Jones International University

Communications & Creative Arts

Bachelor of Communication (Advertising)

Are you looking for a stimulating career in the competitive and changing global advertising industry? You will experience a variety of interactive learning and teaching approaches, both face to face and online, with an emphasis on industry-relevant and creative outcomes.

The Bachelor of Communication (Advertising) has three distinct focuses: art direction, copywriting, and strategy planning/account management. There is a strong focus on critical and conceptual thinking. You will learn how to use these skills to solve marketing problems, generate attention for brands and products and build an emotional bond between a brand and consumers.

This degree offers you a creative advertising degree that combines theoretical and industry knowledge with hands-on professional skills including copywriting, art direction, and strategic planning. It provides an overview of the role and value of advertising within broader marketing and communication practice, as well as in depth study of advertising media, strategic and creative disciplines. You will experience a variety of interactive learning and teaching approaches, both face to face and online, with a strong emphasis on industry relevance and creative outcomes.

Our graduates go on to work both locally and internationally in a variety of roles, from art direction and copywriting, to media planning and client management.

Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations)

Do you want to know more about how organizations interact with people and the world around them? Are you interested in investigating the core of an issue to find out why it is important to an organization and the people it deals with? In this degree, you’ll gain the skills to work out how an organization can achieve its objectives.

Public relation is a career for people with enquiring minds. Advising organizations on how to enhance their working relationships and reputation is at the heart of modern PR.

The Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations) prepares you for the increasingly globalized, technology-driven world of public relations within corporate, government, not-for-profit, and consultancy environments.

This degree includes subjects in communications and theory, principles and research, and contextual studies. These subjects promote analytical and research skills and provide a broader learning experience. You will gain professional skills in writing techniques, media and stakeholder relations, strategy, and research, with an emphasis on problem solving, creativity, project and relationship management.

You’ll build your skills and knowledge on campus and in a variety of work-integrated learning environments. You will be exposed to other fields of applied communication practice and how they converge with PR.

Bachelor of Communication (Digital Media)

Cut through the noise and add value for audiences and clients as digital and social media professionals. You will create a portfolio of podcasts, blogs, videos, infographics, and more while exploring big data and analytics, virtual and augmented realities, artificial intelligence, and gamification. You will connect to the industry from day one onward, building your professional-personal brand, producing real-world digital and social media content, and undertaking internships.

The combination of practical assessments, industry events, and internship opportunities means you graduate with a strong network within online communities and digital media industries. Develop a portfolio of work demonstrating your entrepreneurial mindset, capacity to drive engagement with audiences, and skill in developing and managing digital identity and content strategies. You’ll also have the problem-solving, teamwork, online collaboration, and project management skills sought after by employers. 

You will learn how to create high-impact, content-influencing campaigns for communications industries locally and globally. Learn practical skills in social and digital content creation, social media management, stakeholder engagement, podcasting, website creation, video-making, and more.

With the perfect blend of the latest communications technologies and real-world learning, you will plan and execute digital communications strategies. Explore how to:

  • build social media identities and brands
  • engage audiences with podcasts and videos
  • develop crowdfunding campaigns
  • become a digital media entrepreneur
  • create and implement social and digital media content strategies for organizations.

Get job-ready with industry internships that enable you to network with professionals and gain experience in your chosen field before you even graduate.

Through practical assessments, work-integrated learning, and industry experience, this degree enables you to build a dynamic network, digital portfolio, and strong professional-personal brand to give you an edge with future employers.

Master of Communication

If you are looking to develop or enhance your expertise in the rapidly expanding field of professional communication, the Master of Communication is for you. As a student in the program, you will gain applied skills and knowledge in advertising, public relations, social media, human communication theory, relational communication, organizational communication and leadership, and communication research.

The Master of Communication at JIU allows students to choose multiple dissertation/ portfolio options. These dissertation/ portfolio options allow students to develop their research and communication skills in an area of interest. Students can choose from a variety of research topics across areas, including, but not limited to Journalism, Advertising, Social Media, Marketing, and Public Relations. Students are mentored and supervised by the University’s highly skilled and recognized academics, with vast experience in the industry.

The Master of Communication is delivered in intensive mode. Intensive Mode Delivery is a compact and time-efficient way to complete a postgraduate qualification with minimal impact on professional and personal lifestyles. Subjects are generally delivered in either standard intensive or mixed mode. Standard Intensive delivery is generally scheduled over two weekends during the semester with two sets of three-day sessions per subject, usually scheduled Thursday to Saturday (approximately six to eight contact hours per day) with a break of four or five weeks between session one and session two of each subject. Mixed-mode subjects will include a mixture of compulsory online activities and on-campus workshops. International students are required to be on campus every week. This mode of delivery will not impact the duration of the degree length.

