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Curtin University
Courses Handbook 2012

This handbook contains information for courses and units at Curtin in 2012.
Information for current year courses and units is available at Courses Handbook 2011.

312530 v.1 Professional Writing and Publishing Major (Master)

Introduction

The Master of Professional Communication (Professional Writing and Publishing) will equip students with the skills, understanding and discipline to work in corporate communications and media in state, federal and local government, business and industry, the not-for-profit sector, arts organisations, and the magazine and book industries. These areas continue to demonstrate significant growth nationally and internationally. It is expected that the degree will attract students from a range of undergraduate disciplines predominantly from but not confined to Humanities but also from science and health sciences. Students will learn to convey information, issues and debate to colleagues, clients, constituents, and stake-holders by creating narratives that are rhetorically effective, ethically aware, well-researched, and cogently argued, in a range of media, genres and forms including print and online media, features and profiles, speeches, reports, discussion papers, creative non-fiction, and promotional writing. Uniquely, the Curtin PWP program integrates creative practice and academic inquiry with training and experience in real-world technical and professional skills and competencies. It aims to foster its students’ creative non-fiction-writing talents, developing their skills in storytelling whilst training them in the specialised genres and conventions of professional communication and delivering advanced instruction in research, writing, editing, and publishing. This equips students to contribute to and influence public discourse which is increasingly being driven by narrative: stories that capture an organisation’s identity, aspirations, and endeavours.

Course Structure Hrs/Wk Credit
Year 1 Semester 1
312470 v.1   Writing and Research for Professional Contexts 511 3.0 25.0
312478 v.1   Writing the Zeitgeist 510 3.0 25.0
312481 v.1   Writing, Editing and Publishing 511 3.0 25.0
313351 v.1   Writing Creative Non-Fiction 510 3.0 25.0
  100.0
Year 1 Semester 2
312479 v.1   Writing, Deception and Authenticity 520 3.0 25.0
312641 v.1   Writing Magazine Features 521 3.0 25.0
313352 v.1   Writing Humour 521 3.0 25.0
  OR  
312643 v.1   Professional Writing Placement 521 3.0 25.0
314011 v.1   Advanced Editing and Publishing 522 25.0
  OR  
312642 v.1   Writing the Past 520 3.0 25.0
  100.0
Year 2 Semester 1
310565 v.4   Masters Creative Project 601 2.0 50.0
310566 v.4   Masters Creative Project 602 2.0 50.0
  100.0