Undoubtedly, lives are changing due to the rise of digital technology. Social media, mobile phones, even virtual reality – they’re all booming, and they’re all fundamentally changing the ways in which we live (perhaps you’re even reading this article on a smartphone, or found it via social media!). Today’s generation consumes data and interacts like never before, leading to a completely new communication environment. Naturally, such an environment demands new skills, new ideas, and a deep understanding not of how we lived 20 years ago, but of how we live today.
Digital technology in the current age is both exciting and challenging, and, moving forward, the most useful degrees will be those that best equip students for the present (and future) workforce. After all, there’s not much point learning skills no longer relevant or required!
Monash’s Bachelor of Media Communication is one of those degrees. It addresses the growing demand for graduates with new and diverse skills in communication, and a critical understanding of how media influences our lives. The degree focuses on the role and impact of digital technology moving forward, providing students with knowledge useful across multiple industries.
Why choose Monash?
The Bachelor of Media Communication (BMC) is the first degree of its kind in Australia. Unlike other degrees, it offers a mix of practice-based learning, theory and portfolio development, allowing students to develop both theoretical and practical skills. The BMC adds to a suite of renowned degrees that sees Monash ranked amongst the top 1% of universities worldwide.
Monash’s position as a leading university (and the largest university in Australia) comes with many benefits. For example, you will have available to you an extensive network of internships and industry opportunities specifically related to the media communication field. These will put you in good stead as you develop your portfolio and skills. Final year students even have the choice between an internship and a professional project, allowing flexibility based on what you want to prioritise.
Flexibility also comes in the structure of the course itself. Further to the unique core units, BMC students can tailor the course specifically to their interests by choosing a specialisation – plus a total of eight free electives! This means you truly have some room to move, and can test the waters in several specialisations before choosing which one to pursue.
Specialisations
In total, there are five specialisations to choose from. There’s no need to choose right away, though – students can start with two specialisations in first year, before making a decision the year after. The five specialisations are Digital Humanities, Journalism, Media, Public Relations and Screen – we’ll briefly outline four of these below.
Digital Humanities
This multidisciplinary specialisation combines the expertise of Monash’s Faculties of Arts, Information Technology, and Art, Design and Architecture. Digital Humanities sits at the forefront of this new field that intersects human culture and digital technologies.
You will learn how to analyse and create content with the arts and technologies such as 3D modelling, game design, augmented reality and digital storytelling. It’s a field that is growing exponentially around the world!
Journalism
Make the news. And stories that matter.
Spanning digital, audio, video and print media, this specialisation gives students the sharp and creative skills required to excel ni a rewarding journalism career. Students gain expertise in bringing together journalism practice, theory and empirical research, with advanced skills in research, writing and communication for professional practice.
Media
From social media strategy to media analysis, media relations and policy, students develop expertise in becoming a true media expert in today’s fast-evolving world. You will learn to navigate the social, economic and political disruptions from the transition from ‘broadcast’ to ‘networked’ media systems. Students also gain a solid understanding of the principles for making critical and ethical judgments relevant to professional practice in the new media environment.
Screen
Screen industries, technologies and cultures are changing faster than ever before. From Australian, Asian and European screen cultures through to Hollywood, TV and newer screen formats, this specialisation gives you an understanding of the transformations happening that inform contemporary media ecologies. In this specialisation, you will develop the ability to tackle these specialisations alongside conceptual and practical video production skills for a broad range of media platforms and screen cultures.
Preparing you for your career
A huge emphasis in the Bachelor of Media Communication is career preparation. It’s all well and good to graduate with theoretical knowledge, but application and real-world experience is where the true value exists.
For this reason, students leave the degree with a practical portfolio of real creative projects, setting them up for their career. For practical experience, they also have access to and learn in the Monash Media Lab, which includes industry level TV studios, Radio studios, purpose built editing labs, purpose built news rooms, control rooms and more.
Of course, media communication may not be your only passion, and Monash caters for that, too. You can study a double degree with Business or Design, and leave Monash with two degrees in just four years (this is a lot cheaper and quicker than studying two separate degrees!). Being able to specialise in two different areas broadens career opportunities moving forward.
And if you’re hoping to study abroad, you’re in luck! Monash has partners in China, Italy, the UK and beyond – in fact, Monash partners with more than 100 universities worldwide – meaning BMC students have incredible global opportunities.
Visit https://arts.monash.edu/bachelor-of-media-communication/ to apply now.
Select Monash Arts’ Bachelor of Media Communication as your first preference.
