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Digital & Social Media Bachelor's Degree

Bachelor of Communication and Media (Digital and Social Media)

Degree Summary

Program Outcomes

Program Structure

Faculty

Accreditation

Admission Requirements

Duration

3 Years Bachelor Degree
(24 subjects)

4 Years Bachelor Degree
with Integrated Freshman Year (32 subjects)

Classes commence

September (Autumn)

January (Winter)

April (Spring)

Yearly Fees*

AED 60,429 / USD 16,466
*VAT 5% inclusive
Note: Yearly fees will vary depending
on number of subjects enrolled in

Social Media, and social media platforms, play an integral role in society, and in our lives, today. Love them or hate them, we can’t live without them. We use social media to communicate, to share, to shop, to start businesses, grow brands, and to explore the world around us. Studying social media is a relatively new phenomenon and is often misunderstood. The study of social media is more than simply playing with social media, more than simply posting on Instagram or Tik Tok. Studying social media is about understanding the social media platforms of today, so we’re ready to be the content creators of tomorrow.

The Digital and Social Media Specialization gives students an opportunity to learn, explore, analyze and create media in the current digital media landscape. Students are introduced to a process based approach to media making – which we call media design – that includes design thinking, design making and design breaking and is fundamental to the media making and consuming experience.

Courses in this major are all project based. Your projects will be in the form of a digital artefact – public facing work on a social media platform. You’ll be using Instagram, or Tik Tok, or YouTube, or Twitch, to build a project that you design, about a topic of your choosing. These projects start very small, at the beginning of your degree, but you have the opportunity to work on them across subjects, across trimesters, even across years. These projects are designed to give you real-world experience, and often replicate the type of work you would do as a social media manager, content creator, copywriter, brand ambassador, digital marketer, entrepreneur, or small business owner.

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Program Selection Guide

UOWD's Bachelor of Communication and Media

Entry Requirements

Students who have excelled academically at school and meet our advance entry requirements can finish their bachelor's degree in three years, instead of the existing four-year programs. Any prospective student that does not directly qualify for an advance entry three-year program, is still able to enrol in any of our bachelor’s degree, through a one-year Freshman Year.

Admission requirements for UOWD depends on the type of high school curriculum you have followed. The requirements based on the most common high school curricula are listed below:

School System	Bachelor Degree Advanced Entry (3 Years)	Bachelor Degree Direct Entry (4 Years)
UAE Al-Thanawiyya Al-Aama	N/A	Elite or Advanced Track 70%, General Track 75%
Arab Countries Al-Thanawiyyah Al-Aama	N/A	70%
American High School Diploma	Overall average grade of C (70% or 2.5/4.0) + SAT 1100	Overall average grade of C (70% or 2.5/4.0)
Bangladesh HSC	GPA of 4.0 / 5.0	GPA of 3.0 / 5.0
Brazil Brazil Higher Secondary Certificate	N/A	60%
British GCE Curriculum	Minimum 5 IGCSE/GCSE subjects – Grade D and Minimum of 3 A level subjects – Grade CCD Completion of Year 13	Minimum 5 IGCSE/GCSE subjects – Grade D and 2 AS or 1 A level subject (s) – Grade D Completion of Year 13
Chinese Senior High School	80%	60%
Colombia Título de Bachiller Académico	N/A	3 out of 5 or 6 out of 10
International Baccalaureate Diploma	25 Points	21 Points
India CBSE & ICSE, Grade 12	65%	50%
Iran Pre-University Certificate	14	11
Japan Upper Secondary School Diploma	3.8 out of 5	2.5 out of 5
Kenya	60	31
Mexico	N/A	6 out of 10
Nepal School Leaving Certificate Examination	3 out of 4	2.3 out of 4
Nigeria WAEC & NECO	N/A	Minimum of 7 subjects with no more than 1 “Pass”
Pakistan Higher Secondary School Certificate	88%	65%
CIS Countries Attestat	N/A	Average 3/5
South Korea CSAT	77.5%	70%

Notes:

Students with qualifications from other curriculum should contact the Student Recruitment and Admissions department at UOWD to determine their eligibility.
All students applying from non UAE MoE curriculum must provide an equivalency of their Secondary School Certificate from the Ministry of Education, UAE; stating the completion of Grade 12.
A student who does not satisfy the criteria for Equivalency of Secondary School Certificate, may be subject to conditional admission, based on receiving a Letter of No Objection to Conditional Admission issued by the Ministry.

English Language Requirements

At UOWD, all classes are taught in English and in order to enrol in a bachelor’s degree you will need to submit one of the following certificate of English language proficiency:

English Language Testing	Bachelor Degree Advance Entry (3 Years)*	Bachelor Degree Direct Entry (4 Years)**
IELTS Academic	Overall score of IELTS 6.5 with scores no less than 6.0 in each band	Overall IELTS (Academic) score of 5.0 & Minimum score of 5.0 in Reading & Writing
TOEFL Internet-based	88 with not less than 22 in Writing, 20 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 18 in Speaking	61
TOEFL Computer based	231 with a 4.5 TWE/Essay Writing	173
TOEFL*** International paper based	575 with a 4.5 TWE/Essay Writing	500

Notes:

* Students with IELTS 6.0 and scores no less than 6 in each band could be admitted with the condition to successfully complete a remedial subject in first trimester.

** Students with a minimum overall score of 6.0 in academic IELTS (or equivalent) and a minimum score of 6.0 in reading and writing(or equivalent) are eligible for advanced standing for English Language subjects.

*** Students admitted under this criterion must complete the test at AMIDEAST.

Credit for Prior Learning

If you are seeking advanced standing status, please submit an official academic transcript showing all courses studied and the grades achieved, syllabus details (including information on course content) for the courses you have completed and an explanation of the grading system.

To make an application for your chosen program, complete the online application form and submit it along with all your supporting documentation (see below) prior to the application deadline.

Late applications may be accepted subject to the availability of places but applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Supporting Documentation

Please ensure that all these documents accompany your application for admission form submittal:

An original or certified copy of your secondary school records
A Statement or Certificate of Completion of secondary school
Proof of your English language proficiency

(Note: Results from IELTS & TOEFL tests may be sent to the University directly from the IELTS or TOEFL testing centres quoting the UOWD institution code IELTS: AE109 / TOEFL: 7907)

UAE ID (if applying from within the UAE)
A copy of your passport (and Residence Visa, if resident in the UAE).

Additionally, if you are seeking advance standing in your chosen program:

Certified copies of official academic transcripts showing all courses studied and grades obtained, syllabus details (including information on course content) of the courses you successfully completed and an explanation of the grading system.

Applicants who completed high school within UAE

All applicants for admission who have completed the Thanaweya Al-Amma must get their certificates attested by the UAE Ministry of Education.

Applicants from all other curriculum, who have completed their high school from UAE, are required to obtain equivalency of their high school qualifications from the UAE Ministry of Education.

In these circumstances, you will be provisionally admitted to the University and permitted to commence the first semester of study, subject to you obtaining the required attestation/equivalency.

Applicants who completed high school outside UAE

You must have your secondary school records and Certificates of Completion certified by:

The issuing Board of Secondary Education OR a recognised authority for secondary education
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the host country
The UAE Embassy in that host country OR the Embassy of the host country in UAE must attest the authenticity of the documents and attestations and the UAE ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In special cases where complying with conditions (2) and (3) are not feasible, the certificates may be verified against originals by Embassies in the UAE and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In these circumstances, you will be provisionally admitted to the University and permitted to commence the first semester of study.

If you are unable to secure the attestations as outlined above you will be asked to sign a “Consent to Provide Documents” form agreeing to secure the equivalency. You will be permitted to commence your studies at UOWD, but will be given a maximum of one semester to obtain the attested certificate(s). UOWD reserves the right to take appropriate action against any applicant who cannot secure the appropriate documentation in this time, which may result in the termination of the student’s enrolment at UOWD.

For more information or assistance on attesting documents from outside UAE, click here.

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Program Structure

To qualify for the Bachelor of Communication and Media (BCM), a candidate shall accrue an aggregate of at least 144 credit points comprising of core subjects, major subjects, electives and final year project.

Core Subjects

This foundation subject introduces students to ways of understanding media and communication practices, institutions and technologies. The subject takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how producers and consumers interact in a media saturated world. The subject will begin with the ways in which the media has been discussed in theory and in practice, and go on to examine how our communication practices and adoption and use of different technologies are integrated with our professional, social and political lives.

In an era of globalisation, communication across cultures is key to our capacity to thrive in diverse workplaces. This subject introduces students to key issues in communication and media and how these overlap with developments in transnational media industries and practices. We examine the historical impact of media technologies and institutions on the formation of local, national, and international cultural communities and explore contemporary sites of opportunity or crisis produced by the emergence of global communication networks.

