Bachelor of Journalism

In this subject, students will be introduced to critical thinking and clear expression. They will evaluate arguments, identify assumptions, judge patterns of inference, and recognise and apply various methods of reasoning. Students will learn how to clarify and visually represent their thinking to make better decisions, evaluate and use evidence, and communicate more effectively in their writing and speaking. Using these skills, students will structure and write an academic essay and deliver an oral presentation.

Integrity, and the courage and capability to act on one’s sense of responsibility, are key components of a thriving life. Responsibility, Integrity and Civic Discourse fosters students’ lifelong commitment to responsible discourse and action in all spheres of human interaction, recognising the global aspect to contemporary citizenship. Students explore the complex relationship between character, responsible action, and creative critical thinking, learning how to reflect on and articulate their unique sense of global citizenship and responsibility. By accentuating the importance of justification and articulation of the reasons for our actions, students exercise their critical, communicative, and cooperative capabilities so that they can thrive with integrity in the multiple contexts of action they will face as private, civic, professional, and global citizens.

In today's work and study environments, individuals often encounter complex, open-ended problems that necessitate collaboration in both physical and virtual realms and across sectors and specialisations. In Collaboration for Global Change, students engage collaboratively to craft genuine solutions for global issues. In this context, students link their endeavours to specific sustainable development goals, thus positioning their actions as contributions to global citizenship. As they learn to defend their ideas and perspectives, students apply critical thinking, design thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills within a problem-based learning environment. This comprehensive approach equips them with the necessary skills and mindset to excel in future work, academic pursuits, and global initiatives.

In this subject, you will learn essential and foundational creative and technical skills necessary for successful careers in the creative and communications industries. You will learn the theoretical and practical fundamentals of visual, textual, and audio design and narrative across multiple digital and online platforms. Across the semester, you will build a portfolio of creative communication pieces. This multi-platform approach aligns with industry needs and expectations to equip you with foundational skills to carry you forward through your program and into the workplace.

In a rapidly evolving creative economy, creative and communication practitioners must navigate industry landscapes with strategy and entrepreneurial flair, while still prioritising originality and creativity. Creative Enterprise will equip you to work in creative fields - including communication, PR, advertising, journalism, social media, creative arts and embedded creative roles - with the essential tools to thrive as a professional, freelancer, entrepreneur or intrapreneur.  This subject explores the enterprise of creativity: how ideas become sustainable ventures, how intellectual property is protected and leveraged and how creatives can build resilient careers. You will learn to develop and pitch creative projects (to clients, funders, investors and other opportunities) and understand a range of industry contexts for your work, from working as a sole trader or freelancer, to working in start-ups or with employees, agencies and in embedded creative roles. You will also craft your own creative identity (personal and professional branding) and learn how to use social media to build visibility, networks and opportunities. 

The subject provides you with concepts, theories, and approaches for critically assessing the relationship between media and society. You will study and research how the media represent our world, shape our experiences, and exercise power in society. Topics covered include media platforms and their types and features, audiences, participatory digital culture, representation, advertising, news, and media workers. You will have an opportunity to evaluate your personal use of media and consider it through the lenses of media concepts and theories.

Ideas are the most valuable currency a communications or creative arts professional has. This subject is all about developing a sustained piece of creative practice or research, from idea to execution. It is an opportunity for you to attempt the kind of work you admire in industry, in the process creating a substantial communication portfolio piece that reflects the cumulative learning from your degree and mastery of your chosen discipline. You may work individually or in collaboration with a small team within the fields of advertising, communication, creative writing, journalism, media studies, social media, public relations, and film and television, or develop a hybrid project that falls within the spaces among these disciplines. You will first establish the scope, limitations and context of your work, situating it within its industry contexts/comparisons and identifying the market and audience for it. Classes will take the form of workshops, where you will have access to substantial peer and instructor feedback. The subject will also explore models of productivity and sustained creative practise, pitching, freelance and client work models, project management and the transformative power of communication, creative practice, and research.

This introductory subject immerses you in fundamental practices of news gathering and presentation for textual, digital and visual news media. You are introduced to news writing conventions through simulated and real-life reporting experiences, with the opportunity to experience work in a real newsroom with practising journalists. You will be grounded in the core journalistic values of truth, fairness and accuracy. These acquired skills are transferable across industries, including those external to traditional communications, to ensure you are a more efficient and effective communicator regardless of career path.

