Honours Program for Media and Communication

Why do Honours?

“Studying Honours in Media and Communications significantly improved the skill set that I developed in my undergraduate degree and broadened my horizons professionally. The program encourages a collegial atmosphere in which Honours students and academics come together to discuss a range of issues that relate to Media and Communications. One of the things I enjoyed most about the program was having direct contact with academics who are experts in their fields and receiving their feedback on my work. The program also equipped me with excellent writing skills, the ability to manage long-term projects and extensive research experience, all skills that are now highly valued in my role in Public Relations. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in exploring the area of Media and Communications further, improving their academic skills or has an interest in distinguishing themselves from other job candidates”, 2007 Honours Student.

"I studied honours for the challenge it represented. To be able to focus all of your energy and brain power onto one subject and one very particular area of research was demanding but also provided the intellectual pleasure one can only get out of discovering one more new aspect in your research. While undertaking honours should not be considered lightly as it is a very challenging year, it will be a year that allows you to explore your preferred area of research in more depth than you ever could have before", 2007 Honours Student.

An Honours year allows students to further explore ideas and concepts introduced in their undergraduate degree and/or develop skills and approaches that will enhance their abilities as media researchers and practitioners. While seen as a path to a further academic postgraduate studies in the form of an MPhil or PhD, honours is also a year of research training in skills highly prized across a range of government, non-government and commercial organizations involved in media and communications research, media debates, and policy development. Students who go on to do honours gain experience in managing and designing their own research project, and focussing on a particular topic of their choosing in a long essay form or equivalent. They are able to explore aspects of an issue or their field of study to a greater depth than usually possible in their undergraduate study. They work closely with an academic supervisor and also benefit from the camaraderie of other honours students. An honours year can give your Arts degree an edge, demonstrating to potential employers that you have the discipline to thoroughly research, write and manage a project of your own to completion.

Honours in Media and Communications

The Honours program is a one-year course for students who have completed the requirements of an Undergraduate degree. Applications are accepted from students who have completed their degree at another Australian institution. It has a research rather than purely course-work focus. It is designed to prepare students for research in the humanities, as well as develop their knowledge in a specific area of their interest. An Honours year allows students to further explore ideas and concepts introduced in their undergraduate degree and/or develop skills and approaches that will enhance their abilities as media researchers and practitioners. The program has been designed to allow students to focus on their research skills and their own research project. In the first semester, students will be exposed to research methodologies that are central to the discipline as well as skills for research design and practice. The program involves a student-led teaching approach with candidates researching and delivering a substantial amount of the semester content. The second semester is given over to the preparation of the thesis with students working towards a submission deadline of early October. Throughout the year, Honours candidates are also required to attend departmental seminars that showcase contemporary research in Media and Communications. These seminars occur on a fortnightly basis.

Applying for Honours

All students interested in applying for Honours must make an appointment to speak with the Honours Coordinator, Alana Mann. It is in your interest to have an idea of what your area research will be so that we may assess the possibility of pertinent supervision. You may wish to refer to the link for staff to gain an understanding of the research strengths and interests of the department. Please note that all applicants are expected to have achieved at least a solid credit average throughout their undergraduate degree. University of Sydney students must complete a ‘Pre-enrolment Honours Form’ available from the Faculty of Arts. This is to be submitted by October 31st and indicates to the Faculty of your intention to enrol in Honours in the following year. Late submissions may be considered. Students from other institutions will be required to complete an Honours Conversion Form. The Coordinator will approve this once a meeting has taken place and a proposal has been prepared. All students applying for Honours must also submit a proposal by the beginning of December that outlines the intended research project. It should be two to three pages in length and include (as a minimum): • A description of the field you are interested in studying for your thesis and a question/problem within that field that you believe requires investigation. • A brief literature review that outlines the key theorists in the field, identifying (where possible) where you believe your work will enhance that which has already been done and/or address a gap in knowledge.

Part-Time and Mid-Year Enrolments

The department requires that all students enrol in first semester on a full-time basis. Requests to enrol part-time thereafter will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. At this stage, the Program is unable to accept mid-year enrolments.

Content and Structure of the Honours Program

Semester Two:
MECO4011 Honours Research Methods A
MECO4012 Honours Research Methods B
MECO4013 Honours Seminar C
MECO4015 Honours Thesis D

Semester Two:
MECO4014 Honours Seminar A
MECO4016 Honours Thesis B
MECO4017 Honours Thesis C
MECO4018 Honours Thesis D

Scholarships

Each year the University of Sydney offers around 50 Honours Scholarships, each worth $5000. Further information about these scholarship will be available on the Scholarships website each year from late August.

Previous Honours Theses titles include:

• The Disconnect Between Journalism and Governance: A Critical Analysis of the Interaction of Journalism and Governance in the Virtual World Second Life.
• The Mythic Monument and Monumental Myth: 9/11 Through Film Posters
• Telling Bodies: Reading Pro-anorexia websites in search of anorexic voices
• Niche Publications and Subcultural Authenticity: The Case of Stealth Magazine
• Difficult Territory: Reporting and Representing under the Northern Territory Permit System
• The Friend I Hate the Most: British Popular Culture, Cultural Studies and the American Other
• Informing A Distracted Audience: News Narratives in Breakfast Television’
• In the Public Interest? Investigative Journalism and Fourth Estate Philosophy within the Australian Press
• Technology and Culture: Charting the Conceptualisation of Digital Audio Broadcasting in Australia
• So everyone’s a rock critic? Music Journalism in a Networked Society
• MySpace: a place for friends? A Study of Friendship on MySpace
• Misconceived: Representations of ‘The RU486 Debate’ in Australian Media
• Making Traks: Hip-hop subculture in Sydney (Video and discussion paper)