Overview 2024
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“I didn’t have a very traditional path to University” reveals Bronwyn Lisson, final year Bachelor of Media and Communication student and co-host of Two Tassie Chicks Podcast.
But now, with six months remaining of her degree, Bron is looking to her future in Tasmania’s media industry.
The Bachelor of Media and Communication will introduce you to communication practices across news and journalism, digital content production, marketing and public relations, and film-making. You’ll gain professional insights into global media industries, including evolving trends in media production and communication practices, and deepen your understanding of how media informs and reflects culture and society.
Located at The Hedberg, the cultural and creative heart of Hobart’s waterfront precinct, the Media School is a great place to start your career. Our teaching teams are world-leading researchers and experienced broadcasters, journalists, and filmmakers. You’ll also experience creative collaborations with Fine Arts, Music, and Theatre and Performance students. Our curriculum is designed to enable close creative networks, test working relationships, and leverage your accomplishments to generate future opportunities. You could find yourself working within Tasmania’s unique festival scene, creatively solving real client briefs, or soaking up inspiration on a field trip overseas.
Course objectives
The degree offers 6 first-year units that use practice-based and vocationally oriented learning as a way to introduce students to the various approaches, genres, and professional applications of media and communication. Students will identify and explore the key theoretical problems and complexities, and encounter challenges and opportunities in contemporary media and communication studies.
Later-year study deepens practice-led learning across four Portfolios as well as a combination of units that combines theoretical knowledge and analysis, with some practice components.
From the outset students are encouraged to build a portfolio of their work that showcases wide-ranging skills and endeavour.
Learning Outcomes
Practical experience
Building your professional portfolio
From day one, you will begin building a professional portfolio. You will be encouraged to take risks and learn from experience. Our degree includes several units focused on designing and producing projects such as documentaries and narrative films, podcasts, and brand communication. You will also get your hands on industry-standard equipment. With the support of industry practitioners and lecturers, you will create a portfolio that demonstrates your accomplishments and professional potential to prospective employers.
Experience the creative curriculum
In this degree, you'll complete two Creative Curriculum units. This brings students together from different areas in a fun and experimental environment. We encourage you to take creative risks and think big, with opportunities to undertake field trips, complete a work placement, and more. You'll also participate in a one-night only event to share your work with the public and build industry connections.
Study overseas at one of our partner institutions
Our international exchange program offers opportunities to study at universities around the world, and it counts towards your degree. Exchange can allow you to have an affordable educational and cultural experience in a foreign country for a semester, or a full year. To facilitate this, we offer a range of scholarships and financial assistance. You may also be eligible for OS-HELP Loans or scholarship funding to assist with their airfares, accommodation and other expenses..
Alternative Virtual Exchange Opportunities can be found on our Virtual Overseas Experiences tab. For more information please contact Global.Mobility@utas.edu.au
Find out more about Student Exchange.
Become a Student Ambassador
Improve your communication, teamwork and leadership skills, meet new people, inspire and help others, and developing lasting friendships and networks as a student ambassador. Our ambassadors proudly represent the University throughout Tasmania in schools, at University and community events, and support a range of recruitment and engagement activities. Through the Student Ambassador Program you will have many opportunities for training and professional development, experience in real-world community engagement and outreach, networking, and public speaking, plus end up with a key point of distinction on your CV.
Work placement
Industry Placements and Media Internships
Our Media program offers exciting opportunities for students to engage in workplace experience and to build a professional portfolio, while being mentored by seasoned practitioners.
Industry placements and internships allow you to critically reflect on the skills and knowledge you develop throughout your studies. This experience also allows you to build a network of peers and industry contacts. We will connect you with a range of local and interstate placement providers, including digital, print and broadcast media, PR agencies, government departments, and private and not-for-profit organisations.
Career outcomes
"Uni really taught me how to work hard. It taught me how to study, how to knuckle down and work your way through a problem that you don’t know the answer to."
The Bachelor of Media and Communications will prepare you to work in fast-paced and dynamic communications roles across a multitude of fields, including Tasmania’s booming screen industry. You’ll become a strategic and creative forward thinker with the ability to prepare content for a range of channels and audiences. You will develop advanced interpersonal, communication and presentation skills that will lead you to exciting career opportunities across journalism, public relations, communications management, reporting, social media and marketing.