In this subject, you will have the chance to harness your creativity and explore a range of approaches, styles and genres to help you find, research and tell compelling stories. You will also receive industry-insider guidance on making your work compelling and publishable. This subject covers the foundations of writing fiction and creative non-fiction, including theme, character, dialogue, plot/structure, voice, style, imagery, location/setting and a range of literary devices. Tutorials take the form of supportive writing workshops where students are encouraged to experiment with various approaches to help find, develop and refine their own voice and writing style. You will also learn how to critically evaluate the work of other professionals and have the chance to practice self-editing and workshopping with an editor (your tutor).

  This practical, immersive subject turns your smartphone into a full-production studio for professional photography, video production, and digital storytelling. You will work with current and emerging technologies that are redefining the media landscape, exploring how industry practices continue to evolve in response to audience behaviour and platform innovation. Through hands-on class exercises and projects, you will create engaging, user-centred narratives designed to perform across multiple formats, platforms, and media environments.

Step into one of the fastest-growing corners of the media world and learn to craft compelling stories for the podcast industry. In this subject, you’ll discover how to find, shape and produce powerful audio narratives that connect deeply with listeners. You will learn to: write clear, conversational scripts that feel natural in the ear; record authentic voice, atmosphere and natural sound; and edit and mix your material to create rich, immersive soundscapes. You’ll also develop your on-mic confidence through presentation and narration, gain experience publishing your work across on-demand digital platforms and learn how to pitch your ideas to media outlets, commissioners or sponsors. Through hands-on exercises and assessments, you’ll explore a wide range of podcast formats, including chatcasts, interviews, panel discussions, news stories and long-form audio features or documentaries. As you progress, you will build a portfolio of original audio pieces that highlight your creative voice and technical abilities. Alongside the practical work, you’ll delve into radio and audio storytelling traditions and examine how podcasting continues to reshape and disrupt the modern media landscape.

This is not just a class, it's also an opportunity to make change. In The Deep Dive, you will step into the role of an investigative journalist working on a live, collaborative project. You will learn the theory, ethics, and traditions of investigative reporting while actively contributing to a public-interest investigation with real-world stakes. Through hands-on workshops and newsroom-style collaboration, you will master techniques such as public records analysis, document-driven reporting, data journalism, freedom of information requests, ethical AI use and advanced interviewing. You will also explore the global and local contexts for public-interest reporting, including frameworks for advocacy through journalism, such as solutions journalism, Indigenous media sovereignty and slow journalism.   As the investigation unfolds, you will work to your strengths to shape your findings into compelling stories using a range of storytelling formats, from long-form narrative and multimedia packages to data visualisations and audio features. The final project may be pitched to professional publishers, giving you the chance to see your work reach a public audience. 

In this subject, you will explore the art of visual storytelling through publication design. You will integrate words with graphical elements for visual narratives that prioritise journalism before artistry. You will learn to repurpose your content seamlessly across print, smartphones, and ebooks. Utilising industry-standard software, you will gain practical skills that meet modern industry demands, all while being grounded in the established theoretical frameworks of publication design. This digital-first approach will help you master the traditions of legacy news publishing while innovating for contemporary media landscapes.

This subject immerses you in television and video journalism through hands-on experience in both field and studio environments. In the field, you will learn to plan, film, edit and produce original news and feature packages for TV and video audiences, applying core journalistic principles and visual storytelling techniques. Then, in state-of-the-art studio facilities, you will work in front of and behind the camera to experience the roles of reporter, presenter, executive producer, editor and camera and control room operations. Emphasis is placed on: integrating ethical and legal standards; tailoring content for diverse audiences; creatively adapting to the formats, platforms and workflows of professional television journalism; and creating meaningful, original TV and video content that can be published across platforms.

This subject explores the essentials of Virtual Production screen storytelling. It delves into when you should use a Virtual Production workflow over a conventional one, how to seamlessly combine virtual and live elements, and the associated benefits and drawbacks. You will gain a basic understanding of the latest theories, production roles, and the language of Virtual Production. Additionally, you will develop competencies in the basic tools of operation and learn creative problem-solving techniques for real-world production challenges.