Working in the communication and media industries requires a sound understanding of the legal framework within which you operate. But it is not just the law that we need to be aware of. There is also an ethical dimension that can manifest itself when we are considering the language we employ to talk about people with disabilities as well as particular racial, ethnic or religious groups, or other groups within society. Ethical issues arise whenever we choose photographs or video images to splice into our stories or even private conversations. As professional communicators we need to be aware of the damage that a wrong or misguided decision can have on a person’s reputation or emotional well-being. This subject will equip you with the tools required to address these and other questions you may confront while working in a position that involves communicating with people.

The subject introduces fundamental techniques in media making, including idea mapping, rapid prototyping, testing and feedback-based iteration. Working individually or in a team, you will have the opportunity to ideate, pitch, develop, and deliver a real-world digital artefact relevant to your personal interests and professional aspirations. The subject is organised in three modules mirroring key stages in a media project production process: mapping ideas, prototyping, and testing. You will develop your own digital artefact mapped to these stages, reflect on the production process, and present your work. Each digital artefact will be applied in the real world, demonstrating social utility outside of the subject context. The digital artefact encourages experimentation, creative entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and a speculative approach to media making.

Major Subject

This subject introduces you to the process of media convergence, emphasising the way in which digital media-driven technological change is accompanied by changes in the way we work, socialise and communicate. We focus on the emergent media dynamics of this process, and their effects on audiences, media platforms, and industries. You will establish and start developing an online presence across a range of platforms, and begin work on your first digital artefact.

Elective Subjects

Students are required to choose an additional THREE elective subjects, each worth 6 credit points, from the school's approved list.

Core Subjects

If you are developing a product, designing a service or crafting a communication plan, you will need to think about how users or audiences will respond. This subject introduces you to the methods and challenges involved in researching lived experience, including your own. We look at user experience (UX) research, participatory co-design, creative and collaborative ethnography, and research as storytelling, in the context of traditional methods: surveying, interviews, focus groups. The subject emphasises ethical knowledge making, participant engagement and public communication. Students learn about these by designing, managing and reporting on a small experience-centred research project.

This subject explores the powerful role played by the media in both creating inequalities and fighting injustice. We cover key contemporary issues from the blood minerals in our everyday media devices and news coverage of refugee crises to the increasing prominence of celebrity culture in global movements for justice. We also delve into historical roots of social injustice looking at how media discourses of orientalism gave rise to problems continuing today. The subject emphasises media that you may not normally think of in connection with social injustice. Examples may include the politics of maps or the use of music or other expressive media in social movements. This subject will expand your knowledge of global media and of the ways in which media make a difference to the lives of people in many and diverse cultures. In assessments for this subject you will have the opportunity to focus on one of these issues in more depth making use of images and words to communicate what you find.

What does it mean to develop an expertise in a media niche and how does that help your professional future? In this subject we use ethnographic research methods to critically examine what content creators do from the perspective of the audience. You will learn how to conduct autoethnographic research to assist the production of innovative content in a media specialisation relevant to your personal interests or professional aspirations. Learning in this subject is enhanced through online lectures and tutorials focused on developing innovation, entrepreneurship and commercial opportunities within your media niche.

Major Subjects

The internet has revolutionised every aspect of our lives, reformatting and transcending personal, social and geographic boundaries. In this subject, we examine the emergence of global information networks and the rise of the network society. We explore the characteristics of the network society paradigm and the emerging phenomena of cyberculture, the attention economy, algorithmic feudalism, meme warfare, cyberwarfare, the internet of things, blockchains and decentralised finance. The assessments enable you to develop your own digital media projects or continue existing ones. All lectures and study materials are available online, and class interactions are structured as weekly seminars in which you prototype project ideas, workshop issues, and present your progress.

This subject explores some of the major debates and the local and global impacts of digital and social innovation and digital disruption across the creative industries. Topics focus on a range of competing developments in virtual communities, blockchain applications, automation and robotics and the Internet of Things, for example, as well as the startups, innovation hubs, incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces and smart-city precincts where these activities are occurring. By investigating the interactive networks of people, public and private enterprises, industry events, technologies, regulation and governance, you will gain a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial forces that are shaping the future of the digital economy.

Digital video games have emerged as one of the largest creative industries and most popular forms of media entertainment driving the global economy. This subject is designed for those unfamiliar with games while providing a challenge to established gamers as you develop skills in researching and analysing all forms of games media. We will explore the history and prehistory of video games through media archaeology and examine new trends in game media's participatory cultures, including different forms of fandom, live streaming and esports. In developing your digital artefacts and media projects, you will assemble an analytical framework to provide a publicly accessible critical analysis of game text or paratext. Your individual or collaborative approach might focus on PC gaming, consoles or mobile apps, explore issues in branding and merchandising or analyse new forms of online criticism and review. All lectures and materials for this subject are online, and the weekly seminars will provide the time and space to develop your project pitch, receive feedback and iterate your media project.