The ability to make, analyse and research media opens doors to a wide range of creative and exciting occupations across all industries. These are some of the top careers projected to grow in the next five years.
9.2% Multimedia specialists
21.7% Advertising and Marketing professionals
15.8% Public Relations professionals
ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024.
Postgraduate study
The Bachelor of Media and Communication with Honours is a specialised one-year course that enables to pursue your passion for a project or research topic. An Honours degree opens up opportunities in the competitive job market and provides a pathway to an academic career. You'll develop superior project management skills and advanced knowledge of research methodologies.
You may be also be eligible to apply for a range of other postgraduate courses including Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas and Masters by coursework and research.
Course structure
The Bachelor of Media and Communication requires the completion of 300 credit points, including:
- 200 credit points of Core units and;
- 100 credit points of Elective units or a elective major, such a major in Sustainability.
In your core units you will complete 75 credit points at Introductory level, 75 credit points at Intermediate level and 50 credit points at Advanced level. The units forming your core can be found in the schedule below, and the sequence you can take them in the course planner.
You may complete most units from across the University as an Elective. The elective space gives you flexibility to broaden your studies across multiple areas in the University, such as Sustainability, Business, Science and Creative Arts or specialise your course in areas closely related to media and communication. There is also an opportunity to complete an entire major in your elective space. It is your choice.
The University is deeply committed to building sustainable futures which is why we've made our Sustainability major readily available in most of our courses. If you want to complete this major, you'll find it under your Electives options when you go to enrol, and you can add it to your study plan yourself. To find out more about the Sustainability major, check the Bachelor of Science.
To select a major from another area, such as from the Bachelor of Business, Fine Arts or Science, you'll need to contact a Student Advisor via U Connect. They'll guide you through adding this to your study plan, and make sure it fits with the rest of your course plan.
For help on how to find and choose your Elective units, see What are Elective units?
Course Planner
If you are starting in 2023 you can find your course planner here. Your course planner gives you a visual representation of your course and will help you plan which units to enrol in and when.
For course planners from previous years, refer to the handbook entry for that year.
Media and Communication Core
Introductory units
This unit introduces you to the principles, practices and theories of public relations and places the profession in its societal and media contexts. You will become familiar with public relations writing and develop skills in gathering, organizing and presenting information.…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit introduces students to formal and industrial approaches of understanding cinematic, televisual and online screen cultures. It draws upon key theoretical concepts from screen studies – such as film aesthetics, narrative and genre theory – and there is a…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
The shift from mass communication to mass self-communication is one of the most important shifts in recent human society. Mobile communication networks allow us to produce and share content like never before which is challenging and changing our notions of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
From the newsroom to the live stream, the news industry combines top-level communication skills with the ability to evaluate and synthesise knowledge for large audiences. In this unit, students are introduced to both the theoretical and practical dimensions of the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
We often hear that media industries are in decline. However, as this unit will demonstrate, we are actually observing a profound reshaping of traditional and emerging media industries. In this unit you will examine the history, evolution, and proliferation of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Producing screen content is becoming increasingly valued in today's media environment. This unit introduces you to the key concepts, methods and practices of screen production. You will gain hands-on experience in filming and recording sound, editing, and design with an…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for HEJ140 Making Media: Filming, Editing and Design
Intermediate units
Collaborative work is integral to working in and with the creative and cultural industries. This unit encourages you to take supported creative risks and introduces you to work-integrated learning methods and practices. Students and staff will propose creative projects that…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
The connection between technology and culture has never been greater. Screen, digital media, and networking platforms are changing the practices and forms of expression that represent and reflect culture and society. By investigating the production, use and circulation of various…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
This unit examines the storytelling tactics and strategies associated with the design and communication of brand narratives. The unit addresses the ways in which, in the changing media environment, brand narratives are now communicated via social networks and key ‘influencers’…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for HEJ247 Communicating Brand and Identity
This unit introduces you to the essential elements of writing for film, television and digital media. You will be taken through the process of developing a script from conception through to pre-production. You will learn about working with structure, developing…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
In this unit you will develop your media production and project management skills. With technical support, industry mentorship, and academic supervision, you will work on a media project that relates to your specialisation area. You may choose to work independently…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
In this unit you will identify long term media goals and continue to develop project management, media production, storytelling and media research skills. You will design and manage a project that facilitates development of your media skills in order to…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Advanced units
Core
