Department of Media

The Department of Media combines industry focus, theoretical strength and internationally significant research to equip graduates with skills and advanced knowledge across a range of media forms.

Our degrees equip students with the analytical rigour and the expertise in media, communication, and technology that they need to be creative, engaged, and make a meaningful impact.

As well as drawing on the world-class research of academic staff in areas including social media, immersive media, design, journalism and games, the Department works with industry to combine knowledge and application.

  • Our teaching

    We offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Media.

    At undergraduate level, you can study Media as a stand-alone degree, part of a double degree or a major in another degree. Students in the Media degree have a range of majors to choose from – including Immersive Media, Social Media and Digital Promotion, Marketing, Journalism, Film Studies, Visual Design and Story Production. Or you can enrol in the degree without nominating a major, and select from the wide range of electives available to put together a program that best suits your interests.

    Our postgraduate degrees in Media (Strategic Communication), and Immersive Media Technologies will help you take your career to the next level with qualifications at Masters, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate levels.

    Study Media

  • Our people

    Academic Staff

    Name

    Role

    Dr William Andrade

    Lecturer in Media

    Research and teaching expertise in 3D modelling, 2D and 3D animation, film, animation, and game history, digital media, and creative industries.

    Dr Saira Ali

    Lecturer in Media 

    Program Director, Master of Media (Strategic Communication)

    Teaching and research expertise in strategic communication; digital media; mediatisation of risk, security and othering; journalistic practices, terrorism/counterterrorism and censorship.

    Dr Kim Barbour

    Senior Lecturer in Media

    Honours Coordinator

    Research and teaching expertise in persona studies, media and communication studies, online identity, social media, qualitative methods, and popular culture.

    Dr Kathryn Bowd

    Associate Dean, Work Integrated Learning, Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

    Postgraduate Coordinator

    Research and teaching expertise in journalism, particularly journalism practice and non-metropolitan media, and work-integrated learning.

    Dr John Budarick

    Senior Lecturer in Media

    Program Director for the Bachelor of Media and Double Degrees

    Research and teaching expertise in media theory, media and migration and racism, with focus on journalism.

    Mr Steve Cook

    Senior Lecturer in Media

    Program Director, Master of Immersive Media Technologies
    Head, Realities Extended
    Student Support Academic Mentor

    Research and teaching expertise in mobile ubiquitous platforms, Virtual/Mixed/Augmented Realities (VR, MR and AR), and applied SVEs (Shared Virtual Environments)

    Dr Jessica Ford

    Lecturer in Media

    Research and teaching expertise in television studies, gender, and visual communication

    Dr Matt Hart

    Lecturer in Media

    Research and teaching expertise in young people, digital media, mental health, and risk

    Dr Aaron Humphrey

    Lecturer in Media and Digital Humanities

    Research and teaching expertise in digital design and visual communication. Particular expertise in comics and graphic narratives, multimodal communication and user experience design

    Dr Michelle Phillipov

    Head of Department

    Research and teaching expertise in media and food industries, streaming television, and work- cultures and practices

    Mr Darren Taljaard

    Lecturer in Media

    Research and teaching expertise in graphic design, design fundamentals, digital storytelling, visual communication, and typography.

    Dr Guillaume Vétu Adjunct Fellow
    Dr Victoria Fielding

    Lecturer in Strategic Communication

    Research and teaching expertise in strategic communication, narrative communication, media framing, and media bias

  • Our research

    All academic staff within the Department are active researchers whose research contributes to their teaching as well as to the broader body of knowledge in their areas. Department staff have national and international research profiles in their individual fields of expertise, and most are actively engaged with industry.

    Media staff research the complex interaction between media, individuals, and societies in changing technological, political, and cultural environments. Our researchers focus on topics which reflect this complexity across diverse media types and contexts, including: media and food industries; persona studies and mediated performances; gender and contemporary television; young people, digital media and mental health; children’s mobile games; comics and graphic narratives; virtual and mixed realities; inclusive typographic systems; the mediatisation of risk and security narratives; media, culture and democracy in plural societies; and media representation of contested narratives. In pedagogical research, we study how students can maximise the benefits from their work integrated learning opportunities.

    Further adding to the research profile of the Department are higher degree students who are undertaking PhD and Research Masters research projects on a wide variety of media-related topics.

    HIGHER DEGREES BY RESEARCH

Major/Minors and Study Plans

For information on Major/Minors, please visit the Faculty Page.

For study plans, please visit this page.

The Sia Furler Institute for Contemporary Music and Media

The Institute was founded in 2017, by the University’s Elder Conservatorium of Music.

It was inspired by the spirit and work of Sia Furler, one of Australia’s most influential modern-day creative forces. You can study a music major through the institute. 

Find out more

Study with us

Explore the study options within the School of Humanities.

Find a researcher

Search for an expert in our database.

Partner with us

Learn how you can get involved and partner with our researchers.