Bachelor of Arts (BA) Majoring in Communication Studies
Dunedin, New Zealand
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Bachelor of Arts (BA) Majoring in Communication Studies
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is Otago's most flexible undergraduate degree Program, enabling students to study from a selection of more than 40 arts and social science subjects, as well as papers offered elsewhere in the University. Academic breadth is complemented by in-depth knowledge gained through majoring in one or two subjects with the option of minors in one or two others.
Students are taught by research-active scholars, are expected to undertake a diverse range of learning tasks and are challenged to develop their intellectual independence. Graduates of the Program are well-informed, versatile, independent thinkers with the information literacy, communication, research and interpersonal skills necessary for a career or further academic study. The completed BA is an possible qualification for the PGDipArts in the major subject of the degree.
Communication Studies
Make sense of your world.
Communication Studies focuses on the social, technological, political and cultural implications of current and changing communicative practices and networks.
With an emphasis on social and media-based communication, courses initiate a critical and creative understanding of digital, broadcast, print and mobile communication, and develop written and screens-based skills. These are central to comprehending the role of media and communication industries and practices in the wider context of society and culture.
Challenge your mind and broaden your views in a diverse, stimulating learning environment that demands you be critical, creative and innovative.
Why study Media, Film and Communication?
Our courses will challenge your mind, broaden your views, and help you develop an increased awareness of transformations in society and culture.
Our goal is to prepare students to take their place as responsible and engaged citizens, who are critical, creative and innovative, equipped to connect with a diverse and fast-changing media world and to productively contribute to their communities and chosen professions. To serve this goal, our scholarship and teaching is interdisciplinary, inventive, and practical.
But that is not all that we do. Almost all employers look for fundamental life-long skills literacy, numeracy, communication skills, the ability to lead and contribute to teams, as well as the ability to solve problems through dependable research. All of these skills are taught in our Program; they underlie most of what we do. We also value and develop an understanding of cultural diversity and differing perspectives, so it is not surprising that our graduates are to be found in many walks of life.
We have a well-established record of teaching and research, and staff who are internationally recognised in their disciplines.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Curriculum
Every degree Program shall consist of papers worth not less that 360 points,
- shall include at least 180 points for papers above 100-level, of which at least 72 points shall be for papers above 200-level,
- shall satisfy at least one of the major subject requirements listed above. No paper above 200-level may count for more than one Major Subject Requirement,
- may include one or more optional minor subjects which satisfy the Minor Subject Requirements listed in Arts and Music Schedule A, or Science Schedule A, or Applied Science Schedule A, or Commerce Schedule A, or BHealSc Schedule Part 2. No paper may count for both a Major and a Minor Subject Requirement or for more than one Minor Subject Requirement unless that paper is at 100- or 200-level and is specified as compulsory for both Requirements.
- may include papers which are not listed in Arts and Music Schedule C
- up to 90 points; or
- as specified in the Arts and Music Major Subject Requirements; or
- as specified in the Minor Subject Requirements.
Major subject areas
For a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, you must major in at least one of the following subjects:
- Anthropology
- Asian Studies
- Biblical Studies
- Chinese
- Christian Thought and History
- Classics
- Communication Studies
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Education
- English
- English and Linguistics
- European Studies
- Film and Media Studies
- French
- Gender Studies
- Geography
- German
- Global Studies
- History
- Indigenous Development/He Kura Matanui
- Information Science
- Japanese
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics
- Māori Studies
- Mathematics
- Music
- Pacific Islands Studies
- Philosophy
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- Politics
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Sport Development and Management
- Statistics
- Theatre Studies
- Tourism, Languages and Cultures
Minor subject areas
Selecting a minor subject is not compulsory and there may be other combinations of papers more appropriate to your degree. There are no particular subject requirements for the other papers of your degree, but if you wish you may have another subject specified as a minor subject in your degree by passing the prescribed papers for any of the listed subjects.
- Full list of available minor subject areas
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Our graduates work in a variety of fields, including media production, journalism, education, advertising, administration, archival and curatorial work, media policy analysis, public relations, tourism, and some go on to postgraduate study in our Honours, Masters and PhD Programs. A degree from our Program prepares you for a wide range of career options, including career pathways that might not yet exist.
Program delivery
Application Details
Applicants must apply online. They should also attach all the necessary supporting documents which includes scanned copies of their official high school or foundation transcripts (awards gained, marks, grades); scanned copies of the relevant official transcripts of previous university study; and provide proof of their identity this is usually achieved by providing a certified copy of the personal details page of their passport or a birth certificate (in English). Applicants may also be required to submit an Educational Credential Evaluators report (ECE). As soon as applicants have completed their online application, their proof of identity document must be posted to International Office, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. International student applications for semester 1/summer school study close: Oct-31; Semester 2 study close: Apr-30.