Power describes the capacity of an individual or group to influence the opinions, decisions and actions of others. This unit explores the role of media in the communication of power in society and, importantly, the counter-movements that challenge power. In…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
In this unit you will develop the skills required to propose your media content for distribution. You will build on content creating skills developed throughout your degree to design and manage a collaborative media project and produce media content ready…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
In this unit you will develop team leadership, communication and collaborative practice skills by co-designing and creating a media project as part of a team. This unit will also allow you to create your own brand identity to be displayed…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Creative Curriculum
This work-integrated learning unit will provide you with an opportunity to be guided and supported in undertaking a public creative work. As a member of a team, you will be provided with a brief. Your team’s response will be guided…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Winter school | ||||
Responding innovatively to a client-initiated briefs is a critical part of working in the creative and cultural industries. This unit fosters collaborative, responsive interaction with internal and external partners and your peers. Introducing a range of interdisciplinary frameworks, this unit…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
Note: This unit is available in your third year of study. Entry to the unit is competitive, and is subject to approval by the unit coordinator. To apply for entry into the unit and relevant grant consideration where appropriate, please…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for HEJ351 Field trip in Creative Industries, Practices and Cultures B
You will be assigned to a work placement in a government, private, or not-for-profit organisation approved by the University. As part of your internship you will, where opportunity allows, contribute to the production, publication and presentation of creative content, while…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
Elective
Entry requirements
For Domestic students
We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you’re not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, the admissions team will work with you to find the best pathway option.
Enquire online for advice on the application process and the available pathways to study.
Domestic Applicants who have recently completed secondary education
Applicants are ranked by ATAR and offers made based on the number of places available. In 2022, the lowest ATAR to receive an offer into this course was 64.9. The lowest ATAR to receive an offer may change from year to year based on the number of applications we receive.
Applicants who have recently completed senior secondary studies but have not received an ATAR may still be eligible for admission. We will consider your individual subject results on a case-by-case basis when we assess your application.
For all other majors, please refer to Alternative entry pathways below.
Domestic applicants with higher education study
To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have:
- Partially completed an undergraduate course at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). Applicants must have completed at least two units of study (equivalent to 25 UTAS credit points at 100-level or above). If an applicant has failed any units the application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; or
- Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).
Domestic applicants with VET / TAFE study
To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have completed a Certificate IV (or equivalent) in any discipline.
Domestic applicants with work and life experience
Applicants without senior secondary, tertiary or VET / TAFE study can complete a personal competency statement.
Applicants may be eligible for an offer if they have relevant work and / or life experiences which demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.
Special consideration
If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors, including economic hardship, serious medical condition or disability.
We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.
For International students
All international students will need to meet the minimum English Language Requirements, University General Entry Requirements and any course specific requirements such as pre-requisite subjects, if applicable.
English Language Requirements
This degree requires an IELTS (Academic) of 6.0, with no individual band less than 5.5, or a PTE Academic score of 50, with no score lower than 42 or equivalent.
For students who do not meet the English Language Requirement through citizenship or prior studies in English in an approved country, evidence of an approved English language test completed within the last 2 years must be provided. See the English Language Requirements page for more information.
General Entry Requirements
Admission to undergraduate courses at the University of Tasmania requires the completion of qualifications equivalent to a 12th year of education in Australia.
Please review the equivalent undergraduate entry requirements to see the minimum requirement relevant to your country. The ATAR information for this course is located in the “For Domestic Students” section of the entry requirements on this page.
You can also meet the General Entry Requirement for this course with the following qualifications or prior studies:
- Completion of an equivalent AQF Certificate IV or above
- Complete or incomplete (minimum 25 credit points) of previous tertiary study at Bachelor level or higher
If you do not meet the minimum requirements, we offer the Foundation Studies Program.
Course Specific Requirements
This course does not have any course specific requirements.
Alternative entry pathways
If you do not meet the General Entrance Requirements or course-specific requirements, there are alternate entry pathways to the Bachelor of Media and Communication:
Detailed Admissions Information
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.
If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.
You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.
Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.
Student contributionStudent contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.
Further informationDetailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
International students
2024 Total Course Fee (international students): $108,563 AUD*.
Course cost based on a rate of $34,950 AUD per standard, full-time year of study (100 credit points).
* Please note that this is an indicative fee only.
International students
International students are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the annual rate. International students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Scholarships
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 13 8827 (13 UTAS)
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries