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Combined degrees with International Studies

C10217 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Information Management) and in International Studies
C10102 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) and in International Studies
C10103 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Media Arts and Production) and in International Studies
C10104 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Communication) and in International Studies
C10106 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry) and in International Studies
C10105 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Writing and Contemporary Cultures) and in International Studies

Overview
Course structure
Other information

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication and in International Studies integrates Communications studies with a major in the language and culture of another country. This degree is offered jointly by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Institute for International Studies, UTS. Students spend the fourth year of study at a university overseas. All existing arrangements for both the Bachelor of Arts in Communication and the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies apply equally to the combined degree program.

Course structure

Humanities and Social Sciences component

Students complete the full program for one of the six Bachelor of Arts in Communication courses which are available in the Professional areas of Information Management, Journalism, Media Arts and Production, Public Communication, Social Inquiry, or Writing And Contemporary Cultures.

International Studies component

The Bachelor of Arts in International Studies requires undergraduates to study a major – a region or country – over a minimum of three years. In Sydney, students study Language and Culture for at least two years, followed by a period of study overseas.

In the International Studies program, students study one of the following countries or majors: Canada (Québec), Chile, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Latino USA, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. There are two other majors available that permit students to pursue programs of study about and in countries where other arrangements have not already been made. The Heritage major permits students with significant prior knowledge of a particular language and culture to continue their study in countries such as Croatia, Greece, Hong Kong, Korea, Poland, Russia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam and others. The Independent Study major is available where a language is taught in Sydney and a program of In-country Study can be arranged.

Australia and the Asia–Pacific is only available as a major to international students. International students may access one of the other majors offered provided that the country they choose as their major is able to grant them a visa to study there. This needs to be determined prior to commencing subjects within the major. If a visa cannot be granted, then it is not possible to undertake the chosen major.

Students are admitted to the International Studies program with no guarantee of entry to a specific major, although every effort is made to meet students' preferences. The Institute reserves the right to allocate places in majors according to its resources and arrangements with overseas universities.

Each major includes 32 credit points (four 8credit-point subjects) of instruction in Language and Culture; 8 credit points of study of Comparative Social Change; 8 credit points of study of Contemporary Society; and 48 credit points (two semesters) of study at a university or institution of higher education in the country of the major.

There are no prior language requirements for the International Studies component of this combined degree, except for programs within the Heritage major.

Arrangements for In-country Study

Students are required to complete all appropriate subjects in their combined degree, including four consecutive semesters of study of Language and Culture before proceeding to In-country Study.

The Institute for International Studies makes arrangements for students to spend two semesters of In-country Study at an institution of higher education in the country of their major. The costs of tuition at overseas universities and of travel between Sydney and the student's place of study are paid by UTS, except in cases where a scholarship has been awarded to a student with provision for these costs. Visa fees are also paid by UTS, and students are covered by the UTS Overseas Insurance Policy. Students undertaking the Heritage or Independent Study major may be required to bear some of the tuition costs at the overseas university. During their In-country Study, students continue to be enrolled at UTS and to pay HECS for their study.

Students must pay the costs of accommodation and other living expenses during their period of In-country Study. Students should be aware that the living costs vary from country to country and that in some countries living costs are high.

The In-country Study is the key component of the International Studies program. It provides a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the language and culture of another country through a learning program at a host university, through involvement in the life of the local community and through project work which is supervised by the Institute. Each student's individual study program depends on their level of language competence and the subjects and other learning experiences that are available at the host university. All students who undertake In-country Study must agree to the Institute's Conditions of Participation for In-country Study. Any study undertaken at the host university during the two semesters of In-country Study is part of the In-country Study experience. Students may not credit any subjects completed at their host university during the period of In-country Study towards the professional component of their combined degree.

Other information

For detailed information on the professional degree combining with the International Studies program, refer to the full entry details in this handbook (see Undergraduate courses). For further details on the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies subjects, refer to the International Studies subjects section at the back of this handbook and to the 2004 handbook for the Institute for International Studies.