Bachelor of Communications and Media / Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Communications and Media / Bachelor of Arts at the University of Notre Dame Australia is a four-year double degree for students who want to understand how media works and pair that with a humanities discipline. You study two degrees at once, which means you graduate with a broad arts education and a specialised communications skill set. The communications side covers journalism, public relations, digital media production, screen and broadcast, advertising and media analysis. The arts side is where you choose a major from the humanities and social sciences, subjects like English literature, history, politics, sociology, theology, philosophy or behavioural science. Because it's a double degree, you'll take units from both schools across your four years rather than finishing one and starting the other.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are built on units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You need to accumulate a fixed total to graduate, and the double degree packs in more credit points than a single three-year degree, that's why it runs four years full time. Notre Dame runs its academic year in semesters, and most students take four units per semester. The communications core units come early, so you build writing, research and production skills before you specialise. Your arts major runs alongside, and later years give you more choice in both streams. There's usually a capstone unit in your final year where you pull your skills together on a substantial project, a major piece of journalism, a campaign, a documentary or a research essay, depending on your major and your interests.

Work-integrated learning

Communications is a field where you learn by doing, and this degree includes professional placement or internship units. Students have gone into newsrooms, PR consultancies, community radio, film and television production companies, marketing teams, not-for-profits and government media offices. Notre Dame has campuses in Fremantle, Sydney and Broome, and each city offers different placement options, Fremantle and Sydney have the bigger media and arts industries, while Broome gives you access to regional and Indigenous media organisations. Placements are arranged through the university and count towards your degree. You'll also produce work in on-campus facilities: editing suites, studios and newsroom-style classrooms where you file stories to deadline.

Who it suits

This degree suits someone who wants to write, tell stories and think critically about how information moves through society. If you're torn between a practical media career and studying a humanities subject you love, a double degree lets you do both without adding much time. It also suits students who aren't certain yet what they want to do, the arts half keeps options open in teaching, policy, research and public service, while the communications half gives you a trade. English proficiency requirements for international applicants are published by the university, with IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall as the common undergraduate standard. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While you study, your visa generally allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight during term. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 073153A. Check the official university page for current unit lists, majors and entry requirements.

• Journalist or reporter, newsrooms, digital publishers, community and regional newspapers, broadcast outlets
• Public relations officer, PR agencies, corporate communications teams, government departments
• Social media or content producer, media companies, marketing agencies, brands, not-for-profits
• Media and communications adviser, political offices, public service, industry bodies
• Copywriter or editor, publishing houses, magazines, online publications, advertising agencies
• Production assistant or researcher, film, television, radio and podcast production companies
• Marketing and campaign coordinator, arts organisations, events, tourism, retail
• Policy or research officer, using your arts major in government, NGOs or advocacy groups

Australian employers in these fields include the ABC and SBS, commercial broadcasters, major daily newspapers and digital news sites, PR and advertising agencies, state and federal government communications branches, arts festivals, museums and community media organisations.