In this highly-practical, workshop-based subject, students learn the creative and theoretical fundamentals of DSLR photography and Adobe Photoshop image creation and manipulation. Students undertake a range of exercises involving composition, use of colour, framing, and other aspects of visual design.

In this highly-practical, workshop-based subject, students are introduced to the operation of an advanced modern broadcast television studio, and the production of weekly live broadcast programs (such as News, Current Affairs, Magazine, Variety and Music shows). Emphasis is placed on rotating production roles, studio etiquette, studio management, teamwork and program planning.

In this highly-practical, workshop-based subject, you will gain in-depth knowledge of multi-camera studio production through the filming of a situation-comedy. You will also work together as a large production team to produce a live sports broadcast, using the latest professional workflows and Outside Broadcast (OB) technology.

This subject combines creative practice with current theory as it explores the ever-evolving world of factual and documentary production, including reality television and short-form user-generated content. Students produce their own productions from idea generation, topic research, audience research, and scripting, through to filming, editing, and post-production.

Internship A provides high-achieving students with an immersive, situated learning experience in a professional workplace relevant to their major. Across the semester, students complete approximately 96 hours of supervised placement, integrated with fortnightly academic supervision and a structured program of assessment.  The placement develops practical knowledge of professional environments, workplace conventions, and discipline-specific skills. Fortnightly meetings with the academic supervisor support students to interpret their experiences, link practice to theory, and navigate practical, ethical, or legal challenges as they arise. Through reflective journaling, an industry analysis, and a curated portfolio of work, students consolidate their learning, develop professional self-awareness, and produce evidence of their emerging capability.  Together, these elements prepare students for the transition from study to professional practice. 

Pop-Up Newsroom is a field-based journalism subject that immerses students in real-world reporting environments. Delivered as an intensive, this subject is built around a major event where students act as working journalists. They will produce features and multimedia content that may include photo essays, long and short-form video reports, web content and long and short-form written journalism for both an event and their own portfolios. Students will work collaboratively and independently to create publishable content under real deadlines, within an environment that closely simulates industry processes and roles. This subject emphasises adaptability, creativity, and ethical storytelling.    

Social Media Strategy and Tactics delivers a strong foundation in social media as a strategic communications tool. The subject takes a hands-on, practical approach underpinned with applied theoretical knowledge that informs the strategic and planned use of social media channels and messaging. Throughout the subject, you will analyse industry best practices and create a suite of social media tactics. This subject embodies experiential, authentic learning: you will learn by doing, produce work informed by theory and policy, and reflect on social media use compared to best practice.

The Advertising Major develops your ability to design creative, strategic and socially responsible brand communication. You will explore contemporary advertising practice across emerging media, learning to translate insights into compelling ideas for diverse audiences and platforms. The major prepares you to navigate a rapidly evolving industry with the creativity, ethical awareness and problem-solving skills needed to shape meaningful communication outcomes.

In the Business Context and Environment major, you'll study foundational areas in business and develop a nuanced understanding of its purpose and operations. Core subjects focus on corporate responsibility, organisational function, economics, international business, and essential marketing principles. The elective choices, including Digital Transformation, Ethical Leadership, Enterprise Law, and Consumer and Buyer Behaviour, provide opportunities to tailor your studies to gain diverse perspectives. This major combines theory with practical skills, equipping you to make meaningful contributions to the global business landscape.

Communication skills are in high demand in all fields and most professional roles. The Communication Major develops core skills in writing, speaking, creativity, ideation, storytelling and strategic communication for professional and creative environments. You will explore how communication shapes culture, organisations and public understanding, and learn to create purposeful messages across a range of media or communication contexts. The flexible major also offers you the chance to develop deeper knowledge and skills in key communication areas of interest. 

A good story engages our emotions, empathy and curiosity; stories can also be powerful catalysts for change, persuasive motivators and the key entrepreneurial success. Within the Creative Writing Major, you will learn how to tell original and compelling stories across a range of formats, genres and platforms. You will study how to develop theme, character, dialogue, plot/structure, voice, style, imagery and how to use a range of literary devices. You will also learn how to critique, pitch and market your stories and how to navigate publishing and self-publishing landscapes. Not only will these skills serve you well as a writer, you’ll also be encouraged to apply your narrative skills and techniques to other fields: from entrepreneurial storytelling to health narratives, professional narratives, social media narratives and much in between.

