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Bachelor of Communication
Bachelor of Communication with endorsements in: Creative Media and Digital Marketing
BM1801
Course details
-
Jul 2022 - contact Wendy.Richdale@wintec.ac.nz about mid-year study optionsFeb 2023
- Three years
- Full-time or Part-time
- $7,472* per year
- You may qualify for fee-free study under Fees Free Policy
- Level 7
- Available for International Students. International Fee Guideline
- Hamilton City Campus
Summary
Students studying the Bachelor of Communication at Wintec will learn the art of storytelling through content creation, campaign delivery and digital marketing within the communication industry.
With practical assessments, work-integrated learning, real clients, and industry experience consistently applied through each year of study; this degree gives students the tools to build a dynamic network from day one, developing a digital portfolio and strong professional-personal brand to giving them an advantage with future employers.
Students develop strong writing and communication knowledge through both creative media and digital marketing foundations in their core learning. They will also develop expertise in their chosen endorsement through project roles and elective choices, with the opportunity to further specialise in their third year.
In their third year, students choose from two endorsement options to specialise in:
- Creative media
- Digital marketing
Additionally, we are the only New Zealand tertiary provider to offer students the opportunity to gain the New Zealand Diploma of Journalism concurrently if they choose to enrol in this option. Please note, specific paper options will be advised if this choice is taken.
Creative media
Along with core communication skills, writing, multimedia storytelling, and digital marketing, students will develop specialised skills to be creative media content producers. Students will learn:
- Media production and delivery
- Creative research and development
- Photography
- Video production
Students will generate dynamic, creative media solutions. They will produce a range of engaging content that responds to a brief and meaningfully connects with audiences across a variety of platforms.
Digital marketing
In addition to core communication skills, writing, multimedia storytelling, and creative media production, students will develop further skills to operate strategically in the marketing environment. Students will learn:
- Social media and brand strategy
- Campaign development and delivery
- Marketing communication
- Analytics and reporting
Students will generate campaign strategies for brands, along with the creative content for marketing, advertising, and storytelling. They will work with clients, leveraging digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and websites to connect with audiences. They will understand how their target market works through analysis and be able to deliver relevant solutions.
How you will learn
Project zones
Project-based learning is at the heart of what you will do from day one. With practical assessments, work-integrated learning, real clients, and industry experience consistently applied through each year of study, this degree gives you the tools to build a dynamic network from day one, developing a digital portfolio and strong professional-personal brand to provide you with an advantage with future employers.
In addition, school-wide ‘project zones’ are timetabled to enable collaboration with other students from across the creative disciplines of media arts: music and performing arts, design (visual communication & spatial), contemporary art and communication. Take these opportunities to let your creative communication ideas come to life while building your creative community.
Classrooms for creatives
You will be timetabled in workshop-based classes, working in a creative agency environment alongside your peers, and with industry, specialist tutors guiding your learning. This time is structured so you can find your rōpū (group) and build a creative network, replicating the environment you will work in after graduating, whilst also allowing a safe space to explore and experiment. You will have 24-hour access to our studios and workshops and can borrow technical equipment where needed, so you can work whenever inspiration hits.
Specialists and mentors
Have a backstage pass to our events, industry talks, gallery exhibitions, festival week, and performances. Our events enhance our teaching programme and provide conversations to provoke, challenge, and inspire, fueling your progress, and connecting you with experts that will help launch your creative career.
Internships and industry
Gain experience each year of the degree working on projects with real clients and building your networks. You will build your knowledge and career path through your professional practice papers, and by the time you reach your third and final year of study, you will gain further experience through an internship. This internship time sets you up with on-the-job experience to round out your portfolio as you prepare for life beyond study and can often lead to other opportunities or future employment.
What you will learn
Each year in the Bachelor of Communication, you will study 120 credits of learning. These credits are made up by taking core and elective modules.
In your core modules, you will learn the art of storytelling through content creation, campaign delivery, technical skills and production, social media campaigns and digital marketing, along with critical thinking and professional practice papers:
- Core communication modules: Develop your specialised communication skills.
- Critical Methods 1 and 2: learn to think critically and understand communication and art practice in social and cultural contexts.
- Professional Practice 1, 2, and 3: learn the ways of industry - develop goals to reach your career path and undertake professional development and internships.
To complement, students will add a range of electives to broaden their creative toolkit and to solidify chosen specialised skills. A range of electives is offered that cater to students from across our creative degrees in the School of Media Arts, including the fundamentals in graphic design, sound, or photography.
Please note students can study part-time, and we support mid-year entry. Please discuss these options with us when enrolling.
Click the play button and discover what studying at the Wintec School of Media Arts can offer you.
View programme modules
Note: No value in the pre/co-requisite columns means there are no pre/co-requisites for that module.
Craft and Core Modules:
| Module Code | Module Title | Level | Credits | Pre-Requisites | Co-Requisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMM510 | Communications 510 | 5 | 30 | ||
| COMM520 | Communications 520 | 5 | 30 | | |
| COMM610 | Communications 610 | 6 | 30 | COMM510 COMM520 | |
| COMM620 | Communications 620 | 6 | 30 | COMM510 COMM520 | |
| COMM710 | Communications 710 | 7 | 30 | COMM610 COMM620 | |
| COMM720 | Communications 720 | 7 | 15 | COMM620 or equivalent | |
| CRIT501 | Critical Methods 1 | 5 | 15 | ||
| CRIT601 | Critical Methods 2 | 6 | 15 | CRIT501 | |
| PROF501 | Professional Practice 1 | 5 | 15 | ||
| PROF601 | Professional Practice 2 | 6 | 15 | PROF501 | |
| PROF701 | Professional Practice 3 | 7 | 15 | PROF601 |
Project Modules:
| Module Code | Module Title | Level | Credits | Pre-Requisites | Co-Requisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRTV701 | Research Methods | 7 | 15 | CRIT601 | |
| CRTV702 | Freelance Project | 7 | 15 | COMM610 & 620 or DSGN610 & 620 or CART610 & 620 or MAPA610 | |
| CRTV703 | Capstone Project | 7 | 15 | COMM710 or DSGN710 or CART710 or MAPA710 | |
| CRTV704 | Matauranga Toi - Art Education | 7 | 15 | COMM610 & 620 or DSGN610 & 620 or CART610 & 620 or MAPA701 & 620 | |
| CRTV705 | Creative Work Integrated Learning | 7 | 15 | PROF702 or equivalent | |
| DFNZ701 | Design Factory Industry Project | 7 | 30 | 75 credits at level 6 or pre-requisites may be waived at the discretion of the relevant Head of School/Centre Director or designated authority |
The 30 credit module DFNZ701: Design Factory 1 can be offered as an option within any Wintec degree programme, wherever the degree programme structures allows such an option. Admission into the Design Factory module is on negotiation with the Centre Director or delegated authority and selection into the module is in line with the Design Factory process.
Elective Modules:
| Module Code | Module Title | Level | Credits | Pre-Requisites | Co-Requisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSGN502 | CMS Web Publishing | 5 | 15 | ||
| DSGN503 | Graphic Design Fundamentals | 5 | 15 | ||
| CRTV501 | Creative Special Topic 1 | 5 | 15 | ||
| CRTV502 | Creative Special Topic 2 | 5 | 15 | ||
| CRTV601 | Creative Special Topic 3 | 6 | 15 | 60 credits Level 5 | |
| CRTV602 | Creative Special Topic 4 | 6 | 15 | 60 credits Level 5 | |
| BMAXX100 | Moving Image: An Introduction | 5 | 15 | ||
| BMALX142 | Storytelling, Myth and Ritual | 5 | 15 | ||
| BMALX110B | History and Theory in Visual and Design | 5 | 15 | ||
| BMALX179 | Interpreting Visual Culture | 5 | 15 | ||
| PRNT501 | Screen Printing | 5 | 15 | ||
| MAPA502 | Sound Fundamentals | 5 | 15 | ||
| MAPA503 | Lighting Fundamentals | 5 | 15 | ||
| MAPA504 | Songwriting | 5 | 15 | ||
| MAPA604 | Songwriting 2 | 6 | 15 | MAPA504 | |
| MAPA505 | Intro to Ensemble Performance | 5 | 15 | ||
| SCRN502 | Screen Fundamentals | 5 | 15 | ||
| SCRN503 | Screen Technology One | 5 | 15 | SCRN502 | |
| JOUR505 | Media Law and Context | 5 | 15 | ||
| BMA0G210 | Illustration, Concept Media | 6 | 15 | DSGN510 or CART510 or DSGN503 or equivalent knowledge or skills | |
| DSGN602 | Motion Graphics | 6 | 15 | DSGN510 or DSGM503 or equivalent knowledge or skills | |
| DSGN603 | Type Design | 6 | 15 | DSGN510 or DSGM503 or equivalent knowledge or skills | |
| PHOT501 | Photography Fundamentals | 5 | 15 | ||
| PHOT502 | Photography Tech One | 5 | 15 | PHOT501 or equivalent knowledge or skills | |
| PHOT503 | Darkroom Photography | 5 | 15 | ||
| CART502 | Drawing Fundamentals | 5 | 15 | ||
| CART503 | Painting Fundamentals | 5 | 15 | ||
| MAPA606 | Repertoire Studies 2 | 6 | 15 | MAPA506 or Equivalent proficiency | |
| MAPA607 | Performance Studies 2 | 6 | 15 | MAPA507 or Equivalent proficiency | |
| CART602 | Eco Creative Practice | 6 | 15 | 60 credits level 5 including either CRIT501 or PROF501 | |
| COMM603 | Advertising and Publicity | 6 | 15 | 45 credits L5 PROF501 Professional | |
| DFNZ601 | Design Thinking Launchpad | 6 | 15 | 60 credits at level 5 or equivalent | |
| COMM602 | Feature Writing | 6 | 15 | ||
| DSGN604 | Surface Design | 6 | 15 | DSGN503 or equivalent |
Or other modules and packages of learning as agreed to by the designated media arts staff.
Design Factory NZ
In their third year of study, students can apply to study the 30 credit Design Factory NZ module. This experience teaches a range of problem-solving methodologies, which students will apply to a real-world challenge provided by an industry partner. Students
will work in a multi-disciplinary team alongside students from engineering, business, IT, sport and exercise science, media arts, and more.
Joining Design Factory NZ will provide students with the opportunity
to learn and work in new ways, prototype solutions to complex problems, and develop their soft skills of creativity, empathy and communication - all in high-demand for the workplace of the future.
Read more about Design Factory NZ.
Career/further opportunities
- Communication advisor
- Content creator
- Media and brand strategist
- Journalist
- Social media marketer
- Advertising account manager
- Editor/publisher
- Event manager
- Marketing communications
- Producer
- Videographer
- Photographer
- Storyteller
- Speechwriter
- Media teacher
- Events manager
- Web content manager
- Podcast/audio content creator
- Digital marketer
- Strategic and corporate communication roles
- Creative writer
- Professional writer
Graduates of this programme will be qualified to work in a range of communication, media, advertising, marketing, and creative production roles. They will have developed transferable skills and professional attributes that will position them for many other jobs, having the skills to work collaboratively and creatively within the increasingly complex and dynamic creative industries.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Communication are positioned to pathway into postgraduate programmes at Wintec such as the Bachelor of Media Arts with Honours then Master of Arts.
Student projects
Look through our graduate publication to see the work students create. Here, you will find short bios and images of student projects from across the media arts disciplines over the years.
Frequently asked questions
What can I expect from the class schedule and workload?
Expect to spend about 26 hours a week in scheduled classes. Some of these will be on campus, but students will also spend time on industry visits and working on client projects.
How much time outside of class will I need to spend on study?
Students are expected to do another 14 hours of independent learning on top of classes - in total the mix of class time and independent study should add up to about 40 hours per week.
What opportunities will I get to work on industry projects?
There are four project zones per year, during which students will work for up to three weeks with an industry or community partner on a cross-disciplinary project. Students will also do a work placement in second year and a major internship in their third year.
Undergraduate, semester, pathway, module and cross-disciplinary - what do these words mean?