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Arts)

The Visual Arts major is for those who love not only painting and making, but also designing for real-world environments. The course will develop your skills in traditional areas such as painting and drawing, printmaking and photography, and sculpture and textiles. You will also learn contemporary digital design skills, including visual communication design, innovations in design practice, and interface design – all underpinned by learnings in history and theory. This dynamic major offers extensive studio time while equipping you with the design skills essential for success in the contemporary arts and creative industries.

What you will study

The structure of the course is based on a common Creative Arts the first year, followed by parallel studies in visual arts and design. This will lead to a capstone project-based subject, which brings together both fields of study. You will also take part in a major showcase and public exhibition by the end of your degree. Student work is exhibited throughout the year.

Studying Creative Arts at JIU enables you to get the right balance of practical and theoretical subjects and design your own degree to meet your career aspirations. Be inspired by our purpose-built labs and art spaces, fellow students studying other creative disciplines, our campus, and the iconic natural location. Benefit from our facilities and studio-based practice where you are encouraged to carve out your own creative niche. Participate in extracurricular activities, attend exhibitions and pursue collaborative opportunities with other art forms.

Work alongside exceptional artists working in their fields exploring new genres and forms in the creative industries and the impact these have on the changing creative landscape. At JIU you’ll learn firsthand how to become a professional practitioner in this expansive sector by immersing yourself in the wider artistic community.

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Photography)

JIU’s Bachelor of Creative Arts (Photography) combines practical skills development through access to world-class equipment and facilities, with knowledge of photographic history, theory and contemporary practices.

Be immersed through a variety of learning experiences including lectures, tutorials, online materials, studio workshops, fieldwork, guest speakers, gallery visits, collaborative projects, student exhibitions, industry internships, and gain direct access to leaders in the field. You’ll experiment with creative approaches to develop fine art and commercial photography skills with an emphasis on achieving high levels of production.

Core studies are complemented by work with digital technologies and other creative arts disciplines, ensuring you develop your individual voice and graduate confidence for a professional career in photography.

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama)

Get amongst the next generation of dynamic theatre makers to create innovative contemporary performance in JIU’s Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama). Become a versatile and agile theatre practitioner equipped with the tools to kick-start your independent theatre career.

You will be challenged to develop physical, creative, and intellectual capacities through practice-based learning, while also exploring history and theory, and working with digital technologies and other creative arts disciplines. In a studio setting, you’ll develop core skills in acting, improvisation, collaborative theatre creation, dramaturgy, dramatic text analysis, rehearsal techniques, and site-specific and applied performance.

Real-time practical learning in state-of-the-art facilities is supported by online materials, lectures, guest speakers, and access to leaders in the field. Opportunities extend from campus-based learning to include public performance, site-based practice, and internship experiences.

Through a dynamic combination of acting theory and practice, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of the arts and be inspired to create new forms of performance. Through this course, you’ll produce public performances at a professional standard, and explore important aspects of the theatre including:

  • acting theory and practice
  • different performance styles and processes
  • site-based and community theatre
  • text studies
  • theatre history.

You’ll have the chance to work on individual and group creative projects to develop your skills in ensemble creation and production management and participate in public performances. Plus, you can gain exposure to international theatre techniques by taking an overseas study tour or internship*.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have the foundations to work across the arts and entertainment industries in anything from live theatre, film, and television to drama education, performance companies, and community theatre.

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance)

Immerse yourself in the exciting physical, creative and social possibilities of contemporary dance. Study a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance) at JIU to learn how the art of contemporary dance intersects with conceptual and innovative thinking, community enrichment, and technology.

Study the diverse ways in which dance can engage and make a difference. The course challenges and develops your physical, creative, and intellectual capacities through practice-based learning.

In the studio setting, core studies in dance technique, a broad spectrum of dance styles, choreography, history, and theory are complemented by work with digital technologies and other creative arts disciplines. Opportunities include public performance, choreographic projects, and internship experiences.

Want to launch your career as an adaptable dance practitioner?

Develop advanced skills in contemporary dance through a combination of studio-based learning, theory, and real-world experience.

You will gain skills and knowledge in:

  • dance technique and performance
  • choreography and dance production
  • screen-based dance forms including film and music video
  • dance cultures
  • dance and movement improvisation.

You’ll have the chance to work on individual and group creative projects to develop your skills in choreography and improvisation and participate in public performances. Plus, you can gain exposure to the international dance sector by taking an overseas study tour or internship.

Graduate ready to launch a career as a practitioner in the professional dance sector. You will be equipped to work across disciplines in a variety of contexts, initiate independent arts projects or use your skills and knowledge as dance teachers, which are in strong demand.