University of Sydney Handbooks - 2020 Archive

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Digital Communication and Culture

Semester 2, 2020 unit of study availability

Some Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences units of study originally intended to run in Semester 2, 2020 are no longer available.

A full and up-to-date list of units of study available in Semester 2, 2020 from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, can be found on this webpage.
 

Digital Communication and Culture

Master of Digital Communication and Culture

Students complete 72 credit points, including:
(a) 24 credit points of core units of study; and
(b) 42 credit points from elective units of study.
(i) with the permission of the Degree Coordinator a maximum of 12 credit points can be taken as elective units outside those listed in the table, including:
(ii) a maximum of 6 credit points from units of study offered by other faculties.

Graduate Diploma in Digital Communication and Culture

Students complete 48 credit points, including:
(a) 24 credit points of core units of study; and
(b) 24 credit points from elective units of study.
(i) with the permission of the Degree Coordinator a maximum of 6 credit points can be taken as elective units outside those listed in the table.

Graduate Certificate in Digital Communication and Culture

Students complete 24 credit points, including:
(a) 12 credit points of core units of study; and
(b) 12 credit points from elective units of study.

Core

ARIN6902 Internet Cultures and Governance

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd journalism piece (40%), 1x3000wd essay (50%), 1x1000wd tutorial exercise (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The internet plays an increasingly important role in all aspects of social, cultural and economic life. This unit of study explores cultures and governance of the online world and investigates how politics manifest not only in public debates and policy, but also in the struggle to develop new information architectures and digital ecosystems.
ARIN6904 Mobile Media and Games

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Critical Essay (30%), 1x1500wd Industry Research Report (25%), 1x1500wd Written report of Serious Game Concept (25%), x1000wd equivalent total Weekly quizzes (10%), x Participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Networked mobile devices and computer games are increasingly prominent in today's mediascapes, supporting practices of individualised mobility and play. This unit of study critically examines the aesthetics, politics and everyday uses of these emerging cultural technologies. It draws on new media studies, game studies and platform studies to explore themes such as the complication of leisure and work spaces, new media industries, gamification, playbour and mobile social media.
ARIN6905 New Media Audiences

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Seminar presentation (20%), 1x2500wd Essay (40%), 1x2000wd case study reviews (blog) (30%), Seminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Media audiences are experiencing knowledge, art and entertainment in novel ways as cultural industries increasingly take up emerging technologies. New Media Audiences investigates the range of contemporary practices of production, distribution and consumption associated with digital tools. We examine the sites where audiences experience digital media: art galleries, cinemas, theatres, homes, mobile devices, public spaces, workplaces and online. We analyse how these spaces and interfaces structure audience experience, afford interaction and encourage participation.
ARIN6903 Digital Media and Society

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd short essay (30%), 1x1000wd research outline and presentation (20%), 1x3000wd research proposal (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Digital media technologies are increasingly central to culture, society and everyday life. They mediate individual experience and reconfigure communities. They structure work, play and social interaction. This unit explores the role of digital media in visuality, feelings, identities, power relations, activist practices, mobilities and algorithmic cultures. Students are equipped with tools for researching digital sociality to design a research project using ethnographic and/or text-mining methods.
Textbooks
ARIN6903 Course Reader

Capstone

MECO6904 Dissertation Part 1

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 6x0.5hr supervisor consultations/semester Prerequisites: 24 credit points from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Corequisites: MECO6939 Prohibitions: MECO6928 or MECO6935 Assessment: A completed research proposal and, where necessary, an ethics application, together with research and writing contributing to a dissertation of 12000 words, for completion in MECO6905. Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit requires students to commence the conduct of their own research projects under the supervision of a member of staff and write a dissertation of 12000 words (completed in the second semester of enrolment in MECO6905). In some cases these projects will give students the opportunity to extend lines of enquiry suggested by units of study already completed for the degree. In other cases, students may have an interest in an area not covered by the coursework programs offered during their candidature that can be developed as a supervised project.
MECO6905 Dissertation Part 2

