2001 Swinburne Undergraduate and TAFE Course Guide

European Studies
Students develop an understanding of the events
which are shaping contemporary Europe by
studying subjects chosen from Literature,
Language and Culture, Politics, Philosophy,
Sociology and Business. These examine the
economies, politics, societies and business
cultures of the European region.
European Studies offers two (elective) subjects
which are taken in Europe. These comprise a 3-4
week European Union Study Tour and Work
Experience Learning in Europe, which involves
three months stay in a European country of
choice.
European Studies is also an option for TAFE
students who have completed an Associate
Diploma in International Trade.
Subjects include
International politics, post-war Italy, European
Union, Europe, philosophy of culture, European
Union study tour, international business in the
Italian context, renaissance literary culture, work
experience in Europe, migration and ethnicity,
European business studies, European Union –
business context, approaches to culture.
Career opportunities
Particularly relevant for students wishing to
pursue a career in the international business
environment.
Italian
No prior knowledge of the Italian language is
assumed. Students who have passed VCE Italian
can be admitted to an advanced program.
The Italian major enables students to
communicate with Italians, on both linguistic and
socio-cultural levels. The study has a practical
orientation, strongly emphasizing language
acquisition and competence as a medium towards
gaining an understanding of Italy as a modern,
economically and technologically advanced nation
and an appreciation of modern Italian culture. It
addresses a number of aspects of Italian
language, culture, geography, history, literature,
economics, politics and sociology.
Italian offers two (elective) subjects taken in
Europe which can further enhance a student’s
language skills. These comprise a 3-4 week
European Union Study Tour, and Work Experience
in Europe, which involves three months stay in a
European country of choice.
Subjects include
Italian (a three year sequence of language study –
both beginner and advanced level streams are
offered), Post-War Italy, Twentieth Century
European Literature and Thought, European Union,
Contemporary Italy, Work Experience, Study Tour
to the European Union, International Business in
the Italian Context, International Business –
European Context.
Career opportunities
Language studies are taken as an additional skill
to another major area of study. This major is ideal
for people working in areas related to Europe or
Italy, or with Italians both in Australia or overseas,
and is especially useful in fields such as business,
design, engineering, aviation or information
technology.
Literature
One of the most fascinating challenges facing
Literary Studies today is the shift from a culture
based on and formed by the book, to a ‘wired’
society increasingly dominated by electronic
media, where an encyclopaedia can be stored on
a compact disk. Far from being obsolete in this
new information age, the study of literary culture
is central to an understanding of the transition
from the page to the screen. Literature is also a
good complement to studies in Media Studies.
Subjects include
Writing fiction, texts and contexts, Australian
writing and cultural change, reading, writing and
criticism, renaissance literary culture, electronic
writing, literature project.
Career opportunities
Journalism, advertising copywriting, hypertext
writing, teaching, web writing.
Media Studies
Media Studies offers a uniquely broad-based
education in the media and associated industries
and is taught by people with extensive workplace
experience in publishing, print media and radio.
Media Studies incorporates a wide range of
academic and production subjects covering
textual analysis (how we make sense of both film
and ‘media’ materials – TV, print, new media), a
study of the political economy of media and
telecommunications, and hands-on subjects in
which the emphasis is on publishing, radio
production and workplace experience.
Subjects include
Texts and contexts, the media in Australia, popular
culture, new media: the telecommunications
revolution, media voices, media style, cinema
studies, radio production and criticism, electronic
writing, professional attachment program (work
experience), information society: a global
perspective, media project.
Students can also undertake major studies in
media studies through the Swinburne Bachelor of
Arts (Media and Communications) (different VTAC
code – see separate entry in this publication).
Career opportunities
Journalism, radio production, public relations,
communications research.
Philosophy and Cultural Inquiry
The subjects offered by Philosophy and Cultural
Inquiry are designed to provide a well-grounded
understanding of the major conceptual influences
which have shaped our contemporary world view,
and in this way, to enhance our prospects of
responding insightfully and effectively to the
problems of living which confront us today. To
advance this goal, we draw on influential currents
in philosophical thought, the history of ideas,
social and behavioural research, political theory,
and the history and philosophy of science. In the
process of opening up our understanding of the
world we live in, we introduce students to the
techniques of philosophical inquiry in a way which
promotes a variety of useful reasoning skills,
including conceptual analysis, argument
construction and evaluation, critical and creative
thinking.
Subjects include
Introduction to philosophy, critical thinking, history
of ideas, philosophical psychology, philosophy of
culture, social and political philosophy, rationality,
practical ethics, approaches to culture, and
environmental philosophy.
Career opportunities
The ability to solve problems, to communicate
clearly, to organise ideas effectively, to analyse
complex material, and to evaluate arguments –
are skills which are highly valued by employers.
Consequently, the skills fostered by philosophical
inquiry help equip students for a variety of
responsible positions in the workforce.
STOP PRESS
Have you visited our ‘Resources for VCE and
Secondary School Students’ at our website:
www.swin.edu.au/sbs/vce
Information sessions
Sunday 27 August between 11.00am and 3.00pm
and Wednesday 13 December between 4.00pm
and 8.00pm. Attendance at one of these sessions
is recommended.
Further information
School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Tel: (03) 9214 5209
Email: sbsadmin@swin.edu.au
Website: www.swin.edu.au/sbs
Social Sciences and Arts – Degrees
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