Master of Arts. . (MSTA)

Master of Arts. . (MSTA) - MA

CRICOS code (International applicants): 072983D

This program is offered only to continuing students. No new admissions will be accepted. Students who are interested in this study area should consider the MARA Master of Arts which will be offered from semester 1, 2014.

	On-campus	External
Semester intake:	No new admissions	No new admissions
Campus:	Toowoomba	-
Fees:	Domestic full fee paying place International full fee paying place	Domestic full fee paying place International full fee paying place
Standard duration:	1 year full-time; 2 years part-time
Program articulation:	From: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Creative Arts . or other approved degree program To: Doctor of Philosophy or other approved professional award

Contact us

Future Australian and New Zealand students	Future International students	Current students
Freecall (within Australia): 1800 269 500 Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315 Email: study@usq.edu.au	Phone: +61 7 4631 5543 Email: international@usq.edu.au	Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252 Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 2285 Email usq.support@usq.edu.au

Program aims

This program is specifically designed for prospective students who require professional development or qualifications upgrade. The program also aims to produce graduates who have an advanced awareness, understanding and appreciation of the complexities of human thought, expression and behaviour as reflected in a specified discipline area. Graduates will also have demonstrated their capacity for specialised study, research and scholarship at a higher level and/or in applying knowledge in employment or community service, and have enhanced further their personal, cultural, creative and intellectual capacities.

Program objectives

On successful completion of the program students should:

have advanced their professional knowledge in a manner that is appropriate to career progression
- be able to evaluate and to analyse critically a range of ideas and theories pertaining to the creative arts or humanities
- have acquired advanced knowledge, skills and competency in the content, epistemology and appreciation or practice of a particular discipline
- be able to conceive, plan and execute a project requiring research, scholarship, composition, and interpretation at an advanced level.

Admission requirements

The requirements described in this section are the generic requirements for entry to the Master of Arts program. Some majors may have additional specific requirements.

Standard Entry

The normal requirement for entry to the Master of Arts program is a three year bachelor degree or equivalent.
Some consideration for significant professional practice may be given to applicants at the discretion of the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.

Additional Entry Requirements

Applicants for entry into the following Master of Arts pathways/majors must have completed a major in their discipline area or have equivalent professional experience: Anthropology, Applied Media, Creative Media, English Literature, Journalism, Music, Theatre; and Visual Arts. Anthropology applicants must have a minimum grade point average of five.
Ideally, applicants will have up to two years of practice in their given discipline/field in addition to their undergraduate qualifications.
Students intending to undertake research or project work should note that selection of any research topic is subject to the availability of an appropriate supervisor, and students must accept faculty guidance in their selection of a research topic.
Students who have graduated with USQ's Postgraduate Certificate in Business will be considered for admission to the Corporate Communication coursework major only in the Master of Arts.
Some disciplines require the completion of an additional Discipline Proposal. These disciplines are: Anthropology, Applied Media, Communication and Media Studies, Creative Media, English Literature, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts. Students should prepare a report of no more than five pages, addressing the criteria below, and a 300 word description of the proposed project. Anthropology and English literature applicants must develop their proposal in consultation with a staff member in their discipline.

Please advise how your proposed research will:
1. Advance your professional knowledge in a manner that is appropriate to your career progression/aspirations
2. Evaluate and critically analyse a range of theories and methodologies pertaining to your sector/field in either the creative arts or humanities
3. Be managed and evaluated. Detail the resources you will need to complete this project (include equipment, personnel etc).
4. What is your perceived outcome for this research/project and who (other than yourself) stands to benefit from your research/project?
5. Note: Students completing coursework are not required to submit a proposal.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If you do not meet the English language requirements you may apply to study a ��ýapp-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, you may be admitted to an award program.