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 6x0.5hr supervisor consultations/semester Prerequisites: 48 credit points, including MECO6904 from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Prohibitions: MECO6928 or MECO6935 Assessment: Completion of writing for a dissertation of 12000 words (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This unit requires completion of a dissertation of 12000 words, begun in the previous semester. Together with MECO6904, the unit allows students to conduct their own research projects under the supervision of a member of staff.
MECO6928 Media and Communication Internship

Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive December,Intensive June,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 20 day internship placement Prerequisites: 48 credit points from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Prohibitions: MECO6904 or MECO6905 or MECO6935 Assessment: 1x20day internship placement, 1x1500wd reflective journal (and folio) (40%), 1x1500wd industry research report (40%), 1x1500wd social media participation (20%) Practical field work: 20 day (140 hours) full-time internship in an approved organisation Mode of delivery: Professional practice
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This capstone unit of study offers Master degree students in the Department of Media and Communications (MECO) 20 days (140 hours) work experience in roles relating to their degree. Internships require critical reflection on professional practice and foster skills, knowledge and experience that enhance employment prospects. Placements may include reporting, editing, producing, designing, researching, publishing, public and media relations, campaigns, and other tasks. Available to MECO Master students only, following the completion of at least two core units of study.
MECO6935 Professional Project

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/wk Prerequisites: 48 credit points from Digital Communication & Cultures or Media Practice or Health Communication or Strategic Public Relations or Publishing degree tables Prohibitions: MECO6904 or MECO6905 or MECO6928 or MECO6939 Assessment: 1x1000wd project proposal (20%), 1x3000wd research essay (40%), seminar presentation (10%), 1x1000wd exegesis (20%), 1x1000wd in-class presentation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
This capstone unit is designed for students' final semester of study, providing them with the opportunity to apply learning from their degree to the completion of a researched project relevant to their career goals. Working with the coordinator, students choose an academic essay, industry report, media campaign or journalism project. Learning is supported by training in literature reviewing and data collection, research methods, project planning and independent consultations.
MECO6932 Advanced Media Project

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 48 credit points including MECO6900 and (MECO6924 or MECO6925 or MECO6941) Prohibitions: MECO6928 or MECO6904 or MECO6905 or MECO6935 Assessment: 1x1000wd research brief (30%), 1x3000wd major project (50%), 1x500wd student peer reviewed activity (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Note: Open to Masters' students only
This is a project-based capstone unit focusing on specific publication and project outcomes. It builds on knowledge, techniques, professionalism and skills acquired by students who have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite units, and further opportunity to enhance that knowledge, and practice those skills. Students will produce a substantial factual audio/video media project and experience many facets of production and problem solving encountered in delivering a major media project in a convergent production environment.

Elective

ARHT6930 Film Theory: Art, Industry, Culture

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 2x2000wd Essays (100%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The relation of film to industrial modernity is an ongoing issue for film theorists. With the advent of digital image processes and production the relation of art and industry has re-emerged with a new set of problems. How do we conceptualise the new forms? What theoretical and aesthetic language(s) do we draw on? And how best to rethink film in the face of rapid technological, formal and cultural change? These issues will be investigated via an examination of the history of film theory's attempts to formulate concepts adequate to the age of industrial modernity.
CISS6022 Cybersecurity

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2hr exam (40%), 1x3000wd analytical Essay (40%), 1x1000wd equivalent lab exercise (10%), 1xSeminar participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The digital revolution has created new frontiers of information that influence almost every aspect of our lives. But does cyberspace also threaten our security? What are the methods and motives for attack? And how can state and non-state actors respond? Drawing on a unique combination of expertise from the Centre for International Security Studies and the School of Information Technologies, this unit introduces students to the technical and political concepts that are necessary to answer these important questions.
ENGL6970 Reading Magazines

Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive February,Semester 2 Classes: 4x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd research paper (40%), 4x500wd discussion posts (20%), 1x2000wd conference paper (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit celebrates magazines as an important but often over-looked part of Australian print and digital culture. Starting with an overview of the history of print culture in Australia and the role of iconic magazines like the Bulletin and Women's Weekly in constructing literary and popular culture, we then examine a cross-section of publications from 'little' literary magazines to fashion, gossip, sports, special-interest, custom and online magazines.
GCST5909 Key Thinkers for Cultural Studies

