Bachelor of Communication and Media (BCNM) - BCmn

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Online: 909885; Toowoomba campus: 909881

CRICOS code (International applicants): 093872D

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Professional accreditation

The Bachelor of Communication and Media (Public Relations) and the Bachelor of Communication and Media (Public Relations Extended) are accredited with the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA).

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Program aims

This program aims to produce graduates who have mastery over the professional practice of contemporary communication industry skills, supported by scholarly engagement with communication/media theory. Graduates will demonstrate professional practice in preferred areas of journalism, public relations and interactive media, supported by a range of cognate skills from contemporary communication and media studies. Students can complement their major study with nominated major and minor studies from across the University’s programs. The Bachelor of Communication and Media program allows specific emphasis on those skills required in communications professions, with emphasis on journalism, public relations and mass communication.

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Program objectives

On successful completion of the program students should be able to:

• express themselves with clarity and coherence and in terms of the industry-knowledge of the communication professions

• explain and describe the fundamental nature of the process of communication in a range of communication forms including journalism, interactive media and public relations

• critically examine and describe the theoretical issues, problems and methodologies of the communication professions

• solve problems according to the ethical and social responsibilities that are integral to the function of professional communication

• assess and apply methods, concepts, techniques and theories in projects from different professional communication contexts.

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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 07. Graduates at this level will have broad and coherent knowledge and skills for professional work and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting www.aqf.edu.au.

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Program Information Set

View USQ’s admission criteria, student profiles and a summary of all offers made under Course Admission Information Set via the QTAC website.

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

• Have achieved a minimum Overall Position (OP) 15, tertiary entrance rank 66 or equivalent qualification.^

• Subject pre-requisite: English (4, SA) or equivalent.

• English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 2.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements.

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a University-approved English language program. On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of a students' higher education and students pay a student contribution amount, which varies depending on the courses undertaken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called HECS-HELP.

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called FEE-HELP provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for FEE-Help.

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

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Program structure

The Bachelor of Communication and Media is comprised of 24 single-unit courses as indicated in the table below. Students are not permitted to complete more than 10 Level 1 courses as part of the program.

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 9 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

All students must take the core courses:

• CMS1000 Communication and Scholarship

• CMS1010 Introduction to Communication Studies

• CMS2019 Global Hollywood

• CMS2008 Subjectivities, the Self and Communication

• CMS3013 New Media

• JRN1010 News Literacy

• PRL1002 Principles and Practice of Public Relations

• STA3100 Evaluating Information

The recommended pattern for enrolment in core courses by full-time on-campus students is:

This pattern should only be varied with the permission of the Program Coordinator.

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Major studies

8-unit majors:

• Advertising

• Communication and Media Studies

• Interactive Media

• Journalism

• Marketing

• Public Relations

• Television and Radio

12-unit extended majors:

• Journalism Extended

• Public Relations Extended

• Television and Radio Extended

Majors from outside the program

Students may select one major from the list above and a second major from another USQ undergraduate program subject to meeting prerequisite requirements and with the approval of the Program Coordinator. Programs where students may consider a second major include:

• Bachelor of Arts

• Bachelor of Business and Commerce

• Bachelor of Information Technology

• Bachelor of Science

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Minor Studies

Students may take one minor from those listed in the Minor studies section of this Handbook. Students should take courses to the value of at least four units in the selected Minor Study. Choice of a minor will depend on the availability of the subject area, timetabling constraints, quotas and other restrictions such as auditions and interviews in certain areas of the Arts, as well as the approval of the Program Coordinator.

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Practical experience

In many majors within this program, on-campus and external students will be required to work on practical, real world projects and in some cases, will be required to work in teams. Public Relations, Communication, Marketing, Interactive Media, Television and Radio, and Advertising students will work on at least two client projects during their study. Students undertaking the Journalism and Public Relations majors are able to undertake work experience and have this recognised as part of their course through HMT3001 Independent Study Project A and HMT3002 Independent Study Project B .

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IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the minimum computing standards.

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Exit points

Students may exit with the Diploma of Arts if they have completed 8 courses as follows:

• CMS1000 Communication and Scholarship

• 7 other courses from the Bachelor of Communication and Media.

Students may exit with the Associate Degree of Communication and Media if they have completed 16 courses as follows:

• 4 core units from the Bachelor of Communication and Media

• 12 other units, with no more than 10 level one units.

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Credit

Candidates for admission to the Bachelor of Communication and Media may be eligible for up to 16 units of credit on the basis of successful completion of relevant, equivalent undergraduate study from a recognised university or institution offering equivalent study. Credit approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by USQ.

Claims for credit for previous study should be submitted prior to or at the time of enrolment. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with USQ policy.

Note:Where credit is granted, maximum and minimum duration will be adjusted in the same proportion as credit, for example, where eight units of credit is granted, maximum time will be six years and minimum time will be four semesters.

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Enrolment

Given the program structure information, students should plan their enrolment making sure that they have fulfilled all core, major and minor requirements (depending on their choice of enrolment pattern). Enrolment requirements must be satisfied before enrolling in a course.
As a guide, full-time students should plan to undertake 8 courses per year and online students, who are in employment, a maximum of 6 courses per year, with a minimum of 4 courses per year. This is exclusive of any semester 3 enrolments.
Courses are normally offered on-campus and externally in the same semester. If a course is offered twice in one year, the second offering will normally be on an external basis only.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

• Advertising (8-unit major)
• Communication and Media Studies (8-unit major)
• Interactive Media (8-unit major)
• Journalism (8-unit major)
• Journalism Extended (12-unit major)
• Marketing (8-unit major)
• Public Relations (8-unit major)
• Public Relations Extended (12-unit major)
• Television and Radio (8-unit major)
• Television and Radio Extended (12-unit major)

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Advertising (8-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Communication and Media Studies (8-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Interactive Media (8-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Journalism (8-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Journalism Extended (12-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

This major will qualify students for work as practising journalists in industry. On-campus classes are available at Toowoomba and Springfield.

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Marketing (8-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Public Relations (8-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Public Relations Extended (12-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Television and Radio (8-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Students undertaking radio courses from Year 2 are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in. Students undertaking television courses from Year 2 must enrol on campus.

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Television and Radio Extended (12-unit major)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.