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Communications
Bachelor Degree
B-MASCOMS
Outline
Gain experience in a variety of communications, including writing, design, public relations and photography.
Amy Hetherington
I built my entire business around the fact that I have a multidisciplinary degree. Film, photography, writing, marketing and social media were all elements of my degree, so it’s definitely been worth it for me. More than that, my degree also developed my confidence in my skills and what I can offer people.
Transferable skills
Humanities courses teach transferable skills for international careers.
Top 1%
Curtin is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide
(Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019)
Broad career options
A flexible degree with streams in media, design and business.
Communication professionals are multi-talented experts who can communicate information across the media and corporate landscape to a large number of people.
The Bachelor of Communications (previously Mass Communication) at Curtin covers a range of subjects in media, design and business. It is designed to be broad and flexible, but to also allow you to specialize in two areas (‘streams’).
In your first year you will be introduced to the many different areas that make up Communications. If you know exactly what you want to specialise in, the first year will give you a range of ‘option’ units to choose from, and some of these will be pre-requisites for the stream you want to do. If you are not exactly sure what you want to focus on, the first year will give you the opportunity to refine that.
In your second and third years you will choose two streams in which to specialise.
STEP A: SELECT A MEDIA STREAM
Media Streams
STEP B: SELECT ANOTHER MEDIA STREAM, OR A DESIGN OR BUSINESS STREAM
Design or Business Streams
Why study
- This course will give you opportunities to work with commercial-level equipment and gain access to industry so you are career ready.
- You can create and study a degree which suits your interests. Choose from a broad range of streams.
- Flexible course – in many cases you can change streams without adding extra time to your degree.
- You can build a portfolio of work and meet industry professionals.
How this course will make you industry ready
Incorporating critical thinking skills as well as practical work modelling industry practice, the Bachelor of Communications will prepare you for many different positions across a range of media and communications areas.
The Bachelor of Communications allows you to mix-and-match your passion for media with training in other areas of the media and communication industries to create a degree tailored towards your career interests and goals. For example, mix Web Media with Digital Design, Corporate Screen Production with Photography or Web Media with Journalism.
A degree in Communications will not only give you training for traditional media and communications roles, but will also prepare you for emerging job roles that may not even exist yet in these fields.
Student profile
View our student profile table to get an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students at Curtin University. This table provides data on students that commenced undergraduate study and passed the census date in the most relevant recent intake period for which data are available. It includes those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia.
Career information
Careers
- Public relations officer
- Market researcher
- Media and communications consultant
- Web communications consultant
- Production coordinator
- Web developer
- Internet project manager
- Marketing manager
- Content creator
- Media liaison officer
- Filmmaker
- Photographer
- Advertising / creative advertising specialist
- Cinematographer
- Internet analyst
- Website manager
Industries
- Media
- Marketing
- Public relations
- Advertising
- Film and television
- Radio broadcasting
What you'll learn
- explain critical theories relating to media-based communications in corporate applications and apply them to a range of roles and functions
- apply critical thinking and creative approaches to resolve issues and meet challenges in their own professional and creative practice
- access, evaluate and synthesise appropriate information in order to realise media-based communication objectives
- communicate ideas to a range of audiences by developing and applying media-based strategies
- utilise media production technologies and apply them to create effective media-based materials to meet required outcomes
- apply learning strategies to build on skills and understandings in order to adapt to continually changing industry and corporate needs
- recognise the significance of global media to business and be able to apply international standards and practices in their creative practice
- value the cultural and intercultural nature of corporate media and communications and represent this knowledge at a personal and professional level
- demonstrate professional behaviour and standards and work collaboratively to apply them in all aspects of media and business-related activities
Admission criteria
Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.
| IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System) | |
|---|---|
| Writing | 6.0 |
| Speaking | 6.0 |
| Reading | 6.0 |
| Listening | 6.0 |
| Overall band score | 6.5 |
You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.
I recently attended high school
Applicants with recent secondary education are those whose admission is primarily based on the completion of Year 12 within the last two years, but also includes those who may have completed their senior secondary studies with a TAFE or other VET provider within the same time frame. This includes applicants whose secondary education was undertaken interstate or overseas.
- Guaranteed ATAR : 70
- Essential WACE subjects (pre-requisites):
English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.
- Desirable WACE subjects:
No prior study in a particular subject is required.
