational and industry practices. The course highlights current national, regional and global issues and relates these with local and transnational flows of media and information that are vital to the cultural and economic development of the globalised world. Students successfully completing this course will attain:
Industry Relevance of the Curriculum The School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS) at Monash University, Sunway campus has built up a diverse range of industry linkages. Many lecturers in the School are actively involved in local media industries. The connection between the Master of Communications and Media Studies program and the wider media industries will prove to be of particular interest and benefit to students. The program’s curriculum is both theoretically and practically grounded. The first two core units of the program: Communication Research, and Issues in International Communications, provide not only vocational relevance but a foundation for further education as well. The level-five core unit, the Industry Reseach Project, encourages students to apply their theoretical knowledge in order to analyse a substantive issue focusing on the local media industry. The elective units like Media, Ethics and Practice; Contemporary Issues in Asia; and Communications, Convergence and Public Policy enable the students to develop skills and abilities to investigate the contemporary realities and practices of communications and media industries in Asia and around the world. These units foreground the key parameters of the communications industry today: for example, how media organizations work as an industry while maintaining professional ethics, as well as how nation-states and national governments respond to contemporary media convergence and the global flow of information.
Course Structure To complete the degree, students will complete six units by coursework. However, some students may also choose to undertake a minor research project instead of two level-five units. All students must complete four level-four 12-point units (two core units plus two elective units). At level-five, they will complete one core unit and one elective unit, each worth 12 points, or students who have achieved a Distinction or High Distinction grade for the first 4 units may choose to undertake a 24-point research thesis with approval of the coordinator. Full-time students will normally complete two 12-point units per semester. Part-time students will normally complete one 12-point unit per semester. All units where indicated are worth 12 points. Level four core units Level four electives Level five core unit
Level five elective
Alternatively students may undertake the following, if they have achieved a minimum distinction average and with the approval of the coordinator:
Intake February
Course Duration The duration of the masters degree is normally three semesters full-time or six semesters part-time.
Entry Requirements The minimum requirement for entry is ONE of the following:
English Language Requirements http://www.monash.edu.my/advancement/studentrecruitment/english-language/index.html
Teaching Staff The school is staffed by Academics who are leading experts in their fields. They are active in research, substantially published both nationally and internationally, and have extensive knowledge and depth of teaching and research experience, thus making them highly valued by students.
Further Information More detailed information on how to apply and application forms are available at http://www.monash.edu.my/advancement/pso/applications/index.html Find out more |