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x500wd Seminar presentation (10%), 1x2500wd Essay (50%) and 1x2000wd reading journal (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Based on close reading of individual authors, this unit introduces students with limited background in cultural theory to key thinkers for contemporary cultural studies. Students will learn about the influence of such theoretical fields as Western Marxism, psychoanalysis and feminism on cultural studies as well as how to relate cultural research to the cross-disciplinary traditions of structuralism and post-structuralism as these have been taken up in different intellectual contexts around the world.
GCST6901 Cultural Policy

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x1250wd policy analysis (30%), 1x250wd research plan (10%), 1x3000wd research essay (50%), tutorial participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines cultural policy across a range of sectors such as museums and heritage, the arts, media, and the 'cultural industries'. It will provide theoretical perspectives and practical insight into policy formation processes in Australia and internationally. The multiple actors and rationales that shape policy and ground claims for its relevance amid social change and cultural diversity are considered. Students learn how to analyse policies in relation to the institutional, social and political contexts of their emergence.
IDEA9103 Design Programming

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Harrison McEwen Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: seminar 3 hrs/week Assessment: quiz (30%) and assignments (70%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit provides an introduction to the development of software in design and the creative industries. It teaches an understanding of the fundamentals of computational thinking, as well as skills in the design and implementation of software for creative expression. It introduces students to tools for building interactive design prototypes that express their interaction design skills through programming. It covers knowledge of programming concepts; creative coding practices; and Javascript and the p5.js library. Key concepts covered in this unit include: variables, functions, control flows, and algorithmic thinking. Students learn how to approach creative expression through the medium of code, which will allow them to incorporate programming into their own design practice as well as to collaborate effectively with software developers. This unit is a foundational core unit in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts program.
IDEA9105 Interface Design

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Soojeong Yoo Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: lecture 1 hr/wk, tutorial 2 hrs/wk Assessment: design assignments (90%) and quizzes (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of user interface design. Interface design is an important element of a human-centred design approach to the development of interactive computational systems. Students will learn about industry standard user interface design and usability principles and guidelines, based in visual design theory and visual perception. They will acquire practical knowledge through the application of tools and techniques for designing and evaluating user interfaces for a variety of different platforms. This includes (1) low-fidelity prototyping (hand sketches, wireframes, clickable prototypes); (2) usability testing and heuristics; (3) web and mobile user interfaces and/or emerging technologies. The aim is to develop appreciation of visual design principles and their impact on the user experience of interactive products. The knowledge and skills developed in this unit will equip students with the essential capabilities for working in the interaction design and user experience profession. This unit is a foundational core unit in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts program.
IDEA9106 Design Thinking

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Naseem Ahmadpour Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: lecture 1 hr/wk, tutorial 2 hrs/wk Assessment: design assignments (90%) and quizzes (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit of study provides an overview of a human-centred approach to the design of products and systems. It introduces students to design thinking and how it can be productively applied to different design situations. The theoretical concepts, methods and tools for the key stages of interaction design are covered including user research, ideation, prototyping and user evaluation. It provides students with the principles, processes and tools for working collaboratively on design projects in studio. Students learn to build empathy with users, identify and reframe the problem space, develop value-driven design concepts and persuasively communicate design proposals with an emphasis on the user experience through visual storytelling. This unit is a foundational core unit in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts program.
INFO5990 Professional Practice in IT

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof Masahiro Takatsuka Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Lectures, Tutorials Assumed knowledge: Students enrolled in INFO5990 are assumed to have previously completed a Bachelor's degree in some area of IT, or have completed a Graduate Diploma in some area of IT, or have many years experience as a practising IT professional. Assessment: Through semester assessment (50%) and Final Exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
Note: The main focus of the subject is to provide students with the necessary tools, basic skills, experience and adequate knowledge so they develop an awareness and an understanding of the responsibilities and issues associated with professional conduct and practice in the information technology sector. This unit is for MIT, MITM, MIT/MITM students only.
This Unit of Study introduces the students to some of the concepts, standards and techniques associated with the current professional practice in information technology in the business environment.
Students will encounter a range of concepts, techniques and professional issues including interpersonal and organisational communication, human resources and conflict resolution, globalisation, professional ethics, social impacts of IT, data security, data quality assurance, system audit, investigative research and project management practice. Practical and real world case studies will be used as part of the learning to enhance the in-class teachings to the needs of industry.
INFO5992 Understanding IT Innovations

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Jinman Kim Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Lectures, Tutorials Prerequisites: 24 credit points of units at 5000-level or above Prohibitions: PMGT5875 Assessment: Through semester assessment (40%) and Final Exam (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
An essential skill for an IT manager is the ability to keep up-to-date with emerging technologies, and be able to evaluate the significance of these technologies to their organisation's business activities. This unit of study is based around a study of current technologies and the influence of these technologies on business strategies.
Important trends in innovation in IT are identified and their implications for innovation management explored. Major topics include: drivers of innovation; the trend to open information ("open source") rather than protected intellectual property; and distribution of innovation over many independent but collaborating actors.
On completion of this unit, students will be able to identify and analyse an emerging technology and write a detailed evaluation of the impact of this technology on existing business practices.
INFO6007 Project Management in IT

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Hamzah Osop Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Lectures, Workshops, Assignments, Exam Preparation Prohibitions: PMGT5871 Assumed knowledge: Students enrolled in INFO6007 are assumed to have previously completed a Bachelor's degree in some area of IT, or have completed a Graduate Diploma in some area of IT, or have three years experience as a practising IT professional. Recent work experience, or recent postgraduate education, in software project management, software process improvement, or software quality assurance is an advantage. Assessment: Through semester assessment (60%) and Final Exam (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) evening
This unit of study covers the key components of successfully managing a wide variety of Information Technology projects. The course covers both quantitative and qualitative aspects of project management. Topics include the management of time, scope, budget, risk, quality, and resources through each of the phases of a project.
LNGS7006 Cross-Cultural Communication

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Linguistic Relativity (20%), 1x2000wd Mid-semester exam (30%), 1x3000wd Final paper (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
In today's globalised and multicultural societies, cross-cultural communication is common enough. Even so, it continues to be a challenge, both for people who engage in cross-cultural communication on a daily basis, and for researchers trying to describe and understand it. In this unit of study we will consider a variety of discourse-analytic approaches to studying cross-cultural communication, including conversation analysis, speech act theory, interactional sociolinguistics, the ethnography of communication, and critical discourse analysis. In our analyses of actual samples of cross-cultural communication we will pay particular attention to the social positioning of participants in an interaction, and the ways how social relationships (particularly of power and intimacy) between participants are reflected in their linguistic practices. The unit will end with exploring applied perspectives, particularly on cross-cultural communication in educational, courtroom and workplace interactions.
MECO6900 News Writing

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr introductory lecture/semester, 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x3000wd news reporting portfolio (40%), 1x3000wd news story reporting package (50%), participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This core unit hones writing skills as a foundation for all forms of media production. Students are introduced to the elements of journalistic style, the processes of news, and the skills of interviewing and research. While the unit focuses on news and writing, it will be useful for any field that deals with the media, such as PR and communication management.
MECO6902 Legal and Ethical Issues in Media Practice

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x3000wd Essay (40%), 1x1500wd Presentation (20%), 1x1500wd Online comment piece (30%), 1x Seminar participation (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
MECO6902 will introduce students to key legal and ethical issues relevant to journalism and the professional fields of public communication. Students will be given an introductory survey of the main ethical theories in Western thought to establish a framework within which to examine specific ethical issues that relate to media systems. They will also be introduced to the structure of Australia's legal system in comparison with other legal systems, and explore selected law, regulation and policy issues.
MECO6908 Strategy Selection in Corporate PR

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd communications plan (30%), 1x PR tactics presentation (group) (2000wd equivalent per student) (30%), 1x2000wd essay (30%), tutorial participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This core unit of study analyses corporate communication strategy selection in organisations to determine effectiveness. Students examine the strategic intent of a national or international corporation by studying its corporate communication tactics, specifically its annual reports and other marketing collateral. The unit will equip students to determine the effectiveness of the organisation's communication with stakeholders and strategic publics including customers, employees, environmental groups, governments and shareholders.
MECO6916 Editing and Proofreading

