Bachelor of Arts - Bachelor of Communication and Media - (Dual Degree)

at University of Wollongong - Wollongong Campus Australia

Psychology is the study of who we are and how we think, feel, act and change. This knowledge helps us improve wellbeing and psychological health. Understanding people's motivations and actions can provide valuable insight into the world of business: how we work, organise ourselves and assign value to things, and what constitutes responsible and ethical decision-making.

Business people are a flexible and diverse group of professionals who think strategically and critically to solve complex problems. The strategic thinking and data analysis skills you will gain from studying business are reinforced by the scientific principles and methods that underpin modern psychology.

This degree
Double degrees are designed to broaden your knowledge and skills set, giving you a competitive advantage in the workforce. They also reduce the length and cost of study by combining two different degrees. You can combine your Psychology and Business studies with other disciplines available in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business degrees.

On completion of this degree, you will be able to apply knowledge of psychological principles and applications across many business areas, including the application of research methods to commercial issues in local, national and international contexts.

What you will study
During this double degree, your psychology subjects include biological and social bases of behaviour, cognition and perception, social and developmental psychology, personality, and applied psychology. You will also learn the fundamentals of psychological practice, including the history of psychology, statistical and quantitative methods and psychological assessment.

The first year of your Bachelor of Business requires all students to study common core business subjects including the principles of responsible commerce, accounting fundamentals, statistics for business and marketing principals. Your second and third year will focus on your major business study area.

The Master of Engineering (Management) is a professional degree for engineers who see their careers progressing into management—including senior management positions. The program provides a strong grounding in some of the most modern management thinking applicable to engineering industries.

You will work in teams on applied practical projects and case studies, and broaden their skills base with subjects from other disciplines including finance, human resources and marketing.

This degree

The Master of Engineering delivers expert skills and applied competencies required for the professional engineer. It is designed to train and enhance professional practice, advance technical and specialist skills, and provide an opportunity to put theory into practice with applied projects and research. The degree also delivers communication, strategic and project management skills essential to the practising engineer.

What you will study

In the Master of Engineering (Management) you will complete the core subjects: Professional Communications and Engineering Workplace Practice, Innovation and Design, Project Management and Engineering Logistics.

For the Management major you will study subjects in Strategic Management for Engineers and Technologists, Life-Cycle and Risk Management, Modelling of Engineering Management Systems, Financial Management for Engineered Assets, and Supply Chain Management.

Geographers help shape the future by understanding, explaining and predicting both human and physical environments. You will study the human and physical forces that shape the planet and the political, social and environmental issues that arise as a consequence of human interactions with the Earth. Never before have geography skills been so important: faced with anthropogenic climate change and predictions of rising seas, bushfires and flooding, geographers will help understand and plan for a sustainable, socially just and resilient future.

Equally, in an era of massive data of both physical and human processes, geographers have never been better positioned to support decision making and planning at all levels of government and business.

Your degree
The Geography program at UOW includes the opportunity to undertake practical laboratory and fieldwork, taking advantage of the local Illawarra environment including urban and heritage landscapes, coastal landscapes, rainforest escarpment and freshwater ecosystems.

You will develop the knowledge and skills to apply the latest technologies in spatial analysis and satellite imagery within the context of these environments. These skills are in demand across a broad range of sectors including government bodies, industry, and consultancies.

What you will study
You will learn skills in logical and critical thinking, creative problem-solving, practical research, organisation and project management, numeracy, statistical literacy, computer applications (including geographic information systems), and strong communication. You will apply these skills to problems in physical and human geography, studying the natural environment, its processes, and the interaction of these with human society and the way it shapes and is shaped by the natural world.

Your studies will include climate change, biogeography, coastal and fluvial environments, populations, urban and regional societies, spatial geography and environmental management.

On completion, high performing students considering further study or a career in research should consider the Bachelor of Science (Honours) program. This one year degree offers students a pathway to expanding their knowledge in geography and achieving their postgraduate research aspirations.

Double degrees aim to broaden a student's knowledge and skill base and improve career options in competitive, increasingly interactive fields. The programs are designed to enhance educational, academic and professional qualifications while minimising overall course costs and study time for the student.

This degree

The Bachelor of Mathematics - Bachelor of Science (Physics) provides a deeper understanding of the complementary areas of Mathematics and Physics. Graduates are particularly suited to careers involving mathematical modelling of physical systems.

If you are doing, or have done particularly well in your Bachelor of International Studies degree, you should consider an Honours year. This normally involves one additional year of study following the successful completion of a three-year undergraduate degree. Your Bachelor of International Studies degree would have introduced you to a wide range of topics and problems, and an Honours project enables you to explore one in much greater depth. Honours research topics are various and negotiable—if you are really interested in a topic and want to find answers, you'll be encouraged and supported by our expert staff.

From a potential employer's perspective, whatever your topic, being able to demonstrate the ability to achieve a complex goal, meet deadlines, investigate independently, use resources effectively and write coherently, are all highly desirable qualities.

The Honours year has two functions at UOW: as an in-depth project at the end of undergraduate study, and as a bridge between undergraduate study and advanced research. Studying Honours is about:

• Learning research skills, navigation skills and information systems (archives, the Library, databases, electronic research networks);
• The opportunity to practise articulating complex ideas orally and in writing. It provides the experience of working closely with a supervisor on a project and in preparing a major project to meet a deadline;
• Experiences in devising, researching and writing up an individual topic of study in an extended argument/thesis of 15,000 words.