- STAT entry : Written English and either MC Verbal or Quantitative
Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.
Other admission options
Recipients of the John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship will receive an early offer to study this course.
Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.
If you’re an indigenous applicant who hasn’t met Curtin’s minimum admissions criteria, the Centre for Aboriginal Studies offers bridging courses that are tailored to help you gain entry into this course.
Lowest selection rank to which a recent Year 12 student offer was made (including the consideration of any equity or other adjustment factors)
View the lowest selection rank (incorporating ATAR plus any adjustments) of an applicant to which an offer of a place was made in the most relevant recent intake period, this includes any ATAR adjustments.
Selection rank adjustments (previously referred to as ATAR related adjustments)
Details of the types of adjustment factors (bonus points) commonly available to applicants can be found on our StepUp to Curtin webpage.
ATAR and selection rank profile for those offered places wholly or partly on the basis of ATAR in the most recent intake period
View data on the ATAR and selection rank profile of offers made from the most relevant recent intake period.
I have work and life experience
Applicants with work and life experience are those who left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.
‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.
- Guaranteed ATAR : 70
- Essential WACE subjects (pre-requisites):
English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.
- Desirable WACE subjects:
No prior study in a particular subject is required.
- STAT entry : Written English and either MC Verbal or Quantitative
Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.
I’ve studied at TAFE or done an apprenticeship
Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.
- Guaranteed ATAR : 70 OR
- TAFE:
- AQF Certificate IV - Separate evidence of Higher English language proficiency is required; or
- AQF Diploma; or
- AQF Advanced Diploma.
- Essential WACE subjects (pre-requisites):
English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.
- Desirable WACE subjects:
No prior study in a particular subject is required.
- STAT entry : Written English and either MC Verbal or Quantitative
Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.
I’ve gone to university before
Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This includes applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It also includes applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.
- Open University Australia units may be used to meet the admission criteria for this course. Find out more about this pathway option.
- Curtin offers a variety of bridging courses to help you meet the admission criteria for this course. Find out more about our bridging courses.
- Essential WACE subjects (pre-requisites):
English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.
- Desirable WACE subjects:
No prior study in a particular subject is required.
Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.
Curtin course switcher criteria
Our admission criteria for minimum entry apply to Curtin course switchers. For information on how to meet Curtin's minimum entry requirements, please see our admission criteria web page.
Advanced standing
At Curtin, we understand that everyone’s study journey has been different.
You may have already studied some of the units (subjects) listed in your Curtin course, or you may have work experience that matches the degree requirements.
If this applies to you, you can apply for credit for recognised learning (CRL), which means your previous study is recognised and matched against a similar unit in your intended Curtin course.
A successful CRL application exempts you from having to complete certain units within your course and means you could finish your degree in a shorter amount of time.
CRL is also known as recognition of prior learning, advanced standing and credit transfer.
Use the CRL search to find out how much CRL you qualify for, or contact us at:
Email: crl@curtin.edu.au
Tel: 1300 222 888
Fees & charges
Australian and New Zealand student indicative fees for 2020
Fee year: 2020
| Student type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth supported | $6,680* |
Fees are indicative first year only and are subject to passage of legislation.
*The indicative first-year fee is calculated on 200 credit points, which is the typical full-time study load per year, however some courses require additional study to be completed, in which case the fee will be higher than that shown.
This fee is a guide only. It may vary depending on the units you choose and does not include incidental fees (such as lab coats or art supplies) or the cost of your textbooks – visit other fees and charges for more information. For more information on fees and to determine your eligibility for HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP, please visit fee basics or the Study Assist website
If you’re not an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen, please see information for international students.
Location
For start dates, please view the academic calendar.
On Campus
Trimester 1, Trimester 1A, Trimester 2, Trimester 2A, Trimester 3 and Trimester 3A
All endeavours are made to ensure location information for courses is up to date but please note they are subject to change.
The University reserves the right to withdraw any unit of study or program which it offers, to impose limitations on enrolment in any unit or program, and/or to vary arrangements for any program.
How to apply
Please review information on how to apply for the campus of your choice
Please note that each campus has different application deadlines. Please view our application deadlines page for further information.
Apply nowHelp is at hand
The offering information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information. View courses information disclaimer.
- Curtin course code: B-MASCOMS
- Last updated on: December 11, 2019
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