Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)/Bachelor of Laws

Most people who do a Bachelor of Media and Communications and Bachelor of Laws degree take six years to complete it, full-time.

In the first four years of candidature, you study both Media and Communications components and Law components and, in this way, meet the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications degree. This leaves you the final two years to complete the remaining Law components, and to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) and Bachelor of Laws degree.

Please note that the requirements given below refer in detail only to Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the degree program. You can consult the Faculty of Law Handbook, in print or online, to find out more about the requirements for Years 5 and 6.

Requirements for Years 1 - 4

There’s some freedom of choice in what to study in the first three years of a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) and Bachelor of Laws degree, but there are a few requirements that you will have to follow. These requirements are listed here and explained in detail below.

Let's go through what each of these requirements involves in turn.

What are credit points?

• Students doing an Media and Communications / Laws degree are able to choose to study in a wide range of subject areas – for example, History, English, Japanese, Philosophy, Anthropology Linguistics and, of course, Law.
• A semester-length component in a particular subject area is called a ‘unit of study’.
• Each unit of study is worth a certain number of ‘credit points’, depending on the level at which it is taught and the amount of work required. All units of study are worth 6 credit points each.

How do I get 192 credit points?

• Most people studying full time take four years to complete the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) component of the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) and Bachelor of Laws degree.
• Full-time students usually earn their 192 credit points by taking units of study worth a total of at least 48 credit points per year 24 credit points per semester) over these four years of their degree, that is: 48 credit points x 4 years = 192 credit points!

What are the core units of Law and when do I do them?

• In first year, you should do the following core units:
  Foundations of Law (LAWS 1006) and
  Torts (LAWS 1012).
  a subject called Legal Research 1 (LAWS 1013). This unit of study is compulsory, but is unusual in that it has NO credit point value. You will be allocated to a Legal Research class in Semester One.
• In second year, you should do the following core units:
  Processes of Justice (LAWS 1014) and
  Contracts (LAWS 1015) and
  Criminal Law (LAWS1016)
• In third year, you should do the following core units:
  Torts and Contracts II (LAWS 1017) and
  International Law (LAWS 1018) and
  Public Law (LAWS1021)
  Legal Research II (LAWS1019) –this unit has no credit point value

What are junior credit points?

• You start your degree by taking ‘junior’ units of study. They form a foundation for more advanced ‘senior’ units. Junior units of study are worth 3 or 6 junior credit points each.
• Junior units are sometimes called 1000 level units because their unit of study codes all have the form 1XXX, e.g. CHNS1101, LNGS1005, SCLG1001, etc.

How many junior credit points should I do in my first year?

Most full-time students take units of study worth a total of 48 junior credit points in their first year (generally a total of 24 credit points in each semester). It is important to remember that 48 credit points is also the maximum number allowed in first year.

To make up 48 credit points in your first year, most students take four 6 credit point junior units in each semester. You will need to make sure to include:

• any junior prerequisites you may need for your Arts

Check the Faculty of Arts Handbook, the online Table of Units of Study or the Unit of Study Database to find out if there are any prerequisites for senior units in the subjects you plan to study.

• the CORE junior Law units of study (see Requirement 2 above)

There are two core Law units (both worth 6 credit points) that contribute to the first year 48 credit point load. These are:
Foundations of Law (LAWS 1006) and
TORTS (LAWS 1012).

• a subject called Legal Research 1 (LAWS 1013). This unit of study is compulsory, but is unusual in that it has NO credit point value. You will be allocated to a Legal Research class in Semester One.
• Two compulsory Media and Communications units:
  MECO1003 Principles of Media Writing
  MECO1002 Australian Media Studies

• This unit of study is a 6 credit point junior unit called Academic Writing (ENGL1000) which you will study in first year.

If you’re studying part-time, it is usually recommended that you do a minimum of 18 junior credit points in your first year of enrolment, so that you are eligible to meet progression requirements to be able to continue on to second year.

Here is an example of how you might put together 48 junior credit points in your first year, if you're studying full time:

You may not necessarily choose the combinations given in the example above. Just remember, if you’re aiming to complete the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) part of your degree in four years, to make sure your units add up to 48 credit points over the first year.

Why can I do no more than 48 junior credit points from the Arts Table?

• While junior units give you an excellent introduction to a subject, and function as a foundation for further study, they aren’t, in themselves, sufficient to provide you with substantial expertise in a subject area. Junior units of study are necessary, but not sufficient, for a Bachelor’s degree!

What is Part A in the Table of Units of Study?

• ‘Part A’ refers to the units of study that are listed in the Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Handbook, ‘Table of Units of Study: Part A’.
• All Part A units come from subject areas taught within the Faculty of Arts.

What is Part B in the Arts Table of Units of Study?

• ‘Part B’ refers to the units of study that are listed in the Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Handbook, Section 5 ‘Table of Units of Study: Part B’.
• Part B units come subject areas taught in the Faculties of Science, Economics & Business, and Education & Social Work.
• Detailed information on Part B units of study can be found in the relevant faculty handbook, or in the online handbooks.

What's a major in the Faculty of Arts?

• To earn a major in a subject area (from Part A) in the Faculty of Arts, students will normally complete 36 senior credit points in THAT subject area. Remember that senior units of study in Arts have 2XXX or 3XXX codes. Of course you need to have the appropriate junior (1XXX) prerequisites in place before you can do these senior units of study.

Can I do more than one major from the Arts Table?

• Unfortunately, you can’t fit in two majors from the Arts table of units of study in your Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications/ Laws degree. However, note that in addition to your Arts (Part A) major, you can do up to two senior or junior units of study in one other subject area from the Arts table (Part A or B) if you choose to;

You will complete the 12 junior credit points for Media and Communications in the first year and the remaining 60 senior credit points over years 2, 3 and 4. The compulsory Media and Communications units (units with the code 'MECO') you complete during the first 4 years of the degree are:

Year 1:

• Principles of Media Writing (MECO1003)
• Australian Media Studies (MECO1001)

Year 2:

• Radio Broadcasting (MECO2601)
• Media Relations (MECO2603)
• Video Production (MECO3601)

Year 3:

• Media, Law and Ethics (MECO3603)
• Media Globalisation (MECO3605)
• Advanced Media Writing (MECO3606)
• Online Media Production (MECO3602)

Year 4:

• Media and Communications Internship (MECO3671)
• Internship Project (MECO3672)
• Critical Practice in Media (MECO3609)

Most full-time students will get the required senior credit points over their second, third and fourth years by choosing subjects that add up to 24 credit points in each semester. (24 credit points x 6 semesters = 144 credit points).

Here is an example of how you might put together your senior credit points over your second third and fourth years:

When you sum the credit points earned in Years 1, 2 3 and 4, you can see they add up to 192 credit points … you’ve satisfied the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts(Media and Communications) component of your Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) and Bachelor of Laws degree!!!

What's the maximum number of credit points I can take per semester?

• You might want to take more than the usual number of credit points in one semester – perhaps to make up for a unit of study that you have failed or to try to get through your degree more quickly.
• You are permitted to do up to (but no more than) 30 credit points per semester in your second and third years. However, be aware that 30 credit points in a single semester is a very heavy load. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do your best in each unit you take (and very unlikely that you’ll have a life while you do it!)

So..what happens after the first four years?

• By the time you get to Years 5 and 6 of your degree you will have completed the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) component, and will focus only on the remaining Law components of your degree. You’ll take Law units of study worth 48 credit points per year.
• At this time, the supervision of your candidature will be transferred from the Faculty of Arts to the Faculty of Law.