The Master of Journalism and Communication will provide students with a professionally relevant and academically excellent education in journalism and communication. Students will acquire a portfolio of skills in media practice that will equip them for work in print, radio, television and online media and in the media relations and corporate communication sectors. Students will develop a knowledge of the social, economic and political role of Australian and international media industries and explore future directions in media and communication production. They will also learn to work in teams, manage media production projects and reflect on the ethics of professional practice. Students will learn in purpose built facilities that prepare them for work in real-world professional contexts.

Graduates of this program will be prepared for jobs in the print, radio, television and online media industries and in the media relations and corporate communication sectors. The focus on comparative media focus in this degree will also ensure that international students are equipped to apply the skills and knowledge they acquire in their countries of origin.

Eight courses (48 units of credit), including four designated core courses, need to be completed to satisfy the requirements for the award of this degree.

You must enrol in at least one course per Semester. Progress will be reviewed at the end of each Semester, and students who have completed less than 6 units of credit or failed a course may be required to “show cause” why they should be permitted to continue.

Students complete 48 uoc consisting of 4 core courses:

and four electives from the following list; students may choose electives offered outside the list as approved by the Program Convenor:

ARTS5503 Academic Writing (6 UOC)
This course can be taken as an additional course for students wishing to develop their academic writing skills. It will not count towards the program requirements. Click here for further details about the course.

Please refer to Program Structure for the academic requirements relating to this program.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  UNSW Fee Website.

Admission to the Master in Journalism and Communication is based on the applicant holding a recognised Bachelor degree with performance at credit level or better.

Students may apply for advanced standing or credit transfers if they can demonstrate equivalent study at UNSW or another institution.

(1) An application to enrol as a candidate for the degree shall be lodged with the Registrar at least two calendar months before the commencement of the semester in which enrolment is to begin.

(2) To qualify for the award of the degree, candidates must obtain over a period of study of not less than two semesters (full-time) or three semesters (part-time), eight courses within the Master of Journalism and Communication program. The maximum period of candidature shall be four academic semesters from the date of enrolment for a full-time candidate and eight semesters for a part-time candidate. In special cases an extension of these times may be granted by the Committee.

(3) A student enrolling in a course must satisfy the prerequisite or corequisite requirements of that course. These requirements may be waived at the discretion of the Head of the School/Unit concerned.

(4) The progress of a candidate shall be reviewed annually by the Committee, and as a result of the review the Committee may cancel enrolment or take such other action as it considers appropriate.

If you are seeking credit transfer, you must submit documentary evidence of courses completed at the time of initial enrolment. Faculty will then determine the number of units of credit to be granted. Credit transfer will not be granted for courses completed more than six years previously. The maximum credit transfer for a Masters is 18 uoc (equivalent to three courses), a Graduate Diploma is 12 uoc (equivalent to two courses) and a Graduate Certificate is 6 uoc (equivalent to one course).

The Masters forms part of an approved sequenced of articulated programs comprising the Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters degree in the same area of specialisation. A postgraduate student enrolled in an articulated program may progress from the Graduate Certificate to the Graduate Diploma to the Masters level with full credit for courses completed in earlier programs in the sequence.