Program fees

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.
Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

Program structure

Depending on the discipline chosen, Master of Arts students may choose one of the following pathways or options:

six courses of study comprising four units of coursework and four units of supervised dissertation work (20,000 words). The dissertation component must be completed over two consecutive semesters.
six courses of study comprising four units of coursework and four units of supervised advanced project work that could include work-integrated learning, professional placement, documented exhibition, performance or studio practice. The project component must be completed over two consecutive semesters.
eight courses of study comprising eight units of discipline specific (only Editing and Publishing and English Literature) or interdisciplinary coursework
seven courses of study comprising six units of coursework, with either a disciplinary or interdisciplinary selection of courses, and two units of:

supervised dissertation (10,000 words) or
exegesis of 10,000 words on an exhibition, performance, studio practice, professional placement or work-integrated learning experience or advanced project
advanced project of work integrated learning, professional placement, documented exhibition, performance or studio practice.

The program can be undertaken full-time in one academic year, or part-time over two years. Part-time enrolment will normally be coursework in year one, and dissertation and/or project work in year two, depending on the pathway chosen.

Please refer to the Recommended Enrolment patterns for further details on offerings from each discipline.

Please note: students must choose either the Dissertation OR Project pathway for Masters enrolment across the degree program. Students will not be able to change from dissertation to project courses within this Masters program. Major studies/specialisations

Semester 3

No courses will be offered in Semester 3 and students will not be able to commence the Masters program in Semester 3.

Program completion requirements

Students are required to complete 8 credit points within a consistent pattern as described within the Program Structure.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 4 years to complete this program.

Core courses

Core courses are essential to developing the skills required to conduct scholarly activity and independent research at Masters level. All students in the School of Humanities and Communication (except those taking the Editing and Publishing major) must enrol in:

Students taking the research pathway with four units of supervised dissertation must enrol in:

MAR8001 Masters Dissertation A
MAR8002 Masters Dissertation B

For students in the School of Creative Arts enrolled in the disciplines of Applied Media, Creative Media, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts the following courses are core courses:

All Creative Arts Masters students will be expected to audit as part of their MAR8001 Masters Dissertation A or courses.

Major studies

A Major ��ýapp is a group of courses having six units in value within the program, and is designed to provide students with:

specialised knowledge in selected areas of a particular discipline
the opportunity to develop research and/or practical skills in a particular discipline.

Major studies at Masters level are available in Anthropology, Applied Media, Communication and Media Studies, Corporate Communication, Creative Media, Editing and Publishing, English Literature, History, Interdisciplinary, International Relations, Journalism, Music, Social Sciences, Theatre and Visual Arts. Note that not all majors can be completed in one calendar year.

Coursework

The Coursework component of the Master of Arts degree program constitutes at least 4 discipline specific units of study. For details, consult the recommended enrolment patterns.

Research

Intending Master of Arts students should contact the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts before enrolling in the program to ensure that appropriate supervision is available for the proposed dissertation topic and other projects. As the research and advanced project pathways available within the Master of Arts degree constitute 4 of the 8 credit points required for successful completion of the program, it is essential that students have developed a project plan which is able to be effectively supervised and resourced.

Practical experience

In some Master of Arts areas it may be appropriate that practical, professional or vocational experience is recognised as a criterion for admission. Such experience may also form the basis of special project work, which might also be based upon Work Integrated Learning.

IT requirements

Access to high-level computers is essential for students taking this program. For up-to-date advice on computing requirements, please see .

Exit points

Students who have completed 4 approved units of postgraduate study in the Master of Arts program may exit with the award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Arts.

Credit

Credit may be granted on the basis of equivalent courses undertaken at postgraduate level, or may be credited as electives towards the Master of Arts. In order for credit to be granted, the claim must meet the following requirements:

the course passed was taken at least at postgraduate or equivalent level
the course was passed within five years prior to the application (courses up to 10 years old may be considered)
the course passed is equivalent in objectives, content and weightings to a course prescribed in the Master of Arts degree, or alternatively, the course is suitable as an elective
the maximum number of units which may be credited in the Master of Arts program is four
credit approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by the USQ.

Note: Where credit is granted, maximum and minimum duration will be adjusted in the same proportion as the credit, for example, where the maximum of 50 per cent credit is granted, maximum and minimum duration will be reduced by one-half.

Course transfers

Students should contact the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts for advice.