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x500wd Reader report (15%), 1x1500wd structural report (30%), 1x1250 wd equivalent copyedit fiction (30%), 1x1250wd equivalent on-screen copyedit (25%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Students will develop the skills of structural editing, copyediting and proofreading, on screen and paper, across a range of content for both print and digital output. They will understand the significance of the roles of the editor and proofreader and how these roles have been affected by technological change and globalisation.
MECO6925 Online Journalism

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1700wd comparative journalism analysis (30%), 1x600wd research blog posting (25%), 1x2200wd equivalent feature story production package (45%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces students to writing and reporting for online news and information services, with a focus on web, social media and mobile delivery. It is a practical unit involving writing exercises in different genres, including feature and opinion pieces. Students will also examine theoretical issues in social journalism and convergent media publishing. They will be encouraged to blog their work, developing basic skills in text, image and audio-visual production for the web, social media and mobile platforms.
MECO6926 International Media Practice

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 10x120wd reflection on reading (20%), 1x2400wd investigation of media systems (40%), 1x2400wd research essay (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
International media practices teaches students to map, compare and debate the power of digital media systems around the world. Within this framework, it explores concepts of hybridity and practical examples of intercultural media practice. Students will access diverse online media and examine future professional employment options.
MECO6929 Chinese Media Studies in Global Contexts

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x3000wd Essay (50%), 1x1000wd News digest (10%), 1x1000wd Critique presentation (20%), 1x500wd Reply to peer questions (10%), 1x500wd Peer questions (10%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces students to the systems, regulation and uses of Chinese media. Designed for all students, with or without knowledge of the Chinese language, it draws on theories and concepts of global media studies for understanding situations in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Chinese communities in other countries. Implications of media uses by the Chinese authorities, professionals, and ordinary citizens, in the context of globalized communication, are discussed with regard to a range of media, including the Internet.
MECO6930 Publication Design

Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x250wd equivalent Text title design (15%), 1x250wd equivalent Mood board (15%), 1x1000wd equivalent Production print draft layout (20%), 1x3000wd equivalent Digital magazine (50%), Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Publication design focuses on the design and production of magazines and other small-scale publications in print and online form. The unit of study explores the visual language of contemporary magazines and introduces students to basic design principles. Students learn about the complex interplay of text, image and sequence occurring in magazine design through the practical experience of creating their own publication using Adobe InDesign software. The unit links creative design processes to current digital and print practice.
MECO6934 Social Issues Marketing

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Essay (30%), 1x1500wd Weekly Comments (20%), 1x500wd Team Presentation (10%), 1x2500wd Team Project Report (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Social Marketing integrates marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviours that benefit individuals and communities. Examples include smoking cessation, HIV prevention and recycling. Key elements include research, theory, competition and segmentation. This unit builds students' knowledge of how social marketing can be used to facilitate behaviour change and improve social outcomes, including health, environment, economic and education programs. It will include how to design, manage and communicate social and behaviour change programs in Australia and internationally.
MECO6936 Social Media Communication

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1a,Semester 2a Classes: 26hrs seminar in Intensive mode (equivalent to 1x2hr seminar/week) Assessment: 1x2000wd equiv Social Media Design Brief (25%), 1x2500wd Social Media Project (45%), 1x1500wd Online Article and Comments (30%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
This unit introduces the fundamentals of strategic social media use for professional and organisational communication, media practice and cultural production. It aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to become competent, ethical social media communicators and to critically analyse social media forms, services and cultures. Students will explore online, mobile and locative platforms for interacting with audiences, publics and online communities, including professional networks.
MECO6938 The Interview

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1a Classes: Intensive sessions: 26hrs seminar/semester Assessment: 1x2000wd report (30%), 1x1000wd research brief (20%), 1x3000wd or equivalent major project (50%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Interviewing covers a range of styles from the performative to the investigative and is a fundamental skill for media work and much scholarly research. This unit will introduce students to interview research, design and practice for both media and academic outlets. Students will examine best practice examples of a range of interview approaches and techniques, as well as delivering a substantial interview project.
MECO6939 Research Methods

