University of Sydney Handbooks - 2013 Archive

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Digital Cultures

Digital Cultures is part of the Department of Media and Communications in the School of Letters, Art and Media.

Digital Cultures is an innovative program that critically investigates the practical, social and cultural implications of new media and digital technologies such as the web, mobile devices, social media, computer games and new media arts. What happens at the interface between emerging new media technologies and the ways information and knowledge are created, circulated and consumed? How have the arts, commerce, media and entertainment sectors adopted digital technologies? The Digital Cultures Program places intelligent, interactive, mobile and networked technologies in context, taking an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on sociology, history, philosophy, media studies, cultural studies and new media studies to understand the dramatic changes emerging as digital media proliferate. Most Digital Cultures units mix face-to-face coursework with practical exercises in computer labs; such as web production, blogs and wikis.

At the Undergraduate level the Digital Cultures program currently offers:

  • a major in Digital Cultures,
  • individual units of study that students may take as elective units within other degree programs,
  • an Honours program in Digital Cultures.

Students graduating with this major not only have competencies in using digital media, but have the breadth of understanding and critical insight to understand where these technologies fit in a rapidly changing world.

Requirements for a major

For a major in Digital Cultures, students must complete the following:

1. 18 credit points of junior units of study is required before undertaking senior units in Digital Cultures.

2. 36 senior credit points in Digital Cultures units of study including up to 12 credit points from approved cross-listed units of study. Information on Digital Cultures units of study can be obtained in the Unit of Study section in this handbook.

Refer to Table A in this Handbook for units of study available in the current year. http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/units_of_study/table_a_ab.shtml

Cross-listing
Up to 12 senior credit points of units from approved cross-listed units of study may be counted towards the major.

Refer to Table A in this Handbook for cross-listed units of study available in the current year. http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/units_of_study/table_a_ab.shtml

Honours

The Honours program allows students to undertake a research project and become an expert in a recent development in digital media. Students need to complete 48 senior credit points in the Digital Cultures program comprising ARIN and cross-listed units of study. The ARIN units must include ARIN2600 Technocultures and ARIN3620 Researching Digital Cultures. An average of credit or above is required for the 48 credit points.

Refer to the degree resolutions in this Handbook and to the Faculty Admissions Policy for Honours: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Summer School

The Digital Cultures program offers the following undergraduate units of study as part of the 2013 University of Sydney Summer School:

  • ARIN2620 Cyberworlds
  • ARIN3640 Computer Games and Simulation
  • ARIN2610 Web Transformations (offered in Winter School)

For further details see the Summer School webpage: http://sydney.edu.au/summer/

Contact/further information
For further information see the department website: sydney.edu.au/arts/digital_cultures/

Program Director: Dr Kathy Cleland
Phone: +61 2 9351 4721
Email: