Handbook - Media

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Overview

This program is for students commencing from 2023.The three-year Bachelor of Media (BMedia) equips you with expertise to make a difference in the exciting, challenging, and constantly evolving field of media. Media at UNSW pushes you to develop confidence in a diverse and flexible mix of creative, critical, and practical … For more content click the Read More button below.

This program is for students commencing from 2023.

The three-year Bachelor of Media (BMedia) equips you with expertise to make a difference in the exciting, challenging, and constantly evolving field of media.

Media at UNSW pushes you to develop confidence in a diverse and flexible mix of creative, critical, and practical knowledges. You will gain essential skills for navigating media in the 21st century so that you can collaborate effectively, and drive and respond to innovation.

Studying Media at UNSW will immerse you in professional cultures, allow you to engage with emerging practices, and give you real-world experience working on real projects with real outcomes. It will also give you the intellectual tools to think critically about media and its vital role in the world today.

To build this expertise, you’ll choose between five specialisations: Cinema Studies; Communication and Journalism; Media Studies; Public Relations and Advertising; and Screen Production.

And no matter where you focus your studies, you can also take electives across other specialisations or opt to complete a Media Minor in a second specialisation. That flexibility means you’ll be ready for wherever the future takes you and your career in media.

Program Structure

You must complete 144 UOC when taken as a standalone program.

Disciplinary Component:

Foundation courses (24 UOC)
Expansion courses (24 UOC)
Specialisation (48 UOC)

Note: Courses cannot be double counted across Foundation, Specialisation, and Expansion requirements.

Students in the standalone program must also complete:

An optional Minor offered by UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture (36 UOC)
General Education (12 UOC)

OR

An optional minor not offered by UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture (24-36 UOC) from the list of approved minors*
Free Electives (12-24 UOC)

*An external minor satisfies the 12 UOC of General Education required in the standalone program

OR

Free Electives (36 UOC)
General Education (12 UOC)

Disciplinary Component96 Units of Credit:

Foundation Courses24 Units of Credit:

You must take 24 UOC of Foundation courses, including 12 UOC in Focus Courses and 12 UOC in Grounding Courses.

Focus Courses

Grounding Courses

Specialisation Requirement48 Units of Credit:

Expansion Courses24 Units of Credit:

You must take 24 UOC from any other specialisation in the BMedia program; including at least 6 UOC at level 2, and 12 UOC at level 3

You must select courses from lists other than your specialisation. You may opt to use this to establish a sub-specialisation in a second focus area, or opt to select courses from multiple lists. Please note: prerequisite rules for courses will apply, which you must take into consideration when planning your course selections.

Note: Level 1 course codes start with a 1 (e.g. MDIA1###), Level 2 with a 2 (e.g. MDIA2###) and level 3 with a 3 (e.g. MDIA3###).

Media Studies

Media and Arts Internship

Media, Culture and Everyday Life

Media, Society, Politics

Working with Data

Mobile Cultures

Transnational Media: Markets, Flows and Cultures

The Networked Self

Media and Social Justice

Media Interventions, Activism and Advocacy

Media in the Asia-Pacific

Media, Climate Crisis, and Extinction in the Anthropocene

Current Debates in Media and Culture

Cinema Studies

Introduction to Film Studies

Hollywood Film: Industry, Technology, Aesthetics

Contemporary Approaches to Cinema

Australian Cinema

Cinema and Nation

A Case Study of Film Genre

Doing Film Festivals

Media and Arts Internship

Film in the Media Landscape

Cinematic Thinking

Cinemas and Cultures

Issues in Film Styles and Aesthetics

Screen Emotions: Affect and Cinema

Documentary and Non-Fiction Cinemas

Communication and Journalism

Visual Communication

Media and Arts Internship

Journalistic Voices and Values

News Fundamentals

Opinion Journalism

Features Journalism

Radio and Podcast Journalism

Video Journalism

Making Virtual Reality Documentaries

News Analysis and Production

Professional Portfolio

Professional Media Practices: Creating, Publishing and Publicising Digital Journalism

Communication Design: Multimodality, Meaning, and Media

Media and Arts Internship

Public Relations and Advertising

Media and Arts Internship

Public Relations and Advertising Foundations

Engaging Audiences

Creative Advertising

Communication Strategies

Digital Analytics for Public Relations and Advertising

Corporate Communication

Promotional Cultures

Advertising in Action

Professional Portfolio

Promotion for Social Change

Issues and Crisis Communication

Building Brands

Public Relations in Practice

Screen Production

Screen Production I

Screen Production II

Writing for the Screen

Acting and Performing

Media and Arts Internship

Screen Production III (Video Project)

Experiments in Performance and Media

Creative Sound Design

Animating Media

Interactive Storytelling

Time, Space, Experience

Independent Production Project

Collaborative Client Project

Electroacoustic Music

Immersive Audio

Optional Minors

If you are enrolled in the standalone program you may use your Free Elective courses to complete one of the optional minors listed below.

If you intend to complete an optional minor you are encouraged to declare the minor as soon as possible.

Please note: courses completed as part of your disciplinary component cannot be double counted towards your minor.

Media Minors

You are recommended to complement your main Media specialisation with a Media minor in a second specialisation to broaden your professional skills and conceptual knowledge.

Communication and Journalism

Public Relations and Advertising

Screen Production

Other Minors

The below optional minors are also available.

Art History and Theory

Indigenous Studies

Australian Studies

Chinese Studies

Advanced Chinese Studies

Computational Design

Global Development

Creative Writing

Animation and Moving Image

Integrated Design

Environmental Humanities

European Studies

Advanced French Studies

Geographical Studies

Modern Greek Studies

International Business

Industrial Design

Indonesian Studies

Italian Studies

Japanese Studies

Advanced Japanese Studies

Advanced Korean Studies

Human Resource Management

Politics and International Relations

Sociology and Anthropology

International Political Economy

Policy, Power and Government

Security Studies

Spanish Studies

Theatre and Performance Studies

Free Electives36 Units of Credit:

General Education12 Units of Credit:

Program Constraints

Maturity Rule

Enrolment Disclaimer

Please note that this Handbook is a comprehensive catalogue of our offerings and includes courses that can be taken to satisfy program requirements irrespective as to their availability for a particular year. Availability of courses is best checked using filters on this site or on the class timetable site.

You are responsible for ensuring that you enrol in courses according to your program requirements and by following the advice of your Program Authority. myUNSW enrolment checks that you have met enrolment requirements such as pre-requisites for individual courses but not that you are enrolling in courses that will count towards your program requirements.

Sample Programs

To access sample program(s), please visit:

UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture

Program Requirements

Internship, Placement and Exchange Opportunities

Students in this program may be eligible for international Student Exchange. For further information regarding application and eligibility, please contact UNSW Study Abroad and Exchange office or the Nucleus. Students are encouraged to take the internship and work integrated learning opportunities available in their program.

Progression Requirements

Progression rules are in accordance with university policy.

For more information on university policy on progression requirements please visit Academic Progression

Associated Programs

Related Double Degree

Bachelor of Design - BDes
Bachelor of Media - BMedia3342 - Design / Media

Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA
Bachelor of Media - BMedia3343 - Fine Arts / Media

Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Arts - BA3344 - Media / Arts

Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Social Sciences - BSocSci3345 - Media / Social Sciences

Bachelor of Commerce - BCom
Bachelor of Media - BMedia3598 - Commerce / Media

Bachelor of Media - BMedia
Bachelor of Laws - LLB4875 - Media / Law

Honours Pathway

Bachelor of Media (Honours) - BMedia (Hons)4510 - Media (Honours)

Professional Outcomes

Career Opportunities

Video and sound producer, screenwriter, animator, filmmaker, game designer, smart phone app developer, interactive media designer, advertising creative, public relations consultant, advertising strategist, advertising creative specialist, community relations advisor, corporate affairs executive, media account executive, social media manager, digital producer, digital communications coordinator, media / government relations advisor, media relations advisor, journalist, editor, website content manager, internal communications specialist, communications officer, corporate communications

Recognition of Achievement

University Medal

Award of Pass with Distinction

The Award of Pass with Distinction is awarded when a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 75% has been achieved and at least 50% of the requirements of the award completed at UNSW. All eligible programs will award Pass with Distinction except in special circumstances where approval of Academic Board has been given for a program to opt out.

For more information, please visit:

Current Students Pass With Distinction

Additional Information

Further Information

Contact the Nucleus Student Hub for advice.

Program Fees

At UNSW fees are generally charged at course level and therefore dependent upon individual enrolment and other factors such as student's residency status. For generic information on fees and additional expenses of UNSW programs, click on one of the following:

Domestic Students

Commonwealth Supported Students (if applicable)

International Students

Pre-2019 Handbook Editions

Access past handbook editions (2018 and prior)

Pre-2019 Handbook Editions