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x3000wd research design (40%), 1x1500wd methodology review (25%), 1x1500wd dissertation critical review (25%), 2x presentations (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will develop students' knowledge of key research methods used in media, communications and digital cultures research. Students will be introduced to a range of research techniques and methods, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, and will have the opportunity to reflect critically on these methods through practitioner presentations and directed discussion. The assessment tasks will help students develop their skills to design and undertake a supervised research dissertation and enhance their abilities as researchers and practitioners.
MECO6940 Theoretical Traditions and Innovations

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd class paper (25%), 1x1000wd wikipedia theory entry (20%), 1x3500wd critical essay (55%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit gives students an advanced understanding of the foundational traditions in communications, media, and digital cultures. It relates these traditions to contemporary innovations, rethinking ideas to grasp current and future media and communications forms, practices, structures, and meanings. The unit features detailed reading and analysis of key ideas, texts, thinkers, and contexts.
MECO6941 Podcasting

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x3hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x 250wd equiv oral pitch (5%), 1x250wd written pitch (5%), 1x 3250wd equiv two-part podcast (70%), 1x750wd reflective journal (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Podcasting is a relatively new genre of audio production, distribution and consumption with its own aesthetics and values. In this unit students will learn to produce documentary-style audio stories, learning practical skills necessary for working in radio and producing podcasts for various media industries.
MECO6942 Managing Social Media Communities

Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January,Intensive July Classes: Intensive mode: 5x4hrs lecture + 5x3hrs online tutorial in week 1, and 1x2 lecture + 1x2 hr tutorial in week 6; Semester mode: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x2hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x1800wd + social metrics Engagement evaluation (45%), 1x10 mins Community Feedback Presentation (10%), 1x1500wd Stakeholder engagement project (25%), 1x1200wd Community diagnostic report (20%) Mode of delivery: Block mode
Most businesses and institutions are now building online communities, from social media channels and help forums to marketplaces and research groups, in order to strategically engage their workers, audiences, consumers or publics. Community management is a critical aspect of communications, market intelligence, marketing and innovation. This unit investigates how those communities, and their offline counterparts, are scoped, fostered, facilitated, and governed to provide mutual benefit for host organisations and members. The unit will develop theoretical knowledge of community dynamics, deployment, ethics and governance approaches, and practical skills in data collection and social analytics; moderation, facilitation, and conflict management; automation and machine learning tools for managing human interaction. Students will assist in managing communities and create strategic plans for their development.
MFDI9303 Digital Effects for Film and Video

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3-hour studio class/week Assessment: project proposal (25%) and class presentation (15%) and project (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The aim of this unit of study is to equip you with a conceptual understanding and technical expertise in the use of digital effects for film and video projects. You will be introduced to the use of software programs such as Adobe After Effects to explain how moving images can be transformed over time in combination with text, masks, animation, filters, effects and sound. You will learn how to author in After Effects through an intensive series of tutorials film/video screenings and practical studio workshops. This will culminate in the production of a studio project. The project is to be developed in consultation with an academic adviser.
MFDI9313 Digital Editing for Film and Video

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x3-hour studio class/week Assessment: project proposal (25%) and class presentation (15%) and project (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The aim of this unit of study is to equip you with a conceptual understanding and technical expertise in the use of digital editing for film and video projects. You will be introduced to the use of software programs such as Final Cut Pro HD to explain how edit moving images in to a project and how moving images can be transformed over time in combination with text, masks, filters, effects and sound. You will learn how to edit and master in Final Cut Pro HD through an intensive series of tutorials film/video screenings and practical studio workshops. This will culminate in the production of a studio project. The project is to be developed in consultation with an academic adviser.
MUSM7036 Museums and the Digital

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2b Classes: Intensive mode: 5hr seminar/week for 5 weeks Assessment: 1x1000wd online critique (20%), 1x2500wd essay (40%), 1x2500wd concept proposal (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit investigates the current use and adoption of digital media across the museum and gallery sectors internationally. It considers how museums use digital technologies to augment the visitor experience spatially, intellectually and socially by developing digitally interactive exhibitions, online engagement tools and a social media presence. Combining field trips, workshops, seminars and guest speakers, this course is an opportunity to build critical understanding of diverse applications of technology in the museum context and practical skills in the development of digital engagement programs.
SCLG6902 Ethics of Social Research