The major in Criminology equips students with the professional and analytical skills to pursue a career in criminal justice, government, private, and the wider not-for-profit social services sectors. It covers a range of critical areas of study, including criminal justice, explanations of crime, investigations, crime prevention, child protection and youth justice. The major provides students with the knowledge and tools to enable them to lead change and innovation across a wide variety of roles in justice and social service organisations.

The Digital Media major equips learners with a holistic approach to critically reflect and analyse new innovations and solutions as they relate to emerging digital media design methods and the changing job market due to disruptive technological change. Students will accumulate a diverse and coherent body of knowledge focused on the understanding and application of digital design methods, standards and industry best practices to develop a collaborative problem-solving strategy. Using an integrated approach (combining theory with workplace practice), students will be enabled to skilfully communicate design solutions outcomes to complex problems; through effective oral, written and visual communication techniques.

This major will appeal to those enterprising individuals with an eye towards their own start-up business, or who are keen to work as an “intrepreneur” inside an organisation. Students will gain skills in ideation, creativity and innovation in planning a business and developing a viable business model. Through experiential learning and support from industry experts, students will graduate with contemporary and best practice knowledge, insights, and strategies with which to implement effective management practices and bring a business idea into fruition.

The field of marketing communications is in a state of constant change. By studying a Marketing Communications major, students will develop the practical skills, built on a foundation of theory, to meet the needs of this ever-evolving industry. Students will acquire transferable and adaptable knowledge in strategic communication, public relations, advertising and/or digital communication. Via case study analysis, campaign creation and hands-on skill development, students will gain industry knowledge and expertise in a small-class environment. Developing ethical and innovative communication campaigns and tactics for real-world clients enables students to apply their skills helping them gain confidence in, and practice with, their new abilities. The course also focuses on developing creativity, critical thinking and presentation skills. Graduates will gain flexible and dynamic skills set, transferable across many diverse and exciting career paths.

This major develops students’ knowledge, skills, and practical experience in designing and implementing market-driven, value-creation marketing strategies underpinned by a sound understanding of consumer and buyer behaviour. The focus is placed on how to conduct market research, analyse findings, and communicate these to management.

This major involves the creative, critical task of constructing, clarifying and comparing ideas. You will examine predominant cultural ideas, both western and eastern. The major is orientated towards practical issues in the fields of politics, ethics, religion and art. Completion of the major will provide you with deep cultural knowledge: not just of forms of behaviour and styles or organisation, but the deeper, philosophical well-springs of world cultures.

The Public Relations Major prepares you for a career in strategic communication across corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors, working in organisations and agencies. You will explore public relations from a management perspective and examine how communication professionals build relationships, shape reputation and navigate complex issues. Through applied learning and engagement with real clients, you will develop strategic research, campaign planning, writing, media, social media and crisis communication skills grounded in ethical and professional practice. 

Digital and social media literacy is critical for students seeking a career in marketing and communications industries. In the Social Media Major, you will gain a sophisticated understanding of the strategic role digital and social media plays in everyday life and organisational practice, in both local and global contexts. Through practical, hands-on learning supported by applied theory, you will develop skills in strategy, digital content analysis and creation, persuasive storytelling and creative problem-solving. You will learn to craft ethical narratives and campaigns across multiple platforms and keep pace with this fast-changing field.

Embark on an exhilarating journey with our Sports Industry major.  This major is specifically designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic sports industry. Explore the essential foundations of marketing, sport organisation, governance, policy, and the art of sports communications. Develop an understanding of international sport business practices and gain insights into the exciting world of sports media. Customise your learning experience with elective options such as sports public relations, managing high-performance sports, and sports law. Whether you aspire to be a sports journalist or pursue various other career paths within the sports industry, this major equips you with specialised knowledge and skills to thrive in this fast-paced and ever-evolving field. 

This major is only available to Bachelor of Journalism or Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Performance program students.