Study
Communications
& Media

Reach and influence people with ideas, images and media

Media and communication skills are in high demand for careers in government, industry and the not-for-profit sector.  Learn how to share ideas, stories and critical messaging using media technologies and platforms. 

Along with technical skills, you’ll study the way media systems are changing locally and globally. Gain experience in media design, find audiences for your work and learn how to be an effective, adaptable and engaging media creative.

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Belong to one of the best

Develop the specialist skills that employers want.

The Bachelor of Communication and Media allows you to choose your specialisation with:

  • Common undergraduate first year: Bachelor of Communications and Media students have the chance to try all study areas before selecting a major in second year.
  • Five majors: Choose to major in Digital and Social Media, Screen Media Production, Journalism, Marketing Communication and Advertising and Visual Communication Design.
  • Choose more than one: The undergraduate program allows you to specialise in a particular field, or combine complementary specialisations in a double degree.

The Bachelor of Journalism is a specialist degree to prepare you for a dynamic career in journalism with:

  • In-depth, hands-on training in journalism
  • Converging media (audio, video, web, mobile)
  • Digital communication
  • Multimedia storytelling.

Study close to home:

No matter which UOW campus you choose, you become part of one big community of learning. Selected UOW Bachelor of Communications and Media courses are offered at UOW campuses located in:

Student riding bike on Wollongong campus outside Library

Be at the forefront of technology:

  • Hands-on learning: You decide what to work on, and you are in charge of your own media projects.
  • Purpose-built facilities: A brand new UOW communications and media hub will house specialised facilities including:
    • a professional video production and media studios
    • vocal booths
    • radio studios edit suites
    • a media centre/ newsroom.
  • Design studios and maker spaces: Available for animation, interactive media, 3D printing and prototyping.

 

two students studying in a cafe with a laptop

Developing well-connected future leaders:

  • Internships: Complete an internship with a reputable news or media organisation to put your knowledge into practice.
  • Build your portfolio: You will graduate with a portfolio of work and experience informed by up-to-date industry knowledge that you can present to future employers and clients.
  • Practical skills: From day one you will work on live projects. You will be pitching ideas, creating content, researching needs and designing solutions. You will enter the workforce as an independent, entrepreneurial, multi-skilled individual.

Student sitting at a computer editing a program  

 

A degree from UOW opens doors:

  • Access to experts: learn from experts about the ethical challenges and new opportunities driven by changing technologies.
  • Get noticed: Enter local and international creative design competitions.
  • Travel: Take part in an international exchange program, short course or internship.

Journalism industry contacts helping students in recording studio. female standing up speaking into the microphone.

5 stars

UOW Communications received a 5-star rating for skills development.

The Good Universities Guide 2023

Become one of the world's most employable graduates

At UOW, you'll develop real-world practical skills and content, not just theory. The latest QILT Employer Satisfaction Survey (2021) ranked employers' overall satisfaction with UOW graduates at 91.7% (84.7% national average), placing UOW 1st among all universities nationally.

We know that work is changing. In times of change and disruption, employers across a wide range of industries look for skilled and experienced communicators who know how to work across platforms, and who understand the media landscape. Here is just a sample of careers you can pursue:

  • Advertising
  • Communication specialist
  • Content development
  • Copywriter
  • Corporate
  • Communications
  • Digital publishing
  • Editor
  • Event coordinator
  • Feature writer
  • Global communications
  • Government

 

 

  • Market research
  • Media management adviser
  • Media strategy and planning
  • Journalist – print/television/radio/photo/online
  • Public relations
  • Publicity officer
  • Reporter
  • Researcher
  • Social media manager
  • Tourism officer

Read more: What can I do with my degree? 

 

Meet Alice

I loved taking photos, I loved writing, I loved creativity and it seemed to all come under the umbrella of journalism. In my degree I got to go to Mexico for six months. When I came back to uni one of my teachers set me up with an internship at the ABC, and it all went from there. I’m working to help people better understand this warped world and, in understanding it, empower them to make it a better place. Alice Bachelor of Journalism & Bachelor of Arts (Spanish)

Create new experiences

Jake is studying a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies (Dean's Scholar). He wants to understand how people interact with the world and use technology as a catalyst for social change.

ALUMNI STORIES

My name is Jake Troncone and I study a Bachelor of Communications and Media Studies, Dean Scholar. I really wanted to get into marketing and kind of understand how people interact with the world, but I didn't really want to do the businessy, mathsy side. So I decided that comms and media was probably the best option for me because it's like a creative business degree. I want to use technology as a catalyst for social change. 

Study in the home of innovation

an artist rendition of what building 29 will look like

Multimedia & performance hub

This facility will provide complex and highly technical creative spaces to support innovative teaching and research practices and allow students to acquire cutting-edge professional-level skills and experience to work in the real world.

Image of art - Centre for Critical Creative Practice

Centre for Critical Creative Practice

UOW communications research explores the influence of digital and screen media on culture, and provides context for informed 21st century practice.

Entrepreneurs network at iAccelerate

iAccelerate

iAccelerate is UOW's unique business accelerator and incubator program. The centre has the most innovative minds, creative ideas and entrepreneurial vibe that make it a unique place to start your business and scale it.

At UOW, you'll be on the forefront of future industries. Discover how you can follow your passions and influence others.

Follow your passions

A degree in communications and media will allow you the freedom to be creative, to express yourself, and to tell important stories. UOW lecturer Dr Renee Middlemost, and student Casey Evans share how following your passions can lead to a versatile career.

[Casey Evans] I chose to study communications and media because it has such a real-world impact. 

[Dr Renee Middlemost] It's a field that's always changing. So there's always something new to learn about, to be interested in, and that very much informs the way that we teach as well. 

[Casey Evans] That's about exploring media, about building a portfolio and finding yourself online. I think when I was in year 12, I had this idea I had to have it all figured out. And for me, the communications and media degree allowed me to really explore my passions, both artistically and analytically. 

[Dr Renee Middlemost] The best thing about the media and comms degree is that it's versatile you can take these skills and apply them in any number of areas.

[Casey Evans] Communications here is very practical. It's very much focused on building a portfolio and it's very much focused on building your experience and your learnings. 

[Dr Renee Middlemost] The students often choose their own project that they'll work on, and the important thing about that feedback loop is that they'll be working on the same project potentially for the first year, right up to the third year. And that sometimes ends up being a career for them.

[Casey Evans] So my portfolio with my communications and media degree is extremely important. And it's something that I was building from day one, from my very first subject, where I was asked to make a blog and to make a Twitter. 

[Dr Renee Middlemost] The way that we've set up the media and communications degree is really interesting and versatile, so when students come in their first year, for the first year, they're pretty much all together taking a number of compulsory core subjects. But then after that, they can narrow down their focus and we have five majors. So within the way the core structure is set up, you can even end up taking two majors. So we've got those five majors and you can kind of do a pick and mix and you don't have to know exactly what you want to do when you come in. What we'd really encourage students to think about what they're passionate about and go down that road. 

[Casey Evans] For me, the facilities at UOW and the ones available to me through the communications and media degree, have been amazing in giving me the tools to explore my ideas.

[Dr Renee Middlemost] We've got a number of teachers who come from industry so we've got that really nice balance of people that are academics, they know the theory and we've got a number of academics who've come from industry. So that balance is really nice in terms of knowing the skills that students will need at the end of the day. 

[Casey Evans] Ultimately, what I want to do with my degree is to go into the field of marketing. But in saying that, I'm very aware that there are always new jobs emerging and I would love to do anything involving digital and social media.

[Dr Renee Middlemost] Just be really open to the different experiences that are available when you come on campus. So, you know, you might come in thinking, I want to be a marketing person by you come in and then you take digital media subjects and go, actually, I want to be a digital marketing person or I just want to do something digital. So come in and take every opportunity to try the different things while you've got the opportunity. This is really the space to explore in a supportive environment and learn what it is that you're passionate about and how you could maybe apply that into the future.

A brighter future starts here

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