Elective Subjects

Students are required to choose an additional TWO elective subjects, each worth 6 credit points, from the school's approved list.

Core Subject

What stories are being told about the future of work that will shape the experiences of media and communications graduates? How are automation and technology changing the boundaries between workplaces and personal spaces, and between work and personal time? How can we expect to navigate new ways of working, interacting, and collaborating, while sustaining our own wellbeing? In this seminar we look at the lived experience of work with a focus on the use of reflective narrative practice (collaborative storytelling) to manage professional self-development. Students draw on their own work experience and learn narrative techniques to examine their own values and those of others. This extends to an intensive interview-based project in collaboration with someone whose career journey is relevant to their future hopes.

Major Subjects

Understanding how to design experiences for others involves developing expertise in a complex set of specialist media and communication skills. The subject does not rely on previous experience with games and will introduce you to the global niche creative industry of board games and tabletop game experiences. You will learn how to ideate, pitch, prototype and negotiate feedback through playtesting and iteration to create unique analogue game experiences. All lectures for this subject are online and will support your learning about games and play, and the analysis of game mechanics, emergent narratives and story worlds. Although a physical product, analogue games are deeply reliant on internet cultures for their current success. You will develop knowledge in online crowdfunding and the challenges involved in the production, distribution, and advertising of physical entertainment media products. All workshops are run in the Creative Industries Maker Studio where you will work independently and collaboratively to create digital media projects and analogue game experiences for a range of players and public audiences.

This is the culmination of your Digital and Social media major and subjects. By now, you have extensive experience in creating and working on digital artefacts, and this subject allows you to continue working on previous digital artefacts, or start an entirely new project. Weekly seminars are organized to discuss conceptual paradigm shits in digital and social media, as well as ideation, reframing, and prototyping techniques in project development. The main focus of this subject, and the project, is process – ideation, iteration, making, testing and feedback – which has been embedded into every project you’ve made in the program. Don’t forget FIST and FEFO – just because this is a final project doesn’t mean failures won’t happen – they will, embrace them, learn from them, make better because of them.

This subject explores the skills, strategies and professional expectations of collaborative media production. An examination of relevant principles, practices and industry case studies provides the basis for teams of students with different media production expertise to collaborate in the development of common projects.

The ancient arts of divination are symbolic of a deeply human need to anticipate and plan for the future. In this subject, you will learn contemporary approaches to futurology through futures studies and the production of a digital artefact that addresses the future in the short, medium, and long term. You will examine the tensions between the representation and the realities of future cultures through the live analysis of landmark science fiction films. Your independent projects will respond to the issues raised by the presence and use of computers, networks and artificial intelligence in all aspects of contemporary social life, including communication, health, employment, education, art, entertainment, industry, and the environment.

Elective Subjects

Students are required to choose an additional THREE elective subjects, each worth 6 credit points, from the school's approved list.

Choose One Emirati Studies*

The societies and places in which we live are very complex, and the interactions of individuals, as well as social institutions, have a direct impact on the life path we take. This course provides an engaging and accessible introduction to urban sociology and the study of cities, with particular focus on the experience of the UAE and Dubai. We’ll examine a number of substantive urban topics, including but not limited to the growth of cities and urban spaces in the UAE, sustainable development and practices, and the ‘built’ environment.

This course will introduce Public Health as an interdisciplinary science concerned with topics central to the population of U.A.E and on a wider scale of GCC region with regard to their physical, mental, and social well- being. The course focuses on current pertinent public health problems, assessing causation and examining intervention and management strategies at personal, social, and organizational levels.

This course offers an overview of the UAE’s rapidly emerging significance and its increased roles in global networks of international relations and diplomacy. Within that overview, the course examines the internal dynamics of the UAE, in particular, the priorities that emerge from a specific workforce dependency, a construction and tourism industry that looks ‘East’ as much as it does ‘West’. Thus the new ‘Look East’ policy complements the country’s historical partnership with the Western states. With the expansion of its global ties and relations, the UAE also becomes more sensitive to transnational issues, such as immigration, fluctuations in international markets or terrorism.

This subject aims to provide an understanding of relations and interactions between society and environment, including impact of societies on the Earth and its processes. Topics covered include the agricultural, industrial and urban revolutions; governance of environments; Indigenous land management; climate change; sustainability; and environmental impacts in the context of the Anthropocene.

