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The future belongs to those that are making history now, the quick thinkers acting on their feet, and the innovators blazing new trails. Right now the world is changing so momentously – big changes, small changes, climate changes, gear changes – that everything is moving at a faster pace. Appropriately, you can get your degree more quickly too. Most of the degrees at Bond University can be completed in just two years, with rolling intakes throughout the year so you can study sooner and graduate quicker.
The Communication and Creative Media disciplines sit within the Faculty of Society & Design at Bond University and there are 11 degree options to choose from, including double degree programs in arts and laws. Bond also offers a Diploma of Communication that can be completed in just eight months and can segue seamlessly into a degree program.
Find out more: bond.edu.au
‘We offer a range of courses under the banner of Communication and Creative Media, including the Bachelors of Communication, Journalism, Creative Arts and Interactive Media and Design, but they’re all underpinned by a similar philosophy,’ said Caroline Graham, senior teaching fellow, Communication and Media.
‘We’ve thought carefully about what skills and traits the next generation of graduates are going to need in these fast-changing disciplines and all of these courses empower students to choose specialist majors so, from the outset, they’re beginning to brand themselves as niche creative or communications professionals.’
This empowers Bondies (the affectionate term for Bond Uni students) to design their own future with small classes, personalised experiences, and a project-based approach to learning. Bondies can specialise their studies in the area they are most passionate about from the beginning of the course.
This personalised experience extends from the classroom and through every aspect of life at Bond, delightfully situated at Robina on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Keeping up with the latest technological changes is always important, and Bond offers state-of-the-art equipment and meaningful opportunities to experiment with, and develop, equipment, software and innovations. ‘But it isn’t technology that creates change, it’s people,’ said Graham. ‘In many ways, ideas are the best currency a creative or communications professional has, so there is equal emphasis on fostering the qualities that set graduates up for success. Creativity, entrepreneurship, curiosity, empathy, knowledge, and discipline are all so important in these fields.’
Practitioners and professionals in the creative industries also need to be effective storytellers, and this is another quality that Bond nurtures in its students. ‘It’s really important to develop the verbal, written and visual language to tell the story of those ideas, because practitioners in this space are always narrating their ideas: to collaborators, or clients, or the community at large,’ she said.
Bondies are also encouraged to be courageous and develop the willingness to take risks. ‘You need to work out what you stand for, and have the confidence to back your ideas, and the tenacity to bring them to fruition. A lot of what we do as lecturers is about nurturing and helping develop concepts and projects, so that in those early stages of production students or teams have the comfort of having a mentor and cheerleader in their corner.’
Studying Communication and Media at Bond is a dynamic experience. ‘We integrate theory and tradition with a project-based approach to learning. Our newsroom, multimedia labs, and multimedia studio spaces are always abuzz with students recording podcasts, writing novels, developing mobile apps, making mobile video content, or working on PR, advertising or social media campaigns,’ said Graham.
Bondies also get out into the real world regularly, creating important professional networks. ‘We partner with industry clients and publishers regularly, so that the work our students create can have impact. Why wait until you graduate to start solving real-world problems and creating change?’
Caroline Graham says the range of career possibilities from a Communication and Creative Media qualification is enormous and still growing. It includes web designers, media professionals, social media managers, speechwriting, and film-making, with many positions embedded in other industries such as health, education, business, and the not-for-profit sector.
‘In fact, this field, which already employs more Australians than the mining sector, is expanding so fast that it’s almost impossible to imagine the roles that will exist in 10 or 15 years’ time. Employability is important, and for us that’s not just about getting a job, it’s also about developing the kind of imaginative and forward-thinking practitioners who are creating their own jobs and pathways,’ said Graham.
Visit bond.edu.au to learn more.