Undergraduate means any study up to the level of completing a bachelor degree. Our academic year is made up of two main semesters, one from February to June and the other from July to November. We also have a summer semester for some classes. A degree is made up of a mix of compulsory and elective modules, modules are worth between 15 and 60 credits. A year’s worth of full time study is 120 credits.
Who will teach me?
You will learn directly from active practitioners who are writers, former agency producers, public relation specialists, journalists, podcast journalists, website, and SEO specialists. Meet the School of Media Arts team here.
Events
Disclaimers
Entry criteria
a) Candidates are required to have:
i. NCEA Level 3 comprised of 60 credits at NCEA Level 3 or above and 20 credits at NCEA Level 2 or above, including:
(1) 14 credits each at NCEA Level 3 in three approved subjects, including a Language
Rich subject; and
(2) Literacy (10 credits at NCEA Level 2 or above made up of 5 credits each in reading and writing); and
(3) Numeracy (10 credits at NCEA Level 1 or above); or
ii. A relevant level 4 qualification; or
iii. Equivalent.
b) In exceptional cases, candidates with 60 credits at NCEA Level 2 across four subjects including 12 credits in a Language Rich subject, or equivalent, will be considered.
UE 2020
Applicants who achieved University Entrance through NCEA in 2020 will be assessed under separate NZQA entry requirements that take into account the impacts of COVID-19. Candidates are required to have:
- NCEA Level 3 comprised of 60 credits at NCEA Level 3 or above and 20 credits at NCEA Level 2 or above, including:
- 12 credits each at NCEA Level 3 in three approved subjects; and
- UE Literacy (10 credits at NCEA Level 2 or above made up of 5 credits each in reading and writing); and
- UE Numeracy (10 credits at NCEA Level 1 or above).
Special admission
Domestic applicants aged 20 years or above who have not met the General Admission or entry requirements for a programme but whose skills, education or work experience indicate that they have a reasonable chance of success may be eligible for Special Admission. Special admission will be granted at the discretion of the relevant Head of School/Centre Director or designated nominee. Such applicants may be required to successfully complete a foundation, bridging or tertiary introductory programme as a condition of entry into higher-level programmes.
Provisional entry
Domestic applicants aged under 20 years who have not met the general academic admission and entry criteria for a programme but who can demonstrate a reasonable chance of success through other educational attainment and/or work or life experience may be eligible for provisional entry at the discretion of the relevant Head of School/Centre Director or designated nominee. Provisional entry places restrictions on re-enrolment to be lifted if the applicant’s performance is deemed satisfactory by the relevant Head of School/Centre Director or designated nominee.
Selection criteria
a) Where there are more applicants than the number of places available, selection will be determined on the basis of the candidate’s application and submitted portfolio work.
b) An interview and written language test may also be required as part of the selection process.
English language requirements
a) Candidates who have English as a second language are required to have an International English Language Test System (IELTS) score of 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5; or,
b) Equivalent.
Want to see full details of the entry criteria?
Don't meet the entry criteria?
Pathways
To check what you need to gain entry to a course, review the entry criteria available on each programme page. These assist you in understanding what qualifications or experience are typically required to gain entry. You can contact our team at info@wintec.ac.nz or 0800 2 Wintec at any time for further guidance.
Your first day
Are you ready for your first day of class? Check out your start date and where you need to be. You can also find useful information about studying at Wintec on our welcome page.
Year 1 students beginning July 2022
Date: Monday 25 July 2022
Time: 10.30am-4pm
Venue: Events Room 1, Gallagher Hub, City Campus
- Welcome and staff introductions
- Tours, ID cards, and parking
- Lunch
- Class
Prospectus (course guide)
The Wintec Prospectus (otherwise known as a course guide) outlines everything you need to know about Wintec. It contains information about the Wintec campuses, student life, and the programmes that are on offer.
Access your copy of the Wintec Prospectus
The Wintec Prospectus (course guide) is available by downloading the file - click on the document below to access the file. Alternatively, to request a copy via email or the post, please complete the form below.
Request an emailable or printed copy of the Prospectus
Portfolio
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