This course aims to provide students with critical thinking perspectives about the relationship between history, religion and culture, in this case, the formation of Islamic culture(s). A sociological introduction to the study of Islamic culture will introduce students to the emergence of Islam in its 7th century historical context, its relationship to the other monotheistic traditions of the region, its growth into the dominant cultural paradigm of the Near East by the 9th century, alongside its impact and contribution to key fields of medieval science and knowledge. A historical approach will help students acquire familiarity with key Islamic texts, institutions, concepts of authority, traditions of jurisprudence and spirituality, artistic expressions, as well as milestones in Islamic history. The course wraps up with a discussion of issues central to contemporary debates relating to Islamic culture, such as identity, gender, multiculturalism, pluralism, secularism and religiosity.

* Students must complete 6 credit points (cp) of General Education subjects in the area of Emirati Studies as part of the 144 cp.

Note: If you enrolled at the University before Autumn 2024 and have already completed some GED subjects, you may continue with your original study plan to fulfill your graduation requirements. Alternatively, you may choose to follow the new guidelines by completing one GED subject in the Emirati Studies category from the list above and transferring any completed GED subjects to Electives if permitted by your degree plan.

For support and guidance on this option, please consult an officer at the Academic Success Centre or speak with the Academic Advisor in your School.

Program Outcomes

Students graduating with a Digital and Social Media degree will be well-prepared to work in the media industry of today, and tomorrow. Students will have extensive experience conceptualizing, creating, and managing social media projects – including creating, curating and aggregating content, brand management, copywriting and developing communication strategies for growth. Jobs in the social media industry are here to stay, and the demand for people with the skills needed in this industry is only going to grow. You’ll also graduate with an extensive, professional portfolio of your work, making you an extremely employable candidate for any digital or social media related job.

For more on why this major is a good choice, and what skills you can expect to learn and develop in the program, see what some of our Digital and Social Media students have to say.

Testimonial

Sara Aboushady

“What I love most about studying media is the amount of practical and technical work that we are taught to do. This includes how to communicate properly with a specific audience, storytelling, and more technical skills like editing footage, audio, and running a social media account (publicity).”

“For new students looking to join this program, do not feel overwhelmed especially with the technical side of media as I too felt the same way. I didn’t know how to edit, publish blogs or use some of the platforms we use now. However these are all things you will soon learn and find new passion in.”

View my Blog

Accreditation and Recognition

All degrees at the University of Wollongong in Dubai are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the UAE Ministry of Education and are licensed by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). In addition, the degree is quality assured by UOW, which is registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the national regulator of the higher education sector in Australia.

Students will be issued a UOW Australia degree upon graduation.

Dr Michael L Mallory

Assistant Professor
Program Director (Undergraduate & Postgraduate Media)

Dr Michael L. Mallory is the Program Director for Media & Communication at the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD). He teaches a wide range of courses in the Bachelor of Communication and Media (BCM) and Master of Media and Communication (MMC) degrees

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Bachelor of Communication and Media (Digital and Social Media)

Degree Summary

Program Outcomes

Program Structure

Faculty

Accreditation

Admission Requirements

Duration

Classes commence

Yearly Fees*

Enquire Now

Program Selection Guide

View Program Structure

Program Structure

Core Subjects

Introduction to Communication and MediaBCM 110 | 6 cp

Global Media and CultureBCM 111 | 6 cp

Media Ethics and LawBCM 113 | 6 cp

Making MediaBCM 114 | 6 cp

Major Subject

Emergent MediaBCM 112 | 6 cp

Elective Subjects

Core Subjects

Understanding Research PracticeBCM 212 | 6 cp

Global Media and Social JusticeBCM 222 | 6 cp

Media EthnographiesBCM 241 | 6 cp

Major Subjects

Future NetworksBCM 206 | 6 cp

Digital and Social InnovationBCM 214 | 6 cp

Game Media IndustriesBCM 215 | 6 cp

Elective Subjects

Core Subject

The Future of WorkBCM 313 | 6 cp

Major Subjects

Game Experience DesignBCM 300 | 6 cp

Advanced Digital ArtefactBCM 302 | 6 cp

Collaborative Production WorkshopBCM 303 | 6 cp

Future CulturesBCM 325 | 6 cp

Elective Subjects

Choose One Emirati Studies*

Urban SociologyURBS103 | 6 cp

Public HealthPUBH115 | 6 cp

UAE and International RelationsIRAE135 | 6 cp

Society and Environment – Resources, Challenges, FuturesGEOG222 | 6 cp

Muslim Societies Across the Ages: Tradition, Secularism & ModernityARTS317 | 6 cp

Program Outcomes

Testimonial

Accreditation and Recognition

Dr Michael L Mallory

Faculty

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