This unit of study is not available in 2020

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prohibitions: SCLG3003 Assessment: 1x1000wd ethics application (20%), 1x500wd equiv oral task (10%), 1x1500wd reflective piece (30%), 1x3000wd research proposal (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces students to key issues, debates and ethical questions in human research, enabling them to acquire knowledge and develop skills for research degrees and funding applications. It examines values and principles of research ethics, and encourages students to reflect on these in relation to research with human subjects.
USSC6920 US Media: Politics, Culture, Technology

Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive July Classes: 1x2hr class/week Assessment: Tutorial participation (10%), 2x Critical reviews (800 words, worth 20% each), 1x3000wd research paper (40%), Presentation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day, Block mode
This Unit will focus on media coverage of political campaigns and politics in America. It will look at the role of the media in American society in shaping debates and also the power of the American media globally. The impact of the internet on American journalism will be discussed as will the future of the media.
WMST6903 Gender, Media and Consumer Societies

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x500wd group discussion/presentation (15%), 1x1000wd advertising analysis (25%), 1x500wd research essay proposal (10%), 1x2500wd research essay (40%), participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit examines theories of consumption in regards to cultural and media products and practices, with a specific focus on gender. Drawing upon a wide range of feminist media and cultural theories, we will critically analyse different forms of belonging and identity that are created through these practices. We will also pay close attention to the critiques of globalisation and consumption, theories of the 'citizen consumer' and the realities of geo-political and economic inequalities that underpin many forms of consumption.
FASS7001 Academic English for Postgraduates

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1500wd Essay (35%), 1x500wd Annotated Bibliography (15%), 1x2500wd Reflection Journal (25%), 1xSeminar Presentation (25%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This elective is designed for International postgraduates who are new to study in an English language university. It supports the development of study, research, and critical thinking abilities, spoken English and academic language. Knowledge acquired in this unit will strengthen written and spoken English to help meet the standards necessary for successful completion of FASS Masters by coursework degrees. It is recommended that this elective be taken during the first semester.
FASS7002 Critical Thinking and Persuasive Writing

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Weeks 1-3: 2x1hr lecture/week, 2x2hr tutorial/week; Weeks 4-9:1x1hr lecture/week, 1x2hr tutorial/week Assessment: 1x500wd critical review (20%), 1x1500wd essay (35%), seminar presentation (20%),1x2500wd reflection journal (20%), tutorial participation (5%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This elective supports development of skills in critical analysis, writing in different genres, research, presentation, and developing individual scholarly 'voice'. While valuable for all commencing postgraduates, it is of particular benefit to those returning to academia after an extended break, or for International students wishing to orient themselves to local standards of practice for academic communication. This unit is structured to have additional seminars and lectures early in the semester and fewer later in the semester so students have the opportunity to apply new skills to all their coursework. The unit is ideally taken in the first semester of study.
WRIT6000 Professional Writing

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x1000wd Analysis (20%), 1x2000wd Case Study (30%), 1x1000wd Project (20%), 1x2000wd Proposal (30%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces theories of professional writing with a specific focus on composing in the workplace. Students will develop abilities in analysing, writing, revising, and delivering workplace texts, both print and multimedia. By examining and discussing a range of actual workplace documents, from emails to websites, students will gain a broader understanding of the rhetorical principles and ethical responsibilities inherent in professional writing practice. They will improve their ability to negotiate the relationships, tensions, and politics that influence workplace writing contexts.
WRIT6001 Professional Editing

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x2000wd Individual Analysis (30%), 1x2000wd Group Analysis (30%), 1x1000wd Oral Presentation (20%), 1x1000wd Essay (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit introduces practical techniques for editing workplace documents for increased clarity and effectiveness. Applying theories and principles of visual rhetoric, students will learn how to improve the readability and reception of workplace texts according to audience conventions and expectations. By analysing actual workplace documents, students will develop their critical reading abilities and gain a better understanding of how to edit texts for word economy, improved design and layout, and inclusive language. Editing print texts for digital or oral presentation will also be emphasised.