C10380v1 Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Laws
Award(s): Bachelor of Laws (LLB)Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) (BComm)
UAC code: 609001 (Autumn session)
CRICOS code: 087786G
Commonwealth supported place?: Yes
Load credit points: 240
Course EFTSL: 5
Location: City campus
Overview
Career options
Course intended learning outcomes
Admission requirements
Assumed knowledge
Course duration and attendance
Course structure
Course completion requirements
Course diagram
Course program
Honours
Professional recognition
Other information
Overview
Journalism operates within a complex set of ethical and legal boundaries. Understanding the law and how it impacts professional journalistic practice is essential to both journalism and media-specific legal careers.
This degree provides students with the knowledge and the practical skills required to become highly effective practitioners in either professional discipline, and meets the academic requirements for admission to practice law in NSW.
Course content combines the intellectual, ethical and political foundations of journalism with the study of Australian legal theory and practice. Students learn to produce multi-platform journalism stories and build exceptional communication skills that are also applicable in the legal profession, including in research, writing and analysis.
Elective choices include media-specific law subjects, cross-disciplinary communication subjects, or the Legal Futures and Technology major.
Graduates can pursue careers in media and communications legal practice, policy and research work; specialist legal and crime reporting and publishing for print, internet, radio or television; and legal communications or publishing in the private sector.
Career options
Career options include journalist with professional skills in one or more of the print, radio, television or internet media; lawyer in the media and communication industry or legal policy adviser in a government department such as the Australian Broadcasting Authority.
Course intended learning outcomes
| COM.1.1 | Possess a well-developed awareness of professional practice in the context of the communication industries |
| COM.1.2 | Apply theoretically informed understanding of the communication industries in independent and collaborative projects across a range of media |
| COM.2.1 | Possess information literacy skills to locate, gather, organise and synthesise information across diverse platforms to inform the understanding of the communication industries |
| COM.2.2 | Be reflexive critical thinkers and creative practitioners who are intellectually curious, imaginative and innovative; with an ability to evaluate their own and others' work |
| COM.3.1 | Demonstrate an awareness and knowledge of global contexts and openness to cultural exchange |
| COM.3.2 | Employ professional skills responsibly and respectfully in a global environment |
| COM.4.1 | Possess a critical understanding of the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within contemporary Australian politics, history and culture |
| COM.4.2 | Integrate knowledge of Indigenous issues in professional practices and engage responsibly in communicating with and about Indigenous people and communities |
| COM.5.1 | Possess the awareness of ethical practice in the personal, political and professional contexts of civil society |
| COM.5.2 | Possess the skills to behave ethically in personal and professional contexts |
| COM.6.1 | Possess well-developed skills and proficiencies to communicate and respond effectively and appropriately across different contexts |
| COM.6.2 | Demonstrate digital literacy and production skills across a range of media and media texts |
| LAW.1.1 | A coherent understanding of fundamental areas of legal knowledge, including: the Australian legal system, international and comparative contexts, theoretical and technical knowledge; the broader contexts within which legal issues arise and the law operates, including cultural awareness, social justice and policy; and the principles and values of justice and ethical practices in lawyers' roles |
| LAW.2.1 | A capacity to value and promote honesty, integrity, accountability, public service and ethical standards, including: an understanding of approaches to ethical decision-making and professional responsibility; and an ability to recognise, reflect upon and respond to ethical issues likely to arise in professional contexts in ways that evidence professional judgment, promote justice and serve the community |
| LAW.3.1 | A capacity to think critically, strategically and creatively, including the ability to: identify and articulate legal issues in context; apply reasoning and research to generate appropriate responses; engage in critical analysis and make a reasoned choice among alternatives; and think creatively in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses |
| LAW.4.1 | Well-developed cognitive and practical skills necessary to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues |
| LAW.5.1 | Effective and appropriate communication skills including: highly effective use of the English language to convey legal ideas and views to different audiences and environments; an ability to communicate to inform, analyse, report and persuade; an ability to strategically select an appropriate medium and message; an ability to assess how messages are received and alter communication strategies accordingly; an ability to be responsive and adaptive to the perspectives of collaborators, clients, counter parties and others; and an ability to generate a sustained and logical argument |
| LAW.6.1 | The ability to implement appropriate self-management and lifelong learning strategies, including: an ability to undertake and initiate self-directed work and learning; well-developed judgment and responsibility as a legal professional in a broader social context; the ability to support personal and professional development by reflecting on and assessing their own capabilities, wellbeing and performance, by making use of feedback as appropriate, by identifying and accessing appropriate resources and assistance, and by making use of resources and support in developing resilience; a capacity to adapt to and embrace change and a commitment to ongoing learning |
Key
LAW = Law course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
COM = Communication course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
Admission requirements
Applicants must have completed an Australian Year 12 qualification, Australian Qualifications Framework Diploma, or equivalent Australian or overseas qualification at the required level.
The English proficiency requirement for international students or local applicants with international qualifications is: Academic IELTS: 6.5 overall with a writing score of 6.0; or TOEFL: paper based: 550-583 overall with TWE of 4.5, internet based: 79-93 overall with a writing score of 21; or AE5: Pass; or PTE: 58-64; or CAE: 176-184.
Eligibility for admission does not guarantee offer of a place.
International students
Visa requirement: To obtain a student visa to study in Australia, international students must enrol full time and on campus. Australian student visa regulations also require international students studying on student visas to complete the course within the standard full-time duration. Students can extend their courses only in exceptional circumstances.
Assumed knowledge
Proficiency in English and computer literacy.
Course duration and attendance
The course is offered on a five-year, full-time basis. Students are required to attend approximately 17 hours of seminars and lectures a week. Timetable constraints may require attendance at daytime and evening classes for the law component.
Course structure
The course comprises 240 credit points. The study components for course completion are as follows.
The law component of 144 credit points is made up of:
- 108 credit points of compulsory core law subjects
- 30 credit points of law options, including either:
- 30 credit points of law options, or
- 30 credit points of legal futures and technology options
- a 6-credit-point legal theory option.
The communication component of 96 credit points is made up of:
- 24 credit points of compulsory subjects
- 48 credit points of subjects from the Journalism major, and
- 24 credit points of electives from cross-disciplinary subjects.
For a current listing of subjects in each course refer to the study package directory.
Industrial training/professional practice
To practise as a lawyer in NSW, students need to successfully complete an accredited legal academic qualification (e.g. Bachelor of Laws) and an accredited course of practical legal training (PLT), which UTS offers through its PLT program.
Students enrolled in this course may complete their practical legal training by undertaking a postgraduate course in PLT, such as the Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice (C11232).
Course completion requirements
| STM91104 Communication core | 24cp | |
| MAJ10046 Journalism | 48cp | |
| STM90691 Law stream | 144cp | |
| CBK91115 Cross-disciplinary electives | 24cp | |
| Total | 240cp |
Course diagram
Course program
The standard program shown is for a full-time student with law options.
All options shown are law options and are to be drawn from those on offer in CBK90922.
Students wishing to study the new major MAJ09443 Legal Futures and Technology need to study 76106 Technology Law, Policy and Ethics (Capstone 1) in the Autumn session of their final year and 76107 Applied Project in Law, Innovation and Technology (Capstone 2) in their final Spring session.
| Autumn commencing | ||
| Year 1 | ||
| Autumn session | ||
| 54000 Citizenship and Communication | 8cp | |
| 54020 Stories from the Streets: Local Journalism, Social Media | 8cp | |
| 70102 Foundations of Law | 8cp | |
| Spring session | ||
| 54001 Digital Literacies | 8cp | |
| 54021 Live Action: Multiplatform Journalism | 8cp | |
| 70103 Ethics Law and Justice | 6cp | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Autumn session | ||
| 54002 Communicating Difference | 8cp | |
| 54022 Digging Deeper: Current Affairs and Longer-form Journalism | 8cp | |
| 70114 Criminal Law and Procedure | 8cp | |
| Spring session | ||
| 70211 Contracts | 8cp | |
| 54023 From Dirty Data to Vivid Visualisation | 8cp | |
| 70311 Torts | 8cp | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Autumn session | ||
| 70616 Australian Constitutional Law | 8cp | |
| 54024 The Hive: Collaborative Journalism | 8cp | |
| 70104 Civil Practice | 6cp | |
| Spring session | ||
| 70327 Commercial Law | 6cp | |
| 54025 Industry Portfolio | 8cp | |
| 70317 Real Property | 8cp | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Autumn session | ||
| 71116 Remedies | 6cp | |
| 70109 Evidence | 6cp | |
| Select 8 credit points from the following: | 8cp | |
| CBK91115 Cross-disciplinary electives | 24cp | |
| Select 6 credit points from the following: | 6cp | |
| CBK90922 Options (Law UG) | 30cp | |
| Spring session | ||
| 70617 Administrative Law | 8cp | |
| 70517 Equity and Trusts | 8cp | |
| Select 8 credit points from the following: | 8cp | |
| CBK91115 Cross-disciplinary electives | 24cp | |
| Year 5 | ||
| Autumn session | ||
| 70417 Corporate Law | 8cp | |
| 70108 Public International Law | 6cp | |
| Select 8 credit points from the following: | 8cp | |
| CBK91115 Cross-disciplinary electives | 24cp | |
| Select 6 credit points from the following: | 6cp | |
| CBK90923 Options (Legal Theory UG) | 6cp | |
| Spring session | ||
| Select 24 credit points from the following: | 24cp | |
| CBK90922 Options (Law UG) | 30cp | |
Honours
Students can graduate with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) if they complete subjects 76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis within the course. The degree may be awarded with first or second class honours, which does not require an additional honours year. The rules concerning the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) can be found in undergraduate course information.
Students who meet these criteria are eligible for transfer into the appropriate undergraduate honours exit course on completion of all coursework. This transfer into an honours exit course is managed by the Haymarket Student Centre and occurs just prior to graduation.
Students who undertake the Legal Futures and Technology major and who meet the criteria for honours can choose to undertake honours as part of their degree.
The Bachelor of Communication (Honours) (C09047) is offered on a one-year, full-time basis.
Professional recognition
- This course satisfies the requirements for admission to the Supreme Court of NSW as a lawyer, provided students complete a practical legal training program, such as the Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice (C11232).
- Graduates are eligible to apply for professional level membership of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).
- Students are eligible for student membership of the MEAA and access to the MEAA, Women in Media and Walkley Foundation network which provides skill development programs.
- The Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) is recognised by the MEAA and the Australian Press Council.
Other information
Further information is available from:
UTS Student Centre
telephone 1300 ask UTS (1300 275 887)
or +61 2 9514 1222
Ask UTS