What you will study
The Bachelor of International Studies (Honours) consists of 50% coursework and 50% research work.  The research component of this degree takes the form of a research thesis under the supervision of an academic employed in the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

Progress in atmospheric science relies heavily on the analysis of data produced by satellite-borne and other types of instruments designed by physicists. Atmospheric scientists need a broad scientific basis as well as experience in computing. With the growing field of climate science and increasing demand for tools and instruments to predict and monitor the environment, atmospheric scientists use their broad range of skills to contribute toward innovations in design and prototyping of instruments, and the analysis and interpretation of data.

What you will study
In the Bachelor of Science (Atmospheric Science) you will complete subjects in physics, mathematics, chemistry, earth and environmental science and statistics. You will also study specialist subjects in remote sensing and the physics of atmospheric processes.

This degree
All subjects include a major practical component to complement and reinforce what you learn in lectures, and ensure you gain hands-on skills that prepare for real-world activities in your future careers. You will learn from academics that are internationally recognised in many fields of physics research including medical radiation physics, solid state physics, photonics and education.

The Honours program is an alternative option for students wishing to undertake research during the fourth year of either the Bachelor of Education - The Early Years pass degree or the Bachelor of Education - The Early Years (Dean's Scholar) degree. Entry to your honours year is based on application and merit.

Early Years education enriches learning in children from birth to five years by giving children the opportunity to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for lifelong learning. It focuses on the significance of early education to foster children’s health, development and wellbeing.

For the duration of this four-year degree Early Years students will engage in continuous professional mentoring through the Professional Partners in Practice (PPP) program. This will give you invaluable sector experience and professional connections that will enhance your employment pathways and opportunities.

Throughout the degree students spend up to 16 weeks teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care Centres and two weeks in the Community and Family sector, complementary to the mentoring experience within the Professional Partners in Practice program.

You will also have the opportunity to undertake exchange, study abroad and international cultural immersion programs.

Working closely with two supervisors, you will undertake a major project during the program, you will undertake special experiences for research work either in the field or that examine other aspects of education. The degree will culminate in the production of a thesis or other project work that disseminates your research findings and the results from your project and research inquiry.

What you will study
During this degree you will study:

• The development of young children and their connection to family, community, and culture
• Improving education and developmental outcomes for children
• Establishing relationships with children and families
• Cultural and social diversity
• Early intervention and transition to school
• Leadership and advocacy
• Creating physical and social learning environments
• Developing skills and experiences in research in educational settings.

The Master of Teaching (Secondary) is for university graduates from non-teaching courses who want to become secondary school teachers (Years 7 to 12). On completion of this degree, you will obtain a formal qualification making you eligible to teach specialized subject areas to students aged 13 to 18 in public, religious, and private schools.

This degree produces high-quality teachers with an understanding of diversity in the classroom and with strong connections to school communities.  

This program focuses on building teaching skills through a professional experience immersion program in your very first session, and regular professional experience periods throughout the degree. You will complete 60 days of professional experience (PEX), including the option to complete one PEX in a rural or remote area of NSW. There are also opportunities to undertake international immersion programs that, while not counted as a PEX, allow you to travel overseas, visit schools and develop your understanding of people and cultures.

Your learning will be supported by online teaching, forums, podcasts and video streamed lectures, on-campus tutorials, and in-school activities. You will benefit from the expertise of local teachers and a range of workshops to develop your skills in communication, technology-enhanced learning, working with parents, designing assessments, and conducting school-based research.

During your degree, you will explore the concepts of teaching and learning to build your professional skills in your selected teaching areas. Teaching areas include: English, Science, Visual Arts, Modern or Ancient History, Geography, Society and Culture or Aboriginal Studies, Legal Studies and Business Studies or Economics.  The methods offered are subject to demand, meaning that not all methods are guaranteed to be offered each year.

Studying Politics at UOW involves examining the origins and nature of power, consent, authority, and consensus that underpin social and global order. In the Politics Major we examine and explore political institutions, culture, class, gender, ethnicity, political economy, political theory and international relations. A Politics major aims to give you an understanding of how politics can and does operate at many levels—from the gender politics of the bedroom, home or workplace, to the government of nation states, and into the international realm. The study of politics is not just to do with how people organise power in the here and now, it also concerns itself with both the past and the future. Whether it is a country being studied, relations between countries, or a body of political ideas, studying Politics helps you engage with complex ideas about the individual, government and society.

What you will study
The Bachelor of Arts (Politics) offers subjects that examine Australian politics, political theory, comparative politics, the politics of regions, the media, political economy and international peace and security. We encourage you to study as broadly as possible across the areas offered by the Politics discipline. In third year, you have the opportunity to apply to undertake an internship in political institutions, both in Australia and overseas.

The Bachelor of Primary Education (Honours) is an alternative final year option for students who have demonstrated excellence in the first three years of the Bachelor of Primary Education or the Bachelor of Primary Education (Dean’s Scholar) degree.

This degree is a nationally accredited qualification for employment as a Kindergarten to Year 6 teacher in the public and independent school systems. You will learn through on-campus classes, online learning and school and community placements.  The extensive professional experience program involves placement in schools from the second year of the degree allowing you to learn by observation and apply your skills in the classroom early in your degree. 

During your study you will have opportunities for rural professional experiences, to study overseas with UOW's international exchange and study abroad partners, and to join international cultural immersion programs.

What you will study
In the final year of your degree, you will have the opportunity to be involved in a research project of your own choice or interest or work with a Primary Education academic as part of your research. All students will receive supervision throughout their research project and will be required to complete a thesis or other form of research dissemination detailing their research project, their methods and their findings. Participation in the Honours program can lead to further research opportunities as